Life Member House Lecture

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] this, I can keep it, no? This I can keep it, no?

Devotee: [indistinct] be so loud.

Prabhupāda: Alright. So Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kīṭa janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa, bahir nā brahma janme nāhi mora āsa. Kītā janma hao yathā tuyā dāsa. Tuyā dāsa means "your servant." Actually, we are all servants of Kṛṣṅa. Jīvera svarūpa hoy nitya kṛṣṅa dāsa. But forgetting our position, we are now acting as dāsa of māyā, māyāra-dāsa. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilāṣ. The advantage of kṛṣṅa-dāsa is that he has got only one desire: ānukūlyena kṛṣṅānu-śīlanam [Cc Madhya 19.167],

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

to serve Kṛṣṅa purely. That's all. Kṛṣṅa is not impersonal. Kṛṣṅa is person, and whatever He orders, whatever He says, if you carry out faithfully, then our original constitutional position is regained. It can be done very quickly.

Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. And if you do that immediately, then you revive your original position immediately, within a second. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilās. We are making plans in so many ways to be happy. But if we accept this one plan, that immediately surrender to Kṛṣṅa, then our life is successful. And if we do not accept this proposal of Kṛṣṅa, and if we make our own plans to be happy, it will be never be possible. Hoiya māyāra dāsa kori nānā abhilāṣ. Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṅa bhuli gelā, ataeva māyāra tare goliyā badila. We are not independent. If we do not agree to serve Kṛṣṅa, then we have to serve māyā. Our position as servant is never changed. We remain servant. So if we don't agree to accept Kṛṣṅa's proposal, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66], then we have to take shelter of māyā and you have to perpetually serve. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19].

To serve māyā means to continue this material existence one after another. Now I've got this body, you've got this body, and if we do not change our attitude to serve Kṛṣṅa, then we get again next body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body. We can see. There are so many trees, plants, insects, animals. They're all living entities. Also there are nice body—Americans, Europeans, beautiful body, or demigod's body. There are different bodies, eight million... So long we shall remain māyā-dāsa, we have to change this body one after another. It may be of higher standard or it may be of lower standard. That will depend on my work. Karmaṅā daiva netreṅa jantor deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1].

[The Personality of Godhead said: Under the supervision of the Supreme Lord and according to the result of his work, the living entity, the soul, is made to enter into the womb of a woman through the particle of male semen to assume a particular type of body.]

This is the philosophy, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. You are... We are not independent. We are completely under the control of material nature, and we get different types of bodies on account of associating with different modes of material nature. Kāraṅaṁ guṅa saṅga asya sad-asad janma yoniṣu [Bg 13.22].

Sat, asat. There are two kinds of status quo: sat and asat. Sat means nice, or eternal, and asat means not very nice. So either you can get the body of the human society or you can get a body in the hog society, dog society. But the activities of the hogs and dogs and human being, if it is carried on in ignorance, eating, sleeping, mating... Then there is no difference. There is no difference. There is no difference to become a hog or to become a man. A man is also eating; hog is also eating according to one's taste. The man is also sleeping; the hog is also sleeping, according to the position. So that does not make any difference between a human being and a hog. But at the present moment we are taken this civilization that hog is eating stool, and if we are eating very nice plate, then you're civilized. But śāstra says no. Eating and the taste of eating is the same. Always enjoying eating stool, and you're enjoying eating something else—the taste of eating is the same. There is no difference. You like something; I like something. But the common formula is that you eat, I also eat. Therefore we have to change this formula. If you simply waste our time like the hogs—eating, sleeping, sex-life and defense—then that is not human life.

Human life is meant for tapasya. That is not possible by the hogs and dogs. Tapasya, austerities. By austerities, by tapasya, we can purify our existence. You are existing at the present moment because we are changing body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralī... [Bg 8.19]. Therefore it is polluted existence. This is not pure existence. Pure existence is eternal life, blissfulness and knowledge, full of knowledge. That is pure life. So the human life is meant for purifying our existence. Stop this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease and live eternally blissful life of knowledge. That is the business of human life. But people do not take this fact very seriously. They have become so dull-headed. Now, there is freedom from this continuation of birth, death, old age and disease, they cannot believe it. They cannot consider it. They think, "Ah, it is going on." So the modern civilization is quite different from the Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization means to make a solution of this problem: stop this process of birth, death, old age and disease. That is Vedic civilization. That is human civilization. And to become better hog, nicely dressed hog, that is not Vedic civilization. That is hog civilization.

So our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to save people from the hog civilization or dog civilization to human civilization. That is... Human civilization means plain living and advancing in spiritual consciousness, not to increase unnecessarily artificial way of life. But we should know what is the aim of life and try to actually success in the aim of life in any condition. That is Vedic civilization. Any condition. "Any condition" means in the material world we find that somebody is well situated and somebody... We think like that. Nobody is well situated. But we think like that. So if we want to cultivate Kṛṣṅa consciousness, in any material condition we can do that. Ahaituky apratihatā. Any material condition cannot check our advancement in spiritual life. Just like these European, American boys and girls, they're not accustomed to sit down on the ground. In their country that is not their civilization. They sit down very nicely on chairs and very nice apartment. But because they have taken to this Kṛṣṅa consciousness, they do not hesitate to sit down in any condition of life. This is advancement. They do not grudge that "We are not accustomed to sit in this way." No. That is any condition, any condition of life. Kṛṣṅa also says,

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim [Bg 9.32]

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

So we can accept Kṛṣṅa consciousness in any condition life. There is no impediment. That is spiritual. That is spiritual. Not that "Unless such and such conditions are fulfilled, I cannot take to Kṛṣṅa consciousness." No. As I told in the beginning, that you can accept Kṛṣṅa consciousness within a second. As Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66]. So if you immediately take Kṛṣṅa, "Yes, Kṛṣṅa..." You have thoroughly read Bhagavad-gītā, then we understand that "We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, and Kṛṣṅa is asking to surrender. Why not surrender?" That is intelligence. Kṛṣṅa says that is the way of life. Ultimately one has to surrender to Kṛṣṅa. That is the success, ultimate success. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

One is accepting immediately and one is experimenting with truth, and it will take many, many births. Kleśa adhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta cetasām [Bg 12.5].

