[world-vedic] speech by shri brajesh mishra, council of foreign relations ny cross post

[Guest guest]

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Man will never gain happiness by giving a free rein to his senses. Man allows

the mind - mere bundle of thoughts and desires - to guide his actions, instead

of the intellect, which can discriminate, probe and analyse. While the mind

will follow blindly every whim and fancy, the intellect helps man to identify

one's duty and responsibility. Two things are essential for happy life: Dhaanya

and Dhyana- Dhaanya or grains for sustenance of the body and Dhyana or

contemplation for entering the temple of the Lord and merging in His glory.

-BABA

[Guest guest]

Material existence means full of anxieties and desires. This is the sum and

substance of material existence. Everyone is full of anxieties. Not only

humans. There are so many bad news than good news when we read paper or see TV.

So spiritual life means anxiety-less. This is the difference between material

life and spiritual life. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [bg. 18.54], in the

Bhagavad-gita it is described what is spiritual life. As soon as you are

identified with the Absolute Truth, Brahman, then symptoms will be prasannatma,

jubilation: "Oh, I do not belong to this material world. I belong to the

spiritual world. I am part and parcel of Krsna. Why should I suffer so many

things?" That is jubilation. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [bg. 18.54]. The

prasannatma means na socati na kanksati. He has no lamentation, no hankering.

Here people are always full of anxieties because they have got hankering, "I

want this. I want that." And there is lamentation. What they possess, if it is

lost, they cry, "Oh, my things are lost." And what they do not possess, they

hanker. So their anxiety is there, either he possesses or not possesses. This

is material anxiety. If you have no money, then you will hanker after money,

"How to get money, how to get money, how to get money?" And when you get money,

then how to utilize it, how to, where to keep it, in the bank, or in the house,

or who will take away? Somebody will take away. So where is anxiety-less? You

possess or not possess, the real disease is anxiety. So when one becomes

brahma-bhuta, self-realized, identified with the Absolute Truth, then he has no

more anxiety. This is the best education, when you become anxiety-less. That is

perfection of education. So when Prahlada Maharaja, in Srimad Bhagavatham, was

enquired by his father that "What nice thing you have studied, my dear boy, in

your school?" so he replied, "My dear father, the best education I have

received, how to become anxiety-less." That's all. Tat sadhu manye 'sura-varya

dehinam. "Not only for me, but for everyone. But you will not understand, my

dear father, because you are demon number one." He is addressing his father,

asura-varya, asura-varya. Asura means demon, and varya, varya means the

first-class. He is not addressing his father as "My dear father,My dear

best of the atheists." Therefore his father was very angry, "This child, he

talks with me on equal level and does not fear me. Kill him!" Asura. He is

prepared to kill his son even, if he does not agree with him. You see. We are

also prepared. If one is not devotee, if he is son, we can kill him. The same.

But our is for Krsna, and the asuras is for himself. That is the difference. He

wants to do everything for his personal satisfaction, and we want to do

everything for Krsna's satisfaction. That is the difference. The same

propensities are there, but when it is applied for Krsna, then it is purified,

and when it is applied for personal self, it is impure. This is the difference.

So Prahlada Maharaja said, "The best education is that which makes one

anxiety-free." That is best education. Now where is that education? Is there

any education throughout the whole world, in so many universities, especially

in your country there are nice, very, very... Rather, they have created so much

anxieties that the boys, they are frustrated. They are giving up everything,

Where is anxiety-less? They increase anxiety. Increase anxiety. Tat sadhu manye

'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam. "My dear father, the best of the

asuras, I think that anyone who has accepted this material body is full of

anxieties." Asad-grahat. Asad-grahat means..., asat means temporary. Because he

has accepted a body which is temporary, he is full of anxieties. That is the

real problem. We, if we want to be anxiety-less, no anxiety, then we have to

refuse to accept this material body. Otherwise there is no possibility. All

anxieties are due to this material body. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja said, tat

sadhu manye 'sura-varya dehinam sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat.

This is the problem. Now somehow or other, we have come in contact with this

material body. We, "I am not this material body, you are not this material...

We are soul." That realization required, that "I am not this material body.

Therefore I am not Indian, I am not white, I am not black. I am pure soul."

Aham brahmasmi. This is the real business of human society. Athato brahma

jijnasa. The swine is enquiring, "Where is stool? Where is stool? Where is

stool?" But a human being is also engaged for that purpose, "Where is stool?"

or "Where is food?" Stool is his food, and we are also, whole day and night

with motorcar going this or, "Where is food? Where is food?" Diva carthehaya

rajan kutumba-bharanena va [sB 2.1.3]. The whole day is spent, so many

motorcars going this way and that way. What is the business? "Where is money?

