Srila Prabhupada on contacts with higher beings

[Guest guest]

Satsvarupa: But is it possible to also learn spiritual truths from this...,

from representatives on the subtle plane?

 

Prabhupada: There is no question of subtle plane. You are on the gross

plane. You first of all study gross things, and subtle, we shall see later

on.

 

Prthu-putra: I went to Egypt, in these pyramids one day I had some kind of

contact on the subtle plane with persons who were supposed to live inside of

the pyramids, and they gave me some kind of instructions.

 

Satsvarupa: But we've been discussing, and Prthu-putra Maharaja is saying

that some devotees are very sensitive about thinking that they're having

these experiences. And if we tell them, "Ignore this. It's not important,"

that will not be good for them, because they are definitely feeling visits

from persons from another plane, and if you simply tell them, "No..."

 

Prabhupada: No, that's all right. You say that "You are fortunate that

you're having, but do your business." That's all.

 

Prthu-putra: They want to feel satisfaction from Krsna consciousness point

of view.

 

Prabhupada: That's all right. Sometimes it may be fact. There is no wonder.

But we have to proceed with the figure. If I dream that I am getting one

lakh of rupees, so it is better if I get five rupees in figure. Is that all

right?

 

Prthu-putra: Yes.

 

Prabhupada: Simply dreaming I am getting one lakh of rupees, that is good,

or actually, if you get five rupees, that is good? Which is good?

 

Prthu-putra: To get the actual five rupees.

 

Prabhupada: So don't depend on the subtle thing. See practically what you

are getting.

 

Satsvarupa: What I thought was most dangerous is...

 

Prabhupada: Most dangerous... Those who are neophyte, they will be always in

danger. Always in danger because they are neophytes, just like a child is

always in danger. So how you can save them? He's always in danger. So as far

as possible, let us try. He's going to the fire. He's going to the water.

He's going to the animal. He's eating some poison. So always in danger. That

childish age is dangerous. Therefore mother takes care. Danger is already

there because he's neophyte, kanistha-adhikari. Therefore we have to abide

by the injunction of the sastra and guided by guru. That's all. That is our

secure position. And otherwise danger always.

 

Prthu-putra: One boy in Paris, he had a visit...

 

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, this is the position. Those who are

neophyte, they are always in danger. Therefore their duty is to be guided by

sadhu-sastra-guru. That's all. That is our... Now, I'll say from my

practical life... It is not pride. Actually everyone knows that my Guru

Maharaja had thousands of disciples. So out of thousands of disciples,

practically I am little successful. That everyone knows. Why? Because I

firmly believed in the words of my guru. That's all. This is the... There

may be many other Godbrother, maybe very learned and very advanced, whatever

it may be, favored, and... Everyone claims that "I am the most favorite."

And practical point of view... So I think sometimes that "Why this wonderful

thing has happened to me?" So I search out. I search out only that I cent

percent believe in the words of my spiritual... That's all, nothing else.

Guru-mukha-padma-vakya, cittete koriya aikya, ara na koriho mane asa **.

Don't think of any nonsense. Simply execute what your guru has said. That is

success. You are daily singing, guru-mukha-padma-vakya **. You know the

meaning?

 

Prthu-putra: Yes. Cittete koriya aikya, ara na koriho mane asa.

 

Prabhupada: This is the instruction. And the child decides it that "Whatever

my parent says, that's all I shall do. I shall do nothing," then he's safe.

 

Satsvarupa: "My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words

emanating from his lotus mouth."

 

Prabhupada: Then he's safe. And as soon as he manufactures -- finished. So

don't do this. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite

kathita... [sU 6.23]. This is the secret of spiritual success. So we have to

guided by our predecessor acaryas. Then we shall be saved. Otherwise we are

condemned.

 

Prthu-putra: So when certain boys experience difficulties and they come to

because...

 

Prabhupada: What difficulty? What is the difficulty?

 

Prthu-putra: Well, for example...

 

Prabhupada: We have got everything clearly stated, that we observe these

regulative principle, chant, minimum sixteen rounds, and act as far as

possible for the service of the Lord. Where is the difficulty?

 

Prthu-putra: Maybe the realization may not be there.

 

Prabhupada: What is that realization? This is the prescribed duty. So there

is no question of realization. You must do it.

 

Prthu-putra: Yes. They must and they do also. They also do it.

 

Prabhupada: Then where is the doubt? Let me go on with my duty. That's all.

Why I shall be disturbed by so many things? Let me see whether I am

discharging my duties properly. That's all.

