660914 - Lecture BG 06.21-27 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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660914BG.NY - September 14, 1966

Prabhupāda:

sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad

buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam

vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ

sthitaś calati tattvataḥ

(BG 6.21)

Now, every one of us is searching after happiness, but we do not know what is real happiness. The real happiness is, hint of real happiness, what is real happiness, that is being described by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. What is that real happiness? Happiness we feel through our senses. Because material, dead stone, has no sense—therefore dead stone cannot feel happiness or distress. Now, this consciousness, the developed consciousness, feels happiness and distress more than undeveloped consciousness.

Just like the trees. The trees, they have got also consciousness, but it is not developed consciousness. Therefore the trees are standing on the road or anywhere, but they have no sense of feeling the misery. Now, suppose a human being is asked to stand like the tree, at least for three days. Oh, it will be impossible for him, because he cannot tolerate such kind of misery.

So therefore conclusion is that every living entity feels the pleasure and happiness according to the developed consciousness of his being. Similarly, the happiness which we are feeling now in the material mixture, that is not real happiness. That is not real happiness. If you ask the tree, "Are you feeling happy?" the tree will say: "Yes. I am feeling happy standing here the whole year, and the wind and snowfall I am enjoying very much." Oh. You see? So that sort of happiness the tree may enjoy. But you are human being. You will say, "Oh, this is the standard of his enjoyment."

So, similarly, there are different kinds and different grades of living entities. Their standard of feeling happiness and miseries are also different grades. Animal. In the animal kingdom, they have no sense. One animal is being slaughtered; the other animal is seeing. Because he has no knowledge, the next turn is he is being turned . . . being slaughtered, but he is chewing some grass. He is happy. He is thinking that, "I am happy." Next moment it will be slaughtered, but he does not know. So these are all different grades of happiness.

But the highest standard of happiness is described here, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam. Buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam. Buddhi means intelligence. One has to be intelligent. If you want to enjoy life, then you must be intelligent also. Just like the animals, they are not intelligent enough; therefore they cannot enjoy life as a human being can, standard.

So here, in the Bhagavad-gītā also, it is said that buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam. Atīndriyam. Now, just take the example of a dead man. The senses, the hands, the nose, the sense organs and everything is there, but now he cannot enjoy. The dead body, it cannot enjoy. Why? This requires intelligence. Why the dead body cannot enjoy? What is the difference? The body is lying there. The hands and the nose and the legs and the eyes and all other sense organs are there. But why the dead body cannot enjoy? That requires intelligence. That means that the enjoying energy, the spiritual spark, that has gone away. Therefore it has no power to enjoy.

Then, if you make advance further with intelligence, then you will understand that actually the body was not enjoying, but that little spark, spiritual spark, that was enjoying, not this body. This requires little intelligence. I am thinking that, "I am enjoying with my sense organs," but you are not enjoying. The real . . . real enjoyer is that small spiritual spark within you. That spiritual spark has got the potency of enjoyment, but that is not being manifested on account of being covered by this material tabernacle, and therefore this enjoyment is not perfect.

This requires little intelligence that, "Where is the enjoyment for the dead body?" The dead body no more can enjoy. Suppose if a man is offered a dead body of a beautiful woman, will he accept? Or a woman is offered the dead body of a beautiful man, will she accept? No. Because that enjoying spark is moved now. That requires intelligence. Who is enjoying? Who is enjoying? The enjoying, the enjoying spirit. The spirit is enjoying, not this body. That requires intelligence.

Then again . . . now, if that spirit is enjoying, then the spirit must have enjoying senses also. Otherwise, how it can enjoy? If you have no enjoying sense organ, then how you can enjoy? A drunk cannot enjoy. Therefore it is accepted that the spirit soul, although it is very small, atomic, we cannot measure . . . several times I have repeated here that the measurement of the small, infinitesimal spirit spark is just one ten-thousandth part of the upper portion of your hair. It is so small. But that does not mean . . . just like we are incapable to measure something, we define that "Point has no length, no breadth." But actually it is not a fact. If you see a point with microscope, you'll find the point has increased to one inch round, and it has got length and breadth. Similarly, we have no capacity to make a measurement of the soul, but there is measurement.

And there are senses of that spiritual spark. There are. Without having this . . . without the spiritual spark having the senses, how this body is grown? This body is just like dress. When we speak of dress, the dress is made according to your body. If you go to a tailor, the tailor will take measurement of your body and the dress will be supplied to you, fit. Similarly, unless that spiritual spark has got body, how this, I mean the dress of this material tabernacle has grown? This requires intelligence.

