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]

A Non-Sectarian Movement

"Krishna claims that He is the seed-giving Father of all the 8,400,000 species of life visible within the material creation. They may be of different forms--some of them are aquatics, some of them are vegetables, plants, some of them are worms, some of them are birds, some of them are beasts, some of them are human beings. Krishna claims that all of them are His begotten sons. Neither Krishna claims Himself that He is an Indian or a Ksatriya, or a Brahmin, or white or black; He claims that He is the Enjoyer of everything that be, He is the Proprietor of all the planets and the creation, and He is the intimate friend of all living entities.

He never claims that one should offer Him very valuable things to satisfy Him; or very delicious foodstuffs should be offered to Him--but He says that even a little bit of leaf, a little bit of fruit, and water, you offer to Him with devotion and love, and He accepts and eats such things. So it is a fact that Krishna is universal. Krishna is non-sectarian, and therefore if Mr. Rose actually wants to have some institution, he must know how that non-sectarian institution is possible.

So factually, Krishna Consciousness is non-sectarian movement. There is no sectarian question. But if somebody without understanding this non-sectarian philosophy thinks otherwise, he himself becomes immediately sectarian.Without understanding Krishna everyone is sectarian, and combination of such non-Krishna Consciousness persons will never create any institution of non-sectarian nature. That is not possible. " I therefore think that you should try to convince Mr. Rose about our philosophy of Krishna Consciousness, and let him become actually non-sectarian.

[Sunday, June 30, 1968, Montreal, Quebec, Letter to Kirtanananda]

Religion Is Godly Life

No religion of the world is without any connection with God. The principal religions of the world are 1. Hinduism, 2. Islam, 3. Buddhism and 4. Christianity. And all of them have some sort of direct or indirect connection with God. Such religions are made and propagated by God Himself or by His authorised agents. So far Hinduism is concerned and the Bhagavad-gita is accepted, all sects and subsects of the Hindu population take up the cause of the Bhagavad-gita and it is directly preached by God Himself in the Form of Lord Krishna. So far Islam is concerned and the Koran is accepted, all Islamic population accept Hazrat Mohammad as the authorised agent of God and the faith is propagated by Him. So far Buddhism is concerned, all the people of the world professing faith in Buddhism obey Lord Buddha as God or the greatest authority. Lord Buddha advented Himself in India and He took up the cause of the poor animals who were being slaughtered unhesitatingly on the plea of Vaidic yajṣa and therefore Lord Buddha was compelled to disregard the principles of Vedic sacrifice just to establish the principles of nonviolence. The Hindu scriptures especially the VaiḶ_avite literatures of the Vedas accept Lord Buddha as the incarnation of God. It is said that He preached His philosophy amongst those who had practically no faith in the existence of God but by His propaganda such men become faithful to Him and therefore indirectly they accepted God. So far Christianity is concerned, there is open acceptance of God because Lord Jesus declared Himself as the son of God.

So all the religions of the world have direct or indirect connection with God and therefore we can take it for acceptance that religion means to learn obedience to the Laws of God as it may be compared with Nationalism means obedience to the laws of the state.

Obedience is the first law of discipline. Even in your national life, you may be a member of a great independant nation but that does not mean you have absolute independence and you are able to do anything and everything at your will without the sanction of the state. Similarly in terms of our wider and universal relation we may be all independant individual living beings but our independence is not absolute and we have to depend mostly on the laws of God and in every step of our life we cannot do anything without the sanction of God. There are five causes to effect a definite thing may be good or bad. The first cause is the place where the action has to take place, the second cause is actor or the man who will do the act, the third cause is the instrument by which the action has to be executed, the fourth cause is the endeavor which pushes the actor to do it and above all there is the fifth cause namely God's will and that is the ultimate sanction. However may the other four causes be efficient, if the fifth cause is not favourable the effect cannot take place and therefore in every action the hand of God is there we may or may not appreciate it.

The conception of God in every religion is either personal or impersonal. But those who are expert in the science of God have said that God is both personal and impersonal and not He is personal and impersonal but also He is localised. At the ultimate issue God is personal. Impersonal feature of God is the manifestation of His all-pervasiveness and localized function of God is His representation. The king of a state or nowadays the president of a state is always a personal affair. The supreme executive head of a state cannot be impersonal and there is no such example anywhere. The impersonal feature of the king or the president is His all pervasive power in the form of government and the localized representation of the king are executive officers who carry on the orders of the king for maintenance of the state law and order. Similarly, the ultimate authority is God in person and the form of His government through various agencies are His impersonal form and the different representatives for executing the function of God's government are different demigods. According to Hindu conception the actual head of a state, be he the president or the King in person is the representative of God. Therefore the conception of God in all religion is to accept one Ultimate Truth from where everything emanates nevermind personal or impersonal.

Srila Prabhupada now on Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/backtogodhead

Love and Attraction

"Outside God, there is no possibility of loving. Rather it is lusty desire the whole range of human activities, whatever and whenever, so long with this atmosphere of matter, the every activity of the human being - or any living entity - is based upon or given impetus, and thus polluted, by the attraction between male and female, sex-desire. For that sex-life, the whole universe is spinning round - and suffering!

That is the harsh truth. So-called love, here, means "you gratify my senses, I'll gratify your senses," and as soon as that gratification stops: immediately there is divorce, separation, quarrel, hatred. So many things there are, going on under this false conception of love. Actual love means love of God, Krishna.

Everyone wants to repose his loving tendency in some object which is in his opinion worthy. So it is a question of ignorance only, poor fund of knowledge, where to find that Supreme Lovable Object actually worthy to accept and reciprocate their love. People simply do not know, there is no proper information.

Anything material, as soon as there is some attachment, it will kick you upon the face, deteriorate, disappoint you--it's bound to dissatisfy and frustrate you, that's a fact. So these young boys in your country, and all over the world, they are accepting. "Yes, that is fact," and they are getting the right information from Krishna:

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually wise surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." [Bg. 7.19]"

[Monday, 30 April, 1973 Los Angeles Sylmar, California Letter to Lynne Ludwig, By Srila Prabhupada: Founder Acarya for ISKCON]

Artificial vitamins for maintaining your body?