 

Satsvarupa: This discussion with Prthu-putra Maharaja and the devotees in

Europe doesn't so much concern those babajis as this business of the, when

something is visited, when you have a visitation from the subtle plane,

whether to take it as important or not. But you've already explained the

position, to go on with your duty and not consider the message very

important. Sometimes they speak of...

 

Prabhupada: No, suppose you have seen that a gold mountain has come in your

possession. Will you be satisfied with that?

 

Prthu-putra: No.

 

Prabhupada: So this is like that. This is like that.

 

Prthu-putra: But in the case of Adhikarana, person came as a fact.

 

Prabhupada: How it is factual? Where is their golden mountain?

 

Prthu-putra: But an actual person came one day to the temple to a boy.

 

Prabhupada: The same, same thing. Where is that actual person?

 

Prthu-putra: Well, it was a person, an old lady who come like this,

astrologer

 

Prabhupada: Ordinar... He came eye to eye? Or dream?

 

Prthu-putra: Yes, a person came, person.

 

Satsvarupa: No. They're saying it's not a dream state but actual

manifestation. Just like a demigod comes, they are being visited by...

 

Prabhupada: But he only visited? Nobody else?

 

Prthu-putra: No, many devotees could see that person coming to the temple,

but she spoke to only one, to Adhikarana.

 

Prabhupada: That's all right, very good. But do your duty. If you get some

such person, devata, "Welcome, but I must do my own duty."

 

Prthu-putra: But they gave similar message, so that means that message

was... They were informing that some big disturbances will come in this

world and...

 

Prabhupada: Let them come. What is there? Narayana-parah sarve na kutascana

bibhyati [sB 6.17.28]. If you are actually devotee...

 

Prthu-putra: A devotee's not afraid of going anywhere.

 

Prabhupada: So why you are discussing them? Let whatever calamity may come,

let come.

 

Prthu-putra: The devotees accept this point.

 

Satsvarupa: In other words, they are taking information from these persons

aside from your books.

 

Prabhupada: That means he is trying to deviate from the path chalked out by

their spiritual master.

 

Prthu-putra: No. On the opposite way, they try to learn more about the books

because they feel they have to be spiritual teacher of the future. That is

the opposite way.

 

Prabhupada: That's all right...

 

Prthu-putra: They don't go away from Srila Prabhupada's teaching. On the

opposite, we try to learn more and to be more qualified in order to teach

spiritually on the case... Some of the people became seeing things.

 

Prabhupada: They came. Nobody could see. Only he could see. This is bogus.

You should never encourage that. This is bogus! That's all. If somebody

comes, everyone will see. And "If I see only; nobody can see," this is

bogus. Don't encourage these bogus things. "Only he could see." He's so

advanced, his eyes are only fit to see that and nobody, others. That is

bogus. Others have also eyes. But oh, he has got transcendental eyes.

 

Prthu-putra: No, no. It wasn't like this. It's not thing like this. It's

not... No, but from...

 

Prabhupada: Why you become authority of understand? That is not good.

 

Prthu-putra: Because I had these experiences, and they don't me deviated

from studying...

 

Prabhupada: That is not experience. That is only dream. That is not

experience. Nobody has seen. Somebody came, (indistinct) only saw. And there

are other devotees, he is so advanced, only he could see. This is bogus.

This is bogus. They came. Nobody could see, only he could see. This is

bogus. You should never encourage it. This is bogus, that's all. If somebody

comes, everyone will see. If I see only, everyone... This is bogus. Don't

encourage it, bogus.

 

Prthu-putra: I'm not encouraging these things.

 

Prabhupada: Only he could see, he's so advanced, for his eyes only. He could

see, and nobody else. That is bogus. Others have also eyes. But he has got

transcendental eyes.

 

Prthu-putra: No, it wasn't transcendental... It's not a question of

transcendental eyes.

 

Prabhupada: That is bogus. Not only he, there are many. They'll simply

repeat that. There are many. They come... Many devotees, our life members,

big, big men, they come: "Swamiji, I experienced like this. Some man came.

Some boy came." Means real purpose is that he wants to prove that he is

already connected with higher planetary system. I have got many experiences.

They say like that.

 

Satsvarupa: I asked why these visitations are not mentioned in your books,

people from the subtle plane. And one answer I was given is that if you

wrote this in your books, then too many devotees would try to contact these

persons, but that you do approve of it, but you don't want to put it in your

books. But I thought, no, you put everything in your books.

 

 

(Extracts from) Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhubaneshwar