CHANTING, It enters through the ear and goes to the heart

Guest (1): When you chant, do you have to think what you’re saying? How can you do other things?

Prabhupada: Other things?

Guest (1): Well, many things require your concentration.

Prabhupada: Well, let us first of all chant the holy name. Then we shall think of concentration.

Guest (1): You see, two, two things... You can’t...

Prabhupada: No. Concentrate, concentration automatically. If I chant Hare Krsna and I hear, that is concentration. That is concentration. Immediately.

Guest (1): But you can’t read or talk to someone.

Prabhupada: There is no question of reading. We are simply asking to chant. Reading will come later on. Just like a small child, he’s taught... In our educational system they chant... What is that? That...? (Hindi) Pahara pahara.(?)

Indian man: Pahara. Alphabet. A.I.E.

Prabhupada: They chant. By chanting, by hearing they learn. “A,B,C,” like that. “2 plus 2 equal to 4.” We did it in our childhood. One boy will chant like that. “2 plus 2 equal to 4.” And we shall repeat. “2 plus 2 equal to 4.” So repeating three times, I understand 2 plus 2 equal to 4.

Guest (1): Do you find that the chant goes on in your heart?

Prabhupada: Huh?

Revatinandana: Do you find that the chant goes on in your heart?

Prabhupada: Why not? Why not?

Guest (1): It goes deeper and deeper?

Prabhupada: Yes. Everything we hear, it goes to the heart. If I call you by name, it does not go to my heart? “You rascal. You stupid.” You hear. Does it not go to my heart? Why I become angry unless it goes to my heart. If “rascal,” “stupid,” and all these bad names go to my heart, why God’s name will not go to my heart? If by calling you by ill names you become angry, that means it goes to your heart. Why not good name? It goes. It enters through the ear and goes to the heart.

Guest (1): I’m doing that, saying sometimes a little prayer...

Prabhupada: So if you repeatedly chant, it will remain. It will always remain in your heart.

Guest (1): Always going on.

Prabhupada: Yes. There is no chance of escape. Chant constantly, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. It remains in the heart. Not only my heart. Others’ heart, they also joke, “Hare Krsna!” If it can remain in others’ heart, why not my heart? Those who are joking me, imitating me. We... Last time, when I was going in Africa, I stopped for few minutes in Athens. Some of the younger residents chant, “Hare Krsna!” You see? As soon as they saw us, they began to chant Hare Krsna. They could understand, “These are Hare Krsna people.” Yes. So by their dress, by their tilaka, they oblige others to chant Hare Krsna, either for imitating or for joking. So they gain. But if Hare Krsna chanting has got any effect, even by joking like that, he’ll get gain. If it is actually spiritual, by simply joking he will get gain.

Revatinandana: In Manchester across the street from the temple there’s a big park. Sometimes I would go over there to walk and chant rounds, and there’s many little children in the park. They’d follow me, “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna!” All day. Hundred times.

Prabhupada: Everywhere. Everywhere. In Bombay, everywhere we go, “Hare Krsna.” In Montreal. They joke, they’ll clap, but they’ll chant. And that is wanted. I want to see that everyone is chanting. And if chanting has effect, then either he’s chanting jokingly or seriously it will have the effect. Fire, if you touch either jokingly or seriously or cautiously, it will act. So our request is that you also preach this cult. Let us cooperate. The whole world is suffering for want of God consciousness. So it is the duty of all religious sects to teach this simple art of chanting Hare Krsna or any other name which you have got. That’s all.

Revatinandana: They have got this prayer, “Lord Jesus have mercy on me, a miserable sinner.” And she was showing me they have a, almost like japa beads. Show him.

Guest (1): You see, here.

Revatinandana: They’re almost like japa mala.

Guest (1): We do it in some, together, in the orthodox church. And we take turns doing two hundred.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Guest (1): And... These are for counting.

Prabhupada: That is nice. We also do the same thing. We chant Hare Krsna.

Guest (1): “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us.”

Prabhupada: Oh, what is the wording?

Guest (1): “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us.”

Prabhupada: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God...”

Revatinandana: “Have mercy on us.”

Guest (1): It’s a little prayer.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Guest (1): And they also pray to the mother of God.

Prabhupada: Sinful? “We are sinful?” You say, “sinful” something? “Forgive some sins” or something like?

Hamsaduta: “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us.” That is the prayer.

Guest (1): And you say it in your own language.

Prabhupada: That’s all right. “Lord Jesus Christ, the son of God, have mercy on us.” That’s
nice. Very good.

Guest (1): (indistinct)

Prabhupada: That is nice. Now, the, by praying, it is expected that one should have mercy of
God. So what is the test that he has got the mercy of God?

Guest (1): The mercy of God is the love of God, isn’t it?

Prabhupada: That’s it. Mercy of... So... That is the test, that he has learned how to love God. Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also worshiped, that “You can give love of God.” Krsna prema-pradaya te. Namo maha-vadanyaya. “You are the most munificent of all incarnations because You are distributing love of God.” Krsna-prema-pradaya te [Madhya 19.53]. Krsnaya krsna-caitanya-namne. “You are Krsna in the form of devotee of Krsna. So I offer my respects.” This is Rupa Gosvami’s prayer.

Guest (1): Do you find that you chant, it clarifies you?

Prabhupada: Yes, certainly. God and God’s name, and God or God’s son, they are nondifferent. So either I be in touch with God’s son or God’s name, I am in touch with God. But they are nondifferent.

Guest (1): What happens to your mind? What do you do with your mind when you chant?

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be in my mind, it doesn’t matter. My mind may be different.

Guest (1): Where does it have to be? It has to be fixed?

Revatinandana: What will the mind be doing?

Hamsaduta: While chanting.

Revatinandana: What should the mind be doing?

Prabhupada: My mind should be absorbed in God consciousness. That is, that is the effect. He can think of God only, nothing else. That is the effect.

Guest (1): It’s very difficult to think of God.

Prabhupada: No. It is not difficult. It is difficult for the sinners. Those who are not sinners, it is not difficult. Because in the Bhagavad-gita it is said:

yesam tv anta-gatam papam
jananam punya-karmanam
te dvanda-moha-nirmukta
bhajante mam drdha-vratah

One can chant the holy name of the Lord if one is free from all sinful activities. A person who is engaged in sinful activities, he cannot concentrate. Therefore we ask our students, first discipline is that he must not have illicit sex life, he must not eat meat, he must not take any kind of intoxication, he must not indulge in gambling. Because these are sinful activities. So if one is engaged in these sinful activities, he cannot concentrate. It is impossible. One who is sinner, he cannot concentrate his mind on God. So voluntarily we should give up these sinful activities. Then it will be possible.

Who Is Crazy?

Now spiritualism, spiritualism means that we should identify ourself as God’s party. That’s all. That is spiritualism. They ask so many things, that, why the materialists are called crazy by the spiritualists? Oh, that is also partyism.

These materialists also call, say to the spiritualists, they are crazy. Just like we are, we have formed some Society of Krsna Consciousness, and, and those who do not like it, they say we are crazy fellows. We are assembly of crazy fellows. And, similarly, we call others who do not associate with us, they are crazy fellows. So there is, we have written pamphlet, booklet, “Who is Crazy?”. Now how to decide? You are thinking the Swamiji and the party, they are crazy. And we are thinking those who are materially engaged, they’re crazy. Now how to decide it? Can you suggest any way how to decide it, how, who is crazy?

Who will decide it? Everyone, two parties, when there is something disagreement, the two parties will say that, “You are in wrong,” the other party will say, “You are...” Now who will decide it? That who is wrong? Can you suggest any one of you who’ll decide? The world is going on in partyism and each opposite party is thinking that the other party is crazy. Now who will decide who is actually crazy? The actual... Then you have come to the point of reason, who is crazy?

Now just see. Take any common man. Not yourself, not myself. Any common man. If you ask him that, “What you are?”, he’ll say... His conception is that I am this body. Everyone will say. He’ll give you some description that, “I am Christian.” “I am Hindu.” “I am Mr. Such and Such.” “I am Mrs. Such and Such.” Everything, whatever he or she will say, that is all due to this body. All due to this body. Everyone. When you say, “You are American,” that means this is the body. Because by accident, by something, by some reason, you were born in this land of America. That is also another artificial name.