Can any scientist say that this is the vitamin value in dry grass? If there is no vitamin value in dry grass, how the cow is producing so much milk, full of vitamins A and D? They prescribe some artificial vitamins for maintaining your body. Now, what is the vitamin there in the dry grass so that the cow is eating dry grass and giving you nice milk full of vitamins. So these are wrong theories.

~Srila Prabhupada, 66/05/23 N.Y.

Kritan

When the chanting of the Name of the Lord is done individually or incompletely it is called 'kirtan'. But all the same Kirtan or Samkirtan is always meant for chanting of the Name of the Lord and never means a debating society of mundane words. Samkirtan is however the greatest common formula of universal religion acceptable in the present age of quarrel, called the 'Kali yooga'.

In the Puranas it is stated that the process of knowing God, in the Satya yooga or Golden Age, is by concentration and meditation. Men would live during that age for one lac of years and it is said that Mohamuni Valmiki attained siddhi or perfection after 60,000 sixty thousand years of meditation before he was able to compose Ramayana. (So Ramayana is not a mundane poets' speculation.) The process of knowing God in the Treta-yooga or silver-age, was the performances of big sacrifices such as Aswamedha yajna, that in the Dwapara yooga or Bronze-age, was by worshipment with all paraphernalia and that in the Kali yooga, i.e., in the present age of quarrel (iron-age) the process is by performances of congregational chanting of the names of the Lord. The injunction in the scripture is as follows:-

Kritejat dhyayate Vishnu tretayam yayata makhoin
Dwapare paricharyayam Kaloutat Hari samkirtanat

In the present age of quarrel therefore, when all conclusions are arrived at by an assembly of fighting men, the chance of realisation of the Absolute conclusion is very little by other processes such as, works, knowledge, re-union or meditation except by the process of congregational chanting of the Name of Hari.

About 450 years ago, Lord Chaitanya, the father of Samkirtan movement, appeared Himself in Bengal in the district of Nadia and inaugurated first the system of congregational chanting of the name of the Lord. He made a vigorous transcendental propaganda work for this purpose. As a result of that movement, the whole of Bengal, Orissa and Southern India, was over-flooded with His transcendental propaganda work and many eminent personalities like Rupa and Sanatan the then ministers of the Nawab of Bengal and Ramananda Roy the then governor of Madras and scholars like Vasudeva Sarbabhouma or Sanyasis like Prakashananda Saraswati all became His disciples amongst many other thousands of disciples at that time.

[Except from "The Science of Congregational Chanting of the Name of the Lord (Samkirtan)" Originally printed in the BTG Magazine, 1944, by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder Acarya for ISKCON]

LISTEN TO KIRTAN BY A.C.BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA BELOW!

Standard Morality

Morality is the standard of activity by which the Supreme Authority is satisfied. So long we are concerned with the relative world, we must have to deal with relativities of actions and reactions accrued up by our routine work and to regulate such and such actions of daily affairs, we have to follow the standard codes so that our actions may be considered as moral.

Development of human consciousness by a gradual process to the highest codes of actions is another name of morality. In such developing stages of morality the principle of one man's food is another man's poison is also applicable because the moral codes of the lowest grade is different from the moral codes of the highest.

The moral codes of the marketplace is therefore different from the moral codes of a householder's life which is different from the moral codes of the politicians. The politicians may take up some actions which are against the principles of householders standard of morality and the standard of morality in the household affairs may be completely different from the moral codes of the marketplace. In that way we cannot find out the standard of moral codes unless and until we find out the standard of morality in all perfectness.

To take up a very common cause we may cite the following examples of morality. In the moral codes of the revealed scripture it is instructed that one should avoid the following immoral activities of life, if anyone wants at all to make any progress of life. Such prohibitory injunctions are as follows:

(1) One should not make any unholy connection with woman.

(2) One should not indulge in the matter of unnecessary animal slaughter.

(3) One should not be addicted to the debased habit of intoxication.

(4) One should not be addicted to the debased habit of gambling enterprise.

These moral principles are to be observed especially by the public leader, a learned Brahmin, a religionist and by the head of executive department of the state. Unless such persons are strictly moral by the above codes we cannot expect any citizen of the state to follow the moral principle. The public leader cannot be a successful leader if he is not serious about the above moral principles.

Mahatma Gandhi became a successful public leader because he observed the above moral principles in life. Although he was a married man during his leadership of the country he completely abstained himself from all sorts of bodily relation with his married wife even and what to speak of making unholy connection with other codes of life. The first principle is this that one should be completely aloof from all womanly connection save and except his own married wife. In that sense child marriage is most convenient form of morality and there are many examples in the noble life. Mahatma Gandhi was married at the age of sixteen or so and it is said that his wife was elder than him by one year. But see the life of Mahatma Gandhi. Apart from economic considerations, the system of child marriage prevents both the man and the woman falling into immoral connection with the opposite sex. Psychologically both a boy or a girl develops the sex-consciousness at the age of thirteen to eighteen years of age according to different climatic conditions. In such stage especially after the attainment of puberty a woman wants a male and if she is not married within that time and allowed to mix up with boys who have developed the sex consciousness, it is quite natural that there is every chance of fall down either by the boy or by the girl. With the change of social conditions, the standard of conjugal life is also changing but the code of avoiding unholy connection with woman is always there. You cannot indulge in unholy connection with the opposite sex because the social conditions have changed. Because unholy connection with woman is the beginning of all immorality. There are thousands and one examples in the history of mankind as to how a great man fell down simply by illegitimate connection with woman.

The highest principle of moral code begins therefore with the codes of avoiding illicit connection with woman.

In the moral codes of ordinary dealing the standard of judging a person about his becoming a learned man is defined like this.

The testing criterions are as follows:

(1) That a learned man is he who is able to look upon all women, except his own married wife, as his mother-is certainly a passed moralist.

(2) That a learned man is he who treats others' property as much untouchable as are the household refuse thrown away in the dust bin of the street.

(3) That a learned man is he who behaves with all other living beings as he wants to be behaved by others.

Nobody wants to be killed by any other living being. As such we should not indulge in unnecessary killing of the animals to satisfy the taste of the tongue.

