Nice class from Srila Prabhupada

[Guest guest]

--

Los Angeles, August 22, 1972

720822SB.LA

 

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

 

tad€ rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ

k€ma-lobh€daya ca ye

ceta etair an€viddhaˆ

sthitaˆ sattve pras…dati

 

[sB 1.2.19]

Translation: “At the time loving service is established in the heart,

the modes of passion, rajas, and ignorance, tamas, and lust and

desire, k€ma, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is

established in goodness, and he becomes happy.”

Prabhup€da: So rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ. There are three stages, you know:

sattva, rajas, tamas. The material world is conducted by three

modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance.

Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform

of the modes of goodness. Just like illiterate, uncultured,

animal-like man is trained up to come, to become civilized.

 

By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and

dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical

experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the

orders of the master. So by training, it can be possible. But there

are two kinds of training process. One process is scheduled: tapas€

brahmacaryeŠa amena ca damena ca [sB 6.1.13]. Undergoing tapasya,

austerity, brahmacaryeŠa... BrahmacaryeŠa means controlling sex

indulgence or sex impulse. Brahmacarya means practically no sex life.

Tapas€ brahmacaryeŠa amena, damena [sB 6.1.13], by controlling the

senses, by controlling the mind. Ty€gena, by giving up in charity. So

there are gradual process, but there is another process.

 

Another process means this KŠa consciousness. Either you practice in

this way... Just like if you want to go up, there are two vehicles or

process. You go step by step, one step after another. Suppose you have

to go one hundred steps. So you have to go step by step. Tapas€

brahmacaryeŠa amena damena [sB 6.1.13], practicing. The another

process is... (someone making tapping sound) (aside:) Why you are

making this sound? Stop it. Another process is the lift. You go by

step by step or take the process of lift. Within a second, you come

up.

 

So the bhakti-yoga process is like that. Bhakti-yoga process means if

you take to this process, then immediately, very quickly, within a

second, you come to the top floor. Otherwise, you have to go by step

by step, one step, two step. Although both the process leading to the

target, to the topmost floor, the one is very slow and the other is

very quick, immediate. Just like another example: if there is fog. You

have got experience in your country, sometimes there is fog. You

cannot see even a person one yard off from you. So there are so many

processes to take precaution in the fog. But somehow or other, if the

sun is little strong, immediately, the fog is over. So similarly, to

purify ourself... This is the purification process, austerity,

penance, controlling sex life, controlling the mind, controlling the

senses, giving in charity whatever you possess, everything regulated.

This is one process. And the other process is this bhakti-yoga.

 

Švat€ˆ sva-kath€ƒ kŠaƒ

puŠya-ravaŠa-k…rtanaƒ

hdy antaƒ stho hy abhadr€Ši

vidhunoti suht sat€m

[sB 1.2.17]

 

Simply by this process, ravaŠaˆ k…rtanam, hearing about KŠa. This

is, we were discussing. Na˜a-pr€yev abhadreu, simply by hearing.

Abhadreu, na˜a-pr€yeu, all the dirty things within heart, being

almost cleansed, you come to the stage of goodness. There are three

stages, three platforms—ignorance, passion and goodness. So simply by

hearing about KŠa, you are promoted immediately to the platform of

goodness. And as soon as you come to the platform of goodness, then,

tad€, at that time, rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ. Because there are three

platforms: ignorance, passion and goodness. So you have come to the

point, to the platform of goodness, means that you have passed over

the other lower stages. If you have come to the college, that means

you have passed your school stages. It is to be understood.

 

Therefore we offer sacred thread. The idea is one who has become KŠa

conscious, he has already passed the stage of becoming a br€hmaŠa.

Br€hmaŠa means to come to the stage of goodness. That is br€hmaŠa.

Katriya means to remain on the stage of passion. Vaiya means to

remain on the stage of mixture, passion and ignorance. And ™dra means

to remain on the stage of ignorance. There are four divisions of the

three modes. So when we come to the stage of becoming a devotee, that

means we have already passed all these lower stages. Tad€

rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ [sB 1.2.19].

 

So what are the symptoms of goodness? K€ma-lobh€daya ca ye. Lusty.