Where is food? Where is shelter?" And as soon as you get shelter, money, and

food, kutumba-bharanena va. Then "How to feed my children, how to feed my wife,

how to feed my country, how to..., society?" That's all. This is anxiety. This

is anxiety. They... Nidraya hriyate naktam. At night they want to become

anxiety-less by sleeping or by sex life. They want to forget anxiety. This is

their business. Nidraya hriyate naktam. They think that "If I sleep, then I

shall be... Let me drink so at night there will be very deep sleep." That is

not possible. You dream very ferocious dream, you are dreaming. So these are

not the methods. Method is, here it is recommended by Arjuna,

vasudeva-anudhyanam. Anudhyanam. Anu means constantly, and dhyanam means

meditation. They have manufactured so many meditation -- without Vasudeva. That

so-called transcendental meditation club and yogasana, but go there, what you

meditate upon? Zero. That is there. They cannot say, "What is that meditation?

And where is that transcendental meditation?" No rascal will be able to

explain. But they'll call big, big words, "Transcendental meditation." And what

is that transcendental meditation? Please explain. "Oh, that cannot be

explained." You see. Is it not? But we have got (indistinct),

vasudeva-anudhyanam. You just say. Vasudevanghry-anudhyana-paribrmhita-ramhasa.

Here is Vasudeva, Krsna. You come here and see, very minutely, how Vasudeva is

dressed nicely, how He is playing on His flute, how He is situated with His

eternal consort, Srimati Radharani, how He is enjoying her company. So nice

thing for meditation. But why you are after zero? Just see the rascaldom. Here

is such nice object for meditation, and they are trying to meditate upon zero.

Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, klesah adhikataras tesam avyaktasakta-cetasam.

Klesa, that "Trouble is more." We can meditate upon Krsna, immediately. We are

constantly seeing Krsna here. So as soon as I close my eyes, I see Krsna. That

is not very difficult. Anything you see, you'll be able to immediately have the

form within your heart, immediately. So there is no difficulty, but they will

create some difficult task. Therefore Bhagavad-gita (says), klesah adhikataras

tesam. To fix up the mind on Vasudeva, or Visnu, that is also difficult. But

those who are trying to fix up their mind on zero, their position is more

difficult, adhikataram. Adhikataram means more.

So people are voluntarily accepting some nonsense method, and they are not

happy. That is their misfortune. Misfortune. Naradhama. The, everything is

there, but because they do not know... Duskrtina, naradhama. Duskrtina,

duskrtina means misfortunate, or always engaged in sinful activities. They'll

not meditate upon Vasudeva; they'll meditate on something, some color, some

zero, or something like that. We do not know what kind of meditation there is.

But real meditation, recommended in the Vedas, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa

pasyanti yam yoginah [sB 12.13.1]. Yogi. Yogis see the Supreme Personality of

Godhead by meditation. Meditation, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa, mind is

absorbed in the Supreme Personality. That is the real process of yoga system

and meditation -- to see the form of Visnu. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa,

this is the recommended process, standard recommended process.

So here, if you simply think of Krsna -- Krsna recommends also that, man-mana

bhava mad-bhaktah. This Krsna consciousness movement is nothing, just to train

people how to think of Krsna and how to become devotee of Krsna. That's all. So

you may become devotee... But you will become devotee. If you think of Krsna,

naturally you will become devotee. So... But think of Krsna, is it very

difficult task? Very simple, very easy, even a child can do it. Here is Krsna.

You can think of. So you go on thinking, thinking, thinking, thinking, you will

be attached. You will be attached. You will be attached. Adau sraddha tatah

sadhu-sangah. And thinking of Krsna in association of the devotees. Not alone,

then you will go to hell. Alone will not do. Association is so strong that

anyone who is coming to our association, we..., not that we are everyone

teaching, but by association, he wants to become devotee. By association,

automatically. So the association is so powerful. Therefore Narottama dasa

Thakura says,

tandera carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasajaname janame haya ei abhilasa

He is praying, "My dear Lord, this is my ambition, birth after birth." What is

that? "That to be engaged in the service of the acarya guru, and in the

association of devotees. This is perfection." Janame janame haya ei: "This is

my desire. I don't want to stop my birth, but simply I want that I may take

birth -- it doesn't matter -- but bhakta-sane vasa, let me live with the

devotees and chant your Names always. My only prayer is that this should be the

ultimate aim of my life.