India's Austerity Drive - "This is not actually tapasya"

India's Austerity Drive - "This is not actually tapasya"

Excerpt from the Srimad-Bhagavatam By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acharya for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

"In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing sacrifice is to please Him. Yoga is for realizing Him. All fruitive activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is supreme knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him. Religion [dharma] is rendering loving service unto Him. He is the supreme goal of life."[Srimad-Bagavatam 1.2.28-29]

PURPORT

That Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship is confirmed in these two slokas. In the Vedic literature there is the same objective: establishing one's relationship and ultimately reviving our lost loving service unto Him. That is the sum and substance of the Vedas. In the Bhagavad-gita the same theory is confirmed by the Lord in His own words: the ultimate purpose of the Vedas is to know Him only. All the revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His incarnation in the body of Srila Vyasadeva just to remind the fallen souls, conditioned by material nature, of Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead. No demigod can award freedom from material bondage. That is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. Impersonalists who have no information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the omnipotency of the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with all other living beings, and for this act such impersonalists get freedom from material bondage only with great difficulty. They can surrender unto Him only after many, many births in the culture of transcendental knowledge.

One may argue that the Vedic activities are based on sacrificial ceremonies. That is true. But all such sacrifices are also meant for realizing the truth about Vasudeva. Another name of Vasudeva is Yajna (sacrifice), and in the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that all sacrifices and all activities are to be conducted for the satisfaction of Yajna, or Visnu, the Personality of Godhead. This is the case also with the yoga systems.

Yoga means to get into touch with the Supreme Lord. The process, however, includes several bodily features such as asana, dhyana, pranayama and meditation, and all of them are meant for concentrating upon the localized aspect of Vasudeva represented as Paramatma. Paramatma realization is but partial realization of Vasudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one realizes Vasudeva in full. But by ill luck most yogis are stranded by the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. Ill-fated yogis are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in the families of good learned brahmanas or in the families of rich merchants in order to execute the unfinished task of Vasudeva realization. If such fortunate brahmanas and sons of rich men properly utilize the chance, they can easily realize Vasudeva by good association with saintly persons. Unfortunately, such preferred persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and thus they practically forget the aim of life.

This is also so for the culture of knowledge. According to Bhagavad-gita there are eighteen items in culturing knowledge. By such culture of knowledge one becomes gradually prideless, devoid of vanity, nonviolent, forbearing, simple, devoted to the great spiritual master, and self-controlled. By culture of knowledge one becomes unattached to hearth and home and becomes conscious of the miseries due to death, birth, old age and disease. And all culture of knowledge culminates in devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva. Therefore, Vasudeva is the ultimate aim in culturing all different branches of knowledge. Culture of knowledge leading one to the transcendental plane of meeting Vasudeva is real knowledge. physical knowledge in its various branches is condemned in the Bhagavad-gita as ajnana, or the opposite of real knowledge. The ultimate aim of physical knowledge is to satisfy the senses, which means prolongation of the term of material existence and thereby continuance of the threefold miseries. So prolonging the miserable life of material existence is nescience. But the same physical knowledge leading to the way of spiritual understanding helps one to end the miserable life of physical existence and to begin the life of spiritual existence on the plane of Vasudeva.

The same applies to all kinds of austerities. Tapasya means voluntary acceptance of bodily pains to achieve some higher end of life. Ravana and Hiranyakasipu underwent a severe type of bodily torture to achieve the end of sense gratification. Sometimes modern politicians also undergo severe types of austerities to achieve some political end. This is not actually tapasya. One should accept voluntary bodily inconvenience for the sake of knowing Vasudeva because that is the way of real austerities. Otherwise all forms of austerities are classified as modes of passion and ignorance. passion and ignorance cannot end the miseries of life. Only the mode of goodness can mitigate the threefold miseries of life. Vasudeva and Devaki, the so-called father and mother of Lord Krsna, underwent penances to get Vasudeva as their son. Lord Sri Krsna is the father of all living beings (Bg. 14.4). Therefore He is the original living being of all other living beings. He is the original eternal enjoyer amongst all other enjoyers. Therefore no one can be His begetting father, as the ignorant may think. Lord Sri Krsna agreed to become the son of Vasudeva and Devaki upon being pleased with their severe austerities. Therefore if any austerities have to be done, they must be done to achieve the end of knowledge, Vasudeva.