Lust and greediness. The whole world is moving by lust and greediness.

This is the stage of ignorance and passion. Those who are embarrassed

with the lower qualities of material nature, they are embarrassed with

two things: lust, not satisfied; and greedy, and lobha. “Give me more,

give me more, give me more.” “Give me...” Anything, he’s not

satisfied. The whole world, you see... They, sometimes they think that

“If I get my income, say, one thousand dollars, I will be satisfied.”

But as soon as he gets one thousand, he wants one hundred thousand. If

he gets one... Just like in your... Everywhere, all over the world,

the worker class, they are given increment, but again they undergo

strike, “More, more wages, more wages, more wages.” So... But as soon

as they get more money... Not only... Here in these Western countries,

then they’ll utilize it for lust. Lust and greediness. That’s all.

 

They do not know how to utilize money. That a millionaire is so lusty

that... I have seen in Paris. They are going to some clubs. What is

the business in that club? Old men, they are going. So lusty that they

enter the club by paying fifty dollars, and then there is young women

and wine, and that is their pleasure. Lust, k€ma-lobh€daya ca ye. One

thing, one side, they are not satisfied, even they have got millions

of dollars, “Still I want, still I want, still I want.” This is one

side, greediness, lobha, and the other side is lust. This is called

k€ma-lobh€daya ca ye.

 

So to become KŠa conscious means immediately—that is the

test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he’s

not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he’s not KŠa

conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in KŠa

consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his

character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied

with one wife or one husband. Why hankering after others? That is

lusty. That means it is not on the stage of KŠa consciousness; it is

in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our

students, “Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things:

illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling.” Because

indulging in these four things, you’ll remain in darkness.

 

So voluntarily you have to try to give up these bad habits, and at the

same time, to maintain yourself on the platform, you have to chant

sixteen rounds: Hare KŠa, Hare KŠa, KŠa KŠa, Hare Hare/ Hare

R€ma, Hare R€ma, R€ma R€ma, Hare Hare. This is the process. Tad€

rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ k€ma-lobh€daya ca ye [sB 1.2.19]. Then the result

will be this: ceta etair an€viddham. Because they are, m€y€ is

attacking you with these... Daiv… hy e€ guŠamay… mama m€y€ duratyay€

[bg. 7.14]. GuŠamay…. GuŠa means these qualities, the three modes of

nature. The material nature is guŠamay…. GuŠamay… means involved or

full of these three modes of material nature, guŠamay…. Maya means...

Just like golden. It is smeared with gold or it is gold, you can...,

you can say golden. Golden means it is made of gold or it is covered

with gold glittering. Similarly, this m€y€, this material nature, is

made of these three modes of nature, sattva, rajas, tamas. Therefore

it is called guŠamay….

 

GuŠamay…... Another meaning of guŠa is rope. Just like you have seen

rope. There are three layers, they are twisted very strong, and such

rope becomes strong. So similarly, these three guŠas, these three

modes of nature, are twisted like rope, and we are bound up. You

cannot get out. Daiv… hy e€ guŠamay… mama m€y€ duratyay€ [bg. 7.14].

If your hands and legs are tied with such rope, then it is very

difficult. Similarly, we are all bound up. We are declaring freedom,

and so many things, nonsense, we are speaking, but we have forgotten

that we are under the grip of this m€y€. Immediately, you can be

overcome by m€y€. M€y€ is so strong.

 

So therefore by this process,

 

Švat€ˆ sva-kath€ƒ kŠaƒ

puŠya-ravaŠa-k…rtanaƒ

hdy antaƒ stho hy abhadr€Ši

vidhunoti suht sat€m

[sB 1.2.17]

 

na˜a-pr€yev abhadreu

nityaˆ bh€gavata-sevay€...

[sB 1.2.18]

 

This is the process. Nityam, daily. Or twenty-four hours. By studying

®r…mad-Bh€gavatam or associating with devotees, bh€gavata-sevay€...

Bhakti, bhagavaty uttama-loke bhaktir bhavati nai˜hik…. Then the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavaty uttama-loke, bhaktir

bhavati nai˜hik…, devotional service becomes strong and fixed up.

