751014 - Lecture SB 01.07.02-4 - Johannesburg

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

751014SB-JOHANNESBURG - October 14, 1975 - 49:12 Minutes

Prabhupāda: So I shall try to speak on some of the preliminary important ślokas from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of Śrī Nārada Muni.

So the description was given by Sūta Gosvāmī in a very big meeting at Naimiṣāraṇya, thousands of years ago, and the Sūta Gosvāmī is describing how Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled.

śrī sūta uvāca

brahma-nadyāṁ sarasvatyām

āśramaḥ paścime taṭe

śamyāprāsa iti prokta

ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ

(SB 1.7.2)

There is a place, Śamyāprāsa, above Haridvāra, there Vyāsadeva's āśrama was situated on the river Brahmanadī, Sarasvatī, on the eas . . . western side, paścime taṭe. Ṛṣīṇāṁ satra-vardhanaḥ: there all the great sages and saintly persons used to perform sacrifice. Tasmin āśrame . . . tasmin sva āśrame vyāso badarī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍite (SB 1.7.3): the āśrama was surrounded by berry trees, badarī-ṣaṇḍa. Ṣaṇḍa means trees. Āsīno 'pa upaspṛśya praṇidadhyau manaḥ svayam. So in that āśrama . . . formerly, big, big saintly persons, they used to live in forest āśrama. Now they have to come far away from āśrama to South Africa, because people have forgotten. Formerly, big, big persons, they used to visit the āśrama, but nowadays people are not interested. Anartha. They are captivated by the material, external energy. It is said that . . . not only now, formerly also, but formerly the number of people who were not interested were very, very small. At the present moment, the number of interested people are very, very small. That is the difference, Kali-yuga. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He inaugurated this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that people in this age are no more interested in their value of life. They are in darkness. Therefore Vaiṣṇava, under the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, should go door to door, country to country, town to town, and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for their benefit.

He said:

pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)

Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that on the surface of the globe, as many towns and villages are there, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be spread. And everyone, Indian especially, was advised to take up this mission and preach. He said:

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

Para-upakāra means to do well to others. This is India's mission. India's mission is to elevate outside Indians. Because outside India, people are interested only how to make money and live materially comfortably. They do not know anything more than that. This is anartha. This is anartha. People have become interested only in bodily comforts. They do not know that we are not this body, we are spirit soul, and we have got different interest of the spirit soul than the bodily interest. The bodily interest is there, even in cats and dogs. They also take care of the body as much as possible by them. Similarly, if we simply take care of the body and do not take care of my self—what I am, what is my necessity—then it is suicidal. So that is going on all over the world. People are interested only in bodily comforts. They do not know that within this body there is spirit soul, and he has got a different type of business or mission. That we have forgotten.

Therefore Vyāsadeva has given us this literature. The history of this literature is being described:

tasmin sva āśrame vyāso

badarī-ṣaṇḍa-maṇḍite

āsīno 'pa upaspṛśya

praṇidadhyau manaḥ svayam

(SB 1.7.3)

Now Nārada Muni instructed him . . . Nārada Muni is Vyāsadeva's guru. So Vyāsadeva presented before Nārada Muni that, "I have written so many books—Mahābhārata, Purāṇas, Vedānta-sūtra and Upaniṣads, and so many things—but I am not feeling very much happy." So Nārada Muni instructed him that, "You have done so many things, that is all right, but you have not described very elaborately about the activities of the Supreme Lord. Therefore you are unhappy. So I advise you that you take up this business in writing. Then you will feel happy." So under his instruction he sat for meditation. He says—it is there—āsīnaḥ apaḥ upaspṛśya. Before meditation, this is the process: you take water, ācamana:

oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā

sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ

śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu śrī viṣṇu

Three times you have to take water and taste it. That is called upaspṛśya. So he did it. Āsīnaḥ apaḥ upaspṛśya praṇidadhyau manaḥ: then he began to concentrate his mind, meditation.