The land is neither America nor India. The land is land. But we give some designation, “This is America.” We make some boundary. This is United States of America. This is Canada. This is Europe, and this is Asia. This is India. So this is our name, but actually was there any history that the land is American, or the land...?

Say, four hundred years before, or five hundred years before, was this land was known as America? You have named it, America. Say, some thousands of years before was this, this, the continent which is known as, I mean, Europe, can you trace out history, that it was known as Europe? They are all designations.

Just like we can say from historical point of view of Vedic literature, this whole world was known as Ilavrta-varsa. Ilavrta-varsa. And, later on, since the reign of one great king, emperor, his name was Bharata. He changed the name into his own name, Bharata-varsa. So this whole planet was now Bharata-varsa. Then, as the days go on, the some part of this world was, I mean to say, separated from the original Bharata-varsa, and it was called Europe or some other place. Just like you have got practical experience even in this age, that India, say about twenty years before, the area of India was including Burma, Ceylon and the modern Pakistan and everything. Now it is separated. Now they are calling this is Pakistan. Somebody’s calling there is Ceylon. So this process is going on. Actually the land is neither Bharata-varsa, nor Asia, nor America, nor India, but we give this name. With the change of time, with the change of influence, they are all designations.

Fifty years before when some of you, of course, not all of you are fifty years old. Say, forty years before, or thirty-five years before, when you were, or twenty-five years before, when you were not born, can you say what was your designation? Were you American or Indian or Chinese or Russian, can you say? Say, after getting out of this body, do you think that you’ll continue as American or Indian or Chinese or Russian? Suppose you are now in America, in the land of America. So next life you may be in China. Who can say? Because we are changing our bodies, you cannot say that we are not changing our bodies. Can you say that you are not changing your body?

Yes, we are changing. When I was born, from the mother’s womb, my body was so little. Now how I have changed my...? Where is that body? Where is that body when I was a child? Where is that body when I was a boy? Where is that body when I was a young man? I have got my photograph, my studentship. Oh, Swamiji, you were like this? Where is that body? Where it has gone? So we are changing, but I am the same man. I am thinking, “Oh, in my childhood, I was doing like this. Oh, in my youthhood, I was thinking like this. In my boyhood, I did so many things.” Now where those days gone? If my body, everything has gone away? It is simply remembrance.

But still we are sticking to this body, and, when I ask you or when you ask me, “What you are?”, I say something in relationship with this body. Are you not crazy? Can you tell, any of you, that you are not crazy? If you, I mean to say, so far your identification, if you identify with something which you are not, then are you not crazy? Are you not crazy? So everyone who identifies with this body, he’s a crazy man. He’s a crazy man. It is a challenge to the world. Anyone who claims God’s property, God’s land, God’s earth, as own property, he’s a crazy man.

This is a challenge. Let anyone establish that this is his property, this is his body. You are simply, by nature, you are, by the fix of nature, you are put into some place. You are put under some body. You are put under some consciousness, and you are dictated by the laws of nature. And you are mad after that. So everyone,

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Prakrteh kriyamanani. Everyone is being pulled by the ear, just like a teacher takes to pull the ear of a student, and does like this...

Similarly, we, everyone of us under the complete clutches of the material nature, and we are being put, sometimes this body, sometimes that body. Now, fortunately, you have got human form of body.

Oh, but, don’t you see there are so many bodies? So many bodies. There are eight million, four hundred thousands of bodies, and, by the laws of nature, by the tricks of nature, you can be put into any kind of body according to your work. So you are completely under the grip of nature.

This time, fortunately or unfortunately, I have got this human form of life, but next time I may get the body of a dog or the body of a god. That will depend on my work. But the laws of nature is working. The laws of nature, or the material nature, is forcing me that you accept it. You cannot say that, after my death, let me have my birth in America. Oh, how can you say? You are not authority. You are not authority. So this is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.27]

Everything is being conducted by the supreme laws of nature, but the foolish man thinks that I am something. I am independent. This is foolishness. Ahankara-vimudhatma. Ahankara, this false egoism—ahankara means false egoism. What is that false egoism? That I am not this body, and I think I am this body. This is called false egoism. Therefore Sankaracarya, I mean to say, he preached his mission that you are not this body. You are spirit soul. Aham brahmasmi. Aham brahmasmi. Now, still, when we try to realize ourself, self-realization, there also foolishness, or the dictation of the maya, or illusory energy, continues.

What is that? Somebody’s trying to realize his self. I am not this body. He understands that I am not this body. I am spirit soul. Then? If you are spirit soul, then what is your position? Oh, void. Impersonal. Spirit soul, that means voidness? Oh, there is nothing after finishing this body? This voidness? There are philosophers who preach voidness. After this, finishing this body, there is nothing. And other philosophers, impersonalists, they say that, as soon as this body is finished, my personal identity is finished. Do you think like that? Is it possible? So long I am in this body, this body is not actual I am.

It is just like a vehicle. Just like you are sitting in a car. The car is moving according to your desire. Not that the car is moving independently. So when you are in the car, so you are moving the car according to your desire, right or left, or this road or that road. Suppose, if you are out of the car, do you think that your personality is gone? Is it any reason? So this body is just like a car.

It is said in the Bhagavad-gita, bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya [Bg. 18.61]. Maya has placed you in this car because you wanted this sort of car. Just like you have got in your practical experience. Somebody has got better car, somebody has got, I mean to say, inferior car. Somebody has got truck. But they’re moving. Similarly, these different bodies, they are like cars, and they are moving. Now suppose you are out of the car, either from the truck or from the Rolls Royce car or Chevrolet car or Ford car, do you think that your personality is finished?

Because you are out of the car? Then how can you say that when you are out of this body, your personality is finished? What is your reason?

So this is another craziness. Just see how craziness follows. Void. Why void? I am so much intelligent. I am doing... I am planning so many. Because my body is finished, therefore everything becomes void? This void philosophy was contradicted by the (indistinct). There is no void. There is spirit.

Now, if that spirit, when one comes to that spiritual self-realization, out of this body, then, if he’s still further advanced in spiritual knowledge, then he’ll seek what is my spiritual duty? What is my spiritual work? That is sanity. What is my spiritual work. Sanity, that is sanity. I cannot be void. I cannot lose my individuality and personality. That is nonsense. How can I? So long I am sitting in this body...

Or take this same crude example. So long I am sitting on the car, I am displaying so much individuality, and so much discrimination. As soon as there is red signal, I stop my car. There is blue signal, green signal, I start my car. I’m using my consciousness. I’m working. And, simply by getting down from the car, I lose everything. I become void? What is this nonsense? No.

[Excerpt from a Lecture on Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.34, 12-26-1966]

Creating Life In The Future

Karandhara: They say they will create life in the future.

Srila Prabhupada: What future? When this crucial point is raised, they reply, “We shall do it in the future.” Why in the future? That is nonsense. “Trust no future, however pleasant.” If they are so advanced, they must demonstrate now how life can be created from chemicals. Otherwise what is the meaning of their advancement? They are talking nonsense.

Karandhara: They say that they are right on the verge of creating life.

Srila Prabhupada: That’s only a different way of saying the same thing: “In the future.” The scientists must admit that they still do not know the origin of life. Their claim that they will soon prove a chemical origin of life is something like paying someone with a postdated check. Suppose I give you a postdated check for ten thousand dollars but I actually have no money. What is the value of that check?

Scientists are claiming that their science is wonderful, but when a practical example is wanted, they say they will provide it in the future. Suppose I say that I possess millions of dollars, and when you ask me for some money I say, “Yes, I will now give you a big postdated check. Is that all right?” If you are intelligent, you will reply, “At present give me at least five dollars in cash so I can see something tangible.” Similarly, the scientists cannot produce even a single blade of grass in their laboratories, yet they are claiming that life is produced from chemicals. What is this nonsense? Is no one questioning this?

Karandhara: They say that life is produced by chemical laws.

Srila Prabhupada: As soon as there is a law, we must take into consideration that someone made the law. Despite all their so-called advancement, the scientists in their laboratories cannot produce even a blade of grass. What kind of scientists are they?
Dr. Singh. They say that in the ultimate analysis, everything came from matter. Living matter came from nonliving matter.

Srila Prabhupada: Then where is this living matter coming from now? Do the scientists say that life came from matter in the past but does not at the present? Where is the ant coming from now—from the dirt?

