Questions and Answers — September 6, 1968, New York

Prabhupāda: Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the price. That’s all. Yes? 

Guest: You mentioned these miracles. The only miracle [indistinct] who has gone beyond the material encagement. That is what the yogi is trying, is striving to do, trying to go beyond the material nature. When one mentions miracles, it is surely a proof that he has actually transcended this material nature. 

Prabhupāda: Yes. 

Guest: But why, why are they trying to transcend material, transcend material nature? Who is doing these miracles? Or why try to do [indistinct] Why should human beings try to do [indistinct]? 

Prabhupāda: No. The yoga practice is like that. It is very good, that “Why we should bother ourself with such things?” That is the opinion of the devotees. The devotees, they do not want any such miracles to perform or to make some jugglery to the people. They are satisfied with the service of the Lord. So that is the position of the devotee. But generally, the yogis, they want such things. There are many instances of great yogis in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, just like Durvāsā Muni. He wanted to show his power to Ambarīṣa Mahārāja. That’s a very nice story. I shall narrate next meeting. The yogis, everyone, yogis… Yoga practice is, therefore… It is more or less material activity. Because when they are powerful to show some miracles and people become captivated, “Oh, he is performing such miracle thing.” In Benares in India there was a yogi. His business was anyone who will go there, he immediately produced two or four rasagullās and offer him. And many hundreds and thousands of educated men became his disciple simply for the matter, rasagullā, which is only four annas worth. So people want to see this jugglery. And those who want following some or some material achievement, they want to show… Actually it is a fact. Suppose if I could manufacture rasagullās by some mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, oh, thousands of people will come immediately. You see? People want to see me, and those persons who want to have a cheap following, they want to show such jugglery. But a devotee sees… [break] …is not of that mentality. They will simply, humble servant. They are satisfied by serving the Lord. That is devotee’s position. So your statement, that “Why one should bother with these things?” That’s a very nice proposal. Why? There is no necessity. Suppose if I can manufacture some rasagullā, what is the worth of this rasagullā? Oh, we can, if we spend ten cents, we can make it. So why shall I waste my energy for manufacturing rasagullā in the yoga system? Actually, therefore, Kṛṣṇa says that the perfection of, real perfection of yoga, the first-class yogi is he who is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is first-class. He is recommended. 

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā
śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
[Bg. 6.47]

“The first-class yogi is he who is always…” He never says that first-class yogi is he who can show this jugglery. No. That is not recommended. Actually, and the yoga practice begins, samādhi. Real yoga practice is, after controlling the senses, the next stage is samādhi, concentrate the mind, focus the mind on Viṣṇu always. Always thinking of Viṣṇu, always seeing Viṣṇu within himself. That is yoga practice. But by such practice, automatically one gains such powerful things, and when one gains such powerful powers, they want to exhibit to get following for material achievements. But that is not the purpose of yoga. Yoga means to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ultimately reach in His kingdom. That is the real purpose of yoga. [break] Yes? 

Devotee: When they perform these miracles, [indistinct] that is with their material body? Their material body [indistinct]? 

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes? 

Devotee: Why do you say that Jesus Christ performed so many miracles when he [indistinct], and you never said that Kṛṣṇa performed any miracles. When Kṛṣṇa lifted up Govardhana Hill, nobody said that was a miracle. But when Jesus Christ made so many things, they say it’s a miracle. How is that? 

Prabhupāda: The difference is that in Vṛndāvana they are pure devotees. They knew that “Oh, this is not a miracle for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can do anything and everything.” So they were not surprised. If I lift one mountain, you will be surprised because you know that “Swamiji is man. How he is lifting?” But they know that Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. So there was no surprise. It is just like natural work. They were so much affectionate to Kṛṣṇa that… He was not only lifting. Every day He was doing so much great performances, and His boyfriends, they would come home, and they would narrate the story to their mothers, “Oh, mother, today Kṛṣṇa performed like this. There was a great demon, and He killed him immediately.” And the mother will say, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa did that? He is very nice boy, very nice.” [laughter] Because they were so affectionate to Kṛṣṇa, they always think, “Everything is possible for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Kṛṣṇa is so great.” That is their idea. So [indistinct] that is not miracle. That is ordinary thing for Him. Just like Yaśodā. Kṛṣṇa’s friends complained, “Mother Yaśodā, Kṛṣṇa has eaten earth. You gave Him sweetmeat, but He was not eating sweetmeat.” You know. The boys, they complain each other and again make friends. So Yaśodā was…, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa, I gave You sweetmeats. You are eating earth?” “No, mother. I have not eaten. They are telling false.” And they were still, “Yes. We have seen, mother, He has eaten.” Then mother asked Him, “Oh, show Your face. Open Your mouth. I want to see.” So He opened His mouth, and she saw all the universe within His mouth, not only earth, the whole planets, sun and moon, and everything, within His mouth. Then she thought, “Oh, what I have seen? All right. Don’t do it.” That’s all. [laughter] She is not at all surprised. She thought that “I saw something. Maybe I wrong or right. All right. Don’t do it.” That’s all. So they were so much affectionate to Kṛṣṇa that Kṛṣṇa’s this jugglery could not enchant them. [chuckles] You see? Therefore Kṛṣṇa said to the gopīs that “Your love is so pure that it is not possible for Me to repay.” Kṛṣṇa is declaring insolvent to pay their debt. “You be satisfied with your love only. I cannot repay.” That is the position of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the residents of Vṛndāvana so affectionately connected, that there is no such conception that “Kṛṣṇa is God, Kṛṣṇa can play wonderful things.” They simply love Kṛṣṇa. And out of love they forget everything. “All right. That’s all right. That’s all right.” So that ecstasy of love is only possible in Vṛndāvana. [break] 

Pradyumna: Is there a difference in the quality of service between a person who is, just accepts outright Kṛṣṇa, service to Kṛṣṇa, and one who wants to scrutinize and inquire more and more about it, between someone who just accepts, “That’s it, this and this,” and someone who inquires more and more? 