Therefore the next stage of morality begins with non-violence not in theory but in practice. You cannot look upon the poor animals as objects of killing by man and become moral at the same time. You cannot live at the expense of others and become moral at the same time. The whole world or the universe is conducted by a supernatural power of God. This external energy of the Supreme Lord is called by the name 'Avidaya Karmnsamga Shakti' or the material energy. Everyone has to work for his livelihood. The services are of different grades. The service of the learned scholar is superior than that of the expert statesman. The expert and sincere service of the statesman is superior than that of the industrialist and the businessman. And the service of the industrialist or businessman is better than the common and uncommon artisan or the expert and inexpert labourers. The labourer class of men can render service to the upper class men as above mentioned.

The affairs of the human society is being managed under the above arrangement and everywhere the division of the above four classes of men can be found under different names only. Such classification of men is made according to the standard of qualification and occupation and not by any birthright claim. The idea of the caste system is based on the above principle and it has nothing to do with any birthright claim. When such birthright claim is made the whole thing becomes vitiated and the order of the society becomes degraded for want of real moral strength.

The learned scholar who devotes himself to studies only must follow the previous learned Acharyas or men in authority and must not deviate from the standard of the great Acharyas. In the Bhagwat Geeta worship of the bona fide Acharyas is recommended for the learned persons who actually want to do something good to the society. Such learned scholars may undertake all kinds of research work to suit the current social and political circumstances and may make some external alteration in the procedure of the work but if they deviate from the ideals of the original authorities, they must be called immoral men. One should always follow the footprints of the standard Mahajan or the Acharyas recognized by all concerned. The research work taken up by such scholars must have an aim for the well-being of the society and not otherwise. Happiness for all the members of the society including the animal members is the ideal standard of morality.

Nationalism does not mean for the human being only but nationalism based on moral standard must include the animals and all other living beings in the state. The statesmen make laws specially for the protection of the minority but they have no law for the protection of the majority of living being other than the human being. The state protects human being by all means but they send the poor animals to the slaughter house. This is against the principle of morality.

In India there are certain terminologies in respect of the learned scholars, devotees of the Supreme Lord and the Lord also. The learned scholar is called the Brahmin, the pure devotee is called the Harijans and the Lord is called Narayana. Unfortunately a certain section of men claim to become a Brahmin simply by birthright without having the necessary qualification and the term Harijan which is specially meant for the pure devotees of the Lord is now applied to the lower class of men without any proper rectification. Any man even from the lowest status of society can become a Harijan or Brahmin and there is no restriction for them but such Harijan or Brahmin must possess the necessary qualification. That is the standard of morality. Immoral persons only claim something which they do not deserve. Immoral persons without being qualified want to capture power of the great man against the principle of standard morality. Similarly the Lord is brought to the standard of wretched men under the name of Daridra Narayana without knowing the real morality. The word Narayan is so exalted that it cannot be compared with the names of Brahma the creator of the universe or Shiva the annihilator of the universe. And if such Narayana is compared with the wretched persons it is an act of immorality as it is said in the standard scriptures. So far birthright is concerned even a man born by a great father cannot claim to be equal to his father without being duly qualified. The son of a big High Court Judge cannot claim to become the High Court Judge without the necessary qualifications.

In the Bhagwat Geeta the Personality of Godhead claims all sorts of living entities as His own sons. As such all living entities including the hogs and dogs naturally become His sons but as they have degraded themselves in the species of lower animals by the result of their own activities, they are never equal to the qualifications of the associates of God. Although a dog is also a son of God, he is a dog at the same time. It is the qualification only therefore that counts in all spheres of life and not simply by claiming the sons of the Supreme Lord. The moral codes of such qualifications are mentioned in the revealed scripture and morality means to qualify oneself to the satisfaction of the Supreme authority.

The Supreme authority is Vishnu or the Lord who is above all other living beings. In the Vedas, Vasudeva or Vishnu is described to be the original Person. He is above all. Nobody is equal to Him or greater than Him. He is therefore the Lord of everyone big and small. It is said that the Surayas or the Aryas do always look upon the Supreme Lord Vishnu whereas others who do not do so or one who has no respect for the Supreme Lord call Him by any name, must be an immoral man and therefore such person is counted amongst Asuryas or the demons. The moral codes of the Asuryas are different from that of the Surayas. The moral codes of the Surayas is to satisfy the wishes of the Supreme Lord whereas the moral codes of the Asurayas are to satisfy their own senses. The senses of the Asurayas being impure in the matter of sense satisfaction, their moral codes cannot be accepted as standard and we see therefore clashes amongst the asurayas in the name of moral standard. Sense gratification cannot be taken as moral at any stage. In any home, society or state nobody can be a moral man who satisfies his own senses without satisfying the higher authorities. Nobody can be happy therefore in any status of the society or state if he is unable to abide by the moral codes of that particular institution in which he is attached.

An Englishman or an American or a German or an Indian or anyone else are all free members of a free state respectively. But that freedom is not absolute. Every individual member of the state must abide by the laws of the state otherwise such law breakers shall be subjected to the police action of the state. This idea of the small state and that of the individual person can equally be applied to the larger state of Vishnu or the Supreme Lord of the universal state.

The conception of the caste system is made by the order of the Lord and the Vishnupuranam verifies the order in the following words.

Varnashramacharavata

Purushena Para Puman

Vishnuraradhyte Pumsam

Nanyattattosha Karanam.

Any person who abides by the principle of four division of the social order as well as one who is able to follow the four stages of spiritual realisation can only satisfy the Supreme Lord and there is no other alternative to satisfy Him. And that is the beginning of Morality.

And what is this Varnashram system? The four varnas are respectively the intelligent class of men, the statesmen, the commercial community and the labourer class known as the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas, and the Sudras technically. And what are the Ashramas? They are different stages of development.