Now the conclusion is that that spiritual spark is not impersonal. It is actually personal. The soul is actual person. As God is actual personal, similarly, because we are part and parcel of the Supreme, therefore, if I am a person, then God must be person. God is the father of everyone. Now, if I am the son—I have got personality; I have got individuality—how can you deny the individuality and personality of the Supreme Lord? These things require intelligence. Intelligence. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tat buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam. Atīndriyam. Atīndriyam means you have to transcend these material senses. Then you can actually appreciate what is happiness.

Just like the other day I explained the happiness of the yogī. Ramante yoginaḥ anante satyānande cid-ātmani (CC Madhya 9.29). Ramante yoginaḥ anante. The yogī, those who are transcendentalist aspiring after spiritual life, they are called yogī: bhakti-yogī, jñāna-yogī, dhyāna-yogī. There are so many departments of yogī. Now, they also enjoy. The whole process is to concentrate upon the viṣṇu-mūrti, Viṣṇu form, within the heart. And unless there is pleasure—there is no enjoyment—what is the use of controlling the senses and focusing the mind on the Supreme Supersoul within the heart?

There is pleasure. What sort of pleasure that is? That pleasure is ananta. Ananta means endless. Endless. Yoginaḥ. Yoginaḥ. Ramante yoginaḥ anante. Anante means that pleasure is not ended. That pleasure, why it is not ended? Because spirit is eternal and the Supreme Lord is eternal, therefore reciprocation of their loving exchanges, they are eternal. They are eternal. The living spirit is eternal, the Lord is eternal, and their exchange of feelings, or loving feelings, that is also eternal.

So one who is intelligent, they should refrain from this sensual enjoyment of this material body, which is flickering, which is not in essence, and should seek such enjoyment of spiritual life. That is called rāsa-līlā. You have heard about Lord Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā. That is not ordinary exchange of feelings of this material body. That is exchange of feelings of the spiritual body. So sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam (BG 6.21).

One has to use his intelligence to understand what is real happiness. Foolish man cannot understand what is real happiness. Intelligent. So as soon as one becomes intelligent . . . the next śloka will describe it. Now, vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ. One who does not know what is real happiness, they are seeking happiness in this material world.

There is a nice story. A man, a friend . . . was advised by his friend that "If you chew sugarcane, oh, it is very nice, sweet." The friend who was advised to chew sugarcane, he had no experience what is sugarcane. So he asked his friend, "Oh, what is the sugarcane?" The friend suggested, "It is just like a bamboo log." So the foolish man began to chew all kinds of bamboo log. Now, how he can get the sweetness of the sugarcane? Similarly, we, we are trying to have happiness and pleasure, but we are trying to derive happiness, pleasure, eschewing this material body.

So therefore there is no happiness, there is no pleasure. For the time being, there may be a little feeling of pleasure, but that is not actual pleasure. That is for temporary, just a slight focus of that lightning. In the sky you will find some lightning, but real lightning is beyond that. So vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ. Because persons, they do not know what is happiness, so sthitaś calati tattvataḥ. Real happiness . . . they are deviated from real happiness. Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ (BG 6.22).

This real happiness . . . now, we are trying to be posted or to be situated in that position of real happiness by practice of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we shall gradually develop our intelligence, real intelligence. Then we shall naturally like to enjoy that spiritual happiness. And as we make progress and get taste of spiritual happiness, so proportionately we give up the taste of this material happiness. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42).

Bhakti, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is gradually developed in realizing, understanding the Supreme Absolute Truth, pareśānubhavaḥ. Pareśānubhavaḥ. As pareśānubhavaḥ, as we make progress to understand the Absolute Truth, naturally we become detached from this false happiness we are trying to enjoy. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt.

Now, here it is stated, yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ. If somebody, somehow or other, achieves or is promoted to that stage, then what is the result? Result is yaṁ labdhvā, "By achieving such stage of transcendental stage," cāparaṁ lābhaṁ manyate nā . . . "other achievements, they become insignificant." Here, we are trying to achieve so many things. We are trying to achieve so many riches or friends, fame, and beauty and knowledge. So many things we are trying, achievement.

But as soon as you become properly situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness achievement, then you will think, "Oh, no achievement is better than this achievement." Yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābham. Aparam lābham means other kinds of achievement. They will be considered as figs. It is so big, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that one who understands and have a little taste . . . svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.

yaṁ labdhvā cāparaṁ lābhaṁ

manyate nādhikaṁ tataḥ

yasmin sthito na duḥkhena

guruṇāpi vicālyate

(BG 6.22)

I am very glad to inform you a practical example. One of our student, he was put into very unfavorable condition, but he was not, I mean to say, at all disturbed, due to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Practical. Confident. And we are also not disturbed. We thought, "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is there. He will not be put into difficulty.

