How to Remain Always in the Company of His Divine Grace

krsna · April 28, 2005

Prabhupada's Magic: He Got the Whole World Chanting Hare Krishna!

Tamala Krishna: He was asking that... He was hoping that because he had heard that you had some mystical powers, so he was hoping that you could help his situation by demonstrating some of these mystical powers.

Prabhupada: Some magic. Our magic is already there. Throughout the whole world we are chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic? Foreign countries, foreign religion, and they are accepting Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna. Is not that magic?

Indian man (1): It is.

Prabhupada: And still more magic? The world is chanting Hare Krsna. Boliye?

yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantar-atmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam

sa me yuktatamo matah

He is yogi. There are many varieties of yogis. And Krsna concludes, "Of all the yogis, big, big yogis, the person who is always remembering Krsna and chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra is first class." This is said by Krsna, not by me. Therefore it is authorized statement. Without Krsna consciousness, all these mystic powers... They may be temporarily some magic, but Krsna says that "One who is always remembering Me," satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah, "he is first-class yogi." So all these persons who are chanting Hare Krsna according to the prescribed rules and regulations, without any offense... There are ten kinds of offenses. So in the beginning there may be offenses. It doesn't matter. It will be rectified. Offenseless chanting means mukti, and then pure chanting means love of Godhead. There are three stages. In the beginning, when one begins chanting, it is not pure. There are so many offenses. But chanting, chanting, the offenses become purified. Offenseless chanting is not purified completely, but it is offenseless. So offenseless chanting makes one liberated, and then pure chanting makes one lover of God. This is the process. So chanting is definite mystic power. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended, ceto-darpana-marjanam: "By chanting, your heart becomes purified." Ceto-darpana. We are suffering in this material world on account of... (background talking) (aside:) Ask him not to talk loudly. On account of impurities... (aside:) What is the use of talking? The first impurity is identifying... (aside:) Stop him. Don't talk at all.

Indian man (1): It is one gentle..., one person. He says, "I am Bengali." And he has got some trouble. He was told that "If you have got any physical trouble, go to the medical practitioners."

Prabhupada: Yes.

Indian man (1): "If you have got any spiritual, then you can stay." He is continuing. That is all.

Prabhupada: (aside:) Don't talk. Why you are talking? So our real trouble is that we have become conditioned by the material identification, "I am this body." Everyone is thinking, "I am Indian,I am American,I am brahmana,I am sannyasi," everything, identification with the body. That is the dirty thing. So one has to purify, that "I am neither American, neither Indian, nor brahmana, or so many designations." Then it is called cleansing the heart. Sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam. That is mukti, when you don't identify with this material body. And so long you identify with this material body, either you become a sannyasi with some beard or a grhastha without some beard, the same thing, identifying with the body. So ceto-darpana-marjanam means to become free from the bodily designation. And sastra says, yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. This body is composition of three dhatu, kapha, pitta, vayu, according to Ayur Veda; and according to medical science, it is skin and then muscle, blood, bone, and marrow, stool, urine, those, combination. So I am not this combination of stool, bone, skin, blood. But people are taking that. When they are diseased, they take care of the body. Of course, it is not that we should not take care. But that is superficial. Real care should be taken of the soul within the body. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe. Dehinah, dehi. Dehinah and deha. So anyone who is identifying with this body in either... According to Vedic civilization, the bodily identification is divided into eight: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. Varnasrama-dharma. So human civilization begins, according to Vedic understanding, when there is varnasrama system. Otherwise it is not human civilization. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, catur-varnyam maya srstam. This system should be followed. Then, gradually, one has to come to the spiritual. Chaotic society cannot help us. There must be systematic social order: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, catur-varnyam, and brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, and sannyasa. Sannyasa is not voluntary, but it is compulsory. At the last stage one must take sannyasa. After fiftieth year one must take to vanaprastha, vanam vrajet. This is system. So... System of purification, how to become designationless. And if we keep the designation, then, sastra says, sa eva go-kharah: "One who keeps the bodily designation, he's no better than the cows and the asses, animal." So Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that... Caitanya Maha... This is the shastric, Vedic culture, that we have to purify ourselves from the bodily designation. That is called ceto-darpana-marjanam, cleansing the dirty things within the core of the heart, that "I am this"--"I am Indian,I am American,I am brahmana,I am sannyasi,I am grhastha,I am white,I am black." These are the dirty things. So these dirty things can be cleansed by chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. This chanting and hearing is punya-sravana. If you do not know anything about, if you simply chant and hear, you become purified, punya, because on account of dirty things, impious life, you have become covered by different bodies. Mrtyu-samsara-vartmani. Different bodies means the way of birth and death. That you have to stop. And that is stopped when you get Krsna; otherwise not. Therefore Krsna says, I think, in the Ninth Chapter... Find out this verse, asraddadhanah purusa dharmasyasya parantapa, mam aprapya. You cannot get Krsna. If you have no faith in Bhagavad-gita, then you cannot get Krsna. If you don't care for Krsna, that is another thing, but if you want to get Krsna, then what Krsna says, you follow. Read.

Tamala Krsna:

asraddadhanah purusa

dharmasyasya parantapa

aprapya mam nivartante

mrtyu-samsara-vartmani

Translation: "Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world."

Prabhupada: Purport?

Tamala Krsna: Purport: "The faithless cannot accomplish this process of devotional of service. That is the purport of this verse. Faith is created by association with devotees. Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the evidence of Vedic literature from great personalities, still have no faith in God." (break)

Prabhupada: Pure bhakti.

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu-

silanam bhaktir uttama

There should be no mixture of jnana and karma or even yoga. Anukulyena krsnanu... Simply to cultivate Krsna consciousness favorably. Favorably means what Krsna wants. That is favorable. If you do what Krsna wants, that is favorable. And if you do what Krsna does no want, that is unfavorable; that is not bhakti. Just like Kamsa. He was always thinking of Krsna, but that was not favorably. He was thinking otherwise, how to kill Krsna, and that is not bhakti. The gopis were also thinking of Krsna, how to make Him happy, and that is favorable. So anukulyena krsnanusilanam bhaktir uttama. Without any mixture, adulteration of jnana and karma, that is pure devotion. Then?

Tamala Krsna: "Those who have no faith, even after hearing about Krsna and the excellence of devotional service, who think that it is simply eulogy, find the path very difficult even if they are suppose..." (break)

Prabhupada: So without this faith, nobody can achieve the association of Krsna. There are two things. You become associate of Krsna, or you become associate of this material world. So if you do not become associate of Krsna, then the next step is this association of material world. And association of material world means accepting one type of body and enjoy or suffer for some time; then you get another body. Mrtyu-samsara-vartmani. Now we have to make our choice, whether you want to stop this material way of life and attain the eternal spiritual life...

mam upetya punar janma

duhkhalayam asasvatam

napnuvanti mahatmanah

samsiddhim paramam gatah

If you get the association of Krsna, then you haven't got to come here, this material world. Duhkhalayam. Krsna says it is duhkhalayam. Either you take birth in a very rich, aristocratic family, born in the upper planetary system as demigods--Brahma, Indra, Candra, like that--or you take your birth, an insignificant ant; wherever you are in material body, it is duhkhalayam. That you cannot avoid. Duhkhalayam asasvatam. And you cannot make any compromise that "Never mind it is very much miserable. I shall enjoy." So that also will not be allowed. Asasvatam. Your tendency is to live forever. So that will not be allowed. Asasvata. So this requires knowledge, intelligence, that "If I am eternal," na hanyate hanyamane sarire, "I am not destroyed even this body is destroyed," then you should seek after eternal happiness. Why temporary? That is not in your interest. That happiness is there when you go back to Krsna; otherwise not. These are the statement in the Bhagavad-gita. So if we do not try to understand the real purpose of Bhagavad-gita, and if we theorize, "Bhagavad-gita means nonviolence. Bhagavad-gita means to become patriot," these are materialism. We should avoid this wrong interpretation, misguiding direction of blind leaders. We'll not get any benefit out of it. So we are trying to rectify this. That's all. Everything is there. Any question is solved by Krsna. Politics, economics, religion, culture, philosophy--everything is discussed very thoroughly. Simply one has to understand. Then he becomes fixed up in Krsna consciousness. People are generally after yoga, especially the Westerners. I think they have come here for perfection of yoga. But here it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. That is first class, to increase your attachment for Krsna. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan. This is yoga, how to increase the attachment for Krsna. This is called bhakti-yoga. So this yoga can be practiced--mayy asakta-manah par..., yogam, mad-asrayah, not anyone's other's asraya. Mad-asrayah. Taking shelter of Krsna or taking shelter of Krsna's personal person, personal associates, mat-para. Mat-para means one who has dedicated his life for Krsna. He is called mat-para. Or directly under Krsna. Directly under Krsna is difficult. Because we do not understand Krsna, therefore we have to take shelter of a person who is already under the shelter of Krsna.

Indian man (1): Mat-para people are very seldom available.

Prabhupada: No. How do you know? If you do not know what is the meaning of mat-para, how you can say "seldom"? Do you know what is mat-para? Unless you know who is mat-para, how you can say like that? You have no knowledge. Mat-para means a simple thing, one who has fully surrendered to Krsna. That's all. This is very seldom? There are so many. But you have decided, "seldom." Why seldom? Here you see so many young men, our association. They are fully surrendered to Krsna. They do not know anything else than Krsna. So why it is seldom? You won't take. That is your fault. Rather, they are coming to you. They are canvassing. But you are so stubborn, you'll not take it. That is your fault. They are canvassing door to door. Why do you say, "It is seldom"? It is very easily available. But you won't take. That is your fault. Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally came, and He canvassed door to door. He sent His men door to door. We are sending all over the world. But you do not come. Mat-para is not seldom. At least at the present moment, it has become very easily available. But you take. That is your fault. (break) Ceto-darpana-marjanam. That is... Caitanya Mahaprabhu say. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni..., sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam, anandambudhi-vardhanam. Anandambudhi. Ambudhi means sea. You do not find that the sea is increasing. But this transcendental sea of blissful life increases. Anandambudhi-vardhanam sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. Very simple thing. You take to sri-krsna-sankirtanam and see the result. Why you say it is seldom? It is very easy, but you won't take. Seldom we find the followers. Otherwise it is very cheap. Rupa Gosvami worshiped Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with these words,

namo maha-vadanyaya

krsna-prema-pradaya te

krsnaya krsna-caitanya-

namne gaura-tvise namah

"My Lordship, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, You are the most magnanimous person of charity." Why? Now, krsna-prema-pradaya: "One cannot understand Krsna, and You are directly delivering love of Krsna." It is not seldom. If you want to love somebody, you must know him. Love is not with the air. If you want to love somebody, then you must know what he is and why should I love him. So nobody can understand Krsna. Where is the question of love? If you do not understand what is Krsna, the question of loving Him does not arise. But here Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving directly love of Krsna. That means Krsna understanding is automatically--finished. Therefore He is addressed as the most magnanimous. So it is not at all seldom. As the age is fallen, the most magnanimous incarnation is Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He is giving directly Krsna, Krsna-prema. You take it. Why don't you take it? It is not seldom. You do not like to take it. That is the disease. And that is asraddadhana. There is no sraddha. Asraddadhanah purusah, mam aprapya. How you can get Krsna? There is no sraddha. Therefore they must suffer in the cycle of birth and death. Nivartante mrtyu-samsara. So you voluntarily accept this cycle of birth; you don't accept Krsna. Then who can help you? If you have decided to cut your own throat, how can I help you? You'll do it. Whenever you'll get opportunity, you'll cut your throat. How much I can give you protection? That is going on. They have no faith in the words of Krsna. They'll manufacture ideas. It is not "seldom." It is my dog's obstinacy that is checking. We cannot give up. Krsna has..., sarva-dharman parityajya. That you cannot do. You want to keep in the same position, and at the same time, you want to understand Krsna. That is not possible. In this Hrishikesh, tirtha-ksetra, everyone comes to get some spiritual enlightenment, but who is talking of Krsna? Am I right? And there is Gita-bhavan, Gita this, Gita that. What is that "Gita"? Gita commentation. Nobody's interested. They don't like to hear even about Krsna. This is the position. So mat-para is not seldom. (laughs) The followers are seldom. But Krsna says, mat-para. "If you want to practice this yoga..." Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam... This is yoga. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam. This is real yoga. So nobody's interested. Then what can be done? My Guru Maharaja used to say that "If one is selling langlam(?), and he's canvassing, 'Please come here. Take langlam. There is no price for it,' then people will not take. 'Why langlam he's distributing free?' " So that is the position. We are going to door to door: "Take Krsna." They think, "It is very cheap thing. What is the use? Let us practice some other yoga." Krsna says, yoginam api sarvesam. We don't take. So langlam is not seldom, but the person who take langlam is seldom. This is the difficulty. Krsna says, "By this practice of yoga..." Aiye.

mayy asakta-manah partha

yogam yunjan mad-asrayah

asamsayam samagram mam

yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

(indistinct) He says, "How you can understand Me perfectly," samagram, "and," asamsayam, "without any doubt." So Krsna is speaking about Him, which is without any doubt and without any difficulty, in fullness, but who is hearing Him? That is seldom. Otherwise Krsna has become very easily available. Namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te. Even krsna-prema. But we won't take. Is it seldom?

Indian man (1): Our fault.

Prabhupada: Hm? Yes.

Indian man (1): Our fault.

Prabhupada: It is our fault we won't take. A man has fallen in the blind well, and he's crying, "Save me! Save me!" and when somebody comes and gives him a rope--"You catch it. I shall lift you"--but he'll not touch it. Then who can save him? The rope is there, the man is there, and he is crying, but when we request that "You take it," he won't take. Aiye. So how he can be saved? And Krsna said, mad-asrayah. But he'll not take mad-asrayah. He'll take asraya of something else. This is the position. Mayy asakta-manah partha. People are harassed to understand God, whether there is God or not God, who is God. When I first went to America, the theory was going that "God is dead." And what was the...

Tamala Krsna: There was a newspaper...

Prabhupada: Paper... Yes?

Tamala Krsna: When Prabhupada first did the first public kirtana, they said that "We thought God is dead, but now we see that Swami Bhaktivedanta has made God alive again."

Prabhupada: This was the first remark. Then, gradually, these boys joined. They were after God, but they were given to understand that "God is dead. Now you take LSD." So the... God is speaking:

mayy asakta-manah partha

yogam yunjan mad-asrayah

asamsayam samagram mam

yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

"Take perfect knowledge of God from Me." Why don't you do that? Boliye. What is the reason? Boliye, Swamiji. When God is speaking that "You take from Me perfect and complete knowledge of God," so why don't you take it?

Indian man (1): We are still attached to material side.

Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, but we are denying. Is it not? When... Suppose a big man. You do not know what he is. But if the man says, "You want to know me? All right, I shall disclose all my secrets to you. Try to understand." So why don't you..., do not take it? If you want to know the person, and the person is explaining himself, why don't you take it? Why theorize that "God is like this. God is like this"? What is the meaning? When the person has come to explain about himself... Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu: "Hear." Hearing is the process of knowledge. Therefore our Vedas are called sruti. The knowledge has to be acquired through ear. My Guru Maharaja used to say that "Don't try to see a sadhu by your eyes. You try to see a sadhu by ears." Karne sadhu dekhi. (Hindi) Tavac ca sobhate murkhah yavat kincin na bhasate. (Hindi) For real perfect knowledge, one has to hear. Srotriyam brahma-nistham. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet, srotriyam brahma-nistham. Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. That is guru. One who has heard perfectly from the authority, he is guru. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam. And who is guru? Sabde pare ca nisnatam brahmany upasamasrayam. Everything direction is there.

tad viddhi pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jnanam

jnaninas tattva-darsinah

So about from... Apart from sastra, the vedanta-krt, vedanta-vit, Krsna, He is speaking. Asamsayam samagram mam yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu: "Just hear." And He's vedanta-vit, vedanta-krt. He knows what is Vedanta, and He has compiled Vedanta, and He is ready to speak. We don't hear Krsna. How much unfortunate we are. (aside:) Here.

