Srila Prabhupada speaks on: Becoming Anxiety-less

January 24, 2008

" Becoming Anxiety-less " Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.29Los Angeles, December 7, 1973 listen

Pradyumna: Translation: " Arjuna's constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna rapidly increased his devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided. "

Prabhupada: So material existence means full of anxieties. This is the sum and substance of material existence. Everyone is full of anxieties. Not only humans. Just like Karandhara was speaking, there are so many bad news. What is that? Where is Karandhara?

Karandhara: Energy crisis, food shortage.

Prabhupada: Yes, energy crisis, food shortage, and what else?

Karandhara: Economic turmoil.

Prabhupada: Hm. And even Mr. Nixon is in such exalted post, he's also full of anxiety, when he'll be kicked out. You see. So find out any man who is not in anxiety. Not only human being but also animals, birds, beasts -- everyone. That is the symptom of material existence, anxieties.

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 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. " (laughter) He is addressing his father, asura-varya, asura-varya. Asura means demon, and varya, varya means the first-class. (laughter) 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, becoming hippies. 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 American, 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... And sex life, that is also temporary free.

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? (laughter) 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. " That is the...

Bhaktivinoda Thakura says,

kita-janma hau yatha tuwa dasabahir-mukha brahma-janme nahi asa

He says that " If I forget You and take by birth as Lord Brahma, I don't want it. I don't want it. " What is the use of taking a birth like Brahma? " But I shall like to take my birth as even a small insignificant insect, where a devotee is there. " This is the ambition of devotee. " I shall prefer to become an insect. " Because there are different varieties of living entities, beginning from Brahma down to the insect, insignificant. In the middle, there are so many varieties -- aquatics, trees, plants, demigods, and men, human being. So many thing. So this is the end and one end to another. Abrahma-bhuvanal... Kita-janma, insignificant ant, nobody cares for, and Brahma is very important, supreme person within the... So Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that " I will not prefer a birth like Brahma if I forget You. But I will prefer to become an insect if I remain with Your devotee. " Because if one remains with a devotee, he will not forget Krsna. That is the advantage. Just like when you go, people address you, " Hare Krsna. " Oh, it is very great benefit. Automatically they chant Hare Krsna. We have seen it all over the world. And when I was going from London to Nairobi, we stopped at Athens, the dead of night. We are in the..., what is called? That transit room.

Devotee: Transit lounge.

Prabhupada: Yes, lounge. So as soon as they saw us, " Hare Krsna! " You see. So this is advantage. Aho bata sva-paco 'to gariyan yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam. Even a dog-eater chants Hare Krsna, he becomes glorified.

So this chance should be given. Let them chant Hare Krsna, either willfully, or jokingly, or any way, let him chant Hare Krsna. This is the movement. Let him chant once, let his tongue utter this transcendental vibration, Hare Krsna, his life will be successful. It is such nice movement. You haven't got to do anything. Simply you come here and see Radha-Krsna, you will be benefited. It is very easy. Su-sukham kartum avyayam. And once you get the impression of Radha-Krsna for meditation, and if you increase, then life, you are success. Life is successful. Because as soon as you become little inclined to see Radha-Krsna, Krsna within your heart, that means you have developed His love. Just like if you love somebody, you want to close your eyes and see his face, his..., your child, or your lover. Similarly, as soon as you practice this, how to see, meditate upon Krsna, that means you develop. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [bs. 5.38]. Then gradually it will increase, and you will be perfect. It is very easy. This process, Krsna consciousness is so easy, and so pleasant, anyone can take. There is no difficulty. And if you become Krsna consciousness, completely, always thinking of Krsna, bahu anudhyanam, always, anudhyanam, thinking of Krsna, thinking of Krsna -- anyone can do it -- then you become perfect. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti kaunteya [bg. 4.9]. That is the problem. Our, what is that problem? Problem is that we are full of anxiety. Why you are full of anxiety? Because you have accepted this material body. So if you stop accepting material body, there is no anxiety. That can be done by vasudeva-anudhyanam, constantly thinking of Krsna.

So you haven't got to pay any price. You are not losing anything. But you are becoming a great, perfect man. Why do you, don't you accept this process, Krsna consciousness? Why you are after something, false thing? Just see how unfortunate people are in this Kali-yuga. They will not accept the real thing without any payment, without any loss. Everything is gain. They will accept something nonsense and go to hell. Just see. This is Kali-yuga. The Kali-yuga is so powerful that it will not allow you to accept the real thing. You will be after non-real thing and waste your time and valuable life. This life is meant for Krsna realization. It is not meant for anything, any other business. Therefore Narottama dasa Thakura sings, hari hari biphale janama gonainu: " My dear Lord, I have simply wasted my time. " Why? Manusya-janama paiya radha-krsna na bhajiya. " I got this valuable human form of life but I did not worship Radha-Krsna. This is my fault. " Janiya suniya visa khainu, " It is just like knowingly, I have taken poison. "

So anyone who is not taking to Krsna, Krsna consciousness, as Krsna advised, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam [bg. 18.66], he is simply drinking poison. Drinking poison. That's all. And what is the effect of poison? You will die. Not only this life, life after life, bhutva bhutva praliyate. He will accept this life, again he'll give up, again another body, again another. And that you do not know. There is no guarantee what kind of body you are going to get. But they are so rascals, they do not understand that " I am going to get another body. " And there are so many varieties of body. If I get the body of a tree, now standed up for seven thousand years... How much risk we are taking. But all this risk can be avoided in this human form of life simply by thinking of Vasudeva, simply by thinking of Krsna. Why people are reluctant? This is their misfortune. Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta karaca says, ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. This Krsna consciousness can be accepted only by the most fortunate person. Not less fortunate, alpa-medhasa. Those who have got little brain, or little fortunate, they cannot. They cannot. Sukrtina. Sukrtina. Sukrtina means very fortunate, very pious. And duskrtina cannot take it. Vasudeva..., thinking of Vasudeva, Krsna, is very easy, but those who are sinful, they cannot take to it. That is the difficulty.

Therefore we say, " Stop these four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. " These are the four pillars of sinful life. If you accept these four pillars, then your route, sinful life is very strong. Break this, from the very beginning. There will be no more sinful life. If you simply stop, where is the difficulty? If you do not smoke or do not drink, will you die? We have got so many devotees, they do not smoke, they do not drink. Are they dying? They do not play any gambling. Are they dying? They do not take meat. Are they dying? They do not illicit sex. Are they dying? It is artificial. Maya's... Artificial. Just like so many cigarette package are advertised, although there is written on the, what is that? It is dangerous...

Devotee: " Smoking is hazardous to your health. "

Prabhupada: Yes. Still the rascal will take. Still... The things will be advertised. The government is writing on the packet, " It is dangerous, " but they are not closing the factory of the cigarette. That will... Because they want income. (laughter) You see. This is going on. Cheating. And if you don't like it, why don't you stop this? But that they will not do. Simply a show-bottle. So this Krsna consciousness movement is that we want to stop this show-bottle business. Everyone must be a real leader, then people will be happy.

Thank you very much. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.29 -- Los Angeles, December 7, 1973

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ChantHare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare II Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare II --is the sublime method for reviving our Krsna consciousness. As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our asociation with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now poluted by material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in our complexities. This illusion is called Maya, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krsna consciousness. And Be Happy