The Missing Link

Dr. Singh: In fact, there are several theories explaining how life originated from matter, how living matter came from the nonliving.

Srila Prabhupada: [casting Dr. Singh in the role of a materialistic scientist]. All right, scientist, why is life not coming from matter now? You rascal. Why isn’t life coming from matter now? Actually such scientists are rascals. They childishly say that life came from matter, although they are not at all able to prove it. Our Krsna consciousness movement should expose all these rascals. They are only bluffing. Why don’t they create life immediately? In the past, they say, life arose from matter; and they say that this will happen again in the future. They even say that they will create life from matter. What kind of theory is this? They have already commented that life began from matter. This refers to the past—“began.” Then why do they now speak of the future? Is it not contradictory? They are expecting the past to occur in the future. This is childish nonsense.

Karandhara: They say that life arose from matter in the past and that they will create life this way in the future.

Srila Prabhupada: What is this nonsense? If they cannot prove that life arises from matter in the present, how do they know life arose this way in the past?

Dr. Singh: They are assuming...

Srila Prabhupada: Everyone can assume, but this is not science. Everyone can assume something. You can assume something, I can assume something. But there must be proof. We can prove that life arises from life. For example, a father begets a child. The father is living, and the child is living. But where is their proof that a father can be a dead stone? Where is their proof? We can easily prove that life begins from life. And the original life is Krsna. That also can be proven. But what evidence exists that a child is born of stone? They cannot actually prove that life comes from matter. They are leaving that aside for the future. [Laughter.]

Karandhara: The scientists say that they can now formulate acids, amino acids, that are almost like one-celled living organisms. They say that because these acids so closely resemble living beings, there must be just one missing link needed before they can create life.

Srila Prabhupada: Nonsense! Missing link. I’ll challenge them to their face! [Laughter.] They are missing this challenge. The missing link is this challenge to their face.

[from Life Comes From Life]

The Progress of the Asses

Srila Prabhupada: Everyone is suffering here in the material world, and scientific improvement means that the scientists are creating a situation of further suffering. That’s all.

They are not making improvements. Bhaktivinoda Thakura[6] confirms this by saying, moha janamiya, anitya samsare, jivake karaye gadha: “By so-called scientific improvements, the scientist has become an ass.” Moreover, he is becoming a better and better ass, and nothing more. Suppose that by working very hard like an ass, a person builds a skyscraper. He may engage in a lifelong labor for this, but ultimately he must die. He cannot stay; he will be kicked out of his skyscraper, because material life is impermanent.

Scientists are constantly doing research, and if you ask them what they are doing, they say, “Oh, it is for the next generation, for the future.” But I say, “What about you? What about your skyscraper? If in your next life you are going to be a tree, what will you do with your next generation then?” But he is an ass. He does not know that he is going to stand before his skyscraper for ten thousand years. And what about the next generation? If there is no petrol, what will the next generation do? And how will the next generation help him if he is going to be a cat, a dog or a tree?

The scientists—and everyone else—should endeavor to achieve freedom from the repetition of birth and death. But instead, everyone is becoming more and more entangled in the cycle of birth and death. Bhave ’smin klisyamananam avidya-kama-karmabhih. This is a quotation from Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.8.35). Here in one line the whole material existence is explained. This is literature.

This one line is worth thousands of years of research work. It explains how the living entity is taking birth in this world, where he comes from, where he is going, what his activities should be, and many other essential things. The words bhave ’smin klisyamananam refer to the struggle for existence. Why does this struggle exist? Because of avidya, ignorance. And what is the nature of that ignorance? Kama-karmabhih, being forced to work simply for the senses, or in other words, entanglement in material sense gratification.

Student: So, is it true that modern scientific research increases the demands of the body because the scientist is ultimately working to gratify his senses?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

[from Life Comes From Life]

He’s everywhere. That is Krsna

London, August 21, 1973

Prabhupada: ...hari-dhamasu tesu tesu te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena...
goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya
devi-mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu
te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.43]

Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. There is a planet in the spiritual world. The material world, you can see the material sky, limit of the sky, the horizon, but you are not able to reach even the moon planet, the nearest planet. But within this universe, within this horizon, there are innumerable planets. Asesa. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti kotisv asesa-vasudhadi vibhuti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. By the shining effulgence from the body of Krsna... That is called brahmajyoti.

Within that brahmajyoti or effulgence there are innumerable universes. Ananta-koti. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti [Bs. 5.40]. Koti means innumerable. One million, ten millions equal to one lakh. Such hundred lakhs makes a koti. So actually we see there are innumerable planets but beyond this creation, this is material creation, one-fourth manifestation, one-fourth manifestation of God’s creation, this, this material world... This is also only one universe. There are innumerable universes clustered together and beyond this clustering of universes there is another sky which is called paravyoma or spiritual sky. If you want to go there, then you have to penetrate through the material coverings—earth, water, fire, water, fire, air, like that. Each layer so big. And the next layer is ten times more than the first layer. In this way there are seven layers. So penetrating through that seven layers you reach the spiritual sky. And after reaching the spiritual sky, there are so many Vaikuntha planets, spiritual planets.

So that is summarized: goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43]. The topmost planet is called Goloka or Krsna, Krsnaloka. Go means cows. Krsna is very much fond of cows. Therefore, that planet is called also Goloka, the planet full of cows. We have recited Brahma-samhita today, cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrksa-laksa-vrtesu surabhir abhipalayantam [Bs. 5.29]. Krsna is engaged in tending cows. He’s very much fond of cows. Surabhi, they are not ordinary cows. In the spiritual world, everything is spiritual. So there is a planet, goloka-namni. So, that is the highest planet. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni. That is the personal abode. Goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya: [Bs. 5.43] under that planet, there are other planetary systems. They are called Devidhama, Mahesadhama, Haridhama.

Now this universe, this material world is called Devi-dhama. Devi-dhama. It is under the control of the material energy. Srsti-sthiti-pralaya-sadhana-saktir-eka chhayeva yasya bhuvanani vibharti durga [Bs. 5.44]. This energy is also personified called Durgadevi. So above this planetary system there is Mahesa-dhama. Mahesa-dhama. In the border between spiritual sky and material sky. Above that, there are Hari-dhama, the Vaikuntha planets where Narayana, in various forms is predominating. And above all of them there is Goloka-dhama or Krsna’s dhama. So picture we have given in the Srimad- Bhagavatam. So goloka-namni nija-dhamni tale ca tasya [Bs. 5.43], devi- mahesa-hari-dhamasu tesu tesu, te te prabhava-nicaya vihitas ca yena. Each planetary system has got specific atmosphere. Everything is specific. So that is done, that is created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So in this way, Krsna is there in the topmost Goloka-dhama. But still goloka-dhamni nivasati, although He is living there, akhilatma-bhuto, He is everywhere. He’s everywhere. That is Krsna.

Just like we are sitting in this hall. We are not in our apartment house. Krsna is not like that. He is in the goloka-namni nija-dhamni, in His own planet, He’s engaged in His occupation. Somewhere He’s tending cows, somewhere He’s dancing with the gopis. He is going on with His enjoying occupations. But still He’s everywhere. Goloka-namni, goloka eva nivasaty [Bs. 5.37]. Nivasaty means although He’s living there, akhilatma bhutah. He’s everywhere. He’s within your heart. Isvara sarva bhutanam hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati. He’s within your heart. Not only within the heart, He is within the atom also. Eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda caya yad-antah andantara-stha- paramanu-cayantara-stham [Bs. 5.35].

His one plenary portion has entered this material world as Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From Garbhodakasayi Visnu, there is expansion of Ksirodakasayi Visnu. That Ksirodakasayi Visnu has entered every atom. Eko ’py asau racayitum jagad-anda-kotim yac-chaktir asti jagad-anda-caya yad- antah [Bs. 5.35]. So Krsna is everywhere, and if you are devotee, then you can catch Him. This is the secret. Just like electricity is everywhere, electrons. One who can tackle the electrons, they can talk without any direct connection by electronic method, thousand thousand miles away. Just like radio message, television message. So similarly, Krsna is also everywhere. Just like the waves of sound wave is going on. As soon as you produce, I produce one sound, immediately within a second the sound goes round the earth seven times. So if a material thing has got so much power, just think how much power God has got. So He is everywhere. Simply you have to catch Him. And He’s also ready for being caught. Yes. If somebody wants to catch Him... Suppose you are a devotee. If you want to catch Him, He comes forward ten times than your desire. He’s so kind. Therefore, we have to simply receive Him.