Simply by this process, hearing. There is no necessity of education or

Ph.D. degree. Simply God has given you these ears and you hear,

Švat€m. Hear about KŠa from realized soul.

 

This process will make you to be situated on the platform of goodness,

and as soon as you are promoted to the platform of goodness, that

means you have already surpassed the other two platforms—means

ignorance—and the symptom will be... That is clear here. The symptom

is that the two things, lust and greediness, will not disturb you. You

haven’t got to take certificate from anyone, “Just give me certificate

that I have become a KŠa conscious.” You take your certificate

yourself, see yourself, whether you are free from lust and greediness.

That’s the certificate. If you are confident that “I am free from lust

and greediness,” then I am making progress. Otherwise, (chuckles) I am

again in the same, no progress. This is test.

 

This is test. If we want to cheat others, that is a different thing,

that “I have become very advanced in KŠa consciousness.” That is

another thing, cheating. But you test yourself by this process,

whether you are free from lust and greediness. This is the test. Tad€

rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ [sB 1.2.19]. And when you become free from these two

things, lust and greediness, tad€, ceta etair an€viddhaˆ sthitaˆ

sattve pras…dati. Ceta, consciousness, not being attacked by these two

nonsense things, ignorance and passion... Ceta etair an€viddham.

Viddham means piercing. They are always piercing, pinching, pinching.

“Come on, come on.” They are always pinching. But if you are actually

situated in KŠa consciousness, these things will not pinch you.

Tad€, ceta etaiƒ... Because everything is in the heart. Whole thing is

cleansing the heart.

 

So heart is being pinched. “Here is... I am beautiful boy,” “I am

beautiful girl. Why not come?” So this is pinching. So if you are

actually situated on the platform of KŠa consciousness, not fully, a

little advanced, then these things will be visible. Tad€ ceta etair

an€viddham. And when you stop, when you are able to stop this pinching

in your heart by these two modes of material nature, passion and

greediness—tad€ ceta etair an€viddhaˆ sthitaˆ sattve

pras…dati—pras…dati, then you become joyful. That is the stage of

joyfulness.

 

brahma-bh™taƒ prasann€tm€

na ocati na k€‰kati

samaƒ sarveu bh™teu

mad-bhaktiˆ labhate par€m

[bg. 18.54]

 

That is stated in the Bhagavad-g…t€. When you have come to this

status, joyful, no more pinching by these two modes of material

nature, joyful, that is called brahma-bh™ta stage, the platform of

liberation.

 

So the next stage is brahma-bh™ta. So brahma-bh™ta stage means na

ocati na k€‰kati. No more hankering, no more demanding. Na ocati na

k€‰kati. Because here the business is we hanker after something which

we do not possess, and if we lose something which we possessed, then

we lament. This is our business. Some... First of all, we possess.

Then, by nature, we lose it. When it is lost, then we cry. So these

two things are material position, na ocati... But when you come to

the brahma-bh™ta stage, spiritual platform, then these two things will

be absent. Na ocati na k€‰kati samaƒ sarveu bh™teu. Then you will

be able to see everyone on the spiritual platform.

 

PaŠit€ƒ sama-darinaƒ [bg. 5.18]. Then you are learned. You are

seeing the cats and dogs and a human being, a learned man, because you

don’t see the dress, outward covering, tabernacle, but you see, “Here

is a spirit soul, part and parcel of KŠa.” That is universal

brotherhood. Not by passing resolution with the United Nations and

fighting. That is not possible. You have to come to the stage of

spiritual platform; then there is question of love, brotherhood,

equality, fraternity, otherwise, all bogus propaganda. It’s not

possible. Samaƒ sarveu bh™teu mad-bhaktiˆ labhate par€m [bg. 18.54].

Then real, pure devotional service begins. Then we become completely

fit to serve KŠa. KŠa accepts your service at that time.

 

This is the process, but if we follow the rules and regulations given

by spiritual master, €stra, then gradually, gradually... Therefore we

should be very careful. We should be very cautious that m€y€ may not

attack us. Because she is always ready to attack. Rajas-tamo-bh€v€ƒ.

