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720501 - Lecture - Tokyo: Difference between revisions

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Prabhupāda: So . . . (break) This material existence, which we are now passing through, is not our actual existence. There is a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet, he says . . . generally, the question is raised, "How the living entities became fallen in this material world?" The Māyāvādī philosophy, they say that we are the same with God, but we are now covered by ''māyā'', and as soon as we are free from this ''māyā's'' covering, we become again one with the Supreme. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. Practically the Vaiṣṇava philosophy also the same, but only difference is that the ''jīvātmā'', he is eternal servant of the Supreme Lord.
'''Prabhupāda:''' So . . . (break) This material existence, which we are now passing through, is not our actual existence. There is a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet, he says . . . generally, the question is raised, "How the living entities became fallen in this material world?" The Māyāvādī philosophy, they say that we are the same with God, but we are now covered by ''māyā'', and as soon as we are free from this ''māyā's'' covering, we become again one with the Supreme. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. Practically the Vaiṣṇava philosophy also the same, but only difference is that the ''jīvātmā'', he is eternal servant of the Supreme Lord.


Actually, if we scrutinizingly study, our constitutional position is to render service. Any one of us who are sitting here, everyone is servant. Nobody can say that, "I am master." We are thinking like master, but actually we are all servants—anyone. Either you are servant of your family or you are servant of your country or you are servant of your senses . . . everyone, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses, servant of this body. And gradually our illusion expands. ''Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti'' ([[SB 5.5.8|SB 5.5.8]]).
Actually, if we scrutinizingly study, our constitutional position is to render service. Any one of us who are sitting here, everyone is servant. Nobody can say that, "I am master." We are thinking like master, but actually we are all servants—anyone. Either you are servant of your family or you are servant of your country or you are servant of your senses . . . everyone, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses, servant of this body. And gradually our illusion expands. ''Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti'' ([[SB 5.5.8|SB 5.5.8]]).
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:''kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare''
:''kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare''
:''pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare''
:''pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare''
:(''Prema-vivarta'')
:(Prema-vivarta)


''Māyā'' is nothing but an illusion which is covering my Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called ''māyā''. I am . . . Kṛṣṇa says that ''mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ'' ([[BG 15.7 (1972)|BG 15.7]]): "All these living entities, they are My parts and parcel, ''sanātana'', not that they have now become servant of Me by material contact, but they are eternally servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ''jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa'' ([[CC Madhya 20.108-109]]): "The real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa." When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. ''Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam'' ([[SB 1.3.28|SB 1.3.28]]).
''Māyā'' is nothing but an illusion which is covering my Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called ''māyā''. I am . . . Kṛṣṇa says that ''mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ'' ([[BG 15.7 (1972)|BG 15.7]]): "All these living entities, they are My parts and parcel, ''sanātana'', not that they have now become servant of Me by material contact, but they are eternally servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ''jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa'' ([[CC Madhya 20.108-109]]): "The real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa." When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. ''Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam'' ([[SB 1.3.28|SB 1.3.28]]).
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:([[BG 7.3 (1972)|BG 7.3]])
:([[BG 7.3 (1972)|BG 7.3]])


"Out of many million of person, one is interested how to make this life, human life, successful." Everyone is interested how to enjoy senses, sense gratification. But that is the business of the animals. The animals, they do not know anything beyond their sense gratification. ''Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṇām'' (''Hitopadeśa'').
"Out of many million of person, one is interested how to make this life, human life, successful." Everyone is interested how to enjoy senses, sense gratification. But that is the business of the animals. The animals, they do not know anything beyond their sense gratification. ''Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṇām'' (Hitopadeśa).