So this Deity worship in the temple means worshiping Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He’s akhilatma-bhutah [Bs. 5.37]. Where you shall find Him? He’s everywhere. Therefore, He has very kindly accepted to assume a form which you can handle. This form of Krsna, the atheist will say that “Here is a form made of marble. How is that they are worshiping God, Krsna?”

That is atheist view. But from the sastra, we understand Krsna, if He is within the atom, why not within the marble? It is simply understanding. Not only within, the marble itself is also Krsna. Because in the Bhagavad-gita we understand: bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca. These material elements, earth, earth, water, fire, air, they are Krsna’s energy. Krsna says bhinna me prakrtir astadha. They are My energies, separated energy. So even if you consider that here is not Krsna but a marble. No, that marble is also Krsna. Marble is also... And Krsna is, being omnipotent, even for your logical argument... Even if you say that this is a marble statue, still Krsna is so powerful, omnipotent, that He can accept your service even through this marble.

Actually, it is not marble. Or from spiritual vision, everything being Krsna, so Krsna can accept your service even through the marble, even through the water, even through the fire. Why not? Energy. Just like if you come to the sunshine, energy of sun, you immediately touch the sun globe. Is it not? Because the beams are coming from the sun globe so as soon as you touch the sunshine, sunbeam, you touch the sun immediately. And there are yogis who can reach the sun planet through the beams of sun. Because the spirit soul is very, very small. Smaller than the atom. Kesagra-sata-bhagasya satadha kalpitasya ca [Cc. Madya 19.140].

And the spirit soul can go everywhere. And it is, the speed of spirit soul is greater than the mind. You have got experience of the speed of the mind. In a second you can go many thousands of miles. Mind. Suppose you are sitting here, those who are Indians, immediately, within a second, one can reach Calcutta, Bombay. Immediately, without even, less than a second’s time. The mind’s speed, you can imagine. And finer than the mind is the spirit soul. So how much speedy is the spirit soul, that we have to know from the sastras. Sastra yonitvat. Everything.

Therefore do not think that we have installed a marble statue. The rascals will say “They are heathens.” No. We are worshiping Krsna personally. Krsna personally, Krsna has kindly assumed this form just... Because we cannot see Krsna, the gigantic Krsna, or Krsna is everywhere... Atah sri- krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [BRS. 1.2.234]. Our imperfect senses cannot see Krsna immediately. But Krsna is so kind, as we can see... We can see stone, we can see wood, we can see earth, we can see water, we can see color. Therefore, Krsna comes before us just quite suitable for our vision. But He’s Krsna. So this Deity worship, those who are in charge of Deity worship, they never should think that here is a statue.

No. Here is Krsna. The honor, the respect, the samra (indistinct), means with great honor... You must always think that here is Krsna personally. Don’t think that it is statue. Krsna personally. So you should honor and think also and be cautious so that you may not commit offense. Krsna worship, if you neglect the process, then it will be offensive. There are sixty-four kinds of offenses. You have seen it in The Nectar of Devotion. So not very much... You should be very much clean, first thing is. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Very much clean, rise early in the morning, take your bath and perform mangala aratrika, then chant Hare Krsna mantra, then read scriptures. In this way remain twenty-four hours engaged in Krsna’s service.

This is the purpose of installing Deity. Not that after few days you think it is a burden. No, then it will be great offense. It is not burden. It is a great opportunity to serve Krsna. As the gopis are serving in Goloka Vrndavana. Krsna is so kind. He has come here to accept your service in a manner in which you can handle Him. You can dress Krsna, you can offer prasada, you can chant His glory. In this way, always remain engaged in Krsna consciousness and gradually you’ll find how you are advancing in spiritual life. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

What is this consciousness?

What is this consciousness? This consciousness is “I am.” Then what am I? In contaminated consciousness “I am” means “I am the lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer.” The world revolves because every living being thinks that he is the lord and creator of the material world. Material consciousness has two psychic divisions.

One is that I am the creator, and the other is that I am the enjoyer. But actually the Supreme Lord is both the creator and the enjoyer, and the living entity, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is neither the creator nor the enjoyer, but a cooperator. He is the created and the enjoyed. For instance, a part of a machine cooperates with the whole machine; a part of the body cooperates with the whole body. The hands, feet, eyes, legs and so on are all parts of the body, but they are not actually the enjoyers. The stomach is the enjoyer. The legs move, the hands supply food, the teeth chew and all parts of the body are engaged in satisfying the stomach because the stomach is the principal factor that nourishes the body’s organization. Therefore everything is given to the stomach.

One nourishes the tree by watering its root, and one nourishes the body by feeding the stomach, for if the body is to be kept in a healthy state, then the parts of the body must cooperate to feed the stomach. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer and the creator, and we, as subordinate living beings, are meant to cooperate to satisfy Him. This cooperation will actually help us, just as food taken by the stomach will help all other parts of the body. If the fingers of the hand think that they should take the food themselves instead of giving it to the stomach, then they will be frustrated.

The central figure of creation and of enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, and the living entities are cooperators. By cooperation they enjoy. The relation is also like that of the master and the servant. If the master is fully satisfied, then the servant is satisfied. Similarly, the Supreme Lord should be satisfied, although the tendency to become the creator and the tendency to enjoy the material world are there also in the living entities because these tendencies are there in the Supreme Lord who has created the manifested cosmic world.

from the introduction to the Bhagavad-gita As It Is

In this way you practice one mantra daily

Pradyumna: Svapna-drastur ivanjasa.
Prabhupada: Now read again.
Pradyumna: Whole thing?

Prabhupada: No, this same verse. Practice it. In this way you practice one mantra daily. Each mantra will purify you hundred yards daily. Go forward.

These mantras are very powerful, given by Vyasadeva Gosvami, vibrated. And spoken by... Suka-mukhad drava-samyutamrtam. That is explained in the beginning. Just like a ripened fruit in the tree is already very sweet, and if it is touched by the beak of the parrot, it becomes sweeter. These are natural course.

If the parrot touches the fruit, he cuts little by his beak, beak. Beak, you call beak? Then it becomes still sweeter. Suka-mukhad drava-samyutam. Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam is already sublime, transcendental. And when it is spoken through the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami, it becomes still sweet, just like the fruit.

The parrot is also called suka. It is called suka-paksi, suka bird. So this comparison is given. As the fruit becomes still sweeter by the touch of the beak of the parrot, similarly, Sukadeva Gosvami, because it is already spoken by Vyasadeva, ripened fruit, the experienced contribution of Vyasadeva, all the Vedic literatures, but when it is spoken through the parampara system of Sukadeva Gosvami, it becomes still sweeter.

Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommended to study Srimad-Bhagavatam from bhagavatam. Bhagavata para giya bhagavata sthane. Bhagavata means the grantha-bhagavata, book bhagavata... Bhagavata means about Krsna. Bhagavan is Krsna. And anything in relationship with Krsna is called Bhagavata. So the devotee is also in relationship with Krsna. He is also called bhagavata. Maha-bhagavata. Those who are highly advanced, or first-class devotees, they are called maha-bhagavata. So this Bhagavatam, it is the essence of the Vedic knowledge and when it is received through the parampara system of pure devotee, then it becomes still more sweet than before. That is the purport.

So we should try to learn, get it by heart, at least one sloka, two slokas in a week. And if we chant that... Just like you are chanting so many songs, similarly, if we chant one or two verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, that will make you very quickly advanced for spiritual realization. We are therefore taking so much trouble to get this transliteration, the meaning, so that the reader may take advanced step, full advantage of the mantra. It is not that to show some scholarship, that “I know so much Sanskrit.” No. It is just offered with humility to learn the mantra because one who will chant the mantra...

They are all transcendental vibration. Just Hare Krsna mantra... This is maha-mantra, but they are also mantras, all the verses from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, spoken by Krsna, spoken by... Bhagavata also, spoken by Krsna. Vyasadeva is incarnation of Krsna. They’re also mantras, infallible instructions. So try to get it by heart, chanting. Either you chant by seeing the book or get it by heart, it is all the same. But try to chant one, two slokas daily. Chant.