Indian man (2): (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) So naturally he'll be averse to maya. He's no more interested. (Hindi) This is the test. Krsna-bhaktih paresanubhavah. (Hindi) There is no need of separate endeavor. (Hindi) The first line Krsna says that asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase, gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti. (Hindi) (Hindi conversation) Find out this, tesam evanukampartham, mrtyu-samsara-sagarat. (Hindi) Read it.

Tamala Krsna:

tesam aham samuddharta

mrtyu-samsara-sagarat

bhavami na cirat partha

mayy avesita-cetasam

Prabhupada: No. Tesam evanukampartham.

Tamala Krsna:

tesam evanukampartham

aham ajnana-jam tamah

nasayamy atma-bhava-stho

jnana-dipena bhasvata

"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."

Prabhupada: Is there any purport?

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. Purport by Srila Prabhupada: "When..." (break)

Prabhupada: So let us stop today. Somebody kirtana. (kirtana begins) (end)

[Evening Darsana May 13, 1977, Hrishikesh]

krsna · April 30, 2005

Hayagriva: So you want him to be president?

Prabhupada: I think he should be, like that. You become secretary, and Syama dasi become assistant secretary. Of course, everything should be decided in a meeting, and president maybe have as a casting vote, but the decision of the meeting will be actually the decision. Not that president autocracy, no. Or he may be president, you may be vice president and others, Syama dasi, secretary, and treasurer he is. From sampradaya point of view, sannyasi has to be given the top post. Do you think he will overrule you? (Laughs)... So I think... Then the difficulty is that you say that whatever you decide, he says no?

Hayagriva: If I don't want this tree to be cut down and he says, "Cut down the tree," does the tree get cut down? That's what I want to know. I say, "I want this tree to stay here." He says, "We want to burn it for firewood." Now does the tree stay or does it go?

Prabhupada: Well, if... This deposition is very difficult to solve. (laughing) You want to stay, and he wants to burn it. (laughing)

Hayagriva: Yes. I mean it will come down to something very basic like this, something very simple. Now you said that according to you it should be burned. According to you... If the president is in charge, then if he says to cut it down, it gets cut down.

Prabhupada: No. The committee. The majority decision will be...

Hayagriva: That's democracy. That's democracy. That's no good.

Prabhupada: Democracy? This is the age of...

Hayagriva: I thought you said we should have enlightened monarchy.

Prabhupada: No. Monarchy is out of date now. When you form a committee... But what can I say? If you disagree in that way, then... If you have to live together, you have to work together; if you disagree in that way, it will be a difficult job.

Hayagriva: Well, I don't care. I'll leave it up to you then. I'll leave it up to you. You can do what you want.

Prabhupada: No... You... My... I have explained. He is... As a sannyasi, he should live everywhere temporarily just like I live temporarily. Aniketa. A sannyasi should not have a permanent place. Anywhere he goes, temporary. So because you think that his service is required, then he should remain here. Otherwise, as he has accepted sannyasa order, he should travel, go and preach. And especially nowadays, I cannot go everywhere. He can go, and he can recruit members. He can make propaganda of New Vrindaban to many persons, to the, I mean to say, foundations. As I have suggested, make pamphlet. So he can do outside work very nicely for developing Vrndavana.

Hayagriva: How much of his time do you think should be spent doing this?

Prabhupada: Which one?

Hayagriva: Preaching and traveling.

Prabhupada: He should always preach and travel. Always. There is immense field here. He should convince people that we are developing such centers. And you make a nice literature, picture. You go. He is educated. He is intelligent. He has studied our philosophy. He can go and speak.

Hayagriva: But he shouldn't stay here at all.

Prabhupada: No. He can come. He stay for some time and go, in that way. That... When he comes here you take his advice, what to do, and then you execute in that way. The final is yourself, whatever you do. He will come and... Now, for developing this center we must require so many things. So he can do the outside work...

So we have to develop this center from outside work and inside work. Outside work means to draw sympathy of the people, to draw money for development. This is also required. We have got a very big scheme. It is not possible that by one man's earning we can do that. It is not possible. We require millions of dollars for developing. If we want to construct here temples, at least seven temples, nicely, so that requires huge amount. So outsiders' sympathy must be there. There is no scarcity of money in your country. Simply they have to be educated that "We are doing something very nice. Please come and help." And that will be nice, in my opinion, that let him come, stay here for one month, again go out for two months, again come here. And he sees how things are going on. He suggests. Now you decide whether his suggestion will be accepted or not. Then I am there, of course. If there is some suggestion, good suggestion. then my order will be final. In that way we have to develop this.

Hayagriva: Well, are you leaving the decision up to me or what? Are you leaving the decision up to me?

Prabhupada: Yes. Local management, your decision, yes...People must know our importance. So outside propaganda is required. Don't you think it is required? Yes. So make literature. Make nice literature with picture, we get it printed, and then, in the meantime, you try to see things, how it can be managed. And let him move outside. As I am moving, he will move. And if some other boys who are determined to remain brahmacari, not to marry...They can also take up. Brahmacari and sannyasi is meant for moving. Yes. Grhastha cannot move because they have to earn. They have to maintain. But the brahmacaris, they will go and beg contribution. A sannyasi will make the situation favorable. Just like if now a little more, Krsna consciousness movement is known, if some brahmacari goes, that "We come from the..."

...So he remains as consultant. Your proposal, that you remain president, he is secretary, and treasurer, and he is consultant so long he is here and when he comes.

Hayagriva: So he can be... He'll be general supervisor?

Prabhupada: Yes. Naturally when he comes, he becomes overhead everyone, when he comes, because he is a sannyasi. Just like here, when I am present, you take all final decision from me, so that should be the honor of the sannyasi. But he should actually... He is not in charge of this place. Just like in other centers the president, secretary, are in charge.

Hayagriva: So that's not called matha commander. That's called general supervisor.

Prabhupada: He will be, for the time being, the superintendent of the society. He will go everywhere and see and report me what, how things are going on. And then we are going to make a central committee gradually (GBC) . Everything will be done. Let us work very seriously and sincerely. Everything will come out.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Balancing work and worship...sannyasi's role in community development...our mission of making people peaceful and happy

DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS, INCORPORATED

FOUNDER-ACHARYA: HIS DIVINE GRACE

A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA

DIRECTION OF MANAGEMENT

I, the undersigned, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, disciple of Om Visnupad Paramhansa 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj Prabhupada, came in the United States in 1965 on September 18th for the purpose of starting Krishna Consciousness Movement. For one year I had no shelter. I was travelling in many parts of this country. Then in 1966, July, I incorporated the Society under the name and style the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, briefly ISKCON. The lawyer was Mr. J. Goldsmith. Gradually the Society increased, and one after another branches were opened. Now we have got thirty-four (34) branches enlisted herewith:

Amsterdam, Holland

Atlanta, Georgia 1476 Oxford Rd. N.E. 30322

Baltimore, Maryland 1300 N. Calvert St.

Berkeley, California 2710 Durant Avenue 94704

Berlin, West Germany

Boston, Massachusetts 40 N. Beacon St. 02134

Boulder, Colorado 623 Concord St.

Buffalo, New York 40 Englewood Ave. 14214

Chicago, Illinois 2210 N. Halstead St.

Columbus, Ohio 318 East 20th Ave. 43201

Detroit, Michigan 74 West Forest St. 48201

Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.

Hamburg, West Germany 2000 Hamburg 6, Bartelstrasse 65

Honolulu, Hawaii 2016 McKinley St. 96822

Laguna Beach, California 130 Woodland Drive 92651

London, England 7 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, W.C. 1

Los Angeles, California 3764 Watseka Ave. 90034

Montreal, Canada 3720 Park Ave.

New Vrndavana, W. Virginia RD 3 Moundsville 26041

New York City, New York 61 Second Ave. 10003

Paris, France c/o Serge Elbeze, BO 113 Paris 14

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 416 South 10th St. 19147

Provincetown, Massachusetts104 Bradford St.

San Diego, California 3689 Park Blvd.

San Francisco, California 618 Frederick St. 94117

San Jose, California 70 Hawthorne Way

Santa Barbara, California 6654 del Playa, Goleta 93017

Seattle, Washington n5516 Roosevelt Way N.E. 98105

St. Louis, Missouri 4544 LaClede Ave. 63110

Sydney, Australia 298 Birrell St. Bondi, N.S.W. 2026

Tokyo, Japan 6-16, 2 Chome Ohhashi, Meguro-Ku

Toronto, Canada 40 Beverly St., Ontario

Vancouver, Canada 260 Raymur St., No. 305, B.C.

Washington, D.C. 2015 Q Street N.W. 20009

As we have increased our volume of activities, now I think a Governing Body Commission (hereinafter referred to as the GBC) should be established. I am getting old, 75 years old, therefore at any time I may be out of the scene, therefore I think it is necessary to give instruction to my disciples how they shall manage the whole institution. They are already managing individual centers represented by one president, one secretary and one treasurer, and in my opinion they are doing nice. But we want still more improvement in the standard of Temple management, propaganda for Krishna Consciousness, distribution of books and literatures, opening of new centers and educating devotees to the right standard. Therefore, I have decided to adopt the following principles and I hope my beloved disciples will kindly accept them.

There was a meeting in San Francisco during the Ratha Yatra festival 1970 and many presidents of the centers were present. In that meeting it was resolved that an ad hoc committee be set up to form the constitution which is taken into consideration. My duty was to first appoint twelve (12) persons to my free choice amongst my disciples and I do it now and their names are as follows:

1. Sriman Rupanuga Das Adhikary

2. Sriman Bhagavandas Adhikary

3. Sriman Syamsundar Das Adhikary

4. Sriman Satsvarupa Das Adhikary

5. Sriman Karandhar Das Adhikary

6. Sriman Hansadutta Das Adhikary

7. Sriman Tamala Krsna Das Adhikary

8. Sriman Sudama Das Adhikary

9. Sriman Bali Mardan Das Brahmacary

10. Sriman Jagadisa Das Adhikary

11. Sriman Hayagriva Das Adhikary

12. Sriman Krsnadas Adhikary

These personalities are now considered as my direct representatives. While I am living they will act as my zonal secretaries and after my demise they will be known as Executors.

I have already awarded Sannyas or the renounced order of life to some of my students and they have also got very important duties to perform in this connection. The Sannyasis will travel to our different centers for preaching purpose as well as enlightening the members of the center for spiritual advancement. The Sannyasis will suggest for opening new centers in suitable places and the GBC will take action on it.

As was stipulated by the ad hoc committee, the function of the GBC will be as follows with particulars:

PARTICULARS OF THE GOVERNING BODY COMMISSION

"The purpose of the Governing Body Commission is to act as the instrument for the execution of the Will of His Divine Grace. And further,

1. The GBC oversees all operations and management of ISKCON, as it receives direction from Srila Prabhupada and His Divine Grace has the final approval in all matters.

2. His Divine Grace will select the initial 12 members of the GBC. In the succeeding years the GBC will be elected by a vote of all Temple presidents who will vote for 8 from a ballot of all Temple presidents, which may also include any secretary who is in charge of a Temple. Those 8 with the greatest number of votes will be members for the next term of GBC. Srila Prabhupada will choose to retain four commissioners. In the event of Srila Prabhupada's absence, the retiring members will decide which four will remain.

3. The commissioners will serve for a period of 3 years, and they may be re-elected at the end of this period.

4. The chairman is elected by the GBC for each meeting. He has no veto power, but in even of a vote tie, his vote will decide. The same will apply for votes cast by mail between regular meetings.

5. Throughout the year, each of the commissioners will stay with His Divine Grace for one month at a time and keep the other commissioners informed of His Divine Grace's instructions.

6. The primary objective of the GBC is to organize the opening of new Temples and to maintain the established Temples.

7. Advice will be given by the GBC in cases of real property purchases, which will be in the name of ISKCON, INC. (Trucks or other vehicles will be purchased in the name of the local president).

8. Removal of a Temple president by the GBC requires support by the local Temple members.

9. The GBC has no jurisdiction in the publication of manuscripts, which will be handled by a separate committee; profits to be returned to Srila Prabhupada."

So far my books are concerned, I am setting up a different body of management known as the BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST. The trustees of this body are also members of the GBC, but their function is not dependent on the GBC.

ISKCON Press was created for the exclusive publication of my books and literatures and should be continued in that way.

During my absence no one shall live in my apartment.

ACB

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Witnessed by:

Date July 28th 1970

(Robert F. Corens)

Rupanuga das Adhikary

(William R. Ehrlichman)

Bhagavan das Adhikary

(Kelly Gifford Smith)

Karandhar das Adhikary

Date July 28th, 1970

At the World Head Quarters

3764, Watseka Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90034

>>> Ref. VedaBase => LD 1: Direction of Management, July 28, 1970

krsna · May 1, 2005

“Follow the regulative principles, it will remain,

always Vaikuntha. Otherwise again material world…..Free hotel. That's

all. And free hotel will not endure.” (

Srila Prabhupada. Morning Walk.

December 11, 1975, Vrndavana)

krsna · May 3, 2005

PROTEST AGAINST THE SINFUL ACTIVITIES OF ALL THE WORLD'S GOVERNMENTS

"The loud sound of the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra certainly made the Kazi very much afraid, and he hid himself within his room. Hearing the people thus protesting, murmuring in great anger, the Kazi would not come out of his home."

The Kazi's order not to perform sankirtana could stand only as long as there was no civil disobedience. Under the leadership of the Supreme Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the chanters, increasing in number, disobeyed the order of the Kazi. Thousands assembled together and formed parties, chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and making a tumultuous sound of protest. Thus the Kazi was very much afraid, as naturally one should be under such circumstances.

In the present day also, people all over the world may join together in the Krsna consciousness movement and protest against the present degraded governments of the world's godless societies, which are based on all kinds of sinful activities. Srimad-Bhagavatam states that in the Age of Kali, thieves, rogues and fourth-class people who have neither education nor culture capture the seats of governments to exploit the citizens. This is a symptom of Kali-yuga that has already appeared. People cannot feel secure about their lives and property, yet the so-called governments continue, and government ministers get fat salaries, although they are unable to do anything good for society. The only remedy for such conditions is to enhance the sankirtana movement under the banner of Krsna consciousness and protest against the sinful activities of all the world's governments.

The Krsna consciousness movement is not a sentimental religious movement; it is a movement for the reformation of all the anomalies of human society. If people take to it seriously, discharging this duty scientifically, as ordered by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the world will see peace and prosperity instead of being confused and hopeless under useless governments. There are always rogues and thieves in human society, and as soon as a weak government is unable to execute its duties, these rogues and thieves come out to do their business. Thus the entire society becomes a hell unfit for gentlemen to live in. There is an immediate need for a good government-a government by the people, with Krsna consciousness. Unless the masses of people become Krsna conscious, they cannot be good men. The Krsna consciousness movement that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu started by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra still has its potency. Therefore people should understand it seriously and scientifically and spread it all over the world. (CC Adi-lila 17.141)

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who has unlimited, wonderful opulences. By His mercy, even a person born as the lowest of men can spread the science of devotional service. (Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami CC Madhya 20.1)

krsna · May 5, 2005

THIS CIVILIZATION IS SOUL KILLING, WE HAVE TO SAVE THEM

Regarding religion, not only at present, but also in the past, all of them are described as pseudo-religions. The Bhagavat has condemned such pseudo-religion in the second verse of the first chapter, first canto. Under the spell of material energy, man is forgetful of his eternal relationship with God. They create some religion to derive some material benefit as they create political organization for mutual undisturbed sense gratification. So religion is also a part of that concept of life. As such, in most of the religions you will find some instruction on morality and goodness, and God consciousness is superfluous. So except Krsna Consciousness or Bhagavata Dharma or religion of the Bhagavata, any other system of religion is only pretension, that is the fact. It is not therefore surprising that your impression of the meeting of the Jews and Christians, where you had opportunity to speak, was that they were lacking so much in God-consciousness. So far we are concerned, our principle is to live with God as actual fact, and not to make God a supplying agent.

...It appears that now it is the government policy to curb our activities. The zoning problem is another harassment. The general policy is to stop our Movement. That has begun, in so many ways; by the parents, by the municipality, by the government, by zoning; somehow or other to check this Movement. We are enemies to their standard of civilization. That is the problem. We are enemies, certainly. We frankly say, ``This civilization is soul-killing. We have to save them, para upakara.'' Actually they are misleading people that the skin is everything. That is not the fact. The soul is everything. That they do not understand. They say, ``What is this nonsense?'' They have no idea of religion. For them it is just a decoration...

...Yes, civil disobedience will be the only method in this circumstance. But there are so many judgments in our favor. We should bring the matter in the court. We have the opinions of so many scholars. Bring the matter in the court. But if it is a state policy to cut down this Movement, then civil disobedience. What can be done?...

...Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 8th and 10th, 1969 and I have noted the contents carefully. I understand from your letter of October 8th that there is a struggle with the Kazi. This obstacle by the Kazi is not new to our Krishna Consciousness Movement. It was there even during the time of Lord Caitanya, but we must steadily go on with our activities without caring for these so-called custodians of law. We are the most lawful citizens in the world, but if some demon Kazi gives stumbling to our execution of duties, we cannot abide by such order. I am very glad to learn that some of the Catholic priests are sympathetic with our movement. The government says ``In God we trust'', and we are preaching the message of love of God, pleading with the people to become servants of God. So where is the cause of breaking the public peace? I am enclosing herewith a declaration of our Krishna Consciousness Movement which you may present in court if necessary. You depend on Krishna, try to face the charges by your best abilities and surely Krishna will help you... (Letters from Srila Prabhupada 4/11/1970, 1/3+4/1977, 10/13/1969)

When, O master, out of your great mercy, will you bestow upon this servant the spiritual qualification to fulfill your order? My mind will then become tranquil, I will endure all hardships, and I will serve Lord Hari with undivided attention. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura- Saranagati, song 10)

krsna · May 6, 2005

KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS: THE SANKIRTANA MOVEMENT

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a bona fide religious society strictly following the principles described in the Vedic scriptures and practiced in India for thousands of years. Our basic beliefs are as follows:

1) The Absolute Truth is contained in all the great scriptures of the world; the Bible, Koran, Torah, etc. However, the oldest known revealed scriptures in existence are the Vedic literatures, most notably the BHAGAVAD GITA, which is the literal record of God's actual words.

2) God, or KRISHNA is eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful and all attractive, the seed-giving Father of man and all living entities. He is the sustaining energy of all life, nature and the cosmic situation.

3) Man is actually NOT his body, but is eternal spirit soul, part and parcel of God, and therefore eternal.

4) That all men are brothers can be practiced only when we realize God as our common ultimate Father.

5) All our actions should be performed as a sacrifice to the Supreme Lord . . . ``all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.'' (Bhagavad-gita, IX, 27)

6) The food that sustains us should always be offered to the Lord before eating. In this way He becomes the Offering, and such eating purifies us.

7) We can, by sincere cultivation of bona fide spiritual science attain to the state of pure, unending blissful consciousness, free from anxiety in this very lifetime.

8) The recommended means of attaining the mature stage of Love of God in the present age of ``Kali,'' or quarrel, is to chant the Holy Name of the Lord. The easiest method for most people is to chant the Hare Krishna mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Our basic Mission is to propagate the Sankirtana Movement (chanting of the Holy Names of God) all around the world as was recommended by the Incarnation of the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. People in this age are reluctant very much to understand about God consciousness on account of their unfortunate condition of life. They are working hard day and night simply for sense gratification. But this transcendental vibration of Sankirtana will knock at the door of their hearts for spiritual awakening. Therefore, they should be given the chance for this opportunity... (Letter from Srila Prabhupada 10/1/1969)

All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It extinguishes the horrible forest fire of material existence. This chanting removes all material tribulations. All glories to the chanting of the holy name of Krsna! It gives one a taste of fully satisfying nectar at every step. This chanting is the bestower of ecstatic love of God. (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura- Gitavali, song 1)

krsna · May 6, 2005

IT IS THE DUTY OF THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP US IN OUR MISSIONARY WORK RATHER THAN TO HINDER US

...It is not recommended that a Krishna Conscious devotee go into seclusion for chanting by himself and thereby gaining salvation for himself alone. Our duty and religious obligation is to go out into the streets where the people in general can hear the chanting and see the dancing. We have already seen practically how by this process many, many boys and girls of America and Europe have been saved from the immoral practices of this age and have now dedicated their lives to the service of Krishna.

The state laws are specifically meant for making citizens men of good character, and good character means avoiding the following sinful activities: intoxication, illicit sex life, gambling and meat-eating. We are checking people from practicing these sinful activities. All of our students are applying these principles practically in their lives, and they are teaching others to follow the same principles. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to help us in our missionary work rather than to hinder us.

It is hoped that the government authorities will cooperate with our Sankirtana parties in enabling us to perform Sankirtana on the streets. To do this it is necessary that we be able to chant the names of Krishna, dance, play the mrdanga drum, request donations, sell our society's journal, and on occasion, sit down with the mrdanga drum. As devotees of Lord Krishna it is our duty to teach the people how to love God and worship Him in their daily life. This is the aim and destination of human life...

...It is not a sectarian movement meant for a certain class of men, but it is a necessary movement for all humanity irrespective of caste, creed, or color. So far I am concerned, I am a humble disciple of His Divine Grace, Om Visnupad Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, who was the original pioneer of spreading this movement in the Western world. During his lifetime, up to 1936, he started 64 main centers all over the world, including centers in Berlin, Germany, and London, England. His Divine Grace entrusted me to spread this movement in the Western countries, and since 1965, I am trying in my humble way to spread this movement in this part of the world...

(letters from Srila Prabhupada 10/1/1969, 2/21/1968)

O holy name, if You are manifest on the tongue of Your unalloyed devotee, then all of his sinful reactions of both past and present lives are completely destroyed. This truth is sung by the Vedas again and again. O holy name, when You arise within the living being’s heart, it becomes completely purified. The shackles of materialistic activities and intellectual knowledge are cast far away, and the soul’s worldly existence comes to an end without any difficulty. Bhaktivinoda raises his arms and says, “Take up the banner of the holy name and walk along sounding the drum of the holy name. In this way you will surely obtain the direct audience of Lord Muralidhara, the holder of the flute.”

(Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura- Gitavali, song 4)

krsna · May 24, 2005

KRSNA IS THE CENTER

Prabhupada: Vrndavana life means the gopis, the cowherd boys, the cowherdsmen, the elderly men, Nanda Maharaja, Yasodarani, the cows, calves, trees, flowers, Yamuna—everyone is dedicated to Krsna. That is Vrndavana. Everywhere, the whole description of the Krsna book, the center is Krsna. All activities are going on, just like in other places. But here in Vrndavana, all activities are centered around Krsna. When Brahma is stealing His friends, the center is Krsna. The demon is coming to destroy—the center is Krsna. When there is a forest fire, the center is Krsna. This is Vrndavana beauty. In happiness, in danger, in perplexities, in friendship—everything Krsna. “Oh, Krsna has gone to the Yamuna to fight Kaliya.” It is a calamity. It is not at all good news for mother Yasoda, Nanda, friends and family, not at all. Their life is lost. But still Krsna is the center. This is the beauty of Vrndavana. This is Vrndavana life. In everything Krsna is center. We are having opposition: “Krsna's are bad."

Devotee: Somehow or other, Krsna's in the center. (laughs)

Prabhupada: I am happy that Krsna is the center. That’s all. This is the beauty of this movement. Although we are put into some difficulty, but the center is Krsna.

Devotee: The difficulty actually is increasing our thinking of Krsna.

Prabhupada: Yes. The papers are publishing, “Krsnas, they are bad. They are so on, so on, so on.” That’s all right. Krsna is the center. In Vrndavana life there is everything—the cowherd boys, the calves, the cows, the elderly person like Nanda Maharaja and Yasodamayee. What is their aim? Their aim is Krsna.

(Conversation with Srila Prabhupada, Jan.8,1977)

My Lord,these residents of Vrndavana have given You everything--their bodies, their minds, their love, their homes. Everything is being utilized for Your purpose. So how will You be able to repay their debt? I surmise that You shall ever remain a debtor to the residents of Vrndavana, being unable to repay their loving service. My Lord, I can understand that the superexcellent service of the residents of Vrndavana is due to their spontaneously engaging all natural instincts in Your service. It is said that attachment for material objects and home is due to illusion, which makes a living entity conditioned in the material world. But this is only the case for persons who are not in Krsna conscious. In the case of the residents of Vrndavana, such obstructions, as attachment to hearth and home, are nonexistent. Because their attachment has been converted unto You, and their home has been converted into a temple because You are always there, and because they have forgotten everything for Your sake, there is no impediment. (Lord Brahma- Krsna book 1:14)

krsna · May 25, 2005

FREEDOM TO THINK OF KRSNA

Prabhupada: In the beginning, when I first came, I thought, “If I say these prohibitions, who will accept?” And now it has taken shape, it has become a problem throughout the country. I was thinking, “Who will hear me? As soon as I’ll say this, they’ll say, ‘Go home.’ ” But by Krsna's arrangement it has become a problem. That is Krsna's grace. It has become a problem for them; it is success for me. Yes. I presented something which is now a problem for them.

Devotee: They waited too long. They didn’t tell you to go home soon enough.

Prabhupada: (chuckles) No, my creed is in their home.

Devotee: (They are accusing) mental and physical harm; (loss of ) the right of self-determination means the right to have a free mind; destruction of the family unit...

Prabhupada: So if one has the right to have a free mind, why he cannot chant Hare Krsna? Where is the question of a free mind? That means you are brainwashing. Free mind means everyone has the right. That is free mind. If you force something, then where is the free mind?

Devotee: So actually they are understanding that once you chant Hare Krsna, you will stop thinking about maya.

Prabhupada: They’re admitting. That is our victory. That is victory because Narottama dasa Thakura said “This material world is the burning fire of anxiety. So in order to get rid of it, we have to take shelter of the Hare Krsna mantra, which is imported from the spiritual sky.”

That is a fact. So as soon as you take shelter of Hare Krsna, naturally we are relieved from this blazing fire of material existence. This fire of material existence, finished. That’s a fact and they have pointed it out. That is the position. Caitanya Mahaprabhu recommends that in order to get rid of this blazing fire, chant Hare Krsna...

(Conversation with Srila Prabhupada 1/9/1977)

O Lord! I offer this humble prayer at Your feet. I gave up the shelter of Your feet, which are soft as newly-grown leaves, and now my mind has become dried up like a desert, being scorched by the fire of absorption in horrible worldliness. I find no strength to rise again, and thus I spend my days bitterly lamenting. O Lord who is called the master of the meek and humble!

There has never been a soul as forlorn as me. Please be merciful and award me the association of Your devotees, for by tasting the pleasure of hearing discussions of Your pastimes I shall give up all evils. One hope animates my soul: To spend day and night singing Your holy name while living in Your divine abode. Your servant Bhaktivinoda begs a place in the supremely cooling shade of Your lotus feet.

(Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura- Saranagati, Song 6)

krsna · May 26, 2005

A HORRIBLE STATE OF LIFE

When the living entity becomes overwhelmed in the engagement of his service of the "Maya" potency, he forgets altogether his divine relation with the Godhead. This horrible state of life is technically called the Asurik i.e., the life of a demon. The name of "demon" as we often hear in different scriptures, does not mean any horrible figure of extraordinary dimension as the artist generally paints by imagination, but demon is a man who is godless. A description of such a godless man is given in detail in the sixteenth chapter of the Bhagwat Geeta.

A godless man does not know what shall he do and what he shall not. He is mostly an unbeliever in the teachings of the different scriptures and is generally atheistic by nature. In his opinion, religion is superfluous and an unnecessary engagement and as such he attacks religion specially in the most brutal manner. He does not follow any injunction of the scriptures but commits all kinds of sins which he could not have done by following the order of scriptures. He follows his own path and does not accept any authority. In his opinion there is no cause of the creation of the universe except a desire of passion, as a child is born by the passion of a man and a woman. He does not find therefore any design behind the creation of the universe, and thus says that there is no Creator whatsoever. The universe is a product of Nature's fortuitous course and there is no ultimate controller of Nature. He finds every day that matter is unable to take any initiative out of its own will and thus the world is produced by a chance assembly of atoms and so forth. Without any fear of the Authority therefore, he finds it easier to preach his own way of thinking that there is no God at all. He says that every one can manufacture his own religion and thus the process of religiosity so sublime and so divine becomes a subject for his recreation. He preaches that there should be as many religions as there are men on the surface of the globe and there is no necessity of accepting the fact that God is one and religion is one.

In the opinion of a godless man, the conception of Godhead is the product of the Devil's workshop in the idle brain. God is manufactured by the designing brain of the professional class and thus everyone and anyone can manufacture his own God and follow his own way of religiosity for so-called salvation. (BTG 1944 pg.7)

My dear friends, O sons of the demons, it is certain that no one bereft of knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has been able to liberate himself from material bondage at any time or in any country. Rather, those bereft of knowledge of the Lord are bound by the material laws. They are factually addicted to sense gratification, and their target is woman.

Therefore, although you are sons of demons, keep aloof from such persons and take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana, the origin of all the demigods, because the ultimate goal for the devotees of Narayana is liberation from the bondage of material existence.

(Sri Prahlada Maharaja- SB 7.6.17-18)

krsna · May 28, 2005

THE GODLESS MAN IS ALWAYS OVERWHELMED WITH MATERIAL THOUGHTS OF UNLIMITED MEASURE

Thus the godless man in demonic propensity, engages himself in the service of the "Maya" potency for the destruction of the world. Devoid of spiritual knowledge, he is less intelligent and works out foolish designs out of his foolish brain, in order to create trouble in the world. He considers himself over intelligent and by his over intellectual method he brings disaster on the tranquility of the world peace. He becomes a leader of similar less intelligent persons and leads them also towards destruction like a blind man leads another blind man into a ditch.

The motive for such unlawful leadership is nothing but an unquenchable thirst for power, desire for domination and unconquerable passion. This is hankering for recognition and drunkenness of power. Moved by such unholy passions he starts all sorts of agitation for the fulfillment of his manufactured ideals of world leadership. And thus proceeding on his onward march, he is met with another demon of the like nature and thus a clash begins between the rival demons. Both of them being godless, the "Maya" potency of Godhead takes them to task, like the demon "Mohisasur", the Goddess engages such demons in fighting with one another until they are individually or collectively vanquished by their own unholy engagements. She engages them just like a school teacher engages naughty boys in the business of pulling each other's ears. The demons are thus punished in their vain search for recognition by the "Maya" potency.

The godless man is always overwhelmed with material thoughts of unlimited measure. He not only thinks for his own sense-gratification but for the sense-gratification of his family, society, country, nation and so on and not only for one decade but also for all the time to come after his death. He does not, however, understand that after his own death he has to change all the details of his caliber. Ignorantly situated, he accumulates wealth for the respective welfare works by committing all kinds of sins. For such welfare works he does not hesitate to do harm to others in respect of his own self, family, society, country or nation. Thus he becomes an ill-conceived leader of his family, society or nation in order to satisfy an unquenchable desire for self-gratification without knowing the modes of nature by whom he is engaged in such unholy task, up to the destruction of the creation; and without caring for the Supreme Authority who is competent and able to take care of all families, societies, countries or nations without any distinction of caste, creed and colour. (BTG 1944, "Godhead and His Potentialities")

O my Lord, in this material world, every living entity desires some future happiness, which is exactly like a mirage in the desert. Where is water in the desert, or, in other words, where is happiness in this material world? As for this body, what is its value? It is merely a source of various diseases. The so-called philosophers, scientists and politicians know this very well, but nonetheless they aspire for temporary happiness. Happiness is very difficult to obtain, but because they are unable to control their senses, they run after the so-called happiness of the material world and never come to the right conclusion. (Prahlada Maharaja- SB 7.9.25)

krsna · June 2, 2005

Anne Jackson: May I ask you a few questions? Could you please tell me a little bit about your life and how you knew that you were the spiritual master for the Krsna consciousness movement?

Prabhupada: My life is simple. I was householder. I have still my wife, my children, my grandsons. So my Guru Maharaja ordered me that "Go and preach this cult in the western countries." So I left everything on the order of my Guru Maharaja, and I am trying to execute the order. That's all.

Woman: And is this picture here the man...?

Prabhupada: Yes, he is my Guru Maharaja.

Woman: And he is no longer living.

Prabhupada: No.

Woman: He spoke to you spiritually?

Prabhupada: So this is my (indistinct). That's all.

Woman: At what point was it that he told you to do this? It was very late in your life that you...?

Prabhupada: Yes. When I was twenty-five years old I met him first. On the first meeting he ordered me to this. So at that time I was married man. I had two children. So I thought, "I shall do it later on." But I was trying to get out of family life. It took some time. But I was trying my best to carry out his order. In 1944 I started magazine, Back to Godhead, when I was grhastha. Then I started writing books in 1958 or '59. In this way in 1955 I came to your country.

[srila Prabhupada Room Conversation with writer, Sandy Nixon, July 13, 1975, Philadelphia]

So I should have joined and executed his desire immediately,but due to my ill luck I could not immediately execute his order, but it was in

my heart that it is to be done.

My Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada, he also attempted to send his disciples to preach Caitanya cult in the Western world. One of them, he advised me also. First meeting, perhaps you know, he asked me to preach. So at that time I was young man, only twenty-five years old, and I was also householder. So I should have joined and executed his desire immediately, but due to my ill luck I could not immediately execute his order, but it was in my heart that it is to be done. So better late than never, I executed his order at the age of seventy years, not at the age of twenty-five. So actually I wasted so much time, I can understand that. From twenty... The message was there when I was twenty-five years old, but I began at the age of seventy years. But I did not forget the message. Otherwise, how could I do? That was, that is a fact. I was simply finding out the opportunity, how to d o it. So anyway, although I began very late, at the age of seventy years, so by the help of my disciples this movement is gaining ground and is spreading all over the world. So therefore I have to thank you. It is all due to you. It is not my credit, but it is your credit that you are helping me in executing the order of my Guru Maharaja.

[srila Prabhupada Sri Vyasa-puja Lecture, London, August 22, 1973]

My family life was in Allahabad,

1923 to 1936 continually.

Prabhupada: My family life was in Allahabad, 1923 to 1936 continually. I used to come to Bombay from Allahabad for business. And I was staying in that hotel, Empire Hindu Hotel. Yes, very nice. At that time it was very nice.

[srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, January 7, 1977, Bombay]

Every day I was seeing how to go to

Jagannatha Puri and how to go to Vrndavana.

Tamala Krsna: You said that when you were very young you always used to calculate what was the cost of a ticket to Puri.

Prabhupada: Yes. Every day I was seeing how to go to Jagannatha Puri and how to go to Vrndavana. At that time a fare was, for Vrndavana, four or five rupees, and similarly for Jagannatha Puri. So I was thinking, "When I shall go?" That's all. I took first opportunity to go to Jagannatha Puri after my examination, and in business connection when I went to Agra, then I first of all took the opportunity to go to Vrndavana from Agra. This was in 1925, and I visited Jagannatha Puri sometime in 1920. And '25 I went to Vrndavana. I remember, in those days I was sitting within the car, and there was some prasadam. One monkey entered and took away everything.

Tamala Krsna: In the train compartment.

Prabhupada: They are very clever. Many times in Vrndavana the monkeys have taken away from my hand foodstuff.

Tamala Krsna: While you were eating.

Prabhupada: Hm. Thrice... At least thrice, four times I remember.

Tamala Krsna: You wanted them to take it? You were offering...

Prabhupada: No, suppose a big monkey comes and takes. You are stunned. (laughter) You have to give him. No other way.

Tamala Krsna: They will attack otherwise.

Prabhupada: In Radha-Damodara temple I was cooking the other room. So although the door was closed, he knew, he opened the door and took away my prasadam. Sometimes they would take away... (door opens) Come on. The, what is called, dough? For...?

Tamala Krsna: Capatis?

Prabhupada: Capati. So they will eat that.

Tamala Krsna: Raw dough.

[srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, January 19, 1976, Mayapur]

In 1925 I was taking. I was touching

the water, and it was cutting.

Dr. Patel: It is very cold, huh? There will be extreme cold this season. And to take bath in confluence in this biting cold of this cold water.

Prabhupada: Sometimes I was taking.

Dr. Patel: You should take warm water bath.

Prabhupada: In 1925 I was taking. I was touching the water, and it was cutting.

Dr. Patel: Even my... It was cutting too much.

Prabhupada: (chuckles) And as soon as I take a dip, everything is warm.

Dr. Patel: No, but for now it is not right.

Prabhupada: It is very nice.

Trivikrama: Everything is numb.

Prabhupada: And immediately warm. As you take...

Trivikrama: Warm.

Dr. Patel: That is all the place, yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. So long as you do not take dip, it is so pinching, it is cutting your body. And as soon as you get a dip, one, two, three--bas. Immediately you are warm.

Dr. Patel: No, but now, at this age of your...

Prabhupada: No, now...

Dr. Patel: You should warm the water and take water from confluence, bring in the tent, warm it up and take a bath. Or you get a pot of water here and daily put two drops in the bucket and take bath (laughs). My wife was doing this. She used to put two drops of Ganga water...

Prabhupada: Now, if I take such dip I may be paralyzed.

[srila Prabhupada Morning Walk, January 5, 1977, Bombay]

I purchased one motor car in 1925, Buick car.

Not for personal use, but for using it as a taxi.

Prabhupada: Happiness in whatever circumstance. Not that because we did not possess a motorcar, therefore unhappy. I purchased one motor car in 1925, Buick car. Not for personal use, but for using it as a taxi. My one nephew, he was a good driver, so my father, "Why don't you give him? He can do that, we can use it our own car also taxi." So I took it, Buick car, I think I paid eight thousand rupees.

Hari-sauri: Buick?

Prabhupada: Buick, yes, very strong car. At that time, Ford, Chevrolet and Buick, these cars were very popular in India. Ford for the poorer class and Buick for the first class.

Hari-sauri: Your nephew was a taxi driver.

Prabhupada: Yes. Nephew was my sister's son. We had to maintain one sister and her family. She became widow. So this is Hindu

family obligation. When the daughter is widow, she comes to the father's shelter with all family. The father has to maintain.

[srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, August 2, 1976, Paris]

I had car, but my nephew was driving. I never drove.

Prabhupada: I can cycle even now. In our childhood... I had car, but my nephew was driving. I never drove. In 1925, I purchased one Buick car.

Trivikrama: Buick? It's a good car.

Prabhupada: At that time in India it was eight thousand rupees only, very strong car.

Trivikrama: From America it came?

Prabhupada: Yes, American cars were selling during British days, Ford, Buick, Chevrolet. These cars were selling. Dodge. In 1925 I purchased one Buick car, eight thousand rupees.

[srila Prabhupada Room Conversation, January 7, 1977, Bombay]

Long ago, say, in 1925, long ago, so we were in a cinema house. So my eldest son, as soon as he would

see one woman in the picture,"Here is another mother! Here is another mother!" (laughter) he would cry.

Just like our these children are being taught chanting Hare Krsna. They are chanting. They cannot forget throughout life. Similarly, if a brahmacari is taught from childhood, from boyhood address all woman as "mother," he cannot see otherwise. "S(he) is my mother." I remember, it is an example. Long ago, say, in 1925, long ago, so we were in a cinema house. So my eldest son, as soon as he would see one woman in the picture, "Here is another mother! Here is another mother!" (laughter) he would cry. Because a small child, he does not know any woman except mother. He knows everyone as "my mother." So if we train from the childhood that "You should treat all woman as mother," then where is the question of anomalies? No. There is no question

[srila Prabhupadafrom a Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture, 1.3.13, Los Angeles, September 18, 1972]

krsna · June 7, 2005

Power hungry politicians are creating havoc everywhere. These rascals create so many difficult situations. The public is very nice but the politicians keep them in ignorance. I have studied the whole world. Human nature is the same everywhere. The mass of people are very good but these rogues create by their personal aggrandizement so many difficulties.

[s.P. Letter to: Atreya Rsi Bombay 20 April, 1977]

Thus there is a great need for the Krsna consciousness movement for the benefit of innocent people who are being carried away by propaganda of such demons

In the present age, Kali-yuga, the number of such shameless men, who are agnostics disbelieving in the existence of God, has increased. Trying to defy the authority of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so-called scientists, philosophers and politicians manufacture plans and schemes for the destruction of the world. They cannot do anything good for the world, and unfortunately, because of Kali-yuga, they have plunged the affairs of the world into mismanagement. Thus there is a great need for the Krsna consciousness movement for the benefit of innocent people who are being carried away by propaganda of such demons. If the present status quo is allowed to continue, people will certainly suffer more and more under the leadership of these demoniac agnostics.

[s.B. 8.22.20]

They must be killed by You

for the protection of the innocent public.

TRANSLATION: O my Lord, proprietor of all creation, You have now appeared in my house, desiring to protect this world. I am sure that You will kill all the armies that are moving all over the world under the leadership of politicians who are dressed as ksatriya rulers but who are factually demons. They must be killed by You for the protection of the innocent public.

PURPORT: Krsna appears in this world for two purposes, paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam: to protect the innocent, religious devotees of the Lord and to annihilate all the uneducated, uncultured asuras, who unnecessarily bark like dogs and fight among themselves for political power. It is said, kali-kale nama-rupe krsna avatara. The Hare Krsna movement is also an incarnation of Krsna in the form of the holy name (nama-rupe). Every one of us who is actually afraid of the asuric rulers and politicians must welcome this incarnation of Krsna: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Then we will surely be protected from the harassment of asuric rulers. At the present moment these rulers are so powerful that by hook or by crook they capture the highest posts in government and harass countless numbers of people on the plea of national security or some emergency. Then again, one asura defeats another asura, but the public continues to suffer. Therefore the entire world is in a precarious condition, and the only hope is this Hare Krsna movement. Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared when Prahlada was excessively harassed by his asuric father. Because of such asuric fathers--that is, the ruling politicians--it is very difficult to press forward the Hare Krsna movement, but because Krsna has now appeared in His holy name through this movement, we can hope that these asuric fathers will be annihilated and the kingdom of God established all over the world. The entire world is now full of many asuras in the guise of politicians, gurus, sadhus, yogis and incarnations, and they are misleading the general public away from Krsna consciousness, which can offer true benefit to human society.

[s.B. 10.3.21]

So atom, atom bomb is waiting for them.

Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.

So these rascals are going on. So it is very difficult to preach Krsna consciousness. The whole world is overburdened by these rascals and demons. So atom, atom bomb is waiting for them. Yes. It will be finished. All the demons will be finished.

(Srimad-Bhagavatam Lec. 1.8.34 Los Angeles, April 26, 1973)

krsna · June 9, 2005

Regarding the presence of God, both the theist and atheist have practical experience in two different ways. They are as follows: The atheist is hypocrite that he says there is no God. There is presence of God both for the theist and atheist. The vivid example of this presence of God both before the theist and atheist simultaneously is Lord Nrsimhadeva. Lord Nrsimhadeva appeared before the atheist Hiranyakasipu as Death and He appeared before Prahlada Maharaja the theist as the Benedictor of Blessing.

So God has two features of appearance--to the atheist He appears as Death and to the devotee-theist He appears as the Supreme Beloved. The hypocrite atheist says that he does not believe in God, but he cannot say that he does not believe in death. Our definition of God is that He is great. That the atheist does not believe in God means that nobody is greater than him--he is ``God'' himself, but he is enforced to believe that Death is greater than him. In other words, Death is the representation of God before the atheist.

The atheist theoretically can deny the presence of God, but the presence of God in form of Death is present before him despite his flouting. You have seen the picture of Lord Narayana--He has got four hands, two hands are for the atheist and two hands are for the theist. For the theist-devotee the Lord has the Lotus-flower or blooming peace and prosperity, and the Conchshell dissipating all inauspicity by its vibration. But for the atheist there is the big Club for hammering on the head of the atheist, or separate the head of the atheist by the sharpened edge of the Disc.

In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He descends in every millennium to give protection to the faithful and to annihilate the miscreants. So God has got always these two features of His authority, namely protection and death...

So in both the cases how one can say that he has not seen God? Death is Krishna--mrtyuh sarvaharas ca aham (B.G. 10:34). ``(Also) I am Death who takes away everything.'' The atheist is liar that he does not see God. God is there for him as Death. But the atheist is so stubborn and obstinate that although he is very fearful of Death who will take away all his arrangements for sense gratification he lies that he does not see Him, and in the end he even attempts to resist Death, but he is killed as easily as anything and there is no doubt about it.

This appearance of God as Death before the atheist is also the kindness of the Lord. Both God's killing and protection are the same because He is Absolute, but His mercy is shown to the atheist by killing and His mercy is shown to the theist by protecting; so both are seeing God in different features. This is the practical demonstration of the presence of God, it is everyone's practical experience to see Death. There is never any question of the presence of God, only the lying rascal atheist tries to cheat by saying that he does not see God. He tries to cheat others to believe that he is ``God,'' but he himself cannot deny God when He comes before the atheist in the form of Death. (Letter from Srila Prabhupada April 15,1970)

My dear Lord, You are the viewer of the results of pious activities. You are inclination, disinclination and their resultant activities. You are the cause of the miserable conditions of life caused by irreligion, and therefore You are death. I offer You my respectful obeisances. (Lord Shiva- SB 4.24.41)

krsna · June 11, 2005

For me the memories of the years in which Prabhupada actually walked among us are bittersweet. Although I know that he is in his books, I miss him. People often say that life is full of miracles. Life itself is a miracle. But the fact that this great and humble servant of the Supreme Lord came here, alone just for our benefit, is a miracle like no others.

He used to spend weeks at a time here at New Dwarka. During his stay he would engage all of us in various different ways. One time I happened to be standing across the street from the temple with a few young children. Being at the right place at the right time, we all watched, transfixed, as Srila Prabhupada appeared and began rapidly crossing the street somewhat towards us on his way to the BBT Press building. He was flanked by a few Press devotees. There was a lot going on then with money and deadline problems and his mood seemed serious. All of a sudden he changed directions and walked towards us. He stopped, looked at me, pointed to a little three year-old boy named Gopal and said, "He is not wearing neck beads. You can take care of this?" Before I could even finish my "Yes, Srila Prabhupada" he was gone. Of course I was delighted to have been spoken to and engaged by my beloved gurudeva, but as I rushed around to find neck beads I also realized how every aspect of Krishna Consciousness was noticed and important, whether is was getting the books into every town and village down to the smaller details like tilak and neck beads and Vaisnava dress.

Often the knowledge that Prabhupada was right across the street and that I was going to see him and hear him give class again the very following morning was so overwhelmingly exciting that I could not sleep. So I would stay up and secretly make and gift wrap little presents for him. I'd fill a jar with rasagullas or box up little tulasi-manjari garlands for his deities. One time I found saffron-colored cashmere socks in Beverly Hills. I'd wrap each gift in pretty white tissue paper and colored ribbons and discretely make sure that someone put them right next to the vyasasana. Then I'd sit up in the balcony and wait. Sure enough, at some point after giving class he would notice a present and motion to have it handed to him. Each time he seemed to enjoy opening the gift and seeing the surprise inside. This would absolutely thrill me. I would think, "Who cares if I don't get to go on morning walks. I get to wrap presents and watch Srila Prabhupada open them. What could be more fun in all the three worlds?"