The whole system is schemed for fulfilling the mission of human life by suitable division of departmental activities. The aim is one namely to satisfy the Supreme Lord. And as the Lord and the living entities are both living forces, the spiritual enjoyment between them by reciprocal exchange of dealings are not without variegatedness. The Lord is the chief amongst all kinds of living beings. Both the Lord and the living beings are one in quality and therefore both of them want enjoyment by reciprocal give and take policy and the Lord being the chief personality all activities of the living entities can be moral only when they fulfill the standard of satisfying the Lord. It is a scheme of cooperation for everyone's benefit. The intelligent class of men or the Brahmins are said to be the head of the whole body, the statesmen or the Kshatriyas are the arms, the commercial community or the Vaishyas are the thighs and the labourer class of men are the legs of the whole body. So neither the head nor the legs are less important for the service of the body which compared with the all pervading Personality of Godhead. But without any service for the satisfaction of the Lord the scheme is a show only as much as the blind eye or false eye is only a show to cheat innocent public without any value of the eye. There is no quarrel between the capitalist and labourer or the industrialists and the labourers in healthy or moral condition of the society as there is no quarrel between any different parts of the body in healthy condition. Combined activities for the one supreme goal of life i.e. satisfaction of the ultimate person is the sum and substance of moral standard.

Anything which is not aimed at the above mentioned goal of life is called atheism or non-moral standard of life. Spiritual realisation and moral life are both identical things. Spiritual life without morality has no meaning and in the same way morality without the knowledge of the Supreme Authority is only a show. Any person who is engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord in terms of the above scheme must have all the moral qualities which are visible in the character of the gods whereas person who has no relation with the personality of the Lord evidently cannot have any moral quality and that is the verdict of the history of human society. Therefore moral life is not a life of sense gratification but it is a life for the satisfaction of the higher authority.

The animal life is conducted only for sense gratification. An animal is pardoned for its entering a householder's premises and eating up all the foodstuff stocked there, but if a man does so he is put into criminal trespass and so many other charges.

The difference is that the animal does not know anything but sense gratification whereas the man is understood to have the sense of morality by obeying the laws of the state or society and therefore a man's action of trespassing a householder's premises is taken more seriously than that of the animal. That is the difference of a man and the animal. The human life is a benediction to understand this moral codes of the Lord and if he behaves like the animal life even in the human form, certainly he is again sent back to animal species of life for leading a life of the 'Naradhama.' Nara means a man and adhama means the most degraded. So naradhama means that a man who does not develop the moral standard of life is again degraded into the animal kingdom with full facility for sense enjoyment like the dogs and hogs without any sense of morality.

As we have already stated that moral quality has no value if it is devoid of the relation of the Lord. A dog is sometimes called moral animal because it is very faithful to its master. But that sort of faithfulness has no moral standard because it has forgotten its relation with God. The dog may be very faithful to its master but it is not faithful to other dogs who are more akin to its features. A dog at once begins howling as soon as it sees another dog in the precincts of its jurisdiction and similarly we can see that a man is very good man in relation to his own atmosphere but when the question of self interest, community interest, society interest or national interest is there he becomes the most ferocious man exactly like the dog. These things happen only when there is not spiritual realization of the human being and they think only in terms of self interest, community interest, social interest or national interest without any interest for the Lord. Real morality is there when everything is acted in the interest of the Lord which includes all other minor interest.

Without such spiritual realization in view no amount of one-sided doggish service of faithfulness will bring in any moral standard of life. If it was possible at all then all the leaders of different nations would not have quarreled between themselves for some temporary things which they have wrongly accepted as permanent. For want of real moral life there is continuous rupture of national interest and all schemes of peace and harmony being continuously frustrated without any solution. The dogs cannot make any solution of continuous quarrel because they are unable to revive their consciousness of relation with God. But the man if he likes he can do so easily because he has the capacity of discharging this important duty.

The standard of civilization on the basis of unlimited sense satisfaction has to be changed into regulated life for spiritual realization and that will lead to the actual moral standard of life. In the diseased condition of life nobody can be happy increasing the standard of sense gratification. If he wants to get rid of the diseased condition he has to consult the experienced physician for guidance of diet and medicine. And to relieve the diseased condition of the present set up of Godless civilization the leaders have to consult the liberated physicians who have already prescribed the right medicine and right diet. The right medicine is very simple. They must attend to hear the transcendental messages from the Lord and the diet is prescribed in the matter of partaking the remnant foodstuff or Prasadam or the foodstuff which is first offered to the Lord. There is no fear of the foodstuff being taken up by the Lord if it is offered to Him but by doing so the foodstuff is purified by spiritual process which helps the eater in reviving his consciousness of relation with God. When one revives his Godly consciousness by hearing in submissiveness the message of the Lord and make practice for eating the Prasadam under prescribed rules, he is sure to revive his lost consciousness and thus make progress in becoming a moral man proportionately with the revival of God consciousness. Every disease takes some time for its being completely cured but the treatment must begin without delay. We shall request all leaders of the society in all countries to accept this process of treatment which is neither expensive nor difficult. The whole thing is possible to be adjusted in terms of the special circumstances and we shall advise everyone to adopt this method for a general relief in the epidemic of moral degradation.

Advancement of modern education has no value because it is devoid of moral standard. Advanced students in the university of modern education have to be guarded by regular Police force for the matter of observing the moral codes of the university. And the highest officer in the state service has to be brought into justice by the supreme court of law for his conduct of misappropriation of public money. Such is the condition of moral life at present.

Therefore an educated man does not necessarily mean a man of morality while an illiterate man with full consciousness of the Lord's presence everywhere makes him the most moral and faithful man in the world. Therefore it is not the so-called education but it is God consciousness of the man that will bring in the required moral standard. Godless civilization full with vulgar literatures of sex indulgence or instruction by advanced science in the matter of sense gratification of the uncontrolled senses makes the whole scientific brain immorally compact. Invention of the atomic bomb is the result of the highest grade of scientific brain. But the whole world is disturbed now for its fear may be real or unreal and it is the sign of pure sense gratification under the influence of power intoxication. (To be Continued)

[Taken from the Back to Godhead Magazine, dated November 20, 1958, written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Founder Acaraya for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness]

Man proposes; God disposes

tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ

sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ
prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mattaiś ca
naivāsura-prakṛtayaḥ prabhavanti boddhum
[Cc. Ādi 3.87]

Naiva... Na, "never," asura-prakṛtaya, "those who are atheistic mentality, atheistic consciousness..." They have decided not to believe in God, so it is very difficult. Those who have decided atheistic conclusion, they will never come to any argument. Otherwise to understand the science of God is not very difficult. If one is simple, he can understand. Everything is there. What are there? Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭhaiḥ. When God comes in incarnation or He sends His representative to reclaim, they perform wonderful acts. They are not ordinary, common men. Either God or God's representative, they act in such a way that it is not possible for any common man. That is the particular symptom of God and God's representative.