[For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progrese in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.]

Kṛṣṅa is presently instructing in person, and foolish people are thinking that He's imperson.

Why imperson? Kṛṣṅa is always speaking: mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Aham ādir hi devānām [Bg 10.2]. The first person is used everywhere. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate [Bg 10.8].

[I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.]

Aham. Kṛṣṅa says aham, person. So why we should think of Kṛṣṅa being imperson? This is our misfortune. Therefore it takes many, many births. Even one is jñānavān it takes many, many births to surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān [Bg 7.19]. Although he's jñānavān, superficially, still his jñāna has been taken away. Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. Although he's proud of his knowledge, the māyā says, "No, no, no. Why you are accepting Kṛṣṅa as person? He's imperson." So māyā is dictating and taking away his knowledge. Māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. Kṛṣṅa says aham, "I, Me." These are first person, person, first person. And still these people are thinking of Kṛṣṅa as imperson. Why? This is called māyayā apahṛta-jñānā. They have studied the Vedic literature but could not understand what is Kṛṣṅa.

So intelligent person, instead of waiting many, many births to understand Kṛṣṅa, may take it immediately what Kṛṣṅa says, as it is. Then his life is successful. So that is possible to understand Kṛṣṅa as He is saying. But because on account of our sinful activities, we cannot understand. Duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina means always engaged in sinful activities, very intelligent person, but engaged in sinful activities. Nowadays... All the people are nowadays educated, but all of them, mostly, ninety-nine percent, they're engaged in sinful activities—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, gambling. These are sinful activities and, in spite of advancement of education all over the world, these things are going on. Therefore they cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa is understood by a person who is no more engaged in sinful activities.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṅya-karmaṅām te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ [Bg 7.28]

[Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life, whose sinful actions are completely eradicated and who are freed from the duality of delusion, engage themselves in My service with determination.]

So we are trying—this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose—that stop sinful activities and hear Kṛṣṅa and accept Him as He is saying. Then your life is successful. That's all. Very simple thing. And those who are adopting this ways, this process of life, is becoming successful practically. There is no doubt about it. Asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu. Asaṁśayam, without any doubt. Samagram, in full, not partial.

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi... [Bg 7.1]

So Kṛṣṅa is explaining Himself that yathā jñāsyasi, without any doubt, asaṁśayam, and samagram. Samagram means in fullness, the Absolute Truth in full. The Absolute Truth is realized as Brahman, as Paramātmā, as Bhagavān. So Kṛṣṅa says, "I'm giving you full knowledge, both of Paramātmā and Brahman and My personal knowledge." Yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṅu, "Just hear, hear from Me."

So this is the opportunity in human life. Kṛṣṅa is explaining, God is explaining Himself, and still if you remain dulls and fools and rascals, then it is our misfortune. That is explained narādhama. Narādhama. Narādhama cannot understand Kṛṣṅa. Narādhama, lowest of the mankind. Narādhama. Nara means man, and adhama means lowest. So those who are narādhama, they will escape this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. Otherwise, anyone who is intelligent, intelligent after many, many births' experience, he'll accept. So we can understand by this crucial test or test tube[?] what is what.

So anyway, our business is you Western boys and girls, you have taken this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement very seriously. I'm very much thankful to you. So try to make the people uttama, although at the present moment they are narādhama, without understanding Kṛṣṅa. So these are not exaggeration. This is stated in the śāstra. And our point is that anyone who is not taking to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, he's among these groups—duṣkṛtina, mūḍha, narādhama, māyayā apahṛta-jñānā āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. The basic principle is āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. Asura. Asura means against God always. Rāvaṅa was asura. Hiraṅyakaśipu was asura. They are very learned scholar, son of a brāhmaṅa and very powerful. The only fault was they did not believe in God; therefore they are called asuras. So anyone who does not believe in God, he's asura. This is the verdict of the śāstra. And this asuric civilization is going on all over the world. So we are making little effort to make the asuras devotees. That's all. This is our business.

So we are very much thankful to Mr. Pulla Reddy. He has given us a place, very important place, and you are constructing temple. He's always eager to help us. Therefore he's a bhakta. We are very much thankful to him. He's a bhakta. So at any moment Mr. Pulla Reddy will call us. We are ready to come here, because he's a bhakta. Mad-bhakta pūjyā adhikaḥ. Kṛṣṅa likes if you honor the bhakta. Kṛṣṅa is very much pleased. "If you love me, love my dog." We have seen in the Western countries when two gentlemen meet, he pats his friend's dog and he pats the friend's dog. That you have seen it. [laughs] First of all dog, "How are you? How are you?" [laughter] So let us all become dogs of Kṛṣṅa, and bhaktas will love us. [laughter]

Thank you very much. [end]