One of my most nectarean engagements was helping to make the Prabhupada cookies that he would hand out each morning. That is a whole other story that I will write in about at another time.

Before I end I want to say that there are many spiritual masters now, and I try not to judge or compare them to our Prabhupada. I am glad people are becoming enlivened in spiritual life. But for myself, I want to make sure that I stay as close to the fruits of Srila Prabhupada's labors as possible. He wanted us to attend as many Rathayatras as possible, to read and distribute his books and to hold on tight to each others' association within his beloved International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). That's what I'm going to do. Thank you.

Manmohini dasi

krsna · June 11, 2005

Deshimaru: (French)

Yogesvara: (translating for Deshimaru) He suggests that perhaps this force is something more than person. Since it is in all people, it is something that all people share, but it's beyond them.

Prabhupada: That's all right, but in all people the force is a person. Just like the force is in him, force in me, but we are person. (French)

Yogesvara: This force is the soul.

Prabhupada: Yes. So soul is a person. (French)

Yogesvara: He's confused: what do you define by person then? Because our experience is this person.

Prabhupada: Just like I am a living being; I have got living force. You have got living force. But we are talking as person.

Yogesvara: His question is: how is it that the soul is also a person?

Prabhupada: Because I am soul, you are soul, we keep our person. That is person. (French)

Yogesvara: He suggests that we are only individuals, distinct, because of the bodily difference, that now we are persons, but afterwards we become one.

Prabhupada: Not bodily. Because you are individual, therefore you have got individual body. Just like my coat. It is cut according to me, not I am according to the coat. The dress is made according to the person, not the person becomes according to the dress. (French)

Yogesvara: He says that to... He doesn't see the application. He says if we're just...

Prabhupada: Why not application? Why not application?

Yogesvara: He says it's more important to resolve the problems of why man is suffering rather than discuss whether the soul is a person or not.

Prabhupada: Because he has got different dress, different person. (French)

Yogesvara: So he's asking: therefore, what is the conclusion? If the soul is a person, how does that help us to solve the problem of the man's suffering?

Prabhupada: That is another thing, why man is suffering. First of all... Just like we have to find out the disease, why he is suffering, and if the disease is cured, the suffering is cured. (French) (aside:) Why the others, they do not come? Why is that? What kind of GBC?

Yogesvara: Because there's an old Buddhist saying that no matter what kind of body you have, whether it be made of feathers or flesh or whatever kind of body you have, the problem is how to get out of it.

Prthu Putra: (correcting Yogesvara's translation) No, it's not question of body. If you receive an arrows. You have to translate clearly. If you receive an arrows, it doesn't matter if the arrow is made with wood, with iron, with anything. But just to take out the arrows of your body because that's the cause of suffering.

Prabhupada: Why the GBC men are not interested in these talks?

Satsvarupa: I'm interested, I was just doing secretary work.

Prabhupada: That's all right. How you will do secretary work if you do not hear? These are the important philosophy is going on. Where is the other man Bhagavan dasa? These important talks going on and you do not..., you think that you have learned everything. What is this?

Yogesvara: This young gentleman's question is: if you are pierced with an arrow, it's not so much important to discuss how the arrow has got there. Just like you suggest we define the disease before we try to cure it.

Prabhupada: No, we are not caring how the arrows, but you have got the arrows, you must take out the arrows.

Yogesvara: That is his point also.

Prabhupada: Yes. So the disease is because he has forgotten his own self, therefore he is suffering. (French)

Yogesvara: He says that actually that is the actual problem, to find out our real self.

Prabhupada: Suppose a man, a sane man, has become insane. That insanity should be cured. Then he becomes a sane man. (French)

Yogesvara: Yes, he must understand that he is crazy.

Prabhupada: Yes. He must know... He may understand or not understand. Somehow or other, he has become crazy. So if the craziness is cured, then he is normal man.

Bhagavan: Yogesvara, let Prthu translate.

Prthu Putra: His point... He says if a man understands that he is crazy, then he is not crazy any more.

Yogesvara: Prabhupada says somehow or other, if he understands or not, if he gets cured of his insanity...

Prabhupada: So the insanity is just like you are dressed and if you identify yourself with the dress, that is insanity. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says he agrees. That means to be identified with the appearance.

Prabhupada: So that is insanity. We are actually the living force, soul, but we are identifying at the present moment with the material body. Everyone is thinking, "I am Japanese, I am Englishman, I am German, I am Indian, I am white, I am black," but that is his insanity. So this insanity should be cured, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." And when he understand that he is spirit soul, he should be engaged in the business of the spirit soul. And because he is misidentifying himself with this body he is engaged with the bodily activities. So when he stops his bodily activities and he begins his spiritual activities, then he will be cured. So far bodily, I mean to say, pains and pleasure, that will be automatically cured when he understands that he is not body. Just like I feel heat and cold on account of this body. (French)

Prthu Putra: They believe that the soul and the body is one thing.

Prabhupada: How it is one?

Prthu Putra: He says we have one body, we have the soul, and these two things cannot be separated.

Prabhupada: How the man becomes dead? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the man is like a phenomenon. He appears and he disappears. And when he disappears, he merge in this cosmic force.

Yogesvara: Like anything. Like a flower that grows and dies and merges again into the earth.

Prabhupada: Merges?

Yogesvara: Just like a flower grows from the earth...

Prabhupada: They do not believe in the reincarnation, next birth? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says there is no personal reincarnation of the soul. When the body dies... [break] (French) He says, himself, he has no answer, but the Zen philosophy has one answer.

Prabhupada: Zen philosophy answer? (French)

Yogesvara: He was that cosmic force. Before birth, man was the universality of everything.

Prabhupada: And what you are now?

Yogesvara: And now he is himself. Now he is different.

Prabhupada: So how you became from zero?

Prthu Putra: No, he don't say he is different. He says, "Now I am myself." (French) His point is that he doesn't think that man is more important than the flower or the table. It's all the same.

Prabhupada: Then why he is anxious for man's suffering? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the man is there. The suffering is there.

Prabhupada: No. So why he is bothering about suffering? He was zero, beginning, and he will be zero and now he is also zero. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says there is two aspect. There is this aspect: everything is zero. But there is another aspect. There is a man who is always searching after to find the solution to his problem.

Prabhupada: Why solution? He will automatically become zero. Then finish everything. (laughter)

Karandhara: Just dying that solves all the problems.

Prabhupada: No, he said that is natural. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says religious life is a very deep thing on man and he has to search out, and that must be his goal. Even if there is no reason, it doesn't matter. He has to search.

Prabhupada: No. Then how he can explain from zero something so important come into existence? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says actually he doesn't start from zero. He starts from the cosmic force.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Prthu Putra: He says it's something we cannot define what is it. A man is not able to define this force.

Prabhupada: That means... You cannot define: that means your knowledge is imperfect. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says his knowledge is imperfect, that's for sure, but he says to define this cosmic force with the human mind is to bring down...

Yogesvara: He says actually a human mind cannot define it. A human mind can't actually encompass the whole of the cosmic force.

Prabhupada: If you cannot define, there is no remedy for your suffering. Just like a disease, unless the physician knows what is the infection, he cannot treat. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says one thing: we don't have to put name on disease or we don't have to know this name is called like that, this name is called like that, to cure it.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is the system. If you go to a physician, he will try to understand what is the cause of the disease. Then he makes treatment. (French)

Prthu Putra: They agree about knowing the cause of the disease, that it's necessary to know.

Prabhupada: Yes. That, what is the cause of the suffering? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says ignorance of himself. The man suffer because he's ignoring himself.

Prabhupada: So let him become in knowledge. (French)

Karandhara: How does the cosmic force become ignorant of itself and fall into this condition? If before he was this form he was the cosmic energy, how he can fall down into ignorance and become an individual, limited, conditioned soul? (French)

Yogesvara: I'm finding it hard to be able to translate because he says that we're ignorant and he says at the same time we're not ignorant.

Prabhupada: What is this? When you speak of ignorance, that means he has fallen down from knowledge. That is ignorance. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says this knowledge is there anywhere for everyone, but the men take it or don't take it, ignore it or get themself interested.

Prabhupada: No, why...? As soon as you say ignorant, that means he has lost his knowledge. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says there is ignorance, there is knowledge, but there is something beyond this knowledge and this ignorance.

Prabhupada: What is that something? Do you know it? (French)

Prthu Putra: He called this things God. That is God.

Prabhupada: So therefore we are suffering forgetting God. (French)

Yogesvara: He says, "Well, all right, that's O.K. You can say that we're suffering because we forgot God. The important thing is that we're suffering."

Prabhupada: Yes, that we also say. But we know the cause. (French)

Yogesvara: He says but you are suffering still.

Prabhupada: I may suffering, but I am under treatment. But you are not under treatment. You will die. (French)

Yogesvara: He says Zen Buddhism is also a kind of treatment.

Prabhupada: But if you do not know what is the goal of the treatment, then how the treatment will be successful? (French)

Yogesvara: He says we may choose a goal for ourselves spiritually, but after all, we're the ones who chose the goal, so it's all an individual question.

Prabhupada: No, we are not choosing, God is asking to do this. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says therefore we don't have to worry about what's the result. We just have to practice without being attached to the result.

Prabhupada: No, without result, why should I practice unnecessarily? (aside) Go. Take sleep. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the religious life is not a bargain between God and him. He says we just have to practice without gaining, without waiting for any result, without praying...

Prabhupada: No, no, we are not so fool, without any result we are going to do anything. We are not so fool. (French)

Bhagavan: According to their philosophy, if whether you practice or you don't practice you get the same result in the end, what's the use of doing anything? If at death everything merges back, what's the use of doing anything? Why not commit suicide? (French)

Prabhupada: No, the idea is that when you know that you will be cured, then I take the medicine. And if I do not know whether I will be cured or not, why shall I take the medicine? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says from the medical point that's all right. But from the religious point...

Prabhupada: So you are talking about medical point. Why you place something utopian? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says this example of medical point we made is just an analogy. But the religious life...

Prabhupada: Their analogy must be perfect in all points, otherwise it is no analogy.

Karandhara: Prabhupada, the premise of Zen is that the cosmic force falls into misery when it develops an individual desire. So an individual, as long as he has desires and he wants things, then he's forced to suffer, to take on a body and to suffer. So the Zen satori is to give up all desire, not care one way or the other what happens.

Prabhupada: That is also desire, to give up all desire.

Karandhara: Yes, it is.

Prabhupada: That is also desire. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says that the person who is practicing without goal, without desire, without getting the satori without anything, then he is practicing the satori.

Prabhupada: Where is the point of no desire? (chuckles)

Karandhara: No point. It's ambiguous. (French)

Prthu Putra: For himself it's just to practice zazen, to meditate on Zen.

Prabhupada: That is also desire.

Prthu Putra: He says that's for sure. In the beginning when they are practicing zazen is always some material desire. We desire that, we desire that. We would like to know God or something like that. But by practicing zazen finally we just come to the point -- we don't have any more desire, just by practicing zazen.

Prabhupada: Then what is that position of no desire?

Karandhara: The real position is to eliminate the self. The only possible way that they can achieve no desire, no initiative, is to eliminate the self altogether, to make the self become eliminated and just be the cosmic one again without any self.

Prabhupada: Yes, that will be done automatically. Why you practice so much? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the practice of zazen harmonize the self in this cosmic force.

Bhagavan: Does that harmony means to merge?

Prabhupada: Now let me explain. Suppose the material elements are there. Somehow or other, combined together they have become this body. Is it not? Now, this body, when I am dead body, automatically it again becomes dispersed to the different elements. So this is taking place for even cats and dogs. Then what is the value of my meditation? (French)

Yogesvara: Actually, Srila Prabhupada, you've defeated him. He doesn't really have an answer.

Prthu Putra: He says so then I am practicing like a cat and dog, but the deep goal...

Prabhupada: But I mean to say what result you will get more than the cats and dogs?

Karandhara: Why practice? (French)

Bhagavan: What happens to the cat and the dog in the end?

Karandhara: Actually, Zen philosophy, they accept reincarnation, that the self keeps on taking bodies until he becomes selfless, and it's only in the human form that he can develop that selflessness.

Prabhupada: Then they have to accept good work and bad work.

Karandhara: Yes, they do. They have a similar understanding of karma so far as the material self is concerned, and that the soul or the self takes on different forms until it becomes perfectly selfless. And then it merges back into the nondescript, the cosmic force. So I don't know if this young man's versed in Zen philosophy...

Prabhupada: That is our definition, anyabhilasita-sunyam [brs. 1.1.11]. Sunyam means, you have to give up all material desires. Jnana-karmady-anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. But the desire should be synchronized. Anukulyena krsnanu..., you have to desire to satisfy Krsna.

Karandhara: Well, they come to the point of trying to give up all material desires. But at that point they say there's nothing, there's no self...

Prabhupada: That is their ignorance, or they do not understand, or they do not try to explain because the followers will not understand. That is our also point, anyabhilasita-sunyam [Cc. Madhya 19.167], to become desireless. But after becoming desireless, what is it? Just like you become painless from the disease. That means painless means everything finished? Then let me enjoy this pain. After being painless means everything is finished. No. Painless means no material pain but spiritual life. That is painless. (French)

Karandhara: Their point is they come... Zen Buddhism or Buddhism goes as far as trying to obliterate the material ego.

Prabhupada: No, it is clear as you said, as you said that unless he becomes desireless. That desire means material desire.

Karandhara: Yes. That's actually what they're speaking about when they say desire.

Prabhupada: So they are not so advanced that there is spiritual desire. That they do not understand. But so far the material desirelessness, that is accepted by us also. (French) It is something like this. Just like a child without education at home is simply doing mischief. So the parents want to make him mischievousless. But if the parent does not know that he should be given better engagement, otherwise it cannot be mischievousless, that he does not know. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says there is something beyond material desire and spiritual desire.

Karandhara: No, he doesn't understand the definition when we say spiritual then. He's confusing spiritual with something like esoteric. Spiritual is the opposite of material. And beyond material desire, that means beyond gross and subtle desire, when we say spiritual we mean transcendental, the opposite of material.

Prabhupada: Purified, purified.

Yogesvara: Purified desire. (French)

Bhagavan: Prabhupada says spiritual means pure desire, not that it's opposite but it's pure desire. (French)

Yogesvara: He says it's still a desire. It may be a pure desire, but...

Prabhupada: Because he has no information what is spiritual desire, he thinks material desire is as good as spiritual desire. (French)

Karandhara: They don't have a conception of spiritual. To them everything is material.

Prabhupada: No, it is ignorance. Just like a man is suffering from disease. He is also lying down. He is also eating. He is also passing stool. And if he is informed that "After your disease is cured, you will also nicely sleep, you will also nicely walk, you will also nicely eat," but he is thinking, "Again eating? Again sleeping? Again...?" This is something like this. "So I don't want to be cured."

Karandhara: Yes, that's actually the psychology behind Zen philosophy.

Prabhupada: That is the trouble, yes. He does not know what is the sleeping in healthy condition and what is the eating in healthy condition. He thinks this eating and that eating the same. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says for him, spiritual and material, they are going together. In spiritual is something material, and in material is something spiritual. And they are... Together they form harmony, and this harmony is the goal.

Prabhupada: But he has no knowledge that although... Just like here is my leg, and here is my nail. Now when I cut the nail I don't feel, and as soon as you come little later, the skin, you feel pain. So they are one. But why there is no sensation, and why there is sensation? (French)

Yogesvara: He doesn't understand the analogy. He doesn't understand the example, how that explains spiritual life as compared to material life.