Vasudeva is the original Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krsna. As explained before, the original Personality of Godhead expands Himself by innumerable forms. Such expansion of forms is made possible by His various energies. His energies are also multifarious, and His internal energies are superior and external energies inferior in quality. They are explained in the Bhagavad-gita (7.4-6) as the para and the apara prakrtis. So His expansions of various forms which take place via the internal energies are superior forms, whereas the expansions which take place via the external energies are inferior forms. The living entities are also His expansions. The living entities who are expanded by His internal potency are eternally liberated persons, whereas those who are expanded in terms of the material energies are eternally conditioned souls. Therefore, all culture of knowledge, austerities, sacrifice and activities should be aimed at changing the quality of the influence that is acting upon us. For the present, we are all being controlled by the external energy of the Lord, and just to change the quality of the influence, we must endeavor to cultivate spiritual energy.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that those who are mahatmas, or those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the service of Lord Krsna, are under the influence of the internal potency, and the effect is that such broadminded living beings are constantly engaged in the service of the Lord without deviation. That should be the aim of life. And that is the verdict of all the Vedic literatures. No one should bother himself with fruitive activities or dry speculation about transcendental knowledge. Everyone should at once engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Nor should one worship different demigods who work as different hands of the Lord for creation, maintenance or destruction of the material world.

There are innumerable powerful demigods who look over the external management of the material world. They are all different assisting hands of Lord Vasudeva. Even Lord Siva and Lord Brahma are included in the list of demigods, but Lord Visnu, or Vasudeva, is always transcendentally situated. Even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world, He is still transcendental to all the material modes. The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison house. Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not bound by the laws of the prison house. The king is therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison house, as the Lord is always transcendental to the laws of the material world.
[Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.28-29 : PURPORT By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, Founder Acharya for ISKCON]

This Service Is Unimpaired, Unchecked By Any Material Condition

This life of spiritual execution cannot be hampered by any material condition. From Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. That is the highest type of religious performances by which one can achieve the perfection of loving God.

Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Bhakti means to offer transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord. Bhakti. Bhaj-dhatu sevaya(?). Bhaj. Bhaj-dhatu, it is a verb, bhaj. Bhaj means to render service just like servant renders service to the master, friend renders service to the friend, wife renders service to the husband, husband renders service to the wife.

This service-rendering process is going on everywhere. Nobody is absolute that he does not render service to anyone. That is not possible. I have repeatedly explained that if somebody has no master to serve, he voluntarily accepts a cat or dog as his master to serve. The nice name is pet dog, but it is serving. The mother serves the child. So one who has no child, he takes the cat as her child and serves.

So the service mood is going on everywhere. But the highest perfection of service is when we learn to serve the Supreme Absolute Lord. That is called bhakti. And that bhakti execution of service to the Lord is ahaituki. Just like we have got some little examples. This mother is serving the child not with any expectation. She loves to serve the child. She wants to see the child is in comfort, the child does not feel any discomfiture. That is her pleasure.

There is no reason why she is loving. That is natural. Similarly, when we invoke our natural love for God, that is the highest perfection of religious principle. Ahaituky apratihata. Apratihata means it cannot be checked by any material condition. Just like we want to chant Hare Krsna; this is service. This is the beginning of service, chanting the glories of the Lord, or praying the Lord, "Hare, O the energy of the Lord, Krsna, O Lord, please engage me in Your service." This is the prayer. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, repeatedly, "Please engage me. Please engage me." But God can give you many things. Whatever you want, He is giving. Ye yatha mam prapadyante [Bg. 4.11]. He can give you even salvation, but very rarely He gives you the chance of serving Him.

So service is not an ordinary thing. So this is, this service is unimpaired, unchecked by any material condition. So Sukadeva Gosvami, he gives us some definition how you can be completely independent to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now our problem is eating-sleeping. Eating-sleeping. After sleeping, there is mating or fearing. These are the problems of bodily demands. So Sukadeva Gosvami recommends for a serious devotee, he says, cirani kim pathi na santi. Cirani means worn-out, rejected garments.

