# The Acharya Part 4 **Duration:** 37:41 <div class="video-container" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wcuXy4oEyE8" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; pointer-events: auto; z-index: 10;" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcuXy4oEyE8) --- ## Transcript **[00:09]** "Who is Srila Prabhupada?" people often ask. **[00:13]** At various times, he was known as a scholar, a philosopher, a cultural ambassador, **[00:20]** a prolific author, a religious leader, a spiritual teacher, a social critic, and a holy man. **[00:28]** He was not one of those modern entrepreneurial gurus who come to the west **[00:33]** with slickly packaged, watered down versions of eastern spirituality, **[00:37]** promising instant well being to anyone who could spare fifty dollars. **[00:41]** Srila Prabhupada was rather a true holy man, one who could be called an acharya, **[00:48]** which means a spiritual master who teaches by example. **[00:52]** After arriving in the United States in 1965 at the age of sixty-nine, **[00:59]** Srila Prabhupada formed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, **[01:03]** which developed into a world-wide spiritual community with hundreds of ashrams, schools, temples, **[01:10]** and farms, and with thousands of dedicated disciples who made Hare Krishna a household word. **[01:16]** To have achieved all this in only twelve years was remarkable. **[01:20]** But before he passed away from this world in 1977, Srila Prabhupada had also written and published **[01:27]** over eighty volumes of translation and commentary on the great spiritual classics of ancient India. **[01:32]** His books were welcomed with great critical acclaim by the western academic community **[01:38]** and by scholars from India as well. **[01:40]** They became standard texts in almost every university and library around the world. **[01:46]** Srila Prabhupada had also succeeded in transmitting the profound wisdom of the ancient Vedic culture **[01:52]** in a form and style that was clearly understandable to the average modern man. **[01:57]** He could somehow explain even the most difficult philosophical concepts to people **[02:02]** who were totally unfamiliar with the complex Indian religious tradition. **[02:07]** Srila Prabhupada circled the globe eleven times between 1966 and 1977, **[02:13]** and everywhere he went, he taught the same basic truths, the fundamental principles of religion **[02:20]** that constitute the cornerstone of spiritual understanding for everyone, **[02:24]** no matter what their nationality or religion. **[02:37]** Srila Prabhupada was more than anything a teacher a professor of the science of self-realization, **[02:44]** and he was the best kind of teacher because he always lived up to what he taught. **[02:52]** They also say that no one can ever be pure, that everyone is doomed to be a sinner. **[02:59]** Well, that is: Atmavan manyate jagat **[03:04]** That is the conditioned soul's qualification, that if he's a fool he thinks others are fools. **[03:11]** Everyone thinks: "He's like me." That is nature. Atmavan manyate jagat **[03:29]** Everyone thinks others like himself. If he's a fool, he thinks all others are fools. **[03:41]** So these things are no argument. Nobody has seen God. How do you take the statistics? **[03:50]** Can you say like that, any statistics that nobody has. **[03:56]** Maybe. You have not seen him, the one who has seen God. **[04:00]** That is quite possible because you have not scrutinizingly studied all the men of the world. **[04:07]** Then how can you say nobody has seen Him? You have not seen the man who has seen Him. **[04:12]** He'll not admit his fault. He'll accuse others: Nobody has seen God. Why? **[04:21]** You may not have seen, but why do you say nobody has seen? **[04:25]** You have not seen that person who has seen God. Therefore you say like that. **[07:23]** The child is changing his body to baby, the baby is changing his body to boy, **[07:33]** and the boy is changing his body to youthhood, then, in this way you are changing bodies. **[07:41]** Of that you have got experience. You had a child's body, you remember. **[07:47]** Or you had a boy's body, you remember. But the body is no longer existing, but you are existing. **[07:54]** Therefore the conclusion is: that when this body will be no more fit for existing **[08:02]** we shall have to accept another body. This is called: tatha dehantara praptih **[08:09]** So we have to change. That is nature's law. The soul is immortal. **[08:17]** Na jayate na mriyate va kadacin na hanyate hanyamane sarire **[08:23]** The soul is not finished, simply a particular type of body being finished. The people do not know it. **[08:34]** And because they're simply engaged in sinful activities, their brain has become so dull **[08:44]** that they cannot understand the simple truth, that as you are changing body in this life, **[08:51]** therefore you'll