Prabhupada: Then why... How he will understand? Let me know. I will tell him. Let me know how he will understand.

Yogesvara: He doesn't understand the example of the skin and the nail. How does that explain...

Prabhupada: Why? It is everyone understands. Why he does not understand? Here is the nail; here is the skin. As soon I prick the nail cutter here, oh that "Ooooo!" And (chuckles) while it is cutting on, it is going on nicely. Why he does not understand?

Prthu Putra: The thing is he doesn't understand the analogy with spiritual and material.

Prabhupada: Analogy is, means where there is no spiritual sensation, that is matter. (French)

Karandhara: It's just merely meant to be an illustration, not that you're supposed to compare everything all the way around. The body is also material; the nail is also material. The point is that that which is not sensed spiritually by the true identity of the soul, that which is experienced outwardly by the material body and the senses, that is matter. But the basic element, or the basic consciousness is spiritual, and that's eternal. Whereas the sensation from outward, like what I see today and taste today, that is temporary, but the taster, the seer, he is eternal, the self. (French)

Prabhupada: As soon as that spirit soul will be off from this body, this part of the body also will be without any sensation. Therefore the distinction of sensation and no sensation is due to the presence of the spirit soul. (French)

Yogesvara: He says the important thing is the basic principles. If you accept the basic principle, for example that the soul has a form, then we can discuss many many things afterwards.

Prabhupada: Yes, soul has a form. (French)

Yogesvara: He's asking is the form of the soul material?

Prabhupada: No, spiritual. (French)

Yogesvara: He says it's an idea that he finds difficult to understand, spiritual form.

Prabhupada: Yes, that requires knowledge. That requires how to get that knowledge. He has no such knowledge. (French)

Karandhara: You explain to him the basic difference between the Buddhist concept and our concept is that after the material, the ignorance of the material body and the material self, is cleared away and eliminated, there is still a self. There's still a body, but it's spiritual. It's opposite from material. Whereas the material body is simply temporary and liable to suffer, the spiritual body is eternal and never suffers. It's just the opposite of material. Buddhists go towards... They get to the point of eliminating the material, but then they don't, they don't have the next step, or the spiritual.

Prabhupada: No understanding of the spiritual. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the concept of Zen is to see spirituality in matter and something material in spirit, in spirituality. That is the concept of Zen, to realize spiritual life according to matter.

Karandhara: What that means... That's just an _expression of the idea that everything is ultimately one. You don't have to make value judgments, you shouldn't make value judgments or say one thing is better than the other, that everything is ultimately the same, and the self is also the same as everything. So there's no distinction and there's no objective or conscious awareness of anything because everything is everything.

Yogesvara: There's no discrimination.

Karandhara: Yes, there's no self. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says in the daily life there is varieties. If something wrong, we do something right. But when we are speaking about spiritual elevated life, everything is one.

Prabhupada: Yes, when the spirit is gone, then your daily life is also gone. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says yes, for sure, we all die.

Prabhupada: Yes. Therefore daily life means so long the spirit is there. As soon as the spirit is gone, there is no more daily life. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says but the goal...

Prabhupada: Has the dead man has any daily life? (French)

Yogesvara: He says his daily life is just lying in his coffin.

Prabhupada: That is daily life? That is perpetual life. (chuckles)

Karandhara: No, ask him is death always the solution? If we're in ignorance or we're suffering, when I die, even if I don't attain Zen within this life, when I die, does that solve all the problems? (French)

Prabhupada: That I said already. The cats and dogs, they are also having the same result without any Zen philosophy. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says death is a part of life. The question is not to die or not to die. He says the question is not to know we are going to get salvation by going to die or not. The important is just life, and the death is part of life. Here and now, what's happening here, in the instant, here, now, that's important for him.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Prthu Putra: What is important for him is here and now what he's doing in the instant. He says death is just part of life.

Bhagavan: So what difference does it make if someone becomes religious or if someone becomes a demon? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says in a demoniac person there is some religiosity, and in a religious person there is some demoniac qualities too.

Bhagavan: Are you a demon? (French)

Prthu Putra: As we want.

Prabhupada: No, so far we know, Lord Buddha is considered as incarnation of God. He was sympathetic with the animal-killing. So he wanted to stop this animal-killing. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says he thinks that Buddha was just a man who was searching how to solve the problems of death and life, and when he got some experience he preached this message.

Karandhara: Yes, the Zen school don't accept the preeminence of the personality of Buddha. They say Buddha is just a state of mind, and various men in history have attained that state of mind, that no one particular man was the Buddha, set apart from everyone else.

Prabhupada: At least, he set the example before others. That is not wonderful, but he set the example. Therefore he is original Buddha. (French)

Prthu Putra: He doesn't deny the personality of Buddha, and he says the most important thing they are following is some kind of disciplic succession from Buddha until now. He says the most important thing is the relation with the disciple and the master who is in affiliation from Buddha.

Karandhara: But they don't have the same historical... I don't think they're considered the same historical personality. I studied Zen myself a number of years, and they don't distinguish one particular individual in one particular period of time as being the Buddha. All the way back in history as long as history goes, any man who's come to the state of enlightenment has become a Buddha. It didn't begin anywhere. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says he doesn't give any special meaning to Buddha. Sometimes Buddha is with them, sometimes Buddha is a concept of God like the Christianity they call God, or Buddha is all this disciplic succession. He doesn't give any special meaning to the word Buddha.

Prabhupada: No, no, buddha, actually buddha means knowledge, "one who knows," that is the meaning. So that is existing always. Now, we are talking your (sic:) Jain Buddha. Jain Buddha. No? What is the...?

Karandhara: Zen. Zen's a later development. The school of Zen started...

Prabhupada: So we are trying to study this Zen Buddha. Buddha means, ordinarily, knowledge. Budha bhava-saman... [break] (French)

Karandhara: The Zen school is a liberalization of the old Buddhist doctrines. Previously, hundreds of years ago, to completely follow the Buddhist path one had to renounce all activity. He had to go away from civilization and live in hermitage. Zen...

Prabhupada: Nirvana. Finish everything.

Karandhara: Yes. Zen allows a man... According to the precepts of Zen, you can act within the world. You can be a businessman, you can be a soldier, you can be anything, and still attain the same state of perfection by acting without desire, by acting unattached to the results.

Prabhupada: So that is our philosophy. We... Arjuna acted as soldier, and still, he was recognized as devotee. (French)

Bhagavan: What is the use of practice, if you practice or you don't practice you still get the same result?

Prabhupada: No, practice must be there. You cannot avoid practice. We also practice.

Karandhara: What he says is the form of the practice doesn't really matter, but the inspiration or the motivation to practice, to try and become desireless, that is the dynamic thing. It doesn't matter what form it takes.

Bhagavan: The problem is still death, though.

Prabhupada: No, practice without any aim...

Karandhara: They say the aim is the practice itself. Just like we say the aim of devotional service...

Prabhupada: No, no, the aim is there. Aim is there. He says that to become desireless. That is the aim. So why does he say that there is no aim?

Prthu Putra: When he is talking about practice, he's talking about special practice, the zazen practice. And his concept in zazen, his concept of Buddha, is this disciplic succession, that to practice under the guidance of the spiritual master of this disciplic succession of zazen from Buddha. That is his practice.

Prabhupada: No, if he says that "There is no aim; you go on practicing," so aim is there, he says, that to become desireless. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says zazen is in himself the satori, is the practice. We don't practice to get the satori, but the satori is going automatically with the practice.

Prabhupada: No, no, the aim of practice is to become desireless. Is it not? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says the goal of the practice is to become without goal.

Prabhupada: Oh, it is nonsense. (chuckles) What is this nonsense? Goal is without goal. Then what is this? These are vague terms.

Karandhara: It's like saying nothing is true, but then that's a truism.

Prabhupada: It is darkness.

Pusta-krsna: They want to become minus.

Prabhupada: But he is plus always. (French) No, if you have no goal... There is example: "Man without any aim is ship without any rudder." What is called? So suppose if the ship goes... (others are talking at the same time) Aeroplane is going with a aim to land in some country, but if he goes on simply without any aim, then there will be disaster.

Karandhara: Well, they have an aim. But the aim is... Because they haven't...

Prabhupada: That you say they have got; he does not say. You say.

Karandhara: No, but I mean philosophically considering, they have an aim, but it's very obscure. The substance and the significance of that aim is without form or conception.

Prabhupada: So without aim, what is the use of practice? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says he likes the practice without goal, and he doesn't give any value to the practice because there is goal.

Prabhupada: That is foolishness. Without goal, practicing something, it is foolishness. (French)

Karandhara: No, he is also working for a goal. He just differs semantically with what we say.

Prabhupada: No, he does not know what is that goal. No, he does not know what is that goal.

Karandhara: Well, he says the goal is to become goal-less.

Prabhupada: We give the goal... We give the goal, yajnarthe. Yajnarthe karma. We give the goal: for satisfying the Lord Visnu, Yajna, yajna-purusa. We know the goal. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says, "Who is Visnu?"

Prabhupada: Visnu is God. (French)

Prthu Putra: And how we can satisfy God?

Prabhupada: That you have to learn from me. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says yes.

Prabhupada: "Me" means from the spiritual master. If you don't work for Visnu, Yajna, yajnarthe karmanah anyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah [bg. 3.9], then you will be entangled in this birth and death. Just like if I do not know what is healthy life, then, if I live whimsically then I will infect so many contaminous disease, and I will have to suffer one after another, one after another, one after another. Therefore the aim is Visnu. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [sB 7.5.31]. These people, they do not know that what is the aim of life, the aim is Visnu. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. They are implicated with the external energy, therefore very much anxious to mitigate this suffering, mitigate that suffering, mitigate that suffering, that suffering, that suf... The suffering will never end. Simply they will be bewildered, one after another, one after another, sometimes man's life, sometimes a dog's life, sometimes cat's life. That's life. So this kind of philosophy is propounded by blind men. Andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. One blind man is guiding another blind man without knowing the strict, stringent laws of nature. (aside:) There is one bead lying for three hundred years there. Whose? He has taken initiation. He does not know where is the bead? On the... There is a bead. Just see.

Karandhara: On the heater there's someone's beads.

Prabhupada: So I see it was lying on the bathroom. Then I brought it here, and it's still lying unused. Whose it is?

Bhagavan: It is mine.

Prabhupada: You are so forgetful?

Bhagavan: No, I was looking for them.

Prabhupada: Why? Why did you...?

Bhagavan: I left them on your bathroom door, I think.

Prabhupada: Yes. (pause) Hmm. So this kind of leadership will not make any solution, if you do not know what is the real goal. (French)

Prthu Putra: He doesn't agree if a man create or imagine a goal, he says, the real goal, the real things...

Prabhupada: No, it is not imagination. That is another foolishness, to imagine a goal. If we imagine some goal, that is another rascaldom. We have to understand what is the goal of life from superior. Just like a child. He does not know what is the goal of life, but his parents know he must be educated. So goal has not to be imagined. Goal has to be understood from superior. So if the superior man is also blind, then he cannot lead other blind forward. If a blind man takes the position of superior, then he will lead these followers to the ditch only. That's all. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says who can understand that someone is blind or not blind?

Yogesvara: Who can judge.

Prabhupada: But because he has no eyes, he cannot see. Therefore he has to hear. He has to hear. (French)

Pusta-krsna: How can one discriminate what is a real authority and who is a blind person posing as an authority?

Yogesvara: How can we tell a real authority?

Pusta-krsna: As opposed to someone who is posing as an authority?

Prabhupada: This authority means just like you follow somebody. You are going to somewhere by aeroplane. You do not know. But others are purchasing ticket and going there, so you have to follow them. That's all. So the authority is if he does not know... Therefore we are giving the chance, the association of the devotee. The devotee, they are practicing something for going back to home, back to Godhead, so you have to mix with the devotees and then gradually understand.

Karandhara: No, what he's saying is: what is the standard of measurement? There are so many people saying they are the authority. How does one individually judge which one is the best or proper?

Prabhupada: So that he has to judge himself. It is like this: just like if you eat, then you judge yourself whether you are satisfied or not. (French) The process is described. No, no, the process is described. First of all, the thing is that he is inquisitive to know the ultimate goal. That is first qualification, that he is actually searching after the goal of life, the actual. That is first qualification. If he has no such aim, that "I must find out the actual aim of life," then he will remain always in darkness. Then next thing, next process will be that he has to associate with person, those who are also actually the goal of life. And then next process is, as Bhagavan was telling last night, that we have no problem. Then next process will be how we have become free from all problem. Then he will say, "You do like this." Then, acting according to him, one who says that I have no problem, "So let me act like him," when he feels, "Yes, I have no problem," then it is fixed up. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says in the Buddhist philosophy there is these three things. There is these three steps.

Prabhupada: No, no, apart from this philosophy, we are talking general, general talk. So when he understands, "Yes, I have also no problem," then he is fixed up. Then spiritual life begins. Yes. When he becomes problemless, no more problem, then spiritual life begins. So long he is busy to solve the problems of the material, that is no spiritual life. Find out this verse, yam hi na vyathayanty ete purusam purusarsabha, sama-duhkha-sama... Yam hi na vyathayanty ete purusam purusarsabha. Y-a-m, yam.

Pusta-krsna: Yam hi na vyathayanty ete...

Prabhupada: Ete, yes.

Pusta-krsna: 2.15.

Prabhupada: Sah amrtatvaya kalpate.

Pusta-krsna:

yam hi na vyathayanty ete

purusam purusarsabha

sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram

so 'mrtatvaya kalpate

"Translation: O best among men (Arjuna), the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation."

Prabhupada: Yes. So long these material disturbances disturb him, he cannot get any spiritual life. Fixed up, that is the position of fixed up. (French)

Prthu Putra: He's all right with this point. He agree with this point.

Prabhupada: He will agree with all the points provided he is fixed up. (French) Not, (sic:) after death, in this life you can be fixed up, provided you associate with the persons who are fixed up. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says we have to be constantly fixed up, not only one moment and after it's slowing. We always have to be fixed up each time, each time, all the time, all the time.

Prabhupada: Not each time. Just like our devotees. They come in the sankirtana once, twice, thrice. He becomes interested. Then he becomes fixed up. (French)

Prthu Putra: He says to want to become fixed up, that is important, just on the moment.

Prabhupada: Yes. Unless one is fixed up, his spiritual life does not begin. Spiritual life means fixed up, who is not agitated. Sama-duhkha-sukham duhkham. What is that? Same verse.

Pusta-krsna: Sama-duhkha-sukham dhiram. "unaltered in distress or happiness."

Prabhupada: Is there any purport?

Pusta-krsna: "Anyone who is steady in his determination for the advanced stage of spiritual realization and can equally tolerate the onslaughts of distress and happiness is certainly a person eligible for liberation." (French)

Prthu Putra: He says so we then just have to practice now.

Prabhupada: Yes. Goal must be fixed up, practice must be there, and one must be fixed up. Then it will be... (French)

Prthu Putra: He says it's very simple.

Prabhupada: Yes, it is simple. It is simple. First thing to know that I am not this body. Because within this body there is the living force. I am that living force. Then he will understand that there is living force in this big cosmic gigantic manifestation. There is a living force. So what is the relationship with that living force and this living force? Then when it is understood that "Living force is great, and I am small," then what is my duty? Here we see that the great takes service from the small. Therefore my business is to serve the great. That is final. In three lines you can understand the whole truth, provided you understood. But if you become rigid to your understanding, own understanding, then it is very difficult. Otherwise it is very simple. You are a living force. There is no doubt. Is there any doubt? You are a living force. (French)

Prthu Putra: No, he has no doubt.

Prabhupada: Then there must be one living force for the whole cosmic manifestation. So He is also individual; I am also individual. But He is great; I am small. The small business is to serve the great. If the small falsely thinks himself that he is as great, that is ignorance. So one has to get out of this ignorance that he is thinking falsely that he is as great as the big. Then he is in fixed up. Yes. Then further progress.