In your country it is very usual to find in the dustbin so many things are thrown away. So sometimes nice dress is also thrown away. So Sukadeva Gosvami says that if you have problem of dressing yourself, just pick up some old garments from the street. Cirani kim pathi na santi. "All right. I get my garment. What about my food?" He said, cirani kim pathi na santi disanti bhiksam naivanghripah para-bhrtah. Anghripah means the living entity who eats by its leg. Just like we eat by our hand. Do you know what is that living entity who eats by the leg? Can you... Huh? No. Trees. Yes. Yes. The trees, they eat from the root. That is their eating process. You pour water on the root of the tree, and that water the whole tree sucks. That is their eating. Therefore they are called anghripah. They drink their food, eatables, by the leg. So their qualification is para-bhrtah. Para-bhrtah means trees are meant for sustaining others. Trees. Just like a nice mango tree, it produces nice fruit, but it does not eat. It is for you. Para-bhrtah, maintains others. The tree gives shelter, the tree gives fruits. You cut trees for your purpose; it does not protest. Therefore the tree's life is dedicated for the service of others.

So Sukadeva Gosvami says "Whether such nice living entity who has dedicated his life for others does not give you fruits?" So why you are thinking of your food problem? The food is there in the tree and the garment is on the street. Then where is my home, apartment? Sukadeva Gosvami says, ruddha guhah kim, "Whether the caves of the mountain are closed?" They are open for you. The caves of the mountain are open for you, the trees are there to supply you food, and people throw away old garments, that is your dress. And water? Water supply? Sukadeva Gosvami says, "Whether the rivers are dried up?" There is water. In this way he gives a very nice list so that you can become very independent. There is no problem for your bodily demands. But one has to practice. Formerly the saints, mendicants, sages, they used to practice like that, that not dependent on any condition. And so far God, God is within you. So you haven't got to go anywhere to search out God. God is with you, and you can be independent in this way.

So there is no problem for executing devotional service to the Lord. And that is the highest perfection of all religious principles. But we have to practice. And that is not possible in this age. This age is called Kali. It is very difficult age. People are not very much interested to the most important problem of life. They are alpayusa. Prayenalpayusah sabhya kalav asmin yuge janah. People are short-living and manda. Manda means very slow for ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is to search out or is to reestablish your lost relationship with God. That is the mission of human life. Otherwise what is the difference between animal life and human life? The animal life, they are also busy for eating, sleeping, mating and defending. So if we human beings, we are also similarly busy, then what is the difference? So this sort of civilization, simply making nice arrangement for eating and sleeping and mating and defending, that is not practically human civilization. The human civilization is meant for searching out God. Na te viduh. They do not know, unfortunately. They have forgotten. But by good association, they can remember. Therefore this meeting of Krsna Consciousness Society's meeting is just to give people chance to associate with the Society and invoke their lost relationship with God. That is the missionary activities of this Society.

So that is the highest gift to the human society. There are so many welfare activities in the human society. People open hospitals, schools, colleges, charitable institution. They are nice. But the best contribution to the human society is to revive his lost relationship with God. Just like a rich man's son. Someway or other he has left his father's home and he's loitering here and there. Somebody finds him: "Oh, you are Mr. such and such. You are the son of such and such gentleman. He's very rich man. Why you are suffering? Come, come with me. I shall take to your father." So this is one kind of welfare activity. And another welfare activity, the same person who is loitering in the street, somebody says, "Oh, you are hungry. All right, come on. I shall give you some bread." That is also welfare activity, but this welfare activity, to get the lost son to his father, rich father, not ordinary father, that is the best service. Similarly, all living entities... As Krsna claims in the Bhagavad-gita... Krsna claims,

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

In many places in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna claims all living entities as His sons, parts and parcels. Just like your children, they are part and parcel of your body. They are not different from you. The same blood is running in his body. Similarly, our constitutional position is that the same blood of God is running in our body. We are not different in that way from God.

[Excerpt from a lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.5—Los Angeles, December 2, 1968]