change this body to another life. This is a very simple truth. **[08:57]** with the advancement of material civilization, we have become so dull, and rascal, **[09:04]** that we cannot understand. **[09:06]** Sarvopadhi vinirmuktam tat paratvena nirmalam hrisikena hrsikesa sevanam bhaktir ucyate **[09:16]** This bhakti means that we have to clear ourselves from the designations. **[09:25]** What is that designation? **[09:28]** Everyone is thinking: "I am American, I am Indian, I am European, **[09:34]** I am Australian, I am cat, I am dog, I am this, I am that body." **[09:41]** We have to cleanse this bodily conception of life. **[09:45]** That I am not this body. Aham brahmasmi. I am spirit soul. This you have to realize. **[09:55]** Then there will be no distinction. That here is an Anerican, here is an Australian, **[10:02]** here is a Hindu, here is a Muslim, here is a tree. No. Panditah sama darsinah. **[10:08]** Panditah means learned. One who knows things as they are. For them: **[10:16]** Vidya vinaya sampanne brahmane gavi hastini suni caiva svapake ca panditah sama darsinah **[10:24]** A person, very learned, vidya, and very gentle. vidya means educated, means he is gentle and sober. **[10:35]** He is not rogue or ruffian. That is vidya, that is the test of education. **[10:41]** He must be very educated, sober, and silent. That is called gentleman. **[10:47]** Therefore this human form of life should be properly utilized. **[10:55]** Not simply engaged in sense gratification like cats and dogs. That is not very responsible life. **[11:06]** Responsible life is that I have got this improved form of life, **[11:13]** (better) than the cats and dogs, and I have got more intelligence than the cats and dogs. **[11:21]** If I simply utilize it for four bodily necessities of life, **[11:28]** Four bodily necessities of life means: we require some eating. **[11:35]** The cats, dogs, human being, or high court judge, or anyone, they require some eating. **[11:43]** They require sleeping - apartment. **[11:48]** So that is, the cats and dogs can sleep without apartment. But sleeping is required. **[11:56]** That is fact. Eating is required. That is fact. And sex life, that is also fact. **[12:03]** And defense, that is also fact. **[12:08]** But these things are common to the cats and dogs and man, human being. **[12:17]** So what is the special feature of the human being? **[12:20]** The special feature of the human being is, that a human being can consider, **[12:28]** that I have got this nice American, or Australian, or Indian body, **[12:35]** Then what am I going to get next? What kind of body? **[12:40]** That is utilized for human intelligence. A cat and dog cannot think like that. **[12:48]** Therefore our business should be: **[12:52]** Now by nature's way, I have come to this form of life, by evolutionary process. **[12:59]** Now I have got good intelligence, how shall I utilize it? **[13:06]** Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam **[13:11]** The whole knowledge is meant for understanding God. That is the end of knowledge. **[13:20]** By progressive knowledge, you can make progress. **[13:26]** But if you do not come to the point of understanding what is God, then your knowledge is imperfect. **[13:33]** That is called Vedanta: Athato brahma jijnasa Actually designation has no value. **[13:41]** The person is important, not the designation. **[13:49]** Nature is a machine. **[13:54]** So do you think a machine works without an operator? **[13:58]** Do you think? Is there any evidence? **[14:01]** Now this is a machine, photography. **[14:07]** A wonderful machine, it is taking the picture, and it will move. But there is an operator. **[14:13]** Can you give any example: Here is a machine which is working without an operator? **[14:21]** So how do you think that the nature machine is working without the Supreme Operator, **[14:27]** God's instruction? How do you think it (possible)? This is not very reasonable. **[14:33]** We have to judge. There are different evidences. One of the evidences is hypothesis. **[14:43]** That hypothesis is that because we see that no machine works without an operator, **[14:54]** therefore we should conclude that even if we do not know what is God, or what is nature, **[15:00]** we must conclude that nature is working under some supreme operator. That is God. **[15:09]** It is not necessary to see the operator but we can guess that there must be an operator. **[15:18]** So human life is meant for finding out who is there to operate. That is human life. **[15:26]** Otherwise it is cats and dogs life. They are eating, sleeping, mating and dancing, that's all. **[15:32]** That is not human life. You must find out who is the operator. Athato brahma jijnasa **[15:40]** This is called in Sanskrit words. **[15:43]** Now this human form of life is meant for enquiring about the Supreme Operator. **[15:48]** Now that Supreme Operator, Krishna, is so