So that is called yoga. This meditation means bhakti-yoga. Meditation, that is the real meaning. Nowadays meditation has become a fashion, but meditation is described in the Vedic literature, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogīs, they meditate, dhyānāvasthita. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā: the mind becomes fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, tad-gatena. Tat means transcendental Absolute Truth, oṁ tat sat. So tad-gatena manasā, mind being . . . our mind is very restless, so it is very difficult. Five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa instructed Arjuna to concentrate his mind, meditate, or meditate upon Supersoul, so Arjuna frankly admitted that it was not possible for him. He said to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are advising. That is nice. But it is not possible for me." Cañcalaṁ hi manaḥ kṛṣṇa pramāthi balavad dṛḍham (BG 6.34): "Mind is so restless, just like wind blowing. So to capture the mind, to make him pacified, it is very difficult job. I don't think I shall be able to do it." Arjuna refused. But Arjuna was a great devotee; therefore Kṛṣṇa encouraged him. Arjuna did not know anything except Kṛṣṇa, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Then He encouraged him, that "My dear Arjuna, for you, you are the best yogī." Why? He described:

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

He is first-class yogī. Who? Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gata, simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, mad-gata. Antar-ātmanā, within the core of heart, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān bhajate yo mām.

So we are teaching this. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are teaching our disciples how to think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the simple method is to chant:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

So our . . . this is the process. We have got this bead bag, and within this bag there is bead, and we chant each . . . we capture each bead and chant:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

One bead equals sixteen times. So the whole bead chain there is hundred and eight, so one round means about seventeen hundred. In this way, our disciples are advised to chant at least sixteen rounds. This is our daily duty. It takes about two hours, and after that we are engaged in so many other businesses. Somebody is typing or printing books, somebody is going to sell books, somebody is collecting subscription, somebody is cooking for the temple Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So in this way our inmates, or our members, are always engaged. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), this is recommendation of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Somehow or other, be engaged twenty-four hours in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life will be successful.

So Kṛṣṇa advised, yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā (BG 6.47). So here Vyāsadeva sat in his āśrama, and began to meditate—means he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Here it is said, bhakti-yogena.

bhakti-yogena manasi

samyak praṇihite 'male

apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ

māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam

(SB 1.7.4)

So if we meditate in bhakti-yoga, that is bhakti-yoga, as Kṛṣṇa advises that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā, śraddhāvān . . . śraddhāvān, with faith and love if one thinks of Kṛṣṇa, bhakti-yogena, then everything is revealed to him, revealed to him. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Kṛṣṇa says: "Anyone who is engaged satatam." Satatam means twenty-four hours. He has no other thinking except Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18). This is spoken about Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. He was the emperor of the whole world, he was doing his duty as a responsible king, but still, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ: he fixed his mind at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane: and when he used to speak, he used to speak about Kṛṣṇa. Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. When he was to walk, he used to go to the temple. When he was to hear something, he was hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. When he was to smell something, he was smelling the flowers offered at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. When he was eating, he was tasting the kṛṣṇa-prasādam, the foodstuff first offered to Kṛṣṇa. So we can engage our senses in that way, set by such example by Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, how to utilize our senses for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is bhakti. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means when you engage your senses for the service of the Lord. Just like example set by Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. His example is there, because who can be more busy than a responsible king? He has to do so many political affairs, and still, his mind was fixed up, sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayoḥ (SB 9.4.18), in Kṛṣṇa . . . (indistinct) . . . this is required.

So here also, Vyāsadeva, he applied meditation in bhakti-yoga. Yoga means bhakti-yoga. There are different yogas—haṭha-yoga, jñāna-yoga, tapa-yoga, many—but the ultimate goal of these yo . . . yoga means connect, connection, connection with the Lord. So ultimately you have to come to the stage of bhakti-yoga. So here Vyāsadeva, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale (SB 1.7.4). The mind became completely purified, amale. Mala means dirty things, and amala means no dirty things. A means "not." So mind became completely purified by bhakti-yoga. By bhakti-yoga meditation, the mind became cleansed. That is required. Our mission of human life is to . . . how to cleanse the mind. Mind is not clean. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Abhadrāṇi', inauspicious things. Abhadrāṇi. Bhadra means very good, auspicious, and abhadra means inauspicious. So in our conditioned state of life, our mind is full with inauspicious things. that is due to rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa. So if we think of Kṛṣṇa, meditation, then this rajo-tamo-guṇa becomes cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu (SB 1.2.18). Abhadra, this rajo-tamo-guṇa. So if we think of Kṛṣṇa, then gradually, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), the mirror of our heart becomes cleansed. The raja . . . raja means dust, and tama means darkness. Due to dark dust . . . suppose you have to see one mirror. If it is covered with dust, you cannot see. So raja means the dust; and cannot see, it is darkness, that is tama. So bhakti-yoga, you can see within the mind clearly everything.