Bhagavan: Then we can ask, "What is that great?"

Prabhupada: Yes, that we are doing! You can understand very easily. Just like you want money. You are in need of money, but you have no sufficient money. So greatness means he has more than sufficient money. That is greatness. Suppose you are weak, and if He is like you, no. He is unlimitedly stronger than you. You have got knowledge, but not perfect knowledge. But He has got unlimited knowledge. In this way you can understand greatness. (French)

Prthu Putra: He understands the point.

Prabhupada: Greatness should be understood, comparing my position. We can understand, "This man is greater than me. He is superior than me." That we can understand. Similarly, we can understand. Just like we human being, we are floating, flying one biggest airplane, 747, and we are thinking we are very wonderful, but that great is floating millions of planets in the air. But the foolish man cannot see the process. He can see that a pilot is floating this airplane, so there must be one big pilot who is floating all these things. But he cannot see. Therefore he says, "Nature." So he cannot see. Just like a child he cannot see that within the plane there is a pilot (pronounces pee-lot, French pronunciation of "pilot") or pilot. He is thinking that the plane is moving automatically. So one who is foolish, he sees the cosmic wonderful work only. He does not know there is a pilot. And in the absence of that knowledge he is thinking that I am also being moved in that way. So so long I do not see the pilot of the cosmic movement, I am fool. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says, na mam duskrtinah mudhah. (laughs) Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnanah [bg. 7.15]. His knowledge is lost.

Pusta-krsna: "Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest amongst men, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me." (French)

Prabhupada: So naradhama, means lowest of the mankind. In the human form of life one could understand that as there is a pilot in the aeroplane, there is a pilot on this big cosmic manifestation.

Yogesvara: Yes, but his last reaction to that was that he always finds Indian analogies amusing.

Prabhupada: But he has no other knowledge. Without analogy he cannot understand. Then it will be dogmatic. So if you go this way you are dogmatic, and if you this way, analogy. Then what way he will take? (French)

Prabhupada: But you are a fool. In your own way means foolish way. You do not know. (French)

Pusta-krsna: The example is that this body, there is a living force within the body which is causing it to move and to work, and that living force is the soul. And when the soul leaves this body, then the body is no longer moving and eating and talking and hearing and seeing. So in the same way in this universe there is a greater spiritual person, and His body, in a sense, is this whole universe, and it is moving on the same principle because He is the supreme consciousness.

Deshimaru: But what do you know about the soul leaving the body? Maybe when the body leaves the soul, the soul also dies.

Pusta-krsna: The point is that body and soul are two things.

Deshimaru: I think it is same thing.

Prabhupada: You think, but how you can prove?

Deshimaru: How you can prove that the body...?

Prabhupada: Yes, you cannot prove. When the soul is gone...

Yogesvara: He's asking how can we prove our point?

Prabhupada: Yes, I can prove that the body is dead because the soul is gone. (French)

Yogesvara: He says, "Oh, I can also say that when the body is dead, the soul is dead."

Karandhara: No, but at the time of death the body is still there. Just like your body is there, at the time of death your body will still be there, but it won't be the same, something is missing. Something's gone away. What's the difference between a dead body and a living body?

Prabhupada: How you can explain? Why the body's hand is there, leg is there, head is there, why it stopped working? (French)

Yogesvara: He says that when there is no longer any movement in the cells, scientific explanation.

Prabhupada: So why don't you... If you know that, then replace that cell.

Karandhara: The scientists don't have a perfect explanation either. They don't know exactly what death is.

Deshimaru: They cannot know also what life is.

Karandhara: They do. They know this much, that life is what is not present in a dead body. So it must be different than the body.

Deshimaru: But the death is... You can change also what you say.

Prabhupada: How you can change? Can you make the dead body alive? (French)

Karandhara: I can say that life is not present in a dead body, but you can't say that death is present in a live body. (French)

Prabhupada: No, he says that the living force and the body is the same.

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupada: Does he not say? But why the body becomes dead, and the living force go on? Why? Why the body is no more moving? (French)

Prthu Putra: He says when the body is dead, everything is gone, but what is still existing is the karma.

Prabhupada: Is the karma.

Prthu Putra: The karma. What is still existing when a body is dead and when the soul is gone, the something is still there, still existing, is the karma.

Pusta-krsna: Let's say if your hand is cut off, and it's lying there. Why is it that you are not conscious of that hand? (French)

Prthu Putra: Because the nerves are just cut.

Prabhupada: No, no, if the body and the hand is the same, when it is cut, then it is lying down on the floor. So why there is no consciousness. His question is very intelligent.

Deshimaru: Because the hand is cut.

Prabhupada: But it is hand. Why there is no consciousness?

Karandhara: It's part of the body. It should have its own consciousness if the body and consciousness is the same.

Prabhupada: You say the consciousness and body is the same. So when it is cut, why there is no consciousness? Therefore the body is different from consciousness. Therefore body is different from consciousness. (French)

Devotee: And also if he says that the soul and the body are the same, then what is the cause of death then? Then what is death?

Prabhupada: No, we say the soul goes away from this body. Just like if I am sitting here, I can go away from this room, so similarly, the soul is within the body, he goes away, and therefore the body is dead.

Devotee: That's our explanation, but what is his explanation of death? If the soul and the body are the same then what is the cause of death.

Prabhupada: That he does not know, he cannot explain.

Devotee: Is it that the soul gets old, and then because the soul dies, then the rest of the body doesn't work? (French)

Prabhupada: (aside:) Take it. Make arrangement within. (French) (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris

krsna · June 15, 2005

Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/meditation10.html

om namo bhagavate vasudevaya

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5. - "Narada's Instructions on Srimad-Bhagavatam for Vyasadeva."

21 - Your Goodness has perfect vision. You yourself can know the Supersoul Personality of Godhead because you are present as the plenary portion of the Lord. Although you are birthless, you have appeared on this earth for the well-being of all people. Please, therefore, describe the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna more vividly.

Srila Prabhupada teaches us : Srila Vyasadeva is the empowered plenary portion incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna. He descended by his causeless mercy to deliver the fallen souls in the material world. The fallen and forgotten souls are detached from the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and they are eternally servitors of the Lord. All the Vedic literatures, therefore, are put into systematic order for the benefit of the fallen souls, and it is the duty of the fallen souls to take advantage of such literatures and be freed from the bondage of material existence. Although formally Srila Narada Rsi is his spiritual master, Srila Vyasadeva is not at all dependent on a spiritual master because in essence he is the spiritual master of everyone else. But because he is doing the work of an acarya, he has taught us by his own conduct that one must have a spiritual master, even though he be God Himself. Lord Sri Krsna, Lord Sri Rama and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, all incarnations of Godhead, accepted formal spiritual masters, although by Their transcendental nature They were cognizant of all knowledge. In order to direct people in general to the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, He Himself in the incarnation of Vyasadeva is delineating the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.

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Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.5 "Vidura's Talks with Maitreya."

17 - Sukadeva Gosvami said: The great sage Maitreya Muni, after honoring Vidura very greatly, began to speak, at Vidura's request, for the greatest welfare of all people.

Srila Prabhupada continues to teach us :The great sage Maitreya Muni is described here as bhagavan because he surpassed all ordinary human beings in learning and experience. Thus his selection of the greatest welfare service for the world is considered authoritative. The all-inclusive welfare service for the entire human society is devotional service to the Lord, and, as requested by Vidura, the sage described the same very appropriately.

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Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, First Chapter, describing the spiritual masters , 49

"To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

His Divine Grace teaches us : This verse of the Bhagavad-gita (10.10) clearly states how Govindadeva instructs His bona fide devotee. The Lord declares that by enlightenment in theistic knowledge He awards attachment for Him to those who constantly engage in His transcendental loving service. This awakening of divine consciousness enthralls a devotee, who thus relishes his eternal transcendental mellow. Such an awakening is awarded only to those convinced by devotional service about the transcendental nature of the Personality of Godhead. They know that the Supreme Truth, the all-spiritual and all-powerful person, is one without a second and has fully transcendental senses. He is the fountainhead of all emanations. Such pure devotees, always merged in knowledge of Krsna and absorbed in Krsna consciousness, exchange thoughts and realizations as great scientists exchange their views and discuss the results of their research in scientific academies. Such exchanges of thoughts in regard to Krsna give pleasure to the Lord, who therefore favors such devotees with all enlightenment.

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Darshan : http://www.prabhupadaconnect.com/Deities177.html

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His Divine Grace teaches us in his Raja-Vidya: The King of Knowledge , Chapter Two :

"Krsna specifically states that this process of Krsna consciousness is susukham, very pleasant and easy to practice. Indeed, the devotional process is very pleasant; we melodiously sing with instruments, and someone will listen and also join (sravanam kirtanam). Of course the music should be in relation with the Supreme Lord, in glorification of Him. Hearing Bhagavad-gita is also part of devotional service, and in addition to hearing it one should be eager to apply it in his life. Krsna consciousness is a science and should not be accepted blindly. There are nine processes of devotional service recommended (hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, praying, serving, engaging as a servitor of the Lord, establishing friendly relations with the Lord, offering everything to the Lord). These are all easy to practice and should be joyfully performed.

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is , chapter 2, text 2 -

The Supreme Person [bhagavan] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.

Srila Prabhupada explains for our eternal benefit : Krsna and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are identical. Therefore Lord Krsna is referred to as "Bhagavan" throughout the Gita. Bhagavan is the ultimate in the Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely Brahman or the impersonal all-pervasive spirit; Paramatma, or the localized aspect of the Supreme within the heart of all living entities; and Bhagavan, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam this conception of the Absolute Truth is explained thus:

vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam

brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate

"The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan." (Bhag. 1.2.11) These three divine aspects can be explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different aspects, namely the sunshine, the sun's surface and the sun planet itself. One who studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the sun's surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is the highest. Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the sunshine--its universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its impersonal nature--may be compared to those who can realize only the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth. The student who has advanced still further can know the sun disc, which is compared to knowledge of the Paramatma feature of the Absolute Truth. And the student who can enter into the heart of the sun planet is compared to those who realize the personal features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavan feature of the Absolute Truth, are the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are engaged in the study of the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject matter. The sunshine, the sun disc and the inner affairs of the sun planet cannot be separated from one another, and yet the students of the three different phases are not in the same category.

The Sanskrit word bhagavan is explained by the great authority, Parasara Muni, the father of Vyasadeva. The Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is called Bhagavan. There are many persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very learned, and very much detached, but no one can claim that he possesses all riches, all strength, etc., entirely. Only Krsna can claim this because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No living entity, including Brahma, Lord Siva, or Narayana, can possess opulences as fully as Krsna. Therefore it is concluded in the Brahma-samhita by Lord Brahma himself that Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal to or above Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavan, known as Govinda, and He is the supreme cause of all causes.

isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam

"There are many personalities possessing the qualities of Bhagavan, but Krsna is the supreme because none can excel Him. He is the Supreme Person, and His body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of all causes." (Brahma-samhita 5.1)

In the Bhagavatam also there is a list of many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Krsna is described as the original Personality of Godhead, from whom many, many incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand:

ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam

indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge

"All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme Godhead, but Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself." (Bhag. 1.3.28)

Therefore, Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, the source of both the Supersoul and the impersonal Brahman.

In the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna's lamentation for his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Krsna expressed His surprise with the word kutas, "wherefrom." Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Aryans. The word Aryan is applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Visnu, or Bhagavan, and they are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material bondage are called non-Aryans. Although Arjuna was a ksatriya, he was deviating from his prescribed duties by declining to fight. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Aryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity to become famous in this world. Lord Krsna did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen.

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Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 3 titled "Gajendra's Prayers of Surrender"

Gajendra continues to pray to the Lord :

22-24 : The Supreme Personality of Godhead creates His minor parts and parcels, the jiva-tattva, beginning with Lord Brahma, the demigods and the expansions of Vedic knowledge [sama, Rg, Yajur and Atharva] and including all other

living entities, moving and nonmoving, with their different names and characteristics. As the sparks of a fire or the shining rays of the sun emanate from their source and merge into it again and again, the mind, the intelligence, the senses, the gross and subtle material bodies, and the continuous transformations of the different modes of nature all emanate from the Lord and again merge into Him. He is neither demigod nor demon, neither human nor bird or beast. He is not woman, man, or neuter, nor is He an animal. He is not a material quality, a fruitive activity, a manifestation or nonmanifestation. He is the last word in the discrimination of "not this, not this," and He is unlimited. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead!

Srila Prabhupada teaches us :

This is a summary description of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's unlimited potency. That supreme one is acting in different phases by manifesting His parts and parcels, which are all simultaneously differently

situated by His different potencies (parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate). Each and every potency is acting quite naturally (svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca). Therefore the Lord is unlimited. Na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate: nothing is equal to Him, nor is anything greater than Him. Although He manifests Himself in so many ways, personally He has nothing to do (na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate), for everything is done by expansions of His unlimited energies.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

krsna · June 16, 2005

"You have got now the golden opportunity of this human form of life, and it is no accident that you have got your spiritual master, now the rest is up to you. And if you stick tightly to the orders of your spiritual master, always trying to please him only, then very quickly you will achieve the supreme goal of your life. But maya is very strong. Therefore if you want to make progress in kicking maya out from your life, then keep yourselves always 24 hours engaged in the business of Krishna Consciousness movement all over the world, utilizing your energy for that however you are best able, and then you will be freed from all attachment to maya, by Krishna's grace. And always remember to chant Hare Krishna, and that will save you in all circumstances, without any doubt.

Hoping this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami"

(From Srila Prabhupada letter, addressed to "My Dear Sons," 28/12/72)

krsna · June 29, 2005

Krishna and the Vedic View

[A Question and Answer with Sirla Prabhupada, published in Back to Godhead magazine, 1968]

Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,

I've read that your Krishna Consciousness is a non-sectarian science of the soul. How is it, then, that you follow some particular concept of God- Krishna -rather than a more universal concept, such as the One, or the All-Pervading Light?

I like your movement very much, but I do feel this to be a clear contradiction in your philosophy. Yours truly,

Owen Darcy

My dear Mr. Darcy,

Thank you for your interest, and for your question also. I assure you that Krishna is not a concept: He is the Supreme, Original Person. Everything that exists is His energy, and He is the sole Energetic. He pervades His energy because He has complete and limitless control over it. All that exists, then, is of Him, from Him, possessed, pervaded and maintained by Him- therefore He is the One, All-Pervading, and the Resting Ground of the Universes. But He is more even than this. He is thus held to be an Individual: the Whole is more than the sum of the parts. This omnipotence is called the Lord's simultaneously one and different Nature.

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Dear Swami,

I have always read that self-realization can only be attained by cutting oneself off from human society. Do you agree with this? Thank you,

Jereld Penne

Dear Mr. Penne,

No, I don't agree. In India also this was long held to be true but my Spiritual Master, Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati taught that one can use the implements of modern civilization for the service of the Lord, and thus attain to the highest perfection. This was his great contribution. In the Bhagavad Gita, as well, Lord Sri Krishna says that he who preaches the message of God to his fellow men is the most dear devotee (Chaps. XVIII, verse 68). One must, of course, be among one's fellow men in order to do this.

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Dear Swami,

Is Krishna really Nirvana?

Thank you,

William Guttenroth

Dear Mr. Guttenroth,

Nirvana is the negation of material life; Krishna is the positive joy of spiritual existence.

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Dear Swami,

Your philosophy states that the soul or Self is eternal, and that God, the Supreme Self, is also eternal. If this is so, then how is God to be considered the Creator ?

Sincerely,

Mary Welch

Dear Miss Welch,

Creator means the Source, and creation means the emanation from that Source. The Creator and the creation are both eternal- but the creation depends upon the Creator, and not vice versa. It is like the sun and the sunlight. They are always together, but the sun is supreme and independent, while the sunlight is subordinate. Still, they are not separable, as we are eternally inseparable from God.

