# April 24 ## Spoken on April 24 *Lectures from this day: 10 recordings* --- **[1969: Room Conversation](spoken/1969/690424r1.bos)** > So all sides, Pacific Ocean. And there is ample production of sugar cane and pineapple. I was chewing sugar cane as it is. [laughter] Yes. And there is so many coconut trees, palm trees, and mango. In mango season they throw away mangoes. So I have asked Govinda dāsī that "You make mango pulp and dry it and send it." So they are doing nice, husband and wife, Gaurasundara. Yes. Trying their best. I do not know whether they are working now. > They were dancing, chanting, asking very intelligent question. And Rūpānuga is holding class. There will be some examination of the students. They accept papers. Yes. Some Indians are coming from long distance. One Indian gentleman, he came to see me from..., what is that place? Ninety-two miles away from Buffalo. --- **[1969: Room Conversation](spoken/1969/690424r2.bos)** > Satataṁ kirtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ*. We have to continue this service constantly. Then we shall not forget. Forgetfulness is not wonderful. That is our nature. That is our nature. And that is the difference between ourself and God. God does not forget. We forget. We are claiming, some of us, foolishly claiming, that "I am God, but I forget." God does not forget. Therefore I am not God. Is that clear? Yes. That is the difference between living *jīva* and *śiva[?]*, God. He does not forget. > In the *Bhagavad-gītā* He says, *vedāhaṁ samatītāni* "I know everything of this present, past, future. Everything." But we do not know. We have forgotten. In our daily life, in our childhood, so many things we did. We don't remember. But our parents may remember, in childhood that we did this. So forgetfulness is our nature. But if we keep constant touch with Kṛṣṇa, then He will give us remembrance. So *sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo*, Kṛṣṇa says in the Fifteenth Chapter. --- **[1972: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.1–4](spoken/1972/720424sb.tok)** >also spiritual. Localized Paramātmā, that is also spiritual. And Bhagavān is... They are all spiritual, therefore all one. But according to my angle... Ultimately Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead... But because I cannot see, sometimes I realize a impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā. But actually the Absolute Truth, absolute person, is Kṛṣṇa. *Mattaḥ parataraṁ nāsti , Kṛṣṇa says. "There is no more superior truth above." So you realize the Absolute Truth in different stages: in the beginning as impersonal Brahman, impersonal Brahman. Just like you realize the sun as impersonal sunlight, then localized sun globe. But if you are able to enter into the sun globe, then you see the sun-god, Vivasvān. It is up to your power. But actually, from the person, sun-god, the light is coming. This is practical. > So Kṛṣṇa does not die. Otherwise, how He could remember? This is the reason. You try to understand all this reasoning. You have to preach. This is the reason. Because Kṛṣṇa says that "I remember everything," therefore Kṛṣṇa does not die. Is it established or not? Yes. You say... My personal example... Because I remember all my childhood, boyhood activities, therefore I am not dead. Nobody says that "You are dead man," although my body has changed. Because I can remember. And as soon as I shall forget, that is death. --- **[1973: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.32](spoken/1973/730424sb.la)** > Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is within the heart of everyone, Devakī also, so if He comes out before Devakī in the same four-handed form, is it very difficult for Kṛṣṇa? So people do not know. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You have to understand," *janma karma me divyam*, "transcendental birth. My activities, My birth." Therefore Kuntīdevī knows that Kṛṣṇa is unborn. Kṛṣṇa does not take birth, but it appears like that to some fools. Therefore they say that Kṛṣṇa has taken birth. But why Kṛṣṇa takes birth, the next question will be. That is replied, *puṇya-ślokasya kīrtaye . *Puṇya-ślokasya:* those who are very pious, very advanced in spiritual understanding, to glorify them. Kṛṣṇa comes to become the son of Devakī to glorify Devakī. Kṛṣṇa becomes the son of Yaśodā to glorify His devotee, Yaśodā. > Therefore Kṛṣṇa's birth is transcendental. Our birth is by force, by the laws of nature. He's not under the laws of nature. The laws of nature works under Him. *Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram*. Prakṛti,* nature, is working under the order of Kṛṣṇa, and we are working under the order of nature. That is the difference. See... Kṛṣṇa is the master of nature, and we are servant of nature. That is the difference. *Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate.* Therefore Kuntīdevī says, *kecid āhur.