So here, bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite amale (SB 1.7.4). Amale means we can completely clean. So our . . . what did he see? When if the mind became cleansed, apaśyat, he could see. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. Puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. Puruṣam, person, and pūrṇam, complete. We are also person, every individual being, but we are not pūrṇam; we are apūrṇam. The pūrṇam is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete. Complete with everything, that is pūrṇam. We are trying to be pūrṇam, but it is not possible. We can be purified, but because we are very small particle, mamaivāṁśa . . . Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that we living entities, we are small particles. Just like the fire and the spark. The spark is also fire, but very small particle. Similarly, we are, although fire, when as good as God in quality, just like the spark and the big fire, but the spark is very small. It can burn a small portion. Suppose a spark falls on your floor, a spot can burn. But big fire can burn. That is the distinction between God and ourselves. We are also God, but we are not pūrṇam God. That is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28).

So Vyāsadeva, he is also living entity, although he is empowered, so apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam, and the back side is māyā. Māyā means the external energy. Just like if you stand facing the sun, the back side of your, there is a big shadow. That is māyā. So both things are there: the puruṣam, the Kṛṣṇa, and the māyā also. Both things he saw. But He is not affected by māyā. This is the special significance of Kṛṣṇa. Although māyā is there, he says, māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. Māyā is there, but Kṛṣṇa is not influenced by māyā, but He is controller of māyā. Therefore He is described, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Īśvara means controller. We are controlled by māyā, but Kṛṣṇa is the controller of māyā. That is the difference. We are not controller; we are controlled.

In the next verse it is described, therefore, yayā sammohito jīva (SB 1.7.5). This māyā is illusion, is illusion to the jīva, to the living entities, not to Kṛṣṇa. One who thinks Kṛṣṇa as like us, they are mistaken. Mūḍha. They have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11): "Because I am come just like a human being, these rascals, mūḍhas, asses . . ." Mūḍha means asses. The example of mūḍha, just like in our vernacular language, we condemn some person who is useless, gāḍha. So gāḍha, that is mūḍha. Gāḍha, why he is condemned? Because he does not know his interest. He works under one washerman and loads tons of cloth on the back, and the washerman gives a morsel of grass. And he stands the whole day, again carrying back the big tons of cloth. But why he is gāḍha? Now, this grass can be had anywhere, but he is thinking, "The washerman is supplying me grass; therefore I must carry his burden." Therefore he is gāḍha, ass. (chuckles) He can get grasses anywhere, but he is thinking that, "This Mr. Washerman is so kind that he is giving me grass, so I have to bear his cloth." So the karmīs, they are like that. They are thinking that, "Unless we work, we cannot get our grass." Therefore they have been described in the śāstra as asses, mūḍha. Mūḍha. Mūḍho 'yaṁ nābhijānāti (BG 7.25).

So these mūḍhas, these asses, they consider Kṛṣṇa as one of us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is the value of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is there to teach people to understand properly Kṛṣṇa. And what will be the result? The result will be, janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). If anyone simply understands Kṛṣṇa, why He comes here, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham . . . (BG 4.7). So this is divyam, this is not ordinary birth. Ordinary birth, then why, not only in India and other parts of the world, the Kṛṣṇa's birthday is celebrated very pompously? If He would have been an ordinary man, then why people are interested? No. Therefore janma, His janma, is divyam. That is transcendental. That is not ordinary birth. Therefore we worship the birthday of Kṛṣṇa, everyone, every Hindu, every Indian. Even Muhammadans, they also observe. In India, there are many Muhammadans, they also observe Kṛṣṇa's birthday.

So apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. Kṛṣṇa is pūrṇa-puruṣa. There is no lack of everything. Ṣaḍ-aiśvaryaṁ pūrṇam, six kinds of opulences: riches, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. He is full. That is called pūrṇam, apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. And māyāṁ ca tad-apāśrayam. This māyā also there, but Kṛṣṇa is not affected by māyā. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). It is duratyayā for the living entities, not for Kṛṣṇa, because Kṛṣṇa is the controller and we are controlled. Therefore in the next verse it is said, yayā sammohito jīva (SB 1.7.5). Jīva, we living entities, we are being controlled by this māyā, sammohita. Sammohita means illusion. Mohita means captivated, and sammohita, sam means samat(?), fully, fully. We are . . . you see all these conditioned souls, they are captivated by this material energy. Just like you all Indian, you have come here so far. Many people go; I have also come. But the some of us we have come, being allured by māyā, and some may have come for other purposes.

So generally these jīvas, the living entities, they are allured by this māyā. The Vyāsadeva saw two things: Kṛṣṇa, the puruṣaṁ pūrṇam; and His illusory energy. So this illusory energy is not controller of Kṛṣṇa. Just like darkness. Darkness, you have got experience. Here at night we are experiencing darkness, but there is no darkness in the sun. The sun is there in the sky. Because the sun is not here, therefore it is darkness. But as soon the sun will appear in the morning, there will be no more darkness.

kṛṣṇa-sūrya-sama, māyā haya andhakāra

yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra

(CC Madhya 22.31)

You haven't got to drive away darkness by some separate endeavor. You simply get the Kṛṣṇa sun rise up, then your darkness will go out. This māyā will go. If you remain without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is said, yayā sammohito jīva. You will be bewildered, illusion. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. Ātmānam. We ourself, the spirit soul, we are covered by this body, tri-guṇātmakam. This body means it is created by the material nature. In somebody the quality of goodness is prominent, somebody the quality of passion is prominent, and in somebody the quality of ignorance is prominent. So according to this prominence of the particular modes of nature, quality, there is division: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Where there is prominence of the quality of goodness, that is brāhmaṇa. When there is prominence of the quality of passion, that is kṣatriya. When there is prominence of the quality of mixture—there is mixture also—that is vaiśya. And when there is quality of the prominence of ignorance, that is śūdra.

So everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you read carefully then you'll understand things as they are. That is our mission. We have published all these authentic books, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, and you can read them. The human life is meant for that, that here māyā is deluding us, yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. Ātmānam, I am self. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. I am eternal. I am ever-illuminated. But I am thinking, "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am man," "I am woman," and this and that, so on—designation. So bhakti means we have to become free from all these designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). This is called upādhi. Upādhi means designation. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means how to become free from these designations. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The whole trouble in the world is due to these designation. We are part and parcel of God. We're very much intimately related with God. But, on account of this designation, we are each other enemies. Even in faraway countries the Europeans are there, the Indians are there, the Africans are there. But account of this bodily designation, separate—European quarter, Indian quarter, this quarter, that quarter. This designation.

So this is here, yayā sammohito jīva, by these designation. All these living entities, they are captivated by these designation. Yayā sammohito jīva ātmānaṁ tri-guṇātmakam. He is thinking that the spirit soul has become Indian, American, African, or bird, beast and . . . no. Tri-guṇātmakam. Paro 'pi, although he is transcendental to all these designation, manute anartham. Unnecessarily we are creating separative conclusion. Manute anartham, tat-kṛtaṁ cābhipadyate. And by that designation he is thinking, "I am Indian; I must act as Indian," "I am European; I must act as European." Tat-kṛtaṁ ca abhipadyate. This is called anartha: unnecessarily. The spirit soul is originally part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. He should develop his Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is his real business. But on account of this anartha, created designation, he is suffering. And he is trying to adjust things materially. That will never be possible. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). You go on trying to adjust things on the material platform, it will never be done. Durāśayā. This has been described, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). This is durāśayā. This hope will never be fulfilled. One must know it certainly. If you want to be happy, if you want to be peaceful, if you want to be elevated again to your original, constitutional position, then you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (applause) (break)

Devotee: Anyone have any questions?

Guest (1) (Indian man): Your Worship? Can you take question on the three guṇas in the Bhagavad-gita—the sattva-guṇa, the rajo-guṇa and the tamo-guṇa? I wish to know when if there is any connection between the karma of the past and the three guṇas.

Prabhupāda: (aside) What is that?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You what of the past?

Devotee: Karma.

Guest (1): The karma of the past, of the past life, and the three guṇas. Anyone is born in sattva-guṇa, whether he has done a good deed in his past life or not?

