Pradyumna: (reading) “...happiness immediately terminates with his body as long as his life, as soon as his life is over. Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheistic class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death.”
Prabhupada: Yes. This point we have discussed last night that everyone can see God. To see God is not very difficult job. There are so many points described in the Bhagavad-gita. For the devotees, those who are serious about seeing God, they can see God. God is present everywhere. And God Himself, Krsna, is describing, raso ’ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh. So everyone drinks water. Now Krsna says, “The taste of the water, I am.” So who has not tasted the water? Everyone drinks water at least four times, five times. So as soon as you drink water, the taste of the water is Krsna. Krsna says, “I am this.” Krsna has described Himself in so many ways. “Amongst the trees, I am this. Amongst the aquatics, I am this. Amongst the nonmovable, I am this.” So why not see God in that way? The atheist class of men, they say, “Can you show me God?” So why don’t you see God? Why you close your eyes? If you have got eyes to see, you can see God everywhere.
Those who are saintly devotees, they are seeing God, Krsna, in every moment. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. If you become saintly person by your austerities, penances, then you can see God in every step. Otherwise, if you think that “I cannot become saintly person,” yes, nobody can become saintly immediately. It requires time. But so long you are material person you can see God also in the water. You drink water. You can see God. You can see sunshine. God is there. Prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh. So who has not seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? So therefore if you have seen moonshine, if you have seen sunshine, you have seen God.
But especially those who are impersonalists, they can see God in that way. Sabdah khe paurusam nrsu.
There are descriptions in the Seventh Chapter, how you can see God in your common dealings. Still, if you do not see God, then you can see, you must see one day God at the time of your death. Mrtyuh sarva-haras caham. Death is God. So the atheist class men, just like Hiranyakasipu, who always challenges God, in spite of so many things wherein we can see God, they deny to see God; therefore God comes before them as death. So everyone has to meet death. So God is there. And you are seeing. But because we are atheist class of men, we are denying, “There is not God.” So Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu says that, “After all, you have to meet with God at the time of death. So before death, why don’t you see God in so many ways?” That is Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. The science of devotional service which is giving you indication how to see God always and everywhere. Go on reading.
Pradyumna: “Death is therefore taken as the representative of God for the atheist class of men. The devotee realizes the presence of God by devotional service, whereas the atheist realizes the presence of God in the shape of death. At death everything is finished, and one has to begin a new chapter of life in a new situation, perhaps higher or lower than the last one. In any field of activity, political, social, national or international, the results of our actions will be finished with the end of life. That is sure. Bhakti-rasa, however, the mellow relished in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, does not finish with the end of life. It continues perpetually and is therefore called amrta, that which does not die, but exists eternally.”
Prabhupada: Yes. Rasa. Rasa means mellow. Everything we have, there is a rasa. Without rasa, we do not deal in anything. So this material rasa or mellow, which we relish in our daily dealings... Suppose our dealings with wife, children, friends or others, enemy also. There is a rasa. When we kill our enemy, there is also some pleasure rasa. When we see something ghastly... In European and Western countries, they want to see some ghastly things in the television. So they enjoy rasa. There is some rasa, relishment. Otherwise, how they are all day, practically, they are sitting before the television and seeing?
So there are twelve kinds of rasas. Five kinds of rasa, we generally experience. The dealings between servants and master, dealings between friend and friend, dealings between mother and the child, dealings between lover and the beloved, dealings between the enemy and enemies. So many ways, there are, on the whole, twelve kinds of rasa. And the, all the rasas are there in Krsna. Akhila-rasamrta. Akhila-rasa. He’s the reservoir of all pleasure.
Even in ghastly behavior, a man is killing another man, there is some enjoyment by killing. Just like Bhima. When he killed Duryodhana, he immediately sucked the blood of Duryodhana’s heart. So there was some pleasure. Because Duryodhana insulted them so many ways. And they were, especially Bhima was finding out the opportunity when he’ll, he would enjoy the rasa by killing Duryodhana. So all, in all our dealings, directly or indirectly, there is some rasa.