He cannot be put into difficulty." You see? So here it is said, yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate. If one is situated firmly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the gravest type of danger cannot disturb him. It is such a nice thing. Yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi. Guru. Guru means very heavy. Very heavy. Guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate. He is not disturbed. He is not disturbed.

Of course, it may be a story, but I am telling you of my practical life. In 1942 there was heavy bombing in Calcutta. Heavy bombing in Calcutta. By once or twice bombing, all the population vacated. Calcutta was a city of no man. But there were . . . of course, many people remained there, those people who could not leave the city, for some urgent or some other business. So somehow or other, I had to remain in the city, and on the 12th December, 1942, I remember, there was heavy bombing. But fortunately, we stayed fortunate. We saw something, fireworks, is going on. "So let us enjoy." (laughter) You see?

Do-do-dee-dee-dong! Like that, so many bombings. So what can be done? There may be so many dangers in our life, because it is the place only full of dangers. We do not know. Because we are foolish, we are trying to adjust these things. That is our foolishness. We should . . .

Just like in a railway carriage. You are being transported from one place. Suppose it is crowded. So instead of adjusting the crowd, better tolerate for few hours and get down and go to your destination. Similarly, we may have many dangerous spots in this material life, but if we are preparing ourselves for going back to Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these things will be not cared for. Let them happen. Āgamāpāyinaḥ anityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata (BG 2.14).

They come and go. Let them happen. The bombing was not for all the days. "All right, let them take place for few hours or few days." We have to adjust like that. But it is very difficult to adjust. But one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is not disturbed. He is not disturbed. That is the technique of not being disturbed. The more we advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we become free from this material entanglement. There is a very nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:

samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavaṁ

mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ

bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ

padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

(SB 10.14.58)

Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. Now, this material world is compared with a great ocean, and actually it is. Those who have traveled on the sea, now they have seen Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean. This is only a spot. This earth is only a spot in this material universe. So we have got these two big oceans, Atlantic and Pacific ocean. Just imagine that within this universe, millions and millions of planets are floating. How many Atlantic and Pacific oceans are there you can just imagine.

So this is actually a great ocean of misery, bhavāmbudhiḥ. The śāstra says it is a great ocean of birth and death. So bhavāmbudhiḥ. Samāśritā ye pada . . . now in order to cross the ocean, you require a very nice boat, strong boat. Then you can cross over. So we have to cross over this ocean of nescience, material. And what is that boat? That is lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. You take shelter of the boat which is Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. Samāśritā.

Take with great faith, that "I am now accepting this boat as my life, lifeboat." Then what is the result? Now, mahat-padam. Mahat-padam. Don't think that "Oh, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's boat, or feet, is so small." No. It is mahat-padam. Mahat-padam means the whole material creation is resting on His leg. Mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ.

So one who has taken shelter there, for him this great ocean of nescience is just like the water containing on the impression of calf leg. Of course, you have no experience. In India I have got experience, because these calfs and cows, they go on the pasturing ground, and in rainy season their hoofs makes holes, and in that hole there are some water. So that water . . . this great ocean is compared like that water. So nobody has any difficulty to cross it.

So bhavāmbudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padam: "And for them, those who have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them is waiting paraṁ padam, the supreme abode." Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām: "This place, wherein every step there is danger, this place is unfit for them." Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām. It is very nice. So yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate (BG 6.22).

If you are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, under the shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet, then guruṇāpi duḥkhena, very heaviest type of danger may be before me, I shall not be disturbed. Or anyone who has taken the shelter like that, he will never be disturbed. He will never be disturbed. Taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam (BG 6.23). Sa niścayena yoktavyo, yogo 'nirviṇṇa-cetasā (BG 6.24).

Taṁ vidyā. Taṁ vidyād duḥkha-saṁyoga-viyogaṁ yoga-saṁjñitam. Now, this understanding of miseries or happiness can be appreciated by the yoga process. Therefore yoga process is so important.

sa niścayena yoktavyo

yogo 'nirviṇṇa-cetasā

saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs

tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ

manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ

viniyamya samantataḥ

(BG 6.24)

So this yoga process is . . . because we are being entangled in this material world due to these uncontrolled senses. So the whole process of yoga indriya-saṁyama: we have to control the senses and turn our face toward that actual spiritual happiness. Then our life will be successful. Manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ viniyamya. Mind and the indriya-grāmam, and the whole range of the senses, that has to be controlled. Then we can gradually, if we practice, gradually we shall understand what is the real happiness and how to attain it.