So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. Parama means highest class superiority which is not possible for ordinary men. They take it as miracle or something, a story or allegory. But actually it is not. Just like when Lord Rāmacandra appeared, He made a bridge between India and Ceylon. There is no history in the world that one has made bridge over the ocean, Indian Ocean. And how the bridge was made? Not in the present, modern way, that making concrete on the ground and then pillars and then... No. The stones were floating. The Rāmacandra assistants, all the monkeys, what kind of engineers are they? They could bring, order, "Bring some stone." They had very good health. What is that? Gorilla. So they brought big, big stones, and they began to float. Now, one may inquire or may question, "How stone can float?" Why stone cannot float? If this big, big lump of matter, earthly planet and other planets, they are floating in the air, why the stone cannot float? If God likes, it will float. That is God desire. It is God's plan. Now, you can see that a ship on the ocean with 50,000 tons, it is floating. And take a grass and put it, or take a, I mean to say, a small needle. Put it on the ocean; it will go at once down. It is simply question of arrangement. A small needle will go down immediately to the depth of the sea, and a ship with 50,000 tons of loading, it is floating. So if a man can make such arrangement by some way or other that he can float a 50,000 tons of ship floating on this, I mean to say, ocean, is it not possible for God to float a stone on the ocean? Is there any reason to disbelieve it? There is no reason. And we can see. By God's energy these big, big lumps of planet, they are floating in the air. So as He likes... That is called omnipotency. If He likes, one thing will float. If He does not like, it will go down.

There is a very nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I cannot recite it, but the purport I can say that... Prahlāda Mahārāja was praying that "The parents care to the children is not sufficient to protect him. And medical help to a patient is not sufficient to cure a disease or cure a man. And the shipping arrangement on the sea is not sufficient to protect a man from going down." In this way he has given so many list that "The counteraction which we are trying to put in our impediments of progress, that is not sufficient if there is no will of God. If there is no will of God, then it is not sufficient protection." Perhaps you know, every one of you. It happened to your country—of course, long, long ago; I heard it from papers in India—that the Americans manufactured a ship, Titanic. (laughter) And it was considered the safest: it will never sink down. On the first voyage, with all important men, it sunk down. Is it a fact? So it is not that your arrangement is sufficient—unless there is God's desire.

Therefore the common saying is that "Man proposes; God disposes." Therefore a devotee, he never depends in himself. He never considers himself, "I am independent." He simply depends on the supreme will of the Lord. That is devotion. "If God desires... If Kṛṣṇa desires..." Whenever we used to ask our Guru Mahārāja something, "Is it going to be happened like that?" some work, he never said, "Yes, it is going to happen. Yes, we are going to do it." No. "Yes, if Kṛṣṇa desires, it may be." He never said like that, positively. "If Kṛṣṇa desires." Actually this is the fact. If Kṛṣṇa desires, God desires, anything wonderful can be done. If He does not desire, however you may try, it will never be done. So just like we are praying to Kṛṣṇa, if He desires, we'll have a nice house. If He does not desire, we may remain here. It doesn't matter. But we shall prosecute our business, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is nothing to stop, in whatever condition we may be. Ahaituky apratihatā. Devotional service is, I mean to say, without any impediment, apratihatā. Nothing can check it—that is devotional service—in any circumstances. No material circumstances can check your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When it is, you are firmly convinced and situated in that position, that is real bhakti-yoga. Nothing can disturb you. Nobody can say, "Oh, for this condition, now I am unable to prosecute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That means he was never in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Nothing can check.

So tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. So when incarnation of God comes, He performs wonderful acts. Like Kṛṣṇa—He performed wonderful acts. Leaving all things aside, simply if we take the Bhagavad-gītā, that wonderful philosophy... Nobody can deliver such... [break] There is no history in the world, no comparison, such full information of the science of God. And other acts we hear from..., just like in childhood He played so many wonderful things. So those who are surrendered, they believe and therefore they receive the desired result. Tvāṁ śīla-rūpa-caritaiḥ parama-prakṛṣṭaiḥ. And the activities of God and His representative are described where? In scriptures, book of authority. Vyāsadeva had no business, or Śukadeva Gosvāmī had no business to describe some fiction, some allegory. Just like fools, they interpret śāstras, "This means this. This means that," according to their own..., as if God left for commentary of that fool, left everything for commentation for that fool. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning it is stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ [Bg. 1.1]. Now, this dharma-kṣetra, kuru-kṣetra, is described by some eminent politician as this body. Now, there is no dictionary in the world where it is stated that kuru-kṣetra means this body, but still, he is interpreting in that way, as if Kṛṣṇa left for him that "In future kuru-kṣetra meaning will be disclosed by that fool."

So these things are going on. These things are going on. And people are captivated by nice explanation. Oh, the theory is that "Everyone can interpret in his own way, everyone is free, everyone is God," and everything, all nonsense. No. We should give up that nonsensical way of realizing God. We should learn from the authorized scripture. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ. Śāstraiḥ, in the scriptures, they are described. Now, that scriptures are to be accepted without any argument. Without any argument... Just we have given the example of cow dung. The cow dung is stated as purest. In one place it is stated that "Stool of animal is impure. If anyone touches, he will have to take his bath and then purify himself." But for cow dung it is stated, "If there is any impure place, just smear over it cow dung and it will be all nice." Now, argument is, "How is that, that one place you say that stool of animal is impure, and again one place you say cow dung is pure?" That is not contradiction. That is actually the fact. And modern scientists have analyzed cow dung, and he has found it is full of antiseptic properties. It is God's wish. Now, take for example cow. What cow eating? Grass, dry grass. And what it is producing? It is producing the nicest thing, milk, full of vitamins. Now, if you think, "Oh, then a dry grass and straw contains all vitamins. Let me eat," you will die. You will die. It is God's arrangement. The cow can produce the most vitaminous foodstuff by eating the dry grass. It is God's desire. The cow will eat at least twenty pounds of grass, and how it can eat the grains? It is not possible. So just like elephant—it will eat hundred pounds of thing. He must eat all these branches and twigs. So everything is God's arrangement. We have to accept that. Sattvena sāttvikatayā prabalaiś ca śāstraiḥ.