The sense gratification business is equal in human being and animal. The animal eats, and a human being also eats. The animal sleeps, a human being also sleeps—maybe in nice compartment, but the sleeping business. The animal eats . . . the animal eats directly anything, whatever he gets; we make palatable dishes for satisfaction of our tongue. We kill many animals and eat them. So that may be the difference. Otherwise, the eating business of the animal and the human being is the same.
The sense gratification business is equal in human being and animal. The animal eats, and a human being also eats. The animal sleeps, a human being also sleeps—maybe in nice compartment, but the sleeping business. The animal eats . . . the animal eats directly anything, whatever he gets; we make palatable dishes for satisfaction of our tongue. We kill many animals and eat them. So that may be the difference. Otherwise, the eating business of the animal and the human being is the same.
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:''kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare''
:''kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare''
:''pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare''
:''pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare''
:(''Prema-vivarta'')
:(Prema-vivarta)


As soon as you forget your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is ''māyā'', and she will capture you. And the counterprocess is: as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the ''māyā'' is gone. Just like it is said, ''kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra'' ([[CC Madhya 22.31|CC Madhya 22.31]]): "''Māyā'' is considered as darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is the sunlight, or sun." So wherever there is sun, there is no darkness. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more darkness of ignorance. ''Tasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti'' (''Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad'' 1.3).
As soon as you forget your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is ''māyā'', and she will capture you. And the counterprocess is: as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the ''māyā'' is gone. Just like it is said, ''kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra'' ([[CC Madhya 22.31|CC Madhya 22.31]]): "''Māyā'' is considered as darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is the sunlight, or sun." So wherever there is sun, there is no darkness. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more darkness of ignorance. ''Tasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti'' (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3).


So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is authorized. It is based on Vedic conclusion. ''Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam'' ([[BG 15.15 (1972)|BG 15.15]]). Actually, the Vedas are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his studies of ''Veda'' is simply useless waste of time. And one who understands Kṛṣṇa simply, he has studied all the ''Vedas''. ''Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim'' (''Nārada Pañcarātra''). Kṛṣṇa also said that:
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is authorized. It is based on Vedic conclusion. ''Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam'' ([[BG 15.15 (1972)|BG 15.15]]). Actually, the Vedas are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his studies of ''Veda'' is simply useless waste of time. And one who understands Kṛṣṇa simply, he has studied all the ''Vedas''. ''Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim'' (Nārada Pañcarātra). Kṛṣṇa also said that:


:''teṣām evānukampārtham''
:''teṣām evānukampārtham''
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So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither new nor any concocted, manufactured thing. It is authorized, based on the ''Vedas'', based on the Vedic authorities, and it is very simple, and it has become simplified by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Because Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. When Kṛṣṇa said that ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]), many fools and rascal could not accept it. ''Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā duṣkṛtina narādhamāḥ'' ([[BG 7.15 (1972)|BG 7.15]]). Those who are miscreants, those who are lowest of the mankind, those who have lost their knowledge, they cannot. And those who are ''mūḍhas'', rascals, they cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither new nor any concocted, manufactured thing. It is authorized, based on the ''Vedas'', based on the Vedic authorities, and it is very simple, and it has become simplified by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Because Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. When Kṛṣṇa said that ''sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja'' ([[BG 18.66 (1972)|BG 18.66]]), many fools and rascal could not accept it. ''Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā duṣkṛtina narādhamāḥ'' ([[BG 7.15 (1972)|BG 7.15]]). Those who are miscreants, those who are lowest of the mankind, those who have lost their knowledge, they cannot. And those who are ''mūḍhas'', rascals, they cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa.


Therefore Kṛṣṇa again, in the form of a Kṛṣṇa devotee, Lord Caitanya, He came. He taught how to love Kṛṣṇa. ''Premā pum-artho mahān'' (''Caitanya-manjusa''). That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, ''kṛṣṇa-prema''. You have to increase your love for Kṛṣṇa. We have got our love, dormant love, but that love is now being distributed in so many ways, and we are spoiled, we are frustrated. But if you concentrate your love, oh, upon Kṛṣṇa, then you will not only love Kṛṣṇa; you will love the whole human society, whole living entities. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa again, in the form of a Kṛṣṇa devotee, Lord Caitanya, He came. He taught how to love Kṛṣṇa. ''Premā pum-artho mahān'' (Caitanya-manjusa). That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, ''kṛṣṇa-prema''. You have to increase your love for Kṛṣṇa. We have got our love, dormant love, but that love is now being distributed in so many ways, and we are spoiled, we are frustrated. But if you concentrate your love, oh, upon Kṛṣṇa, then you will not only love Kṛṣṇa; you will love the whole human society, whole living entities. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy.


