Todays Bhagavad Gita Class-By His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada--How to Enjoy Real Bliss-Bhagavad-gita 1.23

November 13, 2005

"How to Enjoy Real Bliss"

73/07/19 London, Bhagavad-gita 1.23 listen

Prabhupada: Dhartarastrasya durbuddher [bg. 1.23]. Durbuddhi, to usurp others' property is durbuddhi, mischievous. Why one should encroach upon others' property? That is not good. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam [iso mantra 1]. This is the Vedic instruction, that "You accept only what is given to you. Don't encroach upon others' property." This is peaceful. Everything belongs to Krsna. So whatever Krsna gives you as prasadam, as His favor, you accept it and be satisfied. This is the basic principle of peace in the world. But because people are not educated in that way, everyone is wanting more and more and more and more. There is no satisfaction. So that is durbuddhi. The Vedic culture is that "You be satisfied with your position." There is no question of starving in any position of life. People are trying to make economic development, but according to sastra, it is not possible to develop your economic position simply by endeavor. You are destined to have some portion mixed up with happiness and distress. That is the nature. Dharmartha-kama-moksa. These are four principles of human activities. First beginning is dharma. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma. So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [sB 6.3.19]. That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram [bg. 5.29]. Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is plainly said, mudha. Mudha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mudha, ass. Just like ass. Ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not... Not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that "This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass. Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmis are like that. He will eat two capatis or four capatis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, "Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that "I am interested to eat four capatis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard?" But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, "More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhagavata says, "No, no. This is not your business." The four capatis is already destined to you; you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Krsna. That is your business. People will not accept it. "Oh, this is a waste of time. Attending the class of Bhagavad-gita, this is waste of time. By this time I could have earned hundreds of dollars." That is their business. That is called durbuddhi, durbuddhi, not very intelligent. All mudha, asses.

Real intelligent person is he who is satisfied what Krsna has given him: "If Krsna wants, He will give me more. Let me become Krsna conscious. Let me study about Krsna. Let me chant about Krsna. Let me hear about Krsna. Let me see with my eyes Krsna, the Deity Krsna. Let me engage my hands in worshiping Krsna, in cleansing the temple, my hands. Let my legs be engaged in going to the temple." In this way all our senses should be engaged in the service of Krsna. That is our real business. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [sB 1.5.18]. Tasyaiva hetoh: "For that purpose only." Which purpose? Which we could not achieve after wandering the whole universe, up and down. The living entity is wandering by transmigration from one body to another up and down. Sometimes he is becoming Brahma even. Brahma, Indra, Candra. He can become. One can become. By pious activities, you can be raised to the position of Brahma, Indra, Candra, demigods, big, big demigods. And by impious activities, you can go down to become the worm of a stool. This is going on. This is called bhramatam upary adhah. Upari adhah. Adhah means down, and upari means up. So urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [bg. 14.18]. Who are going to upper planetary system? Sattva-sthah, those who are qualified brahmanas, strictly following the principles.

samo damas tapah saucamksantir arjavam eva cajnanam vijnanam astikyambrahma-karma svabhava-jam [bg. 18.42]

If you follow these principles, controlling the senses, truthful, clean, full of knowledge, believing in the sastra and God, and vijnanam, practical application of knowledge in life. Vijnanam... Simply to know is useless. You must practically apply in life. That is called vijnanam. Practical examination. Those who are science students, in BAC, they have to give, pass theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge also. Simply theoretical knowledge, "So much hydrogen, oxygen, makes water," that is theoretical. But when you mix up hydrogen, oxygen gas, and actually prepare water, that is called practical. So that is science. Science means simply theoretical knowledge is not sufficient. Observation and experiment. Experimental knowledge. That is called vijnanam.