So in the authoritative śāstra, the activities of God is mentioned there, and practically it is demonstrated when God is present. And prakhyāta-daiva-paramārtha-vidāṁ mataiś ca. Mata means opinion. Just like we try to take opinion from a person who is accepted. Just like you are selling your Back to Godhead by Ginsberg's name because he is popular. So similarly, there are popular representative, popular authors, just like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, Kumāra, Kapila, Manu. They have accepted. They have accepted. Even in the modern age, Śaṅkarācārya, he accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And what to speak of other ācāryas. They have... They are Vaiṣṇavas. They will naturally. So we have to follow. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. So there are opinions of great scholars and stalwarts, and there is mention in the śāstra, in the scriptures. And the activities have shown practically. So these things are there. And still, those who are atheists, they will not do it. They will not do it.

Similarly, the other part is that,

ullaṅhita-trividha-sīma-samātīśāyi-
sambhāvanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam
māyā-balena bhavatāpi nighuḥyamānaṁ
paśyanti kecid aniśaṁ tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ
[Cc. Ādi 3.89]

Similarly, God may hide Himself by His yogamāyā, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ [Bg. 7.25]. Yogamāyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Just like the sun is covered by the glaring disk. You will find if you look into the sun disk you will find a one circle is moving like that. Similarly, in the Upaniṣad also, we find that the Supreme Lord is hidden within the brahmajyoti. The exact verse I forget just now. It is stated that "Please remove this cover so that I can see You actually." So within the brahmajyoti there is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So ordinarily people are amazed with simply brahmajyoti. They do not go deep into the matter. So ullaṅhita-trividha-sīma-samātīśāyi. God is beyond the limitation of our thinking and philosophical speculation. Sambhāvanaṁ tava parivraḍhima-svabhāvam: "Your very grave and confidential activities, it is very difficult to understand by ordinary men." Māyā-balena bhavatāpi niguhyamānam. Māyā-balena: "That yogamāyā, although it is covered in that way all Your activities," paśyanti, "somebody can see You." Paśyanty kecid aniśam: "Not sometimes or accidentally, but aniśam, continually, he can see You." Paśyanti kecid aniśam tvad-ananya-bhāvāḥ. Ananya-bhāvāḥ means "Those who have unflinching devotion unto You." They can see. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena [Bs. 5.38].

Although God is covered in that way...

There is very good instance in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. While Kṛṣṇa was dancing with the vraja-gopīs, He all of a sudden disappeared and all the gopīs, they became mad after Him and began to search in the forest: "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" So Kṛṣṇa, at one place, He situated Himself as Viṣṇu, as Viṣṇu, with four hands. Then gopīs, in their search after Kṛṣṇa, they saw: "Here is Viṣṇu sitting." So they did not care. "Oh, He is Viṣṇu. We don't want." Now see. They are seeing Viṣṇu is sitting, but they do not care for Viṣṇu: "Oh, we don't want this." They do not care for even Viṣṇu. They are searching after Kṛṣṇa. And when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa could not hide Himself with four hands. He had to become two-handed. The Rādhārāṇī's love was so forceful that Kṛṣṇa could not retain His hiding, I mean to say, feature of Viṣṇu. So for other gopīs He could hide Himself, but they did not care. They simply offered their..., "Oh, Viṣṇu. All right." But they want Kṛṣṇa. But when Rādhārāṇī came, Kṛṣṇa could not hide Himself with His four hands. He became immediately two-handed as Kṛṣṇa.

So it is the force of love. It is the force of ecstasy that will help you in understanding the science of Kṛṣṇa, not other way. Not other. You cannot make a speculation; you cannot... Because what is your power of speculating power? Your senses are limited. In conditioned stage our power of, I mean to say, acquiring knowledge through the senses, that is limited. So by limited senses you cannot go. Therefore acintya. Acintyāḥ khalu ye bhāvā na tāṁs tarkeṇa yojayet. Acintya. It is beyond our jurisdiction of thinking, understanding. So there is no other alternative than to follow this principle, follow this principle, to follow the opinion of ācārya. Ācāryopāsanam. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, "If if you want to make progress in knowledge, then you have to follow." Ācāryopāsanam: "You have to worship ācārya." Ācāryopāsanam. In the Veda it is: ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Veda means knowledge, one who knows. Who knows? "Who has got ācārya to guide him." Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. So similarly, therefore, this Vedic system always gives us injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "One must go to the authority." And how to become authority? There is no question of research, this research. Just like in the material world one becomes doctorate by research work, here there is no question of research. You simply have to accept what is stated in the Veda. That's all. That makes you all right. Research is already done. There is no question of taking trouble yourself. You simply accept. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You give up everything and surrender unto Me." And if we foolishly go on seeing, "Oh, why shall I surrender?" as some very learned commentator, "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but somebody else..." Not like that. Kṛṣṇa says, "Surrender." Surrender yourself and you will see how you are making progress. That is the thing. Kṛṣṇa says, "You surrender." You surrender. That will make you happy. There is no question, "All right. Let me research, make research whether by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa I shall be happy." Go on. You can. If you want, you can go on researching. But you will never be successful to... Even in the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated, panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyaḥ [Bs. 5.34] If you make research in a speed, and the speed is stated, koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām... Just like if you want to cover a path which is very long, and how you measure its length? Now, by research. What is that research? Now, you go on by force. What is that force? The force of mind and force of velocity of the wind, velocity of the wind and velocity of the mind. And you push on in that way for ten millions or more than years in that way, still, you will find avicintya: you have not reached the goal. Research. If you make your research in such a speed and for many millions of years, still, avicintya-tattva, still it will be inconceivable.

So the best thing is that to believe it, and accept the opinion of authorities, and believe by the activities of God and His incarnation, and submit yourself to get the thing. That's all.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)

The Rabbit Killed a Lion

. . .Tṛtīyā śaktiḥ karma-saṅgā anyā. It is mentioned that the spiritual world is just manifestation of cic-chakti, and this material world is creation of material energy or karma-saṅgā, where everyone has to work. Without work, it is said, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. That is very nice example. In the forest the lion is supposed to be the mightiest animal, and he is sometimes called the king of the animals, paśu-rāja.

So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. The lion is so powerful, but he cannot also dictate.

So there is another story,

buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya
nirbuddhes tu kuto balam
paśya siṁho madonmataḥ
śaśakena nipātitaḥ

There is a story that a lion was killed by a rabbit. Śaśakena nipātitaḥ. Why? Now, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." A lion is very mighty, ferocious animal, and a śaśaka, a ordinary rabbit, he killed a lion. How?

Now the lion was disturbing all animals, so all the animals held a meeting and called the lion: "Sir, you do not try to kill us all, hunting after everyone. We shall go voluntarily every day, one of us. So you don't create disturbance. Let us become peaceful." So lion agreed, "All right, if you voluntarily come, I will sleep, and if you enter in my mouth..." So this was the agreement. There was the turn of one rabbit. So he planned something. So he went to the lion a little late. So lion was very angry that "Why you have come late? I am very hungry, and you did not come." (laughter) So the rabbit said, "Sir, there was a danger in the way." "What is that?" "There is another lion, and he wanted to kill me and eat, so I protested, 'No, sir, you cannot kill me. (laughter) I am destined to be killed by such and such lion, so you cannot do it.' "

So he was very much pleased: "Where is that lion?" "Please come. I will show you." So he took him near one well. So he... The rabbit said, "He is living within this." (laughter) The lion immediately... "Come on. Make a how!' " So there was vibration, still higher sound, and he saw his photo, yes, shadow. So he thought it, "Yes, there is lion." He immediately jumped over him. (devotees laugh) Finished. So how the lion was killed by the rabbit? Now, buddhir yasya balaṁ tasya: "One who has got intelligence, he has got power." The foolish... So everywhere you will find.

So how one is intelligent, how one is dull, how one is via media—that is due to these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. If one is intelligent, that is one of the qualification of sattva-guṇa. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyam. The brahminical qualification... Satyaḥ śamo damo titikṣa arjavam eva ca, jñānam vijñānam āstikyam brahma-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.42].

In the society, human society, there must be a class of brāhmaṇa, intelligent class. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create a section of the human society—real brāhmaṇa, intelligence. And the intelligence means Veda. Veda means knowledge. Knowledge... One who has got sufficient knowledge, he is intelligence, not the fool, rascal. So therefore the... There is Vedas, and there are Vedānta, Vedānta. Veda, Vedānta, source of knowledge. So Vedas means knowledge, and Veda-anta... Anta means the last word. So that anta knowledge, or the last word in knowledge, is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vidyā bhāgavatāvadhiḥ, they say. Knowledge, expansion of knowledge, the last word is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So it is the explanation of Vedānta. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām **. Vedānta's another name is Brahma-sūtra.

In India there are Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. They advertise themselves as the Vedāntists, "one who knows Vedānta." But actually they do not know Vedānta. Real Vedānta is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because this is commentary. Bhāṣya ayaṁ brahma-sūtrāṇām. Brahma-sūtra is Vedānta.

So Vedānta, what is that Vedānta? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: [Bg. 15.15] "Vedas means to understand Me." That is Veda. If one does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his so-called Vedic knowledge or Vedānta knowledge is useless, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply labor.

[excerpt from a Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.44 Los Angeles, June 10, 1976, given by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]

The Cheating Business

Prabhupada: Yes. The sinful activities have increased because the world has produced too much wealth. Because they can purchase sinful activities. And that is being increased by inflation. False money I have got, and with that false money I can purchase all this illicit sex, wine, intoxication, and... It is just like nowadays, bank is giving you a card, “Americard...” What is that?

Karandhara: Charge card. Bank Americard.

Prabhupada: Ah. So you simply show the card, you get the goods. So to exchange, it has become very cheap. So cheaply you can purchase. Therefore cheaply you can purchase sinful things also. The people are becoming sinful. The modern economy is, “Engage people in hard working to produce, and by artificial cheating, secure the goods, commodities.” This is modern economy. So a worker is getting three thousand dollar per month, but he is getting paper. But he is thinking that “I am getting money.” He is giving his labor, and things are being produced. This is the policy. “Cheat him. Without giving money, give him paper, and get his labor, and produce goods.” This is modern economy. Is it not? A laborer, a worker, is given high salary, high wages. So what he is getting? It is paper. And he is very enthusiastic to give his labor. So production is more. And when you go to purchase the products, then you have to pay again. Whatever you have earned, you have to pay everything, pay to the bank or pay to the man. Simply cheating process is going on. There is no solution. People are cheaters. They have been taught how to cheat. Everyone has got a cheating propensity. That is conditioned life. Four defects: to commit mistake, to become illusioned, to cheat and imperfectness of the senses. So cheating propensity everyone has got. So that cheating propensity is being encouraged more and more. Instead of minimizing it or stop it, it is being encouraged.

Bahulasva: So unless they become Krsna conscious, then there is no solution.

Prabhupada: No. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunah. There cannot be any good quality in human society unless accepts Krsna consciousness. This is the... This dog is thinking that we may not cheat him, from the back we may not attack him. Just see. Therefore he is stopping.

Bahulasva: He doesn’t know that you are the ever well-wisher, Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So you are going to carry the message to the government?

Prajapati: Yes. Srila Prabhupada. We’re working on a...

Prabhupada: That issue metal coin and the problem will be solved. But they will not take your advice.

Prajapati: This is part of our platform. To even run for political office, we need solutions to the problems to offer as a platform. We will draw up various bills, ready for legislation, show them that we are serious.

Prabhupada: So how you’ll present it? The cheating process is going on. Unless you become God conscious, the cheating process will not stop. So there is no solution.

Prajapati: So therefore we introduce bill into the schools to introduce God consciousness to all the children there.

Prabhupada: Yes. God consciousness. Then everyone will be honest, and everything will be adjusted. Everyone can understand this is pure cheating. I give you a hundred dollars, a piece of paper. That’s all. And you accept it. You want to be cheated. You thought, that “I have got now daily, hundred dollars. So let me work very hard.” He does not consider that “I am not getting a hundred dollars. I am getting a piece of paper.” So people have no brain to understand even. “This is not hundred dollars. Give me cash, hundred dollars.” Then everything, solution will be... There will be no inflation. Because I know that paying you a piece of paper, I can cheat you, therefore I am printing notes, to cheat so many people. Therefore inflation. But when there will be no possibility to cheat you, then there will be no inflation. Here I have got the opportunity, because I know that pushing forward a piece of paper, I can cheat so many people. So there must be inflation. Is it not? This is not psychological? If I know that I can cheat you by this instrument, so why shall I not increase that? That is inflation. What do you think, Karandhara?

Karandhara: That’s the basic principle, yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. I am cheating you, and people accepting my cheating.

Karandhara: The governments actually started the whole thing. They instituted paper money and they instituted it because it is a cheating process. But everyone is participating. So it is just going on and on. That is the real cause of inflation.

Prabhupada: Yes. That’s it. They are getting encouragement in their cheating business.

Bahulasva: They won’t let you have any gold.

Prabhupada: Now they have made law that you cannot store gold?

Karandhara: That’s been since 1933.

Prabhupada: Just see.

Karandhara: Americans cannot own gold, store gold. Pretty soon they are going to pass the same law for silver.

Prabhupada: Just see. Even they cannot have ornaments.

Karandhara: Well, you can have ornaments, jewelry.

Prabhupada: So by law they are cheating. So how you can stop?

Karandhara: Now they have introduced a law that even the penny, which is the smallest denomination, it used to made out of copper, so now they are going to make it out of aluminium, because copper is too expensive.Prabhupada: Just see.

Bahulasva: It will be worth less than a penny when it is made out of aluminium.

Prabhupada: Why not cement? (laughter) Because by law everything will be acceptable. Make it cement.

Bahulasva: Srila Prabhupada, what can we do to curb down these rascals?

Prabhupada: Chant Hare Krsna.Bahulasva: That will curb them down.

Prabhupada: Yes. They will be purified. The more you chant Hare Krsna, they will be purified. This is... All problems are there on account of misunderstanding. What we are distributing? We are simply moving misunderstanding and bringing them to knowledge. This is our propaganda. So Mr. Theologician, is this suggestion appealing to you?

Prajapati: It seems all right for ordinary dealings, Srila Prabhupada, having this money, what’s going on, but for large scale transactions it might be very difficult.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Prajapati: And as the practical basis, transactions of thousands and thousands of dollars, would be...

Prabhupada: That will be good for the people. Because large scale transaction is there, therefore the capitalists hoarding. Capitalists hoarding. Goods are there, everything is there. You pay black price, you get it. Then, when somebody’s hoarding, he is not giving to the market. So if the large scale industry and trade becomes stopped, that is good for people.

Jagajjivana: Does that mean the same amount of gold is here?

Prabhupada: No, larger scale... Suppose if you want to store, say, thousand kilos or a thousand bags of rice, so you have to pay me gold. But you have no such gold. Therefore large scale industry will be stopped. Just see.

Karandhara: Then the price of rice would go very low.

Prabhupada: Yes. Then you get actual price and actual value. Goods are there, any part of the world you..., there is enough commodity. But these rascals, they are hoarding, and they are not giving in right time. So people are suffering.

Karandhara: Yes. There’s a... They buy now. They buy the goods before they are even grown, from the commodity market.

Prabhupada: Yes, because they can pay in this paper, the bank will advance. So as soon as you... You have to introduce this metal coins, value. The whole cheating scheme will fail.Jagajjivana: In the past there was a lot of gold on the planet. What has happened to it? There used to be a lot of gold on the planet?

Prabhupada: Yes. They used as utensil, as household pots. Just like now you are advanced, using plastic, because you have become very advanced. So you are using plastic. They were using gold.

Jagajjivana: So what has happened to that gold?

Prabhupada: What happened? If you keep utensil at home, what happens? You eat nicely on the plate. That’s all. Why you are concerned, what happening? It is in your store. That’s all. And gold is such a metal, any part of the country, any part of the world you go, you get immediately value.

Karandhara: Yes. Whenever there is an economic depression, then gold remains valuable. Just like when the stock market crashed in 1929, if you had gold you could still purchase goods. No matter how bad the economy was, people would accept gold as barter, but not currency.

Prabhupada: Yes. Indian economy was that if you have got extra money, you get gold ornament for your wife. So then your money is stocked there. Or purchase some utensils, silver utensils. That was Indian economy. This depositing in the bank and thinking that I am getting good interest, that is another cheating. It is another cheating. If things are not available, what will you get by getting interest? Therefore I am advising that purchase land and produce our own food. There will be no problem.

Karandhara: The inflation rate is higher than the interest rate. If you earn 5 3/4 % interest in a year, the inflation has gone up 6% in a year. So actually your money, at best it’s kept the same.

Prabhupada: The money is to be kept in cattle and grains. That is Indian economy, cattle and grains. If you have got many cows, you get milk. Milk preparation. And if you have got grain, then where is your problem? You prepare your foodstuff at home and eat and chant Hare Krsna. Where is your problem? You want to eat and live peacefully. So if you have got grains and milk, you have got enough food and there is no problem. You haven’t got to go fifty miles for your work, and then you require a tin car. So many problems. But if you get your food at home, then eat them and chant Hare Krsna and go back to home, back to Godhead. Simple thing.
[Morning Walk with Srila Prabhupada -- December 31, 1973, Los Angeles]

Man on the Moon? Very old concept!

"In these days, when men are trying to go to the moon, people should not think that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is concerned with something old-fashioned. When the world is progressing to reach the moon, we are chanting Hare Krishna. But people should not misunderstand and assume that we are lagging behind modern scientific advancement. We have already passed all scientific advancement. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that man's attempt to reach higher planets is not new.

Newspaper headlines read, "Man's First Steps on the Moon," but the reporters do not know that millions and millions of men went there and came back. This is not the first time. This is an ancient practice. In Bhagavad-gītā (8.16) it is clearly stated, abrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: "My dear Arjuna, even if you go to the highest planetary system, which is called Brahmaloka, you will have to come back." Therefore, interplanetary travel is not new. It is known to the Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees."

[Easy Journey to Other Planets - 1972 Edition,Varieties of Planetary Systems, CH.2, By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]