kind. He is giving evidence in the Bhagavad Gita: **[15:59]** Mayadhayaksena prakrti suyate sa caracaram **[16:05]** Now here I am. Under My direction the prakriti, the material nature is working. **[17:12]** But unfortunately I am thinking this is American pains and pleasures. This is Indian pains. **[17:22]** Pains and pleasure are the same. It is neither American nor African. **[17:29]** Pain and pleasure is the same. **[17:32]** So as soon as this consciousness that I am feeling American pains, American pleasure, **[17:43]** As soon as this is over, then we come to the original consciousness. **[17:47]** Because consciousness cannot be American or African. **[17:54]** If I pinch you, the pain felt by you is the same as when I pinch the African. **[18:03]** So therefore the consciousness is the same. **[18:08]** Artificially, we are thinking American consciousness, African consciousness. **[18:13]** Actually that is not the position. Simply, this misunderstanding has to be cleared out. **[18:23]** That is called ceto darpana marjanam Is. it not a fact? **[18:31]** The consciousness of feeling pain and pleasure, can it be American or Indian? **[18:40]** It is the same. Artificially we are thinking it is American pain, or it is Indian pain. **[18:47]** That is artificial. This artificial covering has to be removed. **[18:54]** Then we come to Krishna Consciousness. **[19:04]** Feelings; consciousness is not American, African, or Indian. Consciousness is the same. **[19:09]** When you feel hungry, is it that Americans feel a different way? Hungry? **[19:18]** The African feels in a different way? Hunger, appetite is the same. **[19:28]** Now if you say this is American appetite and this is Indian appetite, that is artificial. **[19:41]** So when you do not go to the artificial platform, that is Krishna Consciousness. **[19:49]** That is explained in Narada Pancaratra: **[19:55]** Sarvopadhi vinimuktam tat paratvena nirmalam hrishikena hrishikesha sevanam bhaktir ucyate **[20:05]** When we become free from these artificial designation, American consciousness, **[20:15]** Indian consciousness, African consciousness. There is no such thing. This is artificial. **[20:20]** Even bird and beast, they also feel consciousness, pains and pleasures. **[20:29]** Just like when there is scorching heat, you feel some pain. **[20:37]** Is that American, Indian or African? Scorching heat is everywhere. **[20:43]** If you say that I am feeling scorching heat the American way. **[20:51]** Simply these are artificial. Everything is depending on consciousness. **[21:03]** Everything is depending on consciousness. **[21:09]** Therefore Krishna Consciousness is the original standard consciousness. **[21:17]** The big airship, the 747, is flying because the pilot is there. **[21:24]** And the pilot is a soul, covered by another bodily machine. **[21:33]** That is the missing point in modern civilization. **[21:40]** That is: Who is working with the machine? That they do not know. That is ignorance. **[21:50]** It is said in Bhagavad Gita: **[21:58]** isvarah sarva bhutanam hrd-dese' rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva bhutani yantra rudhani mayaya **[22:06]** Yantra means machine. **[22:09]** Actually they're finding that a big nice machine, computer, without an operator it does not work. **[22:20]** And this huge machine is working without any spiritual touch. **[22:29]** Just see the foolishness. They think automatically it works. **[22:36]** Nature is working automatically. Do they not think? **[22:40]** They think there's a mind, but not a soul. **[22:44]** That's all right, something is there, which is working. **[22:48]** Now that may be a mistake, to call it soul or mind, that is the next understanding. **[22:55]** But the machine is not working independently. That should be understood first. **[23:02]** Then how the machine is working, that will be the next chapter. **[23:06]** So they have no understanding even how the machine is working. **[23:20]** Mudho 'yam nabhijanati loko mama jam avyayam Maya dhyaksena prakrii suyate sa caracaram **[23:27]** That they do not know, mudhas. **[23:34]** So if you do not know how the machine is working, then what is the value of your education? **[23:38]** Education means enlightenment. You do not know what is the final cause. **[23:51]** That huge body is working, as nature, so many planets, so many big, big planets **[24:01]** like the sun and moon, they are floating in the air. Who has made this arrangement? **[24:07]** There we see every day. **[24:24]** And everyone is speculating: it is being done like this. **[24:29]** Another philosopher comes, he says it is like this. Another says it is like this. **[24:35]** Nasau munir yasya matam na bhinnam **[24:40]** A philosopher is not a great philosopher if he does not defy the other philosophers. **[24:45]** Is it not? So this process is going on. I defy you, you defy me. That's all. **[24:54]** But what is