Pradyumna: (chants with devotees responding)
sri suka uvaca
atma-mayam rte rajan
parasyanubhavatmanah
na ghatetartha-sambandhah...

Prabhupada: (correcting) Na ghatetartha-sambandhah. Like that. It is written like that?
Pradyumna: Ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Prabhupada: artha, artha separated?
Pradyumna: No. Together. Ghatetartha.
Prabhupada: No. Ghatetartha-sambandhah. It should, should not be.
Na ghatetartha-sambandhah. Like that.
Ta should be long. Ta.
Ghateta artha-sambandhah.
Na ghatetartha-sambandhah. Is that all right?

Pradyumna: Yes.
Prabhupada: So pronounce like that.
Pradyumna: Na ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Prabhupada: Loud. Na ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Pradyumna: Na ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Prabhupada: Yes. Na ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Devotees: Na ghatetartha-sambandhah.
Pradyumna: Svapna-drastur ivanjasa.
Prabhupada: Oh. Again pronounce.
Pradyumna: Sri suka uvaca (repeats verse)
Prabhupada: Very important verse. Now we shall go to the words and meaning. Again recite. Sri suka uvaca.
Devotees: (repeat verse)
Prabhupada: Once again. Do it again.
Pradyumna: (repeats verse)
Prabhupada: Again. (devotees repeat verse again) Anyone can recite? All right. See the book and recite.
Syamasundara: Sri-suka uvaca atma-mayam rte rajan parasyanubhavatmanah.
Prabhupada: Parasya. The transliteration is the long a. You have seen? You just try to follow the transliteration. That will be easier.
Syamasundara: Parasyanu...
Prabhupada: Parasyanubhava, bhavatmanah. Atma.
Syamasundara: Yes. Long a over a. Atmanah.
Prabhupada: Yes. Now, beginning.
Syamasundara: Parasyanu...
Prabhupada: No. First line. (devotees repeating)
Syamasundara: Sri suka uvaca atma-mayam rte rajan parasyanubhavatmanah.
Prabhupada: Read it again.
Syamasundara: Sri suka uvaca atma-mayam rte rajan parasyanubhavatmanah na ghatetartha...
Prabhupada: Na ghatetartha-sambandhah. Svapna-drastur ivanjasa. Next. Next. You read. Go on. One after another. (continues devotee reciting, Prabhupada correcting) You read the transliteration. The thing is hearing the meter and repeat. That’s all. The writing is already there, transliteration. Simply you have to hear the written. Just like you have chanted so many verses, songs, by hearing. The hearing is very important.

A child learns another language simply by hearing, pronunciation, hearing. That is natural. If we hear one thing repeatedly, you will learn. You will learn. So one has to hear little attentively. Then it will be easy. There is no difficulty. Just like you are singing our song in tune, (sings) samsara-davanala-lidha-loka **. This is by hearing.

So simply you have to hear. Therefore whole Vedic sastra is called sruti. It is a process of hearing. (coughing) This is a disease of old age. These are the warnings that the body is getting rotten. Go on. (recitation continues) Next. Each one of you. Na ghatetartha-sambandhah svapna-drastur ivanjasa. What is the anjasa spelling?
Devotee: I-v-a-n-j-a-s-a. Ivanjasa.
Prabhupada: Long a or short a?
Devotee: Long a.
Prabhupada: Yes. Ivanjasa. Anjasa. Anjasa means wholesale. Go on. (recitation and corrections continue) Na ghateta artha sambandhah, combined together it becomes na ghatetartha-sambandhah. Tartha. What is the spelling? Tartha?
Devotee: T, long a, r-t-h-a.
Prabhupada: Of tha? What is the...?
Devotee: T-a-r-t-h-a. Na ghata...
Prabhupada: T-h-a. There must be r.
Pradyumna: Yes. Ghatetartha. G-h-a-t-e-t-a-r...
Prabhupada: T-a-r. Yes. T-a, artha. So you were missing that r. Na ghatetartha-sambandhah. All right. Next. (recitation continues) Get it next. Come here.

So you have to study like that. So many slokas, I am taking so much labor. If you do not read it carefully... It is not for that I am making business, for selling only, and not for my students. You must all read like this, practice.

Why so much trouble is being taken, word to word meaning and then transliteration? If you chant this mantra, that vibration will cleanse the atmosphere. And wherever you go, in any part of the world, if you can chant this mantra, oh, you’ll be received like God. It is so nice. And in India he’ll actually receive like Gods if you chant this mantra. They will so offer their respects, so many. Veda-mantra. Next chant. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Next, next. Bhanu prabhu (Bhanu recites) Thank you very much. He has pronounced very nicely.

So he will teach you. Yes. Next. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. (another devotee recites verse) Very good. Yes. In this way, each one of you, you chant and others will follow. Then one or two days, you get the sloka by heart. You can chant. It is not difficult. Now read the word meanings and translation.

Karandhara: “Sri-sukah uvaca—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said; atma— the Supreme Personality of Godhead; mayam—the energy; rte— without; rajan—O King...”
Prabhupada: Rajan.
Karandhara: Rajan—O King.
Prabhupada: It is address, addressing. Nominative is raja and addressive is rajan. Go on.
Karandhara: Parasyasya...
Prabhupada: Parasya.
Karandhara: Parasya.
Prabhupada: Parasya. Yes.
Karandhara: “Parasya—of the pure soul; anubhava-atmanah— of the purely conscious; na—never; ghateta—it can so happen; artha— meaning; sambandhah—relation with the material body; svapna— dream; drastuh—of the seer; iva—like it; anjasa—completely.”
Prabhupada: Anjasa.
Karandhara: “Anjasa—completely. Translation: Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O King, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no meaning to the relationship of the pure soul in pure consciousness with the material body. It is just like the dreamer seeing his own body working.”
Prabhupada: So, purport?
Karandhara: “Purport. The question of Maharaja Pariksit is perfectly answered as to how a living entity began his material life, although he is apart from the material body and the mind.”
Prabhupada: It is a very important question. Pariksit Maharaja inquired... Many people inquired that “How the living entity was with Krsna, he became fallen in this material world?” Is not done? This question is raised? So this question is answered here, that “How the living entity who was with Krsna became fallen down in contact with this material qualities?” So this is the answer. Read the translation.
Karandhara: “Sri Sukadeva Gosvami said: O king, unless one is influenced by the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead...”
Prabhupada: It is simply the influence of the material energy, nothing. Actually he has not fallen. Another example given is given. Just like the moon is covered with scattered cloud, the passing cloud. You have seen. Everyone has experience. The cloud passes, and it appears that the moon is moving. Have you seen this?
Devotees: Yes.
Prabhupada: Actually the moon is not moving. It is a maya, illusion. It appears that the moon is moving. But similarly, the living entity, because he is spiritual spark of the Supreme, it has not fallen. It has not fallen. But he is thinking, “I am fallen. I am material.” That is the reason. He is thinking, “I am this body.” Actually the body has no connection with me. That is experienced, that the body has no connection with the soul. The body is changing, dying. But I am the same. The same example, the moon: The cloud is passing over in different way.

The moon is far away from the cloud, and it has nothing to do with the cloud, but it appears the moon is moving. [break] Try to understand. Have questions and answer. It is very important thing. Atma-mayam rte rajan. Except atma-maya, the illusory energy... It is the maneuver or handling of the illusory energy of Krsna. This illusory energy develops when we forget Krsna. That’s all. It is... In other words, this illusory identification of me with the body is simply due to my forgetfulness. We wanted to forget, we wanted to give up Krsna and wanted to enjoy this material world. Therefore Krsna is giving us...

Just like when you play some part in a drama, if you feel that “I am king,” then you can talk very nicely. And if you feel that “I am Karandhara,” then you cannot play nicely king. Is it not? Feeling must be there. If you are playing the part of a king, then you must have the same courage and belief that “I am king.”

You have to forget that you are Karandhara. Then your part will be very nicely played. It will be appreciated. But if you think simultaneously that “I am Karandhara. I am taking, playing the part of the king,” then you cannot play. So because we wanted to play the part of Krsna, enjoyer, Krsna is giving us chance that “You feel like Me.”—“I am king. I am Krsna. I am God.” (laughter)

All these rascals, those who are feeling like that, “I am master. I am king. I am Krsna. I am God,” they are all simply in that feeling only. That’s all. And this feeling is created by Krsna: “All right. You want to play the part of a king. I shall train you in such a way.” Just like director means, dramatic director means, he creates a feeling. His direction is nothing but how to feel.