Prabhupāda: One who loves Kṛṣṇa without inquiry, that is nice position. To inquire about Kṛṣṇa is knowledge. And pure devotion is transcendental to knowledge. Love does not depend on the greatness. If a boy loves a girl or the girl loves a boy, even in this material field, it does not depend on the greatness of the boy. Of course, here everything is on material consideration. But actual love is without any consideration, what He is or what He isn’t. That is real love. That is the perfectional stage of love, without inquiring how great He is or what He is. But for the neophytes it is necessary to know about Kṛṣṇa. Because we have no love, so if we understand that Kṛṣṇa is so great, then gradually we can love. Our position is different because when… Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta, it is said that siddhānta boliya citte na kara ālasa: “Try to understand about Kṛṣṇa.” Just like Kṛṣṇa is explaining in Bhagavad-gītā that “I am this amongst the trees. I am this. I am this planet. Amongst this, I am this. I am this.” So just to impress upon the neophyte devotees about the greatness… And those who are advanced devotees, they do not want to see whether Kṛṣṇa is great or small. They simply love Him. That’s all. That is pure love. In Vṛndāvana, at least these gopīs, they never saw Kṛṣṇa’s any jugglery or any greatness. But they still love, pure love. Pure love means 

anyābhilāśitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
[Brs. 1.1.11]

Without any cultivation of knowledge, without any activities of fruitive action, without any desire, simply to love Kṛṣṇa in order to please Him—that is the highest perfectional stage of devotion. There is no consideration “Whether Kṛṣṇa is God or not, whether we are getting benefit or not.” “Simply we love Kṛṣṇa.” That is the perfectional stage. [break] 

Candanacarya: …to know something about Kṛṣṇa. [indistinct] I think you have to know something about Kṛṣṇa before you know Him to love Him. 

Prabhupāda: Yes. That I explained. For ordinary neophyte devotees… This is the highest stage. The stage of the gopīs or the cowherd boys playing with Kṛṣṇa, oh, they are kṛta-punya-puñjāḥ. Many, many lives they have undergone many types of sacrifices, austerities, penances, and then they have come to that stage. That stage is not ordinary stage. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtya dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena, māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ [SB 10.12.11]. He is describing when Kṛṣṇa was playing with His cowherds boy. So he is describing that “These cowherds boy—who are they? They are living entities who have amassed volumes and volumes of pious activities.” Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. “After many, many lives Just like bank balance increases, similarly, one who has increased the balance of pious activities for many, many thousands of lives, oh, such persons are now playing with Kṛṣṇa. They have taken the body of His cowherds boy, transcendental spiritual body, and just they are playing with Kṛṣṇa. And who is Kṛṣṇa?” Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtya: “The great saints and sages who are trying to understand the Supreme Brahman, here is Kṛṣṇa. That Supreme Brahman is here, playing.” Itthaṁ satāṁ brahma-sukhanubhutya dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena: “The impersonalist Brahman is… Because Kṛṣṇa’s effulgence is impersonal Brahman, so here is He.” And dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ: “Those who are devotees, those who have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the master, for them here is Kṛṣṇa.” And māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa: “And those who are materialistic—they simply think Kṛṣṇa is ordinary boy or man—He is also there. But who are these boys? They are playing with the same person who is Brahman, who is Bhagavān, or who is ordinary man, according to different calculation. But these boys who are playing with Him, they have accumulated many, many lives’ heaps of pious activities.” They are not ordinary men. So all these gopīs, all the cowherds boy in Vṛndāvana, they are not ordinary living entities. They have approached that stage after many, many pious activities. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ. After brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati [Bg. 18.54]. Their position is different. Therefore they have reached that unalloyed stage: without any consideration, simply loving Kṛṣṇa. That stage they have passed already. There is no such consideration. Pure love. That is pure love. Pure love means anyābhilāśitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Brs. 1.1.11]. There is no question of knowledge. What these gopīs…? They were damsels, cowherds girls. They had no study of Vedānta or anything knowledge. Simply ordinary village girls. How they attained such love for Kṛṣṇa? That is not ordinary thing. So it is not a thing that one should attain the transcendental loving platform of Kṛṣṇa by studying. No. vinā mahat-pāda-rajo ‘bhiṣekam. It can be achieved by the grace of Kṛṣṇa or by the grace of Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. It is not that because one is very learned, he will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Or because one is rich, therefore he will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, or because one is great mystic, therefore he will. No. That will come… vinā mahat-pāda-rajo ‘bhiṣekam. It cannot be achieved without touching the dust of lotus feet of a great devotee. That is the affect. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended, 

sādhu saṅga sādhu saṅga sarva śāstra kaya
lavamātra sādhu saṅge sarva siddhi haya

So this association is required. If you can make your Kṛṣṇa consciousness society perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious, wherever you will go, they will become Kṛṣṇa conscious, simply by your presence. So you have to become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There should be no adulteration. That adulteration means that knowledge and fruitive activities and material desires. If Kṛṣṇa consciousness is freed from these three kinds of contamination, then that is pure. [end] 

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