the real fact? Neither you know, neither I know. **[24:58]** But we write big, big articles. That is going on. **[25:13]** Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. **[25:17]** Whatever I am ordering, it is immediately carrying out. **[25:22]** I say, "Make it like this." It will do. But this is dead matter, it is acting mechanically. **[25:36]** The brain directs immediately the finger, and it acts like a machine. **[25:44]** This whole body is just like a machine. **[25:47]** But soul is not machine, mechanical part. It is the spiritual part. **[25:59]** So therefore as I am directing the finger, being a machine it is working. **[26:08]** But if somebody else, a friend or servant, **[26:13]** I may direct him to do something, he may not do it. **[26:17]** So when the soul misuses the independence, then he falls down. **[26:27]** That is material life. **[26:30]** Material life means misusing the independence of the soul. **[26:36]** Just like a son. A son's duty is to obey the father. **[26:43]** But he may not obey. That is his madness. **[26:50]** So when the soul, misusing the independence, becomes mad, **[26:59]** he is sent to this material world. **[27:05]** It is puzzling to me how one can become so foolish. **[27:09]** Because by independence you can become foolish. **[27:13]** Otherwise there is no meaning of independence. **[27:18]** Independence means you can do whatever you like. **[27:24]** That is stated in the Bhagavad Gita that: Jathecchasi tatha kuru **[27:34]** Find out this verse in the eighteenth chapter. **[27:38]** That independence is there. **[27:42]** After instructing the whole Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna, Krishna gave him the independence. **[27:51]** Now, whatever you like you can do. **[27:55]** Krishna never forced him to accept the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. **[28:03]** He gave him the independence: Now whatever you like you can do. **[28:09]** And he agreed. Yes, now my illusion is over, I shall act as you say. **[28:21]** The same independence. Yes? **[28:25]** Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge **[28:52]** deliberate on this fully and do what you wish to do. **[28:58]** Now, if you say why should the soul become so foolish? **[29:04]** So that is the misuse of independence. **[29:09]** The intelligent father has an intelligent son. **[29:17]** But sometimes he becomes a fool. So what is the reason? **[29:25]** He is part and parcel of the father. He should have become exactly like the father. **[29:37]** But he does not become like the father. **[29:41]** I have seen in Allahabad, a big lawyer, barrister, Mr. Banerjee. **[29:50]** His eldest son was also a barrister and his youngest son, **[29:56]** on account of bad association become a ekavala. **[30:01]** Ekavala means, in India there is a carriage drawn by one horse. **[30:08]** So he liked to be in a ekavala. **[30:14]** That means he fell in love with a low class woman. And by her association he became a ekavala. **[30:24]** There are many instances. Therefore, it is the duty of the human being to control the mind. **[30:33]** Not act like cats and dogs. That is human being. He should be inquisitive. **[30:42]** Why is this happening, why is this happening, and he should take education. **[30:50]** That is human life. And if he does not enquire, if he does not take education, **[30:57]** then what is the difference between him and the dog? **[31:01]** He remains a dog. He has got this opportunity of human life. **[31:08]** He should take advantage of understanding what is what. **[31:13]** Not to keep himself in the dog status. **[31:19]** Simply eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. **[31:24]** That is the distinction between dog and human being. **[31:28]** If he does not become inquisitive: How to control the mind, he's not even a human being. **[31:38]** A dog never enquires. A dog knows that when I bark people become disturbed. **[31:52]** He will never ask how to control this barking habit. **[31:56]** Because he's a dog. He cannot do that. **[32:01]** A human being can do that. **[32:07]** People hate me because I do something wrong. How to control my mind? **[32:12]** That is human being. **[32:14]** That is the difference between a human being and a dog. **[32:32]** Therefore the Vedic injunction is: Go and enquire. **[32:38]** You have got this human form of life. Athato brahma jijnasa **[32:44]** Now this is the time for enquiring about the soul. **[32:48]** Tad vijnanatham sa gurum evabhigachet **[32:54]** If you want to understand this science then go to a proper guru and take lessons from him. **[33:01]** The same thing as we instruct our children. **[33:09]** If you want to be educated in the higher status of life, go to school, go to college. **[33:14]** Take lessons. That is human society. **[33:21]** The dog's father will never ask the dog: Child, go to school. **[33:26]** No, they are dogs.