Sometimes we played in our younger age Caitanya-lila. I introduced. And one big director, Amrtalal Chosa, he was just like grandfather. He was one of the, just like in England Shakespeare and others, big, big dramatic, well-known persons. This Amrtalal Chosa and Girish Chandra Chosa, they introduced in India theatric... So we called him to give us direction. He was giving us direction, and repeatedly he was telling that “You feel like that,” especially to me. “You feel like that.” So actually, when we played according to his direction, the audience were all crying. And we could not understand how they cried. We could not understand. On the stage when we played, it was so perfect that all audience were crying. Actually we saw they were smearing over their eyes with...

But the whole thing is artificial, but the effect to the audience became so nice. So similarly, we are... Actually we have nothing to do with this material world, But we have been trained by the illusory energy in such a way that we are thinking, “I am Indian. I am American. I am this. I am that. I am brahmana. I am sudra. I have to do this. I have got so much duty,” all these illusions, simply thinking. We have nothing to do with all this nonsense, but still, we are taking it very serious. “I have to do like that. I have to do like that. I am this. I am that.” That’s all. That is explained. Atma-mayam rte rajan: “Except the influence of that atma-maya, the illusory energy of Krsna...” Atma-maya. Read. Atma-mayam rte rajan parasyanu. Read it?

Karandhara: Parasyanubhavatmanah.

Prabhupada: Parasyanubhavatmanah. Na ghateta artha-sambandha. There cannot be any relation at all. Na ghateta. Cannot be. Artha sambandhah. Svapna-drastur ivanjasa. The very exact example is given, svapna-drastuh. Just like a man seeing dream: “Oh, there is tiger, tiger, tiger, tiger! Save me!” He is crying. Another man is, “Where is tiger? Why you are crying? Where is tiger?” But he, in the dream, he is actually feeling: “The tiger has attacked me.”

Therefore this example is given, na ghatetartha-sambandhah. There cannot be any meaning of this relationship except like a man dreaming and he is creating a situation. He is dreaming there is a tiger and he is creating a situation, fearful situation. Actually there is no cause of fear. There is no tiger. That situation is created by dream. Actually there is no tiger. Similarly we have created this material world and activity. People are running, “Oh..., sonh, sonh, sonh, sonh, sonh, sonh, sonh,” identifying that “Oh, I am the manager. I am the factory owner. I am this, I am that. We have got his politics. We have to defeat such competitors.” All these things are created exactly like that, svapna-drastur ivanjasa, just like a man is creating his particular situation simply by dream. That’s all.

So the answer is, when somebody asks you that “When one has become in contact with this material nature?” He has not become in contact. He is thinking by the influence of the external energy. Just like the same example: A man is dreaming; there is no contact with tiger. Actually he has no contact with that.

Similarly, actually we are not fallen. We cannot be fallen. But we have created a situation that we are, become... Try to understand understand. It is very important point. We have simply created a situation. We have not created a situation, Krsna has given us a situation. Because we wanted to imitate Krsna, so Krsna has given an opportunity: “All right. Imitate. You want to be imitation king in the stage. So feel like this. Play like this. Do like this. People will applaud. ‘Oh, a very nice king, very nice.’ ”

That is the... So everyone in this material world, they are playing some part. They wanted, “I want to be prime minister.” “All right.” “I want to become very big business magnate.” “I want to be leader.” “I want to be a philosopher.” “I want to be a scientist.” So all this nonsense, they are trying to play—Krsna is giving him the opportunity: “All right.” But it is a nonsense, all nonsense. Simple dreaming. Just like you are dreaming. Next moment when the dream is gone, everything is finished.

No more tiger, no more jungle, no more... Everything is finished. Similarly, so long this body is continuing, I am thinking, “I am a responsible leader, I am this, I am that.” But as soon as this body is finished, oh, these are (indistinct) gone.

Sarva-haras caham. The death means... Krsna says, “I am death. I take it away, all, everything. Gone.” Now just think of our past life. Suppose I was a king or something like that. From Bhrgu-samhita it was ascertained. They said—I do not know—that I was a big physician in my last life, very spotless character, no sins, like that.

He explained me. So it may be. But actually I have no remembrance that I was a physician. So what do we know? I might have been a very big physician, influential physician, having a good practice, but where is all...? All gone. So this situation, our contact with matter, is just like dream. Actually we are not fallen. Therefore, because we are not fallen, at any moment we can revive our Krsna consciousness. As soon as we understand that, “I have nothing to do with. I am simply Krsna’s servant. Eternal servant. That’s all,” immediately he becomes liberated.

Exactly like that: as soon as you... Sometimes we do that. When the fearful dreaming becomes too much intolerable, we break the dream. We break the dream when it becomes intolerable. Similarly, we can break this material connection at any moment as soon as we come to the point of Krsna conscious. “Oh, Krsna is my eternal master. I am His servant.” That’s all. This is the way. Actually we are not fallen.

There cannot be any fallen. The same example: Actually there is no tiger; it is dreaming. Similarly, our fallen condition is also dreaming. We are not fallen. We can simply give up that illusory condition at any moment. At any moment. So if you study all these verses very nicely, you get all this knowledge quickly. Now what is the purport? Come on.

Karandhara: “The spirit soul is distinct from the material conception of his life.”
Prabhupada: Yes. Distinct. Always distinct. Next?
Karandhara: “But he is absorbed in such a material conception because of being influenced by the external energy of the Lord, called atma-maya. This is already explained in the First Canto in connection with Vyasadeva’s realization of the Supreme Lord and His external energy. The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy.”

Prabhupada: Krsna says, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: [Bg. 7.14] “As soon as one surrenders unto Me, he has no more illusion.” Mayam etam taranti. Immediately. So people are conditioned, encaged. So many big, big words The Mayavadis, they are undergoing austerities or penances just to become liberated. Yogis, they are also trying to become one.

So many endeavors are going on. But the simple process is, as soon as you surrender, that you are not fallen, “It was illusion. I was dreaming. I am Krsna’s,” finished. All gone. “I am Krsna’s. I am Krsna’s eternal servant.

These are all nonsense”—he immediately becomes liberated. Just try to understand. Immediately, within a second. Liberation can be attained within a second, provided we abide by the order of Krsna. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is the position. We are not fallen. We are thinking fallen. So we have to give up this nonsense thinking. Then we are liberated. There is no Is there any difficulty to understand?

Just see how important this verse. It is already there, but you are not reading. Each verse, read every day carefully. Try to assimilate, understand, and you will get more profit, every day, hundred yards forward, hundred yards forward, yes. They are so important verses. How nicely composed by Vyasadeva. In two lines the whole thing is explained. This is called sastra. In two lines. Then read the purport.

Karandhara: “The external energy is controlled by the Lord and the living entities are controlled by the external energy by the will of the Lord. Therefore, although the living entity is purely conscious in his pure state, he is subordinate to the will of the Lord, being influenced by the external energy of the Lord. In the Bhagavad-gita also the same thing is confirmed, that the Lord is present within the heart of every living entity and all consciousness and forgetfulness of the living entity are influenced by the Lord.”

Prabhupada: Yes. Because... Now, people may say that, “Why Krsna within the heart gives one type of consciousness to one, and another type of consciousness...?” Because I wanted. I wanted to forget Krsna, so Krsna is giving consciousness: “All right, you can forget Me in this way.” That is His kindness. Just like the Mayavadis, the so-called yogis and karmis, they wanted to forget. Krsna is giving him intelligence. “All right. You forget Me like this.” That’s all.

Go on. And if you want to again revive your relationship, Krsna will give you intelligence. Buddhi-yogam dadami tam yena mam upayanti te: “I shall give intelligence.” So Krsna is... Ye yatha mam prapadyante. As you want, Krsna gives you facility. Go on.

Karandhara: “Now the next question will automatically be made as to why the Lord influences the living entity to such consciousness and forgetfulness. The answer is that the Lord clearly wishes that every living entity be engaged in his pure consciousness as the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus be engaged in loving service of the Lord as he is constitutionally made. But because the living entity is partially independent also, he may not be willing to serve the Lord, but may try to become independent as the Lord is. The whole nondevotee class of living entities are all desirous of becoming equally as powerful as the Lord, although they are not fit to become so. The living entities are...”