śanaiḥ śanair uparamed

buddhyā dhṛti-gṛhītayā

ātma-saṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā

na kiñcid api cintayet

(BG 6.25)

Śanaiḥ śanair uparamed buddhyā dhṛti-gṛhītayā. Intelligence and thinking, feeling, willing, by all these, I mean to say, assistants, whatever I have got, śanaiḥ śanaiḥ, always we have to think of controlling the senses. Ātma-saṁsthaṁ manaḥ kṛtvā. And just mind being fixed up in the ātmā, in the Supersoul. Na kiñcid api cintayet. Then you do not think anything more. Just like this evening we were studying that Kṛṣṇa says that yuddhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7): "You go on fighting; at the same time, be Kṛṣṇa conscious."

yato yato niścalati

manaś cañcalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

(BG 6.26)

Now, the practical practice of yoga is that mind is always disturbed. It is going sometimes this way, sometimes that way. So we have to drag the mind only to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is yoga practice, real practice. Mind is going from here, from Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to so many. Because that has been my practice since time immemorial.

So many lives I have passed in that way. Now I have taken a new line of my life. So in the beginning there will be difficulty, but the difficulties can be overcome. Here it is, the suggestion, yato yato niścalati manaś cañcalam asthiram. Because mind is very much agitating, cañcalam, and asthiram, not fixed up, therefore it goes from one kind of thought to another kind of thought.

Sometimes you might have experienced that you are doing some work; all of a sudden you remember.

Some forty years before or thirty years before, some years before, some incident took place, and you at once remember. Although there is no cause, but it comes. There is . . . a subconscious state is there, and we are getting. That means the mind is always being agitated. Due to agitation, the things which are stored in the subconscious state, they come out. Just like if you agitate a lake or a pond, all the mud from within, it comes. But we have to settle down. Then the mud will settle down. So this yoga process is a process of settling down the mind.

yato yato niścalati

manaś cañcalam asthiram

tatas tato niyamyaitad

ātmany eva vaśaṁ nayet

(BG 6.26)

Therefore there are so many rules and regulation, practically. If you follow the rules and regulation, then this agitated mind will gradually, under my control. Therefore rules and regulation are required to be followed. "Don't do this." "Don't touch your mouth." "Don't touch it in that way." "Don't do it." There are so many "don'ts" and so many "do's." So we have to follow that. Following that regularly, the mind will be under your control. These are the process.

praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ

yoginaṁ sukham uttamam

upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ

brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam

(BG 6.27)

Praśānta-manasaṁ hy enam. When mind will be praśānta. Praśānta means not being dragged to think anything more than Kṛṣṇa. That is called praśānta. There is a nice verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. A devotee is aspiring, bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraḥ (CC Madhya 1.206).

Bhavantam eva. The devotee is praying to the Lord, "My dear Lord, when I shall be cent percent, twenty-four hours engaged in Your service?" Bhavantam eva. "Only Yours, and nothing more." Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. Nirantara means "Without cessation, I shall always be engaged in Your service." And how? Praśānta-niḥśeṣa mano-rathāntaram. Because my mind is agitating, therefore I create so many mental concoction. I think, "This will make me happy. This will make me happy. This will make . . ." So many things I create. They are called mano-rathāntaram.

Just like a man on the motorcar goes anywhere, everywhere, similarly, the mind is taking us everywhere and anywhere—sometimes here, sometimes there, sometimes here. So that shall be stopped. As soon as I engage my mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then my mind will be naturally stopped for loitering hither and thither . . . (indistinct)

So he is praying that bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ. "When simply by being engaged twenty-four hours in Your service, my mind will be stopped carrying me from here and there." Bhavantam evānucaran nirantaraḥ praśānta-niḥśeṣa-mano-rathāntaraṁ kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ: "When I shall be Your eternal servitor?" Kadāham aikāntika-nitya-kiṅkaraḥ praharṣayiṣyāmi sa-nātha-jīvitam.

Sa-nātha-jīvitam. Sa-nātha-jīvitam means one who has got a person behind him, his patron. A patron is there. Whenever there is some difficulty, the patron supports. Now we have no patron. Forgetting our relationship with the Supreme Lord, we have no patron. We are thinking of this patron, that patron, but real patron is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29).

He is the real friend of every living entity. So we have to revive our friendship, or revive our actual relationship, just like Arjuna is doing. Then these questions will be . . .

praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ

yoginaṁ sukham uttamam

upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ

brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam

(BG 6.27)

Now, by attainment of that perfect stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the upaiti śānta-rajasam. We are agitated due to the passion, modes of passion. Now, by practice of this yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this passionate hankering will be stopped. Passionate hankering . . . śānta-rajasaṁ brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam. Then you become ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am the soul. I am not this body." Akalmaṣam. Without any deviation, without any mistakes, we shall be firmly situated in our transcendental position.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)