So the process is very easy, given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu: ''ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam'' ([[CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). You will increase ''ānandāmbudhi. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam''. In this present age, in this Kali-yuga, ''kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā'', very simple.
So the process is very easy, given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu: ''ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam'' ([[CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). You will increase ''ānandāmbudhi. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam''. In this present age, in this Kali-yuga, ''kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā'', very simple.
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Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.


Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
'''Devotee:''' All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.


(applause) (end)
(applause) (end)

Latest revision as of 03:15, 21 December 2023

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



720501LE-TOKYO - May 01, 1972 - 43:23 Minutes



Prabhupāda: So . . . (break) This material existence, which we are now passing through, is not our actual existence. There is a Bengali Vaiṣṇava poet, he says . . . generally, the question is raised, "How the living entities became fallen in this material world?" The Māyāvādī philosophy, they say that we are the same with God, but we are now covered by māyā, and as soon as we are free from this māyā's covering, we become again one with the Supreme. This is Māyāvāda philosophy. Practically the Vaiṣṇava philosophy also the same, but only difference is that the jīvātmā, he is eternal servant of the Supreme Lord.

Actually, if we scrutinizingly study, our constitutional position is to render service. Any one of us who are sitting here, everyone is servant. Nobody can say that, "I am master." We are thinking like master, but actually we are all servants—anyone. Either you are servant of your family or you are servant of your country or you are servant of your senses . . . everyone, at the present moment, we are servant of the senses, servant of this body. And gradually our illusion expands. Ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8).

This material world, it is explained by Vaiṣṇava philosopher:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

Māyā is nothing but an illusion which is covering my Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called māyā. I am . . . Kṛṣṇa says that mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7): "All these living entities, they are My parts and parcel, sanātana, not that they have now become servant of Me by material contact, but they are eternally servant." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya kṛṣṇa dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109): "The real identity of the living entity is that he is eternal servant of God, or Kṛṣṇa." When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa means God. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

So actually, we are still servant, although we have rejected servitude of Kṛṣṇa. That is our rebellious condition. Every one of us, all living entities within this material world, they are more or less rebellious condition. We don't want to serve Kṛṣṇa, I want to become Kṛṣṇa. That is māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. First of all, in our karmī life we want to become master of the world. I want to lord it over the material nature. That is our struggle. Everyone is trying, "I shall become the master." Nobody wants to become servant. That is māyā. But actually he is serving. That is our position. Try to understand.

We are serving our senses whimsically. I want to become this. I want to become that. First of all I want to become a big businessman, or I want to become a prime minister, I want to become the president. And when I am frustrated, then I want to become God. That want—"I want to become master"—is going on. So this is also māyā. How one can become God? Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). Nobody can become equal to God or greater than God. Asamaurdha. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is described as asama urdha: "Nobody is equal to God, and nobody is greater than God." Asama urdha.

So this disease . . . this is called material disease. I want to lord it over the material nature, and when I fail to lord it over, then I want to become one with God. Of course, there are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sāmīpya, sālokya . . . by liberation you can become one with God. That is not very difficult. If you want to become . . . merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. God is all-powerful. You are emanation from God. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

So if you want to—sāyujya mukti—if you want to finish your individuality and merge into the existence of God, that is not very difficult job. Even the enemies of Kṛṣṇa—Kaṁsa, Jarāsandha, Dantavakra, Śiśupāla, and many demons—they also merged into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. The enemies also given the liberation to merge into the existence of Kṛṣṇa. That is not very difficult job. But to keep your individuality and serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is your actual position, constitutional position.