Prabhupada: They will never be God, but we see so many persons. By the influence of the illusory energy they think, “I am God. I am God. I shall become God by pressing my nose like this, doing this.” So this is going on.

They will never be able. That is not possible. Otherwise, there is no meaning of God. If everyone can become God, then there is no meaning of God. But by influence of... Just like karmis are saying “I shall become millionaire. I shall become trillionaire. I shall become head of the state. I shall become prime minister.”

This struggle, this is another struggle: “I shall become God.” This is another struggle. But it is illusion. It is illusion. So Krsna gives them opportunity, some yogic success. Just like in India there is a rascal. He makes like that, and there is immediately some gold. And people become after him: “Oh, he is God. He is God.” By producing a little gold, he becomes God.

Another yogi, he gives immediately two rasagulla. So by producing two rasagulla, four annas’ worth, he becomes God. You see? This is illusion. These rascals, they do not know that, “What is this rasagulla, two rasagulla? I can purchase from the market for four annas. So he is becoming God by four annas?” But they have no sense. “Oh, he is God.

He can produce rasagulla.” Rasagulla I can produce in our kitchen. But they are so rascal. “Oh, wonderful.” So the yogic siddhis... So Krsna gives him some power of yogic siddhi and he thinks that “I have become God,” and some flatterers, they also think, “Oh, you are God.”

The same dream. And as soon as death comes, everything finished, your Godhood and everything finished. Now becomes doghood, come to the stage of doghood. Again, another dream: “I am dog.” First of all “I am God,” then next stage, “I am dog.” This is going on. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, keno mayar bose jaccho bhese’: “Why you are being washed away by the waves of maya? Just fix up. Stand up.” Jiv krsna-das ei viswas korle to ar duhkho nai. You simply remain fixed up on this standpoint, that, “I am eternal servant of Krsna.” Then there is no more dream. And if you allow yourself to be washed away, Krsna gives you facility, “All right, come on. Be washed away.” Then?

Karandhara: “The living entities are illusioned by the will of the Lord because they wanted to become like Him.”
Prabhupada: Yes.
Karandhara: “As a person thinks of becoming a king without possessing the necessary qualifications, similarly, when the living entity desires to become the Lord Himself, he is put in a condition of dreaming that he is a king.

Therefore the first sinful will of the living entity is to become the Lord, and the consequent will of the Lord is that the living entity forgets his actual life and thus dreams of the land of utopia where he may become one like the Lord. The child cries to have the moon from the mother and the mother gives the child a mirror to satisfy the crying and disturbing child with the shadow of the moon.

Similarly the crying child of the Lord is given over to the shadow of the material world to lord it over as a karmi and to give this up in frustration to become one with the Lord. Both these stages are dreaming illusions only. There is no necessity of tracing out the history when the living entity desired this, but the fact is that as soon as he desired such, he was put under the control of atma-maya by the direction of the Lord.

Therefore the living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is ‘mine’ and this is ‘I.’ The dream is that the conditioned soul thinks of his material body as ‘I’ or falsely thinks that he is the lord and that everything in connection with the material body is ‘mine.’ Thus in dream only the misconception of ‘I and mine’ persist life after life. This continues life after life as long as the living entity is not purely conscious of his identity as the subordinate part and parcel of the Lord. In his pure consciousness, however, there is no such misconceived dream. And in that pure conscious state the living entity does not forget that he is never the Lord, but he is eternally the servitor of the Lord in transcendental love.”

Prabhupada: That’s all.

Devotees: All glories to you Srila Prabhupada. (offer obeisances)

Trivikrama: Srila Prabhupada? You were just saying that we are not fallen. Actually this is an illusion thinking that we are fallen. Yet I read...

Prabhupada: The same example. In dream I am not attacked by the tiger, but I am thinking, “Oh, tiger is there.” It is simply dreaming condition.

Trivikrama: But so many Vaisnavas are praying...
Prabhupada: So as soon as you understand that “This is not... I am not in contact with tiger. It is all a dream,” then you are delivered. Similarly, as soon as you understand, “All this material condition of life we are simply dreaming; I am actually servant of Krsna,” then you are liberated. That is Krsna conscious.

If you keep in Krsna consciousness, that “I am eternal servant of Krsna,” then you are liberated. Sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaa kalpate [Bg. 14.26], Krsna says. Immediately brahma-bhutah. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. He has no more lamentation, no more hankering. Samah sarvesu bhutesu.

He can see everyone on equal vision. Because he knows, “Here is also another living entity.” He is not a Chinaman. He is a part and parcel of God. He is not a Christian. He is not a Hindu. He is simply thinking like that. So give him Krsna consciousness. That is real benefit, to bring him to the original position. Yes?

Cintamani: If, when we realize Krsna, then we have no more desire, then how can we desire...

Prabhupada: You create desire. If you simply keep this contact with Krsna, then there is no more any other desire than to serve Krsna. That’s all.

Trivikrama: This feeling that we have, that we are fallen, that we are very fallen...

Prabhupada: That is also illusion. That is also illusion. You are fallen means you have got some certain desires except service of Krsna. Therefore the conclusion is that if you keep yourself tightly in Krsna’s service, there is no question of falling down or there is no question of maya. You see?

Devotee: Even at that state, still the body is affected by the modes of nature. We are experiencing desires.

Prabhupada: You are not experiencing. Your body is experiencing. You are feeling cold due to this body. You are not feeling cold. You are not feeling cold.

Devotee: But I think I am feeling cold.

Prabhupada: You are thinking. That is illusion. That is illusion.

Devotee: So rise above that.

Prabhupada: Yes. But not artificially, but this is the fact. You have to gradually rise to that platform. The fact is this. Just like when you are feverish, actually you are healthy, but it has come. So in the feverish condition you are thinking, “I am now feverish.”

But this feverish will not, condition, will not stay. You will come to the healthy stage. Therefore don’t be disturbed with the feverish condition. Go on with your duty. Don’t misidentify, “Now I have become feverish. Everything is finished.” No. That is external. It has come; it will go.

That is given in the Bhagavad-gita. Matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah. Just like seasonal changes. Sometimes it is very hot, sometimes very cold, sometimes warm. So these are coming and going. So if there is some feeling of pain and pleasure, simply just tolerate it, but don’t be absorbed in that thought. That’s all. Therefore titiksava. The first symptoms of a saintly person is titiksava, tolerant. Tolerant. So go on reading, go on understanding. Everything will be clear. So next? There is kirtana, or finished? (end)

The Three Modes Of Nature

Bob: I have read that there are three gunas—passion, ignorance and goodness—in life. I was wishing that you would explain this somewhat, especially what is meant by the mode of ignorance and the mode of goodness.

Srila Prabhupada: In goodness you can understand things—knowledge. You can know that there is God, that this world was created by Him, and so many things, actual things—the sun is this, the moon is this—perfect knowledge. If one has some knowledge, even though it may not be perfect, that is goodness. And in passion one identifies with his material body and tries to gratify his senses. That is passion. And ignorance is animal life—in ignorance, one does not know what is God, how to become happy, why we are in this world. For example, if you take an animal to the slaughterhouse, it will go. This is ignorance. But a man will protest. If a goat is to be killed after five minutes but you give it a morsel of grass, it is happy because it is eating. Just like a child—even if you are planning to kill her or kill him, he is happy and laughs because he is innocent. That is ignorance.

Bob: Being in these modes determines your karma. Is that correct?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. According to the association of the modes of nature, your activities are being contaminated.
karanam guna-sango ’sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
A man gets a higher birth or lower birth according to the association of the gunas, or the modes of nature.

Bob: So cheating and like that—what mode is that?

Srila Prabhupada: Cheating is mixed passion and ignorance. Suppose one man cheats another. That means he wants to obtain something; he is passionate. But if he commits murder, he does not know that he will have to suffer for it, so it is a mixture of passion and ignorance.

Bob: And what about when somebody helps another person?

Srila Prabhupada: That is goodness.

Bob: Why is that goodness? What intelligence is that? I mean—this represents knowledge of what? You said that goodness is when you have knowledge.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Bob: Intelligence.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes.

Bob: So helping another person?

Srila Prabhupada: That means that he is ignorant and you are trying to enlighten him.

Bob: So giving intelligence...