Now, in our material dealings, the rasas are temporary. They’ll be finished. As soon as this body is finished, the rasa is also finished. Just like we love somebody, any way, either as friend or as child or as husband or as lover, friend, so many ways. But these rasa will be finished as soon as this body’s finished. I have got some affectionate dealings with my sons. But as soon as the son dies, or I die, the rasa is finished. But if you deal in the same way with Krsna, who is the reservoir of all rasas, it will continue. If you love Krsna as a friend in this life, if you develop your consciousness, Krsna consciousness, as friend of Krsna’s, then tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9], when you go to Krsna, tyaktva deham, giving up this body, then you go there as Krsna’s friend.
Just like Srila Sukadeva Gosvami’s described in the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam: ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena, mayasritanam nara-darakena krta-punya-punjah. The boys who were playing with Krsna, Sukadeva Gosvami says that after many, many births accumulation of pious activities... Because you cannot develop devotional service without pious life. Yesam anta-gatam papam. If you want to become associate with Krsna, then you cannot act as a sinful man. Just like a criminal is not allowed to come out of the jail. He has no freedom. Similarly, if we act sinfully in this life, then we’ll have to remain within this material world, one body after another. So we, we have to give up sinful activities.
Therefore we forbid our students, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. Because these are the pillars of sinful life. So we have to give up these things to accelerate our promotion to devotional service. We cannot go on doing this and that at the same time. It is something like that, you ignite fire and pour water. It will be useless attempt. If you want to burn the fire blazing, don’t put water on it. Keep it dry. Similarly, if you want to advance in Krsna consciousness, then you cannot indulge in sinful activities. And when you are proved that you are no more sinful, yesam anta-gatam papam, one who has become freed from the reaction of sinful life, yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmani...
You have to do something. So if you engage yourself twenty-four hours in pious activities, pious activities in goodness, that is also tainted. But when you actually engage yourself in the devotional service of Vasudeva, as we were discussing this morning, the verse, vasudeve bhagavati bhakti-yogah prayojitah, janayaty asu vairagyam... [SB 1.2.7].
So even if we are accustomed to sinful activities on account of bad habits, still, we can engage ourself in devotional service of Vasudeva. So those who are sincerely devotee of Vasudeva, sometimes due to their past habits, may commit something sinful, not knowingly, but habituated; that is excused by Krsna. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak. But not wilfully. Wilfully, if we commit some sinful activities, that can be excused once, twice, but not thrice. then you’ll be punished.
Therefore a devotee should not commit wilfully any sinful activities in order to keep himself always fit in devotional service. He should try to keep himself steady, without committing any sinful actions. The primary sinful activities are described, and we try to follow. And if we chant sixteen rounds and keep ourself always aloof from the sinful activities, then it is certain, niscayat, utsahan dhairyat, niscayat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat, sato vrtteh sadhu-sange sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati.
If you want to advance in devotional service, then you should be enthusiastic, utsahan, dhairyat, with patience, and niscayat, you should be assured that “Because I’m following strictly the direction of my spiritual master and sastras, certainly I shall meet Krsna.” Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. By following the rules and regulations, sato vrtteh, always trying to be honest and sadhu-sanga...
The sadhu-sanga is very important. Therefore we have created this internal society, International Society so that actually it is happening. People are coming to our society, in our centers, and after one week, automatically he takes a bag and beads and shaves himself. Automatically. Sadhu-sanga is very... Association of sadhu. Solitary bhajana, executing devotional service in a solitary place, is not possible for the neophyte devotees. It is meant for the advanced devotees. If, from the very beginning, without executing the regulative principles, if one wants to execute devotional service in a solitary place, it will be simply disturbing, and he must fall down. There are so many examples, even in this Vrndavana. So we should not imitate. We must, vidhi-marga. The regulative principles must be followed. Then when you are mature, then we can sit down in a solitary place. Otherwise it is not possible.
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