That mukti . . . the Vaiṣṇava philosophers, they want that mukti. They want to keep . . . nitya-yukta upāsate. Nitya-yukta. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, nitya-yukta upāsata. The upāsana, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead—man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65)—this is not stopped after liberation. The same business goes on. That is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava, even if he is offered mukti . . . dīyamānaṁ na gṛhṇanti. Even if he's offered that, "You take mukti," they do not accept it. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said in His prayer to the Supreme Lord:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

Na dhanaṁ na janam. The karmīs, they are hankering after wealth, riches, great following, great dependents. Na dhanaṁ na janam. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: "I don't want. I don't want riches. I don't want many followers." Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. Another demand of the karmīs is that "I must have very nice, beautiful, obedient wife." Caitanya Mahāprabhu said: "No, I don't want that." Na dhanam. This is finishing materialism.

In the material world people want these three things: dhanam, janam and sundarīṁ kavitā. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye. "Then mukti? You take mukti?" "No." Mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī (CC Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4): "I don't want to finish My repetition of birth and death also." That is called mukti. Mukti means stopping the repetition of birth and death. So those who are hankering after . . . the jñānīs, the jñānī-sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. But that merging is possible in the brahma-jyotir. Brahmajyoti.

The Absolute Truth is divided into three. Actually, He is not divided. Because He is absolute, He cannot be divided. But according to the, I mean to say, realizer, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as impersonal Brahman, somebody is realizing the Absolute Truth as localized Paramātmā, and somebody is realizing Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, most beautiful, lovable object. So the Bhāgavata Purāṇa says, vadanti tat tattva vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). There is no difference between Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. It is only the different features of realization.

If you want to realize the Absolute Truth by your imperfect senses . . . we should always know that our senses are always imperfect. Just like we are very much proud of seeing with my own eyes. We say sometimes, challenge, "Can you show me God? Can you show me this or that?" But we do not know how much imperfect are our eyes. We are seeing every day the sun, but we are seeing it just like a disk. But actually the sun is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. We cannot see. If there is . . . immediately there is darkness, we cannot see. Unless there is light, sunlight or electric light or moonlight, we cannot see. We cannot see our eyeballs. We cannot see the eyelid, nearest. Longest, longest we cannot see; nearest we cannot see. Therefore we should not be very much proud of our seeing directly, direct perception.

So direct . . . anyone who is trying to understand the Absolute Truth by direct perception, he can rise up to the impersonal Brahman understanding, not more than that. And those who are trying to understand the Absolute Truth within his heart, just like yogīs . . . dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogī, by meditation, being in samādhi, they are seeing the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, within the heart. Dhyānāvasthita. And those who are devotees, they are seeing the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Arjuna is seeing, personally, face to face: Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the origin of everything. As it is explained in the Vedānta-sūtra, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

What is Absolute Truth? This human form of life is meant for understanding what is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is human form of life. The cats and dogs cannot inquire about what is Brahman. That is not possible. This human form of life, they can inquire. Inquisitiveness. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. And immediately reply, the Vedānta-sūtra, "Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is that which is the source of everything." Janmādy asya. Now that reply is given by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā:

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo
mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
(BG 10.8)

Budhā. Budhā means one who is actually in knowledge, one who is actually in understanding. Such person, he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ. The Vedānta-sūtra gives hint that "Absolute Truth is that which is the original source of emanation of everything." That Absolute Truth is Kṛṣṇa. He says further, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7): "Beyond Me, there is no other superior authority or truth." So in another place Kṛṣṇa says:

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ
(BG 7.3)

"Out of many million of person, one is interested how to make this life, human life, successful." Everyone is interested how to enjoy senses, sense gratification. But that is the business of the animals. The animals, they do not know anything beyond their sense gratification. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca, sāmānyam etad paśubhiḥ narāṇām (Hitopadeśa).

The sense gratification business is equal in human being and animal. The animal eats, and a human being also eats. The animal sleeps, a human being also sleeps—maybe in nice compartment, but the sleeping business. The animal eats . . . the animal eats directly anything, whatever he gets; we make palatable dishes for satisfaction of our tongue. We kill many animals and eat them. So that may be the difference. Otherwise, the eating business of the animal and the human being is the same.

Similarly, sexual intercourse. The dog can freely have sexual intercourse on the street. The hog can have sexual intercourse on the street, and without any discrimination whether mother, sister or anything. That is hog life, dog life. But a human being has the same sexual desires, but little decently. That is the difference.