Prabhupāda: Karma is the result of your associating with the guṇas. Just like disease, a particular type of disease, is a result of your contaminating the germ of the disease. The disease is secondary; the first—your contamination. There are three guṇas. That is material nature. You can contaminate the tamo-guṇa, then you'll get a body of tamo-guṇa. If you contaminate rajo-guṇa, then you'll get the body of rajo-guṇa. And if you contaminate or associate with sattva-guṇa, then you'll get a body like that. And if you become transcendental, above the all these guṇas, then you'll become situated in your original, spiritual position. This is the way. Therefore our duty is how to avoid the base contamination. Just like you try to avoid disease—you take vaccine. Similarly, if you try to associate with the best quality modes of material nature—goodness—that is safe for your liberation. And if you contaminate the other two qualities, rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, then you'll be more and more entangled. Now I may have this nice human body, but if I contaminate tamo-guṇa, the next body may be dog's body. Tamo-guṇa, the animal body, then trees body . . . there are so many, 8,400,000's of body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So in the human form of life we should be conscious of what kind of association we shall accept. Therefore we are trying to give association of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you take to this association, then you remain uncontaminated by the material qualities—Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your original, spiritual constitutional position is revived and you'll go back to home, back to Godhead.

Guest (2): With due respect to His Holiness A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, may I know why it is the living entity, the jiva soul, is separating from the supreme power, Lord Kṛṣṇa? Thank you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is not very difficult to understand. Just like in your Johannesburg there are so many people. Why not all of them come here? Some of them might have gone to the liquor shop; some of them might have gone to the hotels. So it is your option. The three qualities are there. Now it is up to you where to go. But if you know that by associating with the Kṛṣṇa conscious people you'll be benefited, get knowledge, then come here. And if you do not know—in ignorance—then go liquor shop, hotel, restaurant. So after all, we are part and parcel of God. God is fully independent, and we are minute part. The same example, that the spark is minute portion of the fire. It has got the burning capacity—not exactly like God, but it has got the godly power. There are so many examples. This morning I was discussing that you are living entity, part and parcel of God. You have created one aeroplane, 747, with five hundred passengers and many tons of loads of things, it is flying. So that is your creation. And God's creation is this planet. This is also running one thousand miles per hour, and so many big, big ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and so many big, big mountains. It is also carrying. It is also floating in the air, and the 747 is also floating. That is your creation and this is God's creation. That is the difference. (break) . . . quality but not full, not pūrṇam. Therefore puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. God has got the full qual . . . not only this one planet—there are millions of planets floating in the air. You can see the sun planet. It is 1,400,000 bigger than this planet. That is also lying in the one corner. So that is God's creation. You can create a teeny 747, that's all. Therefore your power is there, the similar, but very, very small quantity. So we have to take care of our teeny power. Just like the spark. The spark, "put, put . . ." But if it somehow or other falls down from the fire it is extinguished. It is extinguished. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, the spark. If we remain with the fire, it is beautiful. And if by chance we fall down, then you are extinguished. Your brilliancy, the fiery quality, becomes extinguished. So our present position is like that. We have forgotten or fallen from God, so our that little burning power, that is also extinguished. Now we have to revive it, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll become happy.

Devotee: Any more questions?

Guest (3): What I would like to ask the Swami a question on . . . Swami, I'm sure you're quite aware that Western world especially, they are looking for a new world, Utopia . . . (indistinct) . . . various economic policies, or whatever it is. What I would ask the Swami is what is the answer to these, especially India, is the best . . . (indistinct) . . .?

Prabhupāda: Why you are bringing in India? Kṛṣṇa is speaking not for India—for everyone. (aside) What is his question?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What is the Eastern, or Indian, understanding of Utopia?

Prabhupāda: Utopia?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Perfect society.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Perfect society is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you accept Kṛṣṇa as the center . . . just like in a family if you accept the head of the family, your father, as the guiding principle, the family's happy. And if you disrupt with the opinion of the father, somebody goes away, somebody's not happy, the family is disturbed. Similarly, if you agree with the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and God, the whole human society will be peace and prosperity. If you don't agree, disagree, don't agree, disagree, then it is disruption. The instruction is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You take it, you agree to it, and you become happy in this world and next world.

Devotee: Are there any more questions? (break) (end)