Ever your well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

krsna · July 6, 2005

"Actually, without the mercy of a devotee nobody can approach the Lord directly -- and it is easier to get the mercy of a devotee than to get the mercy of the Lord. So therefore the most intelligent way of approaching God is to take shelter of a pure devotee.

Somehow or other if one can please a pure devotee of the Lord, such action means immediate satisfaction of the Lord, even though such a person is not officially qualified to receive the mercy of the Lord."

(Srila Prabhupada letter, 21st January, 1970)

krsna · July 8, 2005

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.7

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada:

Instead of becoming a pseudo transcendentalist for the sake of wanton living and sense enjoyment, it is far better to remain in one's own business and execute the purpose of life, which is to get free from material bondage and enter into the kingdom of God. The prime svartha-gati, or goal of self-interest, is to reach Vishnu. The whole institution of varna and asrama is designed to help us reach this goal of life. A householder can also reach this destination by regulated service in Krishna consciousness. For self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the sastras, and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that way make progress. A sincere person who follows this method is far better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a living.

krsna · July 11, 2005

THE PRABHUPADA CONNECTION

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Memories (#39)

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My first contact with the Hare Krishna movement came in the summer of 1969 when I saw its members chanting on the streets of Hollywood. My initial reaction to the shaven heads, saffron-colored robes, and seemingly strange activity was one of bewilderment and, to some degree, comic relief. It was not until a year later that I was able to appreciate the sound philosophy which stems from one of the world’s oldest religious traditions, as explained in their Back to Godhead magazine. I soon realized that there was a tremendous wealth of knowledge and logic behind the activities of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and that it was far from being a new “hippie” cult. In fact, the information contained in that first magazine concisely answered all the questions I ever had regarding life, its purpose, and more.

The next year in Dallas, Texas, it was my good fortune to actually come in personal contact with the author of that Back to Godhead magazine, the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. I greeted him along with the other devotees at the airport and then followed the procession back to the temple, where Prabhupada gave a Sunday Feast lecture. What struck me most about that lecture more than anything was one question that was asked of him by a member of the audience. Srila Prabhupada had been stressing the importance of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, and the guest asked what Srila Prabhupada personally felt when he chanted this mantra. Without hesitation, Srila Prabhupada answered, “I feel no fear.” Because his response was so immediate and filled with such conviction, I sensed that not only what he said was true, but I felt an urgency to try the same mantra meditation process myself.

Over time, it became apparent to many who observed him firsthand that Srila Prabhupada was steadily situated in a higher state of consciousness, beyond anything that was part of our common experience. But that was not all. After a further study of the teachings in his books and observing his interactions with others, I realized that here was a person who was not materially motivated. He was not interested in mundane acquisition, exploitation, or adoration. He was also in complete control of his senses, the very foundation of all yoga practice. By his own example, he was a perfect teacher of the divine process of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga. And by means of his unconditional love and devotion, he was in touch with and connected to the Supreme Being. His mission appeared to be for all of our best interests by making me, and everyone else who cared to listen, spiritually happy by engaging our mind, body, and soul in serving God, Krishna. Srila Prabhupada taught that as a fish out of water cannot be happy out of its constitutional element, similarly, we as spiritual beings cannot be happy simply engaging in activities meant to satisfy our material senses.

Years later, after accepting Srila Prabhupada as a pure representative of God and having taken spiritual initiation from him in Denver, Colorado, I had the opportunity to be with him again. Previously I had been convinced on an intellectual level that Prabhupada was in direct contact with the Absolute Truth, but not until I offered flowers at his feet and looked at him as I offered my obeisances did I understand on an emotional level the depth of my guru. When Srila Prabhupada looked at me, he looked right through the external me, touching the internal me, the soul. I felt naked in front of him, feeling as though he could not only read my mind but my heart as well. It was the most humbling experience of my life.

That morning during Srila Prabhupada’s daily walk, he was talking about prasadam, food offered to God before it is personally consumed. Prabhupada said prasadam is so spiritually potent that if a human being simply eats prasadam once, in his next life he will take birth in a family of devotees. He then stated that if an animal eats prasadam, in its next life it will immediately take birth in the human form of life, jumping over all other species of life that a soul would normally have to pass through before obtaining a human birth.

After this discussion, I was contemplating asking him about something that had been bothering me for some time. I had become affected by so many people I met when distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books who would say that we as devotees should get jobs and not take from society by asking for donations. I said to Srila Prabhupada, “People think we are just trying to escape material life by joining this sankirtan movement.” Srila Prabhupada turned to me, smiled, and asked, “A rich man, does he work? We are rich men. We don’t work. Any rich man, he is not working. Is he escaping? He is engaging everyone in the factory, but he is not working. So is that escaping? We are rich men. We are Krishna’s sons.” He said the problems we have are eating, sleeping, and mating, and we can arrange for these things very easily. Prabhupada taught the philosophy of “Simple Living, High Thinking.” One can till the ground anywhere and get some food. He said, “I keep some cows, and I have got land: my whole economic question is solved.” He asked, “Why shall I make big, big arrangements for these things?” He continued, “You may do it, but why should you forget your real business? That is the defect, that you are so foolish that only for maintaining this body, you have forgotten your real business -- self-realization.” Prabhupada then said, “In the spiritual world there is no question of working. You get everything. So why not endeavor to go there?”

Prabhupada then looked around the beautiful park that we were walking in, surrounded by trees, lakes, and swans. He noted how there was no one else in the park and how we were the only ones who were taking advantage of the park and all its beauty. He said, “They worked so hard, yet they are sleeping. We are taking advantage.” He then told the story of the mouse and the snake. The mouse builds a nice home for himself underground and lives comfortably. Then the snake comes and eats the mouse and lives comfortably in the home the mouse has built. He finished by telling me and the others that accompanied him on his morning walk that we can tell people that actually, “Yes, we are escaping this horrible condition of lif -- meat-eating, drinking, and intoxication. We are escaping these things, but not happiness.”

In his kindness, Prabhupada dispelled my doubt about distributing books rather than living to fulfill the expectations of the public by having a 9-to-5 job. I had been affected by the negative feedback I received from the people I met, but Prabhupada, who was unaffected by them, reminded me that the point of life is self-realization, and our role in the varnasram scheme of things was to remind others about that fact.

Siddhanta dasa

(Editor, www.prabhupada.tv)

krsna · August 23, 2005

Amara Jivana

by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Amara jivana sada pape rata nahiko punyera lesa. This is a song sung by Bhaktivinoda Thakura in Vaisnava humbleness. A Vaisnava is always meek and humble. So he is describing the life of the people in general, taking himself to be one of them. The people in general are like the description given here. He says that my life is always engaged in sinful activities, and if you try to find out, you will not find even a trace of pious activities, only full of sinful activities. And I am always inclined to give trouble to other living entities. That is my business. I want to see that others are suffering, and I enjoy. Nija sukha lagi pape nahi dori. For my personal sense gratification, I do not care for any sinful activities. That means I accept any kind of sinful activities, if it is satisfactory to my senses. Doya hina swartha paro. I am not at all merciful, and only I see to my personal interest, para sukhi dukhi. As such, when others are suffering, I become very happy. I am always talking lies. Sada mithya mora. Even for ordinary things, I am accustomed to speak lies. Para dukha sukha karo. And if one is suffering, that is very pleasant to me. Asesa kamana, hrdi majhe mora. I have got lots of desires within my heart, and I am always angry and falsely prestigious, always puffed up with false pride. Mada matta sada visaye mohita. I am captivated in subject matters of sense gratification, and almost I am crazy, himsa garva vibhusana. My ornaments are enviousness, and false pride. Nidralasya hata sukharje birata. I am subdued or I am conquered by sleep and laziness. Sukharje birata. I am always adverse to pious activities. Akarje udhogi ami. I am very enthusiastic to perform impious activities. Akarje udhogi ami. Pratishtha lagiya sathya acarana. I always cheat others for my prestige. Lobho hata sada kame. I am conquered by greediness, and always lusty. E heno durjana saj jana varjita. So I am so fallen and I have no association of devotees. Aparadhi, offender, nirantara, always. Subha karja sunya, in my life, there is not a bit of auspicious activities, sadanartha manah, and my mind is always attracted by something mischievous. Nana duhke jara jara. Therefore, at the fag end of my life I am almost invalid by all such sufferings, vardhakye ekhona, upaya bihina, in my old age, I have no other alternative now, tate dina akincana. Therefore, by force, I am now become very humble and meek. Bhaktivinoda prabhura carane. Thus Bhaktivinoda Thakura is offering his statement of life’s activities at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

krsna · September 16, 2005

Savarana-Gaura-Mahima

by Srila Narottama das Thakura

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Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

_______

This is another song composed by Narottama dasa Thakura. He says that one who has accepted the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya, in other words, one who has the only asset of possession the two feet of Lord Caitanya, such person is supposed to know what is the essence of devotional service. Se jane bhakati-rasa-sara. What is the purport of devotional service or what is the humor of devotional service can be understood by a person who has accepted Lord Caitanya’s lotus feet as everything. The idea is that actually Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, and He’s teaching devotional service to the living entities personally, directly. Therefore, the modes of devotional service as taught by Lord Caitanya is the most perfect, there cannot be any doubt. The expert, or the master, is teaching the servant how to work. If somebody is master of some engineering work, and he’s personally teaching some assistant, that teaching instruction is most perfect.

Then he says, gaurangera madhura-lila, yara karne pravesila. Now, he comes to the pastimes of Lord Caitanya. He says that Lord Caitanya’s pastimes are also as much transcendental as Lord Krsna’s. As in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that anyone who can simply understand the transcendental appearance, disappearance, activities, work of Krsna, he immediately becomes eligible to enter into the kingdom of God, simply by understanding the pastimes and the transcendental activities of Krsna. Similarly, one who enters into the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, he immediately becomes freed from all contamination of the heart. Gaurangera madhura-lila yara karne pravesila. Simply one has to receive the message of Lord Caitanya. Karne means “in the ear” -- to give the message submissive aural reception. Then immediately one’s heart becomes freed from all material contamination. Then he says, ye gaurangera nama loya, tara hoy premodoya. The devotees are concerned how to develop love of Godhead. Narottama das Thakura recommends that anyone who simply chants Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda. Gauranga means with all of His paraphernalia. As soon as we speak of Gauranga, we should mean the five -- Lord Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, and Srivas, all together. So, se gaurangera nama loya, anyone who chants, immediately he’ll develop love of Godhead. Ye gaurangera nama loya, tara hoy premodoya, tare muni yai balihari. Narottama dasa Thakura says, "I offer him all congratulations, because it is certain that he has developed love of Godhead."

Then he says, gauranga-gunete jhure, nitya-lila tare sphure. Anyone, if he cries, by simply hearing the transcendental qualities of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he at once understands what is the loving affairs between Radha and Krsna. Nitya-lila means the pastimes or the loving exchange affairs between Radha and Krsna. That is eternal, that is not temporary. We should not think that Radha-Krsna’s pastimes, loving affairs is just like the business of a young boy or girl, as we see in this material world. So simply one who is absorbed in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya, he can immediately understand what is the actual position of the loving affairs of Radha-Krsna. Nitya-lila tare sphure, se jaya Radha-Madhava, se yaya vrajendra-suta pasa -- and simply by doing that he becomes eligible to enter into the abode of Krsna. Vrajendra-suta means the son of Nanda Maharaja in Vrndavana -- he’s sure to go to associate with Krsna in his next birth. Gaurangera sangi-gane, nitya siddha boli mane. There are three kinds of devotees. One is called sadhana-siddha. Sadhana-siddha means by following the regulative principles of devotional service, if one becomes perfect, he is called sadhana-siddha. Another devotee is called krpa-siddha. Krpa-siddha means even if he has not followed strictly all the regulative principles, still by the mercy of acarya, or a devotee, or by Krsna, he’s elevated to the perfectional stage. That’s special. And another devotee is called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. The sadhana-siddha and krpa-siddha was contaminated by material touch and by following the regulative principles or by the mercy or grace of some devotee and acarya they are elevated to the perfectional stage. But nitya-siddha means they were never contaminated. They are ever liberated, so all the associates of Lord Caitanya just like Advaita Prabhu, Srivas, Gadadhara, Nityananada, they are Visnu-tattva. They are all liberated. Not only they, the Goswamis, there are many others, so they are ever liberated. So one who can understand that the associates of Lord Caitanya are ever liberated, nitya siddha boli mane, se yaya brajendra-suta pasa. Immediately he becomes eligible to enter into the abode of Krsna. Then he says, gauda-mandala-bhume, yeba jane cintamani. Gauda-mandala means the place in West Bengal wherein Lord Caitanya had His pastimes. In Navadvipa during Lord Caitanya’s birth anniversary, the devotees go and circumambulate different places of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes. It takes nine days. So that portion of Bengal is called Gaura-mandala. So Narottama dasa Thakura says one who understands that there is no difference between this part of the country with Vrndavana, tara hoy vrajabhume basa. It is as good as one lives in Vrndavana. Then he says gaura-prema-rasarnave, se taranga yeba dube. Just like we take a dip and bath, and we play, sport in the waves of the ocean or sea, similarly one who takes pleasure taking a dip, and sporting with the waves of the ocean of Lord Caitanya’s distribution of love of God, such a person becomes immediately a confidential devotee of Lord Krsna. Se radha-madhava-antaranga. Antaranga means not ordinary devotee. They are a confidential devotee. Naottama dasa Thakura says, grhe va vanete thake. Such a devotee who is taking pleasure in the waves of Lord Caitanya’s movement, because he has become a very confidential devotee of the Lord, therefore Norttama dasa Thakura says -- such devotee, it doesn’t matter whether he is in the renounced order of life, or whether he is a householder, grha. Grha means householder. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement does not say that one has to become a renounced order sannyasi. Just like mayavadi sannyasis, impersonalists, Sankaracarya, they put the first condition that you take up the renounced order of life first, then you talk of spiritual advancement. So in Sankara-sampradaya nobody is accepted as a bona-fide impersonalist unless he has accepted the renounced order of life. But here in Caitanya’s movement, there is no such restriction. Advaita Prabhu, He was a householder, Nityananda, He was householder, Gadadhara He was also householder and Srivas, He was also householder and Caitanya Mahaprabhu also married twice. So it doesn’t matter.

So Narottama das Thakura says that to become in the renounced order of life, or to remain in householder life, that does not matter. If he is actually taking part in the movements of Caitanya’s sankirtana activities, and actually understanding what it is, he is taking sport in the waves of such a devotional ocean -- then such person is always liberated, and Narottama dasa Thakrua is aspiring his association ever increasingly. That is the sum and substance of this song.

krsna · September 18, 2005

"The Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) quotes the following injunction from the Visnu-yamala:

"Unless one is initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, all his devotional activities are useless. A person who is not properly initiated can descend again into the animal species." (From the purport of Madhya 15.108)

A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden [...] One who is not properly initiated may present himself as a great devotee, but in fact he is sure to encounter many stumbling blocks on his path of progress toward spiritual realization, with the result that he must continue his term of material existence without relief. [...] Sri Jiva Gosvami advises that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. (Adi 1.35 Purport )

“Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaisnava acarya. A Vaisnava acarya is self-effulgent, and there is no need for any court judgment.” (Purport Madhya 1.220)

“Try to understand. Don't go very speedily. A guru can become guru when he's ordered by his guru. That's all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (Lecture 10/28/75)

"But sometimes, if a spiritual master is not properly authorized and only on his own initiative becomes a spiritual master, he may be carried away by an accumulation of wealth and large numbers of disciples." (NOD 14)

“One should not try to be an artificially advanced devotee, thinking, "I am a first-class devotee." Such thinking should be avoided. It is best not to accept any disciples.” (Madhya 7.130)

How to Remain Always in the Company of His Divine Grace

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