So the śāstra says that if you become simply engaged in these four kinds of business—eating, sleeping, mating and defending—then you are no better than animal. Your business is brahma-jijñāsā. Try to understand what is Brahman. That is your business. The Kṛṣṇa replies in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā (BG 14.27). Even if you want to understand the impersonal Brahman, you have to search out wherefrom this effulgence is coming. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is confirmed in the Brahmā-saṁhitā:

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam
tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
(Bs. 5.40)

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement—important in this sense, that we are educating people without any discrimination about Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa. And actually, as we understand from the Bhagavad-gītā, if we simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa, as Kṛṣṇa says, that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye, yatatām api siddhānām . . . (BG 7.3). It is very difficult to understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, Kṛṣṇa is understandable if we simply follow the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation.

Actually, there are so many editions of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world, about six hundred, seven hundred in America, in Japan, in England. I have seen so many editions, English editions, what to speak of other language editions. So anyway, the malinterpretation is going on. We have, therefore, published Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any malinterpretation. Our business is to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Kṛṣṇa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya (BG 7.7). We say that, that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What Kṛṣṇa says Himself, we simply carry the message. That's all.

Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65): "Just always think of Me," man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, "just become My devotee and," man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī, "just worship Me and offer your respectful obeisances unto Me. In this way you shall come back to Me." So we are teaching that, that . . . we are teaching our students that "Always think of Kṛṣṇa." Smārtavyaṁ satato viṣṇuḥ. Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa, the same category.

So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, very easy. There is no need of education, there is no need of becoming very wealth or very intelligent. Anyone, even a child, can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So each time you pronounce the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, you remember Him, the smārtavyaḥ satato viṣṇuḥ. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). If by practicing this, at the time of death if we can remember Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Then our life is successful. Ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, if you can remember simply Nārāyaṇa at the time of death.

Because next life means at the constitu . . . I mean to say, mental position of your life at the time of death. Whatever mental position you put yourself, that is your next life. That is your next life. Yad yad . . . what is that? Yad yad bhāvam. I forget that verse. At the time of death, whatever you think, that is your next life. I prepare my next life in this life. That is in the hands of the material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27).

As we associate, guṇeṣu . . . it is also described in this Bhāgavatam, ramamāṇaḥ asyā guṇeṣu. We are now enjoying in the company of different modes of material nature. Some is enjoying life in company with the modes of material nature, goodness, and some is enjoying the modes of passion, and some is enjoying the modes of ignorance.

There are three qualities: sattva, rājaḥ, tamaḥ. Sattva is translated as goodness, rājaḥ as passion and tamaḥ as ignorance. And according to these guṇas, different people are there. That is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā: catur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). As we associate with different types of guṇas, we make our position like that. So those who are in the sattva-guṇa, they are called brahmin. Those who are in the rajo-guṇa, they are called kṣatriyas. Those who are mixed guṇa, they are called vaiśyas. And those who are in the tamo-guṇa, they are called śūdras. These are described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So our aim of life should be how to transcend all these guṇas. Trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna. Kṛṣṇa advises Arjuna that "The Vedic knowledge . . . or this whole material creation is mixed up with three kinds of the modes of material nature. So you have to transcend." Nistrai-guṇyo bhavārjuna. And what is the process to put ourself in that transcendental position? That transcendental position is, sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26).

What is that? Māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is situated in the bhakti-yoga process, especially mentioned, bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti, you can understand Kṛṣṇa simply by this bhakti-yoga process. Kṛṣṇa never ment jñāna-yoga or dhyāna-yoga or karma-yoga process. He especially meant that bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). If you want to know Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then you have to accept this bhakti-yoga process. There are many thousands of yogic processes, but if you want to know Kṛṣṇa, if you want to know God, then you have to take to this bhakti-yoga process.

That is also indicated by Arjuna. When Arjuna was being advised, he was assured that . . . why Kṛṣṇa was advising about Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna? He was a gṛhastha, householder, a kṣatriya, fighter, warrior. He was not a Vedāntist, neither he had any time to study Vedas. He was a gṛhastha. Study of Vedas is the business of the brahmin. So he was not a brahmin.