So by practical knowledge you should be well-acquainted with God. That is brahmana's business. So sattva-sthah, those who are strictly following the brahminical principles, they will be situated in upper planetary system. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-sthah [bg. 14.18]. But a Vaisnava is above these. Mad-yajino 'pi yanti mam. Those who are following these principles with an aim for higher planetary system, they can go, elevated. Similarly, those who are trying to go back to home, back to Krsna, they can also go. It is not very... This process, our Krsna consciousness movement, is to help people to go back to home, back to Krsna. It is not very difficult. Why it is difficult? Krsna says, janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Try to understand Krsna in truth, not vaguely. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We think of God. So why don't you accept Krsna. He says and sastra says, the acarya says, Vyasadeva says, Narada says, your Guru Maharaja says. Why not accept? Why rascaldom? Why you are searching after any other God? Here is God. Name, address, activities, everything is there, authorized statement of the Vedas. So is there any difficulty to understand Krsna? But this rascal will not take it. Persistent. "Oh, why Krsna can be accepted? I have got a God, manufactured." This is misfortune. Durbhaga, durbuddhi, miscreant rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [bg. 7.15]. These are the qualifications of persons who do not surrender to Krsna: miscreants, mischievous, sinful, mudha, rascal, asses, naradhama, lowest of the mankind. These are the qualifications. So they are all durbuddhi. Human life is meant... This is an opportunity to understand Krsna. Hari hari biphale janama gonainu, manusya-janama paiya, radha-krsna na bhajiya, janiya suniya bisa khainu. This is Narottama dasa Thakura's song. Anyone who is not trying to understand Krsna... Not even trying, what to speak of worshiping Him, giving Him service... And Krsna says simply by trying to know Him, one becomes liberated. Simply by trying, not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Krsna, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Krsna. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Krsna? Krsna cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand. So... Actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Krsna. But still, whatever Krsna says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gita, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyam yo janati tattvatah. Tattvatah. Tattvatah means in truth. The tattvatah cannot understand. Even siddhas, those who are perfect...

manusyanam sahasresukascid yatati siddhayeyatatam api siddhanamkascin mam vetti tattvatah [bg. 7.3]

Nobody can understand, even if he is siddha, perfect. Perfect means not spiritually perfect, means materially perfect. Or even spiritually, partially perfect. Brahma-jnani, they are partially perfect. Paramatma-jnani, yogis, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jnanis and yogis and karmis... Karmis are, they are rascals. Jnanis, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jnana. That is eternity portion. And Paramatma-jnana is the cid-amsa, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Visnu. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That (but) when He comes to know Bhagavan, isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah [bs. 5.1], then there is perfect knowledge. Ananda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ananda. In other features, there is no ananda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). That is the Vedanta-sutra. One is by nature anandamaya. We are searching after ananda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ananda. That is not ananda. Ananda is what is satyananda. These anandas, these pleasures -- flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ananda. Ananda means satyananda, real ananda, real ananda. What is that real ananda? Brahma-sukha. That ananda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam. That is anantam, unlimited ananda. Therefore ramante yoginah anante. Therefore those who are actually yogis, bhakti-yogis... There are different types of yoga. So they ramante, they enjoy, ramante yoginah anante, along with the ananta, unlimited. Krsna is unlimited. When you join with Krsna in His rasa dance as gopis or as cowherds boy, play with Him, or become His father and mother, Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda-rani, or become servant, or even become like water Yamuna, or land in Vrndavana and trees or fruits or flowers, any way, or cows and calves... Join with Krsna. Then you get ananda, real ananda. Anandamayo 'bhyasat (Vedanta-sutra 1.1.12). Sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [bs. 5.1]. That is the description in all Bhagavatam, how the Krsna's associates are enjoying life. Krta-punya-punjah. Sukadeva Gosvami said, "These boys who are playing with Krsna, oh, they are not ordinary boys." Krta-punya-punjah: "They have amassed the effects of pious activities for millions and trillions of births. Now they have come to play with Krsna."

So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Krsna is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time? Economic development. What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Even... Pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri. Birth in very high family, janma; aisvarya, opulence, riches; education; sri... Sruta, sruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aisvarya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite. But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Krsna consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Krsna conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Krsna consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Krsna conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. Sarvatra.

tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidona labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhahtal labhyate duhkhavad anyatah sukhamkalena sarvatra gabhira-ramhasa [sB 1.5.18]

Kalena, by time, whatever you are destined you will get. Don't bother about so-called economic development. So far food is concerned, Krsna is supplying. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Krsna, "God give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. "Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Krsna." This is required. This is Krsna consciousness. "I have taken so much, life after life, from Krsna. Now this life let me dedicate to Krsna." This is Krsna consciousness. "This life I will not let it go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Krsna consciousness." This is Krsna consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (end)

Please Read Krsna The Resevoir of Pleasure ( <http://krsnawonders.tripod.com/> )Thank You for Listening and Reading ,Hare Krsna.Your Servant,,,,,,,,Jaya Kesava dasa

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