Even in goodness also, m€y€, there is m€y€. Therefore in the material

platform, even goodness is not pure. Therefore there is another stage,

which is called uddha-sattva. Goodness is sattva, sattva-guŠa. There

is another stage, transcendental stage, which is called uddha-sattva.

Sattvaˆ viuddhaˆ v€sudeva-abditam. That is called v€sudeva stage,

and in the v€sudeva stage, V€sudeva, KŠa, appears. You can see

KŠa.

 

Not that a rascal inviting everyone, “Come on. I shall show you God, I

shall show you God,” and some rascals are going there to see God. God

is not so cheap. One has to qualify himself to see God. These are the

processes.

 

Read the purport.

 

Pradyumna: “A living being in his normal constitutional position is

fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called

brahma-bh™ta or €tm€nandi, or the state of self-satisfaction. This

self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool.

The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance...”

 

Prabhup€da: Yes, just like a cat and dog are sitting silently, very

good men. That kind of inactivity is useless. Rather, one who is

devotee, he is very active to serve KŠa: “How shall I serve KŠa

more and more? How shall I advance this KŠa consciousness movement?”

That activity, you see; not sitting idly, “I have become KŠa

conscious.” Go on.

 

Pradyumna: “The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance,

whereas the self-satisfied €tm€nand… is transcendental to the material

state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as

one is fixed up in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service

is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul.”

 

Prabhup€da: Soul. This is, this is the activity of the soul. You stop

the activity of the body, of the mind; then you must be engaged in the

activity of the soul. Actually, the soul is active, not this body and

mind. As soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no activity.

So the real source of activity is coming from the soul. So how it is

that after one becomes liberated, he becomes inactive? That is the

theory of the M€y€v€d…s. Real activity begins there. Here we are

active. We have got so many impediments offered by the mind and the

body; and when we actually come to the platform of soul, that is

liberated position. The activity should be very nice and very

polished, very advanced. Then?

 

Pradyumna: “The soul’s activity becomes adulterated in contact with

matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form

of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The

effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete

elimination...”

 

Prabhup€da: Sleep and inactivity is a sign of ignorance. The more we

are inactive and sleepy, that means we are in the modes of ignorance.

And passion means activity for sense enjoyment. And goodness means

free from the inactivity of ignorance and the activity of passion, but

to see things as they are: “Oh, I am eternal servant of God. So my

actions should be to serve God.” That is goodness. These are the

stages. When one is inactive, lazy, sleeping, that means ignorance.

When one is very active for sense enjoyment, it is passion; and when

one is neither active like the sense gratifiers nor sitting idly like

the ignorant, but he is trying to engage himself in KŠa

consciousness, service, that is goodness. And one who is actually

serving KŠa, that is transcendental platform, liberated platform.

Then?

 

Pradyumna: “The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by

complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The

devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further

progress to rise up to the position of vasudeva, or the state of

unmixed sattva, or uddha-sattva state. In this uddha-sattva state

only can one always see KŠa state, eye to eye, by dint of pure

affection for the Lord. A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed

goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however

educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish

nor passionate. The harmful, foolish, and passionate cannot be

devotees of...”

 

Prabhup€da: The... It is said, maŠin€ bh™itaƒ sarpaƒ kim asau na

bhaya‰karaƒ. Snake. Some snakes are decorated with jewel on the hood.

So this materialist, however qualified he may be, just like jewel on

the head. The €stra says, “Do you think that a snake coming to you

with a jewel on head is not dangerous or ferocious?” He’s as

dangerous, as ferocious, as the serpent without jewel. Similarly, any

materialistic person, however educated he may be, so-called educated,

he is simply a snake, dangerous. That’s all. He has no qualification.

Har€v abhaktasya kuto mahad-guŠ€ƒ. One cannot have good qualities

unless one is advanced in KŠa consciousness. Read.

Pradyumna: “The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of

the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward

dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of

God. Quantitatively, such qualifications may be different, but

qualitatively, both of them are one and the same.”

 

Prabhup€da: Chant Hare KŠa. (end)