But still, Kṛṣṇa said that "Still, I am instructing you this Bhagavad-gītā, rahasyam etad uttamam (BG 4.3). The most confidential secrecy, mystery, of Bhagavad-gītā is difficult to understand, but I am instructing you." "Why? Why You have selected me?" Bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." This is the only qualification to understand Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise, unless one is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot understand the confidential teachings of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Fourth Chapter:

imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāhur
manur ikṣvākave 'bravīt
(BG 4.1)

Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā, the process is given there, how to study Bhagavad-gītā—by the paramparā system, not by your whimsical way. You must hear from the authorized person. Just like Kṛṣṇa said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: "I instructed this Bhagavad-gītā philosophy to sun-god, and he instructed to his son Manu. And Manu instructed to his son Ikṣvāku."

So in this way you have to study. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam. So if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you should study immediate paramparā. Arjuna was present. Arjuna was personally instructed by Kṛṣṇa. And you should catch up how Arjuna understood Kṛṣṇa.

That is explained in the Tenth Chapter. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān puruṣaṁ śāśvatam (BG 10.12): "You are the Supreme Personality, puruṣam, the supreme enjoyer. Śāśvatam. Not that at the present moment; eternally You are the enjoyer." And Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, also says the same thing in another place:

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
(BG 5.29)

People are hankering after śānti, peace, but they do not know the way. The way is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. What is that? Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ: "I am the supreme enjoyer of everything." Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka maheśvaram: "I am the proprietor of everything." Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1): "God is the proprietor of all planets." But we are claiming that "I am proprietor," "We are proprietor, nationally." That is our mistake.

Actually, everything belongs to God. Now, the Japanese claiming that, "The Japan is our country." Indians are claiming, "India is our country." But nothing belongs either to the Japanese or to the Indians or to the Americans. Everything belongs to God. This consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If we understand three things only: that God is the only proprietor, Kṛṣṇa is the only proprietor; He is the only enjoyer; and we are simply servant to help Him in His enjoyment . . . the highest perfection is found in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is trying to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is real life. That is real mukti.

In the Bhāgavata it is said mukti means hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Mukti means you have to give up your artificial ways of life and you have to situate yourself in your normal constitutional position. That is called mukti. Mukti hasn't got any other definition. Mukti means just like you are attacked with fever, if your fever is gone, then you are mukta, you are liberated from fever. Similarly, this disease, ahaṁ mameti . . . (SB 5.5.8).

I am in this material world, I am thinking this body as myself. I am identifying with this body, and according to that bodily relation, I am identifying my . . . mamāham iti. There are thousands of women, but the one woman who has got bodily relationship with me, (s)he is my wife. There are thousands of children, but the one children or two children who has got bodily relation with me, they are my sons, my daughters. Mamāham iti manyate (SB 2.9.2). Then our . . .

First of all, this whole world is based on sex life, either in human society or animal society or bird society or tree society or aquatic society, any society go, the central point is sex life. Sex life. And as soon as we unite with sex life, our this bodily concept of life becomes more and more entangled. Then we want . . . ataḥ gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8).

So actually, in this material existence we are forgetting our real, constitutional position, that we are all eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). But some way or other, we have come to this material world for enjoying, for lord it over the material nature. And that is not possible. You cannot lord it over. The Lord is Kṛṣṇa, but we are trying to be lord. And the endeavor, the labor which we are giving incessantly, that we are thinking happiness.

The nature, the material nature, is putting stumbling block every time. That, to overcome the impediments offered by the material nature and our trial for overcoming that stumbling block, that is our endeavor. And we are thinking this is happiness. Just like you are making one high road and there is . . . material nature is offering a big hill, a big mountain before you. Now you have to make tunnel. You have to call for dynamite and try to penetrate through the hill.

That struggle is known as advancement of material condition. That you cannot. In America and other materialistic countries we see—here also, in Japan—they are laying down one kind of road for plying their motorcars. After some years it becomes a problem—another flyway, another flyway.