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is goodness.

Bob: And what about just giving assistance?

Srila Prabhupada: That is also goodness.

Bob: If a beggar has nothing and you give him alms...

Srila Prabhupada: So that may still be goodness. But in your Bowery Street, they give some charity, and immediately he purchases one bottle of wine and drinks and lies down flat. [All laugh.] So that is charity. But that is not goodness; that is ignorance.

Bob: Charity is ignorance?

Srila Prabhupada: There are three kinds of charities—good, passionate and ignorant. Goodness is giving charity where charity must be given. Just like this Krsna consciousness movement—if anyone gives charity to this movement, that is goodness because it is spreading God consciousness, Krsna consciousness. That is goodness. And if one gives charity for some return, that is passion. And if somebody gives in charity in an improper place and time, without respect and to an unworthy person, just like the Bowery man, that is ignorance. But Krsna says:

yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat

“All that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.”

If Krsna takes, that is the perfection of charity. Or anyone who is a representative of Krsna—if he takes, that is perfection.

Bob: And what kind of charity is it when you give food to somebody who is hungry?

Srila Prabhupada: Well, that depends on the circumstances. For example, a doctor has forbidden his patient to take any solid food, and if the patient is asking, “Give me some solids,” and if you give him solid food in charity, then you are not doing good to him. That is ignorance.

Bob: Are the devotees beyond accumulating karma? These devotees—do they feel karma? Do they work in these modes? Are they in the mode of goodness?

Srila Prabhupada: They are above goodness! Suddha-sattva. The devotees are not in this material world. They are in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]

[“One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.”]

Devotees are neither in goodness, passion nor ignorance. They are transcendental to all these qualities.

Bob: A devotee who is very faithful reaches this stage?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Devotee... You can become a devotee as they have become. It is not difficult. Simply you have to engage yourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, that’s all.

Bob: I wish to gain more knowledge of God and be able to feel God’s presence more. The reason for this is because I feel life has little meaning without this.

Srila Prabhupada: Yes! If you miss this human form of life, then it is a great loss. That is a great chance given to the living entity to get out of the entanglement of material existence.

Bob: I feel thankful that I’ve been able to ask these questions...

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, you can learn more and more.

Bob: But I still have... my connections at home. Marriage is... I am engaged....

Srila Prabhupada: No, no. There are so many marriages. [He indicates Syamasundara.] He is married. Marriage is no barrier. I told you that there are four different orders of spiritual life—brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. So after brahmacari life, one can marry. That is not obligatory. One may remain naisthika-brahmacari for his whole life. But a brahmacari can marry. And after marriage, there is vanaprastha life. This means that one is a little aloof from family—the husband and wife live separately. At that time there is no sex life. Then when he is fully renounced, detached from family life, he takes sannyasa,

Bob: Does somebody forget his wife completely then?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Forgetting is not very difficult, if you try to forget. Out of sight, out of mind. [All laugh.] Just as I have my wife, children, grandchildren—everything. But, out of sight, out of mind, that’s all. Therefore, vanaprastha, sannyasa—everything is nicely arranged by the Vedic system.

From: "Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers"

Cult of Lord Sri Caitanya

[This has been proofread against the original handwritten manuscript. and spelling changes have been made for Folio.—Ed.]

Cult of Lord Sri Caitanya

The Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna, Who is known as the son of the King of Vrajadhäma i.e. Sri Nanda Mahärajä, is the ultimate worshipful Lord of all Lords. Similarly His residential abode namely the holy place of Vrndaban is as much worshipful as the Lord is Himself. The ways of His worship maybe various but the one which was conceived by the circle of the damsels of Vrajadhäma is unsurpassable by any other devotee. Srimad-Bhägavatam Purana is the unalloyed guidance for this purpose of approaching the worshipful Lord and that is the sum total opinion or cultural philosophy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. We shall therefore as duty-bound must bow down our heads before the cult and shall not accept any other cultural movement whatsoever.

Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s cult of philosophy is therefore known as bhägavata-dharma or the religion which renovates the lost relation of the living being with the Supreme Lord. All the living beings never mind who and what they are, all of them are different parts and parcels of the Surpeme Lord and this fact is clearly mentioned in the Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself as follows:

mama yonir mahad brahma
tasmin garbham dadhamy aham
sambhavah sarva-bhutanam
tato bhavati bharata

sarva-yonisu kaunteya
murtayah sambhavanti yah
tasam brahma mahad yonir
aham bija-pradah pita
(Bg. 14.3–4)

The whole animated world is a creation of a combination of matter and the living force called by the name spirit. These spiritual sparks are so many fragments of the original Whole spirit without which it is impossible to bring in animation in the matter.

The complete material resource which is called mahat-tattva or the material energy is also called Brahman or the Absolute on account of its being the energy of the Absolute. Anything that emanates from the Absolute is also Absolute is the version of the Vedas. Both the energies namely the matter as well as the living force both of them are different energies of the Lord. But in the action of creating the material world the matter is energised as the body of the the spirit living being. The material energy is therefore presented as the mother of the living being because she is impregnated by the Lord with the seeds of spiritual sparks namely the living forces. It is just like the mother conceives in her womb the seed received from the father and thus there are children born. In other words the material world being the field of activities of the imitation Lords—they are sent here by the Supreme Lord to play their parts as they desired. That is the original cause of contact of the living being with the material existence.

Therefore all living entities beginning from Sri Brahma the fore-father of the gods in the heaven as well as the men on the earth down to the lowest of the living being namely the microscopic germs all of them can claim the material energy as their nursing mother and the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead as the original father. The living entities in their 84 lakhs of different species of life are undergoing the terms of field activities according to the law of karma or the law of desire and actions.

The above fact is reconfirmed in the Bhagavad-gita as follows:

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
(Bg. 15.7)

The living entities are separated parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord who originally wanted to become many. These living entities are however different from His (the Lord’s) plenary parts and parcels who are called Visnu-kotis. The Visnu-kotis are distinct from jiva-kotis. But after all the jévas are directly connected with the Lord as His parts and parcels and definitely they are not the parts and parcels either of Siva or Brahmä.

Such jiva-kotis are eternal by nature and they are not to be supposed as temporary manifestations like the pots or sky. Such living entities have been entangled in the material energy and therefore they are dragging a hard struggle for existence in the matter as much as a man who is put into the water of the sea, struggles very hard for existence of life. Such circumstantial existence is not only troublesome but also unnatural to the living being.

The material senses namely the eyes, the ear, the nose, the tongue and the skin all combined are just like the iron chain of the living being and the perpetual struggle for existence is an endeavor to get out of these chained up situation. These chains have developed by his (the living being's ) contact with matter by the false ego of identifying one self with the matter without knowing or forgetting his pure spiritual existence. The mind is a product of such false ego in the mode of goodness while the other working senses are the product of such false ego in the mode of passion.

As such liberation of the living being means to cut off these fetters of material senses and revive the pure spiritual senses consciousness called by the name hrsika. The hrsikas or the purified senses, freed from all sorts of material designation, can be engaged in the service of the hrsikesa in such liberated stage only and that is the definition of devotional activities.

With such pure senses only one is admitted in the Kingdom of God for a life of eternal existence, permanent bliss and complete knowledge which are all impossible facts in the conditioned existence of material senses. The material senses cannot enjoy permanent bliss neither do they exist for eternity. As such they are also imperfect to gather knowledge of the transcendance. The purified hrsikas are however just the opposite numbers of the material senses and with such senses only one can enjoy the association of the Lord Who is all spirit substance. Exchange of spiritual reciprocity with the Lord by the liberated soul is called rasalilä or the display of spirit (indistinct). Each and every individual living has separate identity and therefore their amalgamation with the whole is an imagination only unless there is the act of spiritual suicide by the individual. Such living entities are described in the Bhagavad-gita as the superior energy of the Lord and as such they are different from the Lord as much as heat is different from the fire.

The cult of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu is a pure spiritual movement for awakening the dormant spiritual consciousness by purified senses of the living being. His relation with the Lord being eternally complete, the living being may forget it by his foreign association in the matter but the consciousness is subject to be revived by the transcendental method of hearing in a submissive mood. The materialistic living being has nothing to do extraordinary but if he at all has any spiritual interest, which is also influenced by good association of realised souls, he may be given the chance of hearing very patiently from the realised souls [REST MISSING...].