So this is going on. This is called struggle for existence. We are trying to conquer over the stringent laws of material nature, and that labor, that useless spoiling of life, we are thinking that we are . . . this is happiness. This is called māyā. We are actually giving service to the māyā instead of giving service to Kṛṣṇa. This is illusion.

Now, if you change your consciousness that, "I have never been satisfied, happy, by giving service to the māyā. Now let me serve Kṛṣṇa," that is your liberation. That is your liberation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa said, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You come under Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

We are actually struggling with material nature to become happy. But it is not possible to conquer over the material nature. That is not possible. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is very difficult. You cannot do it. Then how I can get from the clutches of the hands of material nature? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: "You simply surrender unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says: "and you immediately get rid of this māyā."

There are many greatly . . . great saintly persons. They are trying to get out of the clutches of māyā, to become liberated. But here is the simple process: simply you surrender unto Kṛṣṇa. He personally advocated. It is not that we are manufacturing in some way. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself, that "You simply surrender unto Me, and immediately you are out of the clutches of māyā." Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.

So I do not wish to take much of your time, but the thing is that the whole world is struggling hard. They are not in peace. One man is enemy of another man. One nation is enemy of another nation. This is going on. This is . . . all these things are going on simply due to our forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. The same formula:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta)

As soon as you forget your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, immediately there is māyā, and she will capture you. And the counterprocess is: as soon as you surrender to Kṛṣṇa, the māyā is gone. Just like it is said, kṛṣṇa sūrya-sama māyā andhakāra (CC Madhya 22.31): "Māyā is considered as darkness, and Kṛṣṇa is the sunlight, or sun." So wherever there is sun, there is no darkness. Similarly, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, wherever there is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no more darkness of ignorance. Tasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3).

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. It is not a sentimental movement. It is authorized. It is based on Vedic conclusion. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). Actually, the Vedas are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his studies of Veda is simply useless waste of time. And one who understands Kṛṣṇa simply, he has studied all the Vedas. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada Pañcarātra). Kṛṣṇa also said that:

teṣām evānukampārtham
aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho
jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
(BG 10.11)

Do not think that those who are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, those who are fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, they are ignorant. No. Kṛṣṇa, from within, He is giving intelligence. He gives intelligence to the devotees. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam (BG 10.10). He will give. Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. Simply you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, and everything will be supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Especially He says, teṣām evānukampārtham: "In order to show them special mercy."

To whom? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam If you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, bhajatām, with love and faith, then Kṛṣṇa is within you—He will give you all intelligence. Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He gave the intelligence. That is . . . we are describing how He gave intelligence to Lord Brahmā, who is the creator of this universe.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is neither new nor any concocted, manufactured thing. It is authorized, based on the Vedas, based on the Vedic authorities, and it is very simple, and it has become simplified by the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Because Lord Caitanya is Kṛṣṇa Himself. When Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66), many fools and rascal could not accept it. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā duṣkṛtina narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are miscreants, those who are lowest of the mankind, those who have lost their knowledge, they cannot. And those who are mūḍhas, rascals, they cannot surrender to Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa again, in the form of a Kṛṣṇa devotee, Lord Caitanya, He came. He taught how to love Kṛṣṇa. Premā pum-artho mahān (Caitanya-manjusa). That is the philosophy of Lord Caitanya, kṛṣṇa-prema. You have to increase your love for Kṛṣṇa. We have got our love, dormant love, but that love is now being distributed in so many ways, and we are spoiled, we are frustrated. But if you concentrate your love, oh, upon Kṛṣṇa, then you will not only love Kṛṣṇa; you will love the whole human society, whole living entities. That is Kṛṣṇa philosophy.

So the process is very easy, given by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam (CC Antya 20.12). You will increase ānandāmbudhi. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. In this present age, in this Kali-yuga, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā, very simple.

You may remain a family man. You may remain a renounced man. It is very difficult in the present age. Practically, sannyāsa is forbidden in this age. So you remain in your position. But our only request, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and gradually you will be emancipated, liberated. You will get your life. Everything will come, one after another.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

(applause) (end)