* Somebody says like that. Somebody says like that, that the unborn has taken birth. How the unborn can take birth? It appears like that, but it is not taking birth. It appears just like He has taken birth like us. No. --- **[1974: Morning Walk](spoken/1974/740424mw.hyd)** > One... Unless one is substantially advanced in *kṛṣṇa-bhakti,* they cannot give up this material attachment—illicit sex, meat-eating. They cannot. It is impossible. So even in the name of *svāmī* and big, big *yogīs*... They are doing all these things. Especially those who go in foreign countries. And in USA illicit sex is very cheap. Everything is very cheap. Yes. Intoxication very cheap, meat-eating very cheap, gambling very cheap. So when they get this cheap amenities, they forget their so-called spiritual life. > Mahāṁsa*:* He used to be running for the chief ministership. He's very, very popular, but there was some mischief he did, for which he was taken to court and exposed. --- **[1974: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10](spoken/1974/740424sb.hyd)** > So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to train people to come to his original constitutional position. What is that? Every living entity is part and parcel of God. Therefore the duty of the part and parcel is to serve the whole. The part and parcel cannot enjoy individually or independently. That is not possible. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. It has to enjoy at a certain post. Not that a finger will catch up some *rasgullā* and enjoy it. That is not possible. It must go through the stomach. The *rasagullas* will be caught and put into the mouth. It must go to the stomach, and the stomach will digest it, and the energy will be distributed—not only to this finger, but other fingers, other parts of parts of the body. This has to be learned. That is called *yato bhaktir adhokṣaje*. > Little service, out of these nine varieties of devotional service. One, two, three, or just one—he is profiting. This is called *ajñāta-sukṛti*. Without knowledge, some balance of spiritual life is developed. Just like we collect money, four *annas*, four *annas*. Just like home saving. Say you can put it four hundred, five hundred, one rupee—one day you'll see it is fifty rupees. So this is called *ajñāta-sukṛti*. Without *sukṛti*, without being purified, without being pious, nobody can approach God. That is not possible. *Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna*. --- **[1975: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.7](spoken/1975/750424sb.vrn)** > In the previous verse we have discussed how to be free from the unwanted association, *anartha. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt*. Material life means to be involved with so many unwanted things. That is material life. At the present moment, especially in this Kali-yuga, we are very, very much fallen. *Mandāḥ s*umanda-matayo* manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ*. Prāyeṇa alpa āyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ.* So this human life is especially meant for cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or spiritual understanding of life. Unfortunately, we are very, very slow, *manda. Manda* means bad, fallen, abominable. The whole population in this age, they are very, very fallen, *manda.* Why *manda*? They have advanced so much in material comforts. That is not required. Real requisition is how to develop our spiritual understanding. That is wanted. But they are not interested, *manda. Manda* means slow or very, very bad. They do not know. > Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva has forbidden, that "This life, human form of life, is not meant for working so hard like hogs and dogs." *Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye*. This is the advice. But we are advancing in civilization—to get our food, we have to work so hard. This is condemnation of life. Human life should be very peaceful, and without any hard work we shall get our food and save time for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is human life, not that for sense gratification we work so hard like an ass. This is called *anartha. Anartha* means unwanted things. We can see practically. The birds and beasts, they are living very easy and comfortable life without any problem. They rise early in the morning regularly. You have seen. As soon as there is little light, immediately they will rise up and they will talk amongst themselves and go, one tree to another, and he will eat one or two fruits, little fruits, ample fruit. They have no scarcity of food. And live very pleasantly. For eating, sleeping, sex life, they have no problem. These are primary necessities of life. Why there should be problem for these things? But in the human society there is problem. That is called the effect of Kali-yuga. Effect of Kali-yuga means the so-called advancement of material civilization means to become godless, immoral, and they must suffer. That is going on. --- **[1976: Bhagavad-gītā 9.5](spoken/1976/760424bg.mel)** > So *īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati*. He is staying in everyone's heart, and He is omnipotent. He understands what I desire. *Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.* Because I am desiring something, because everything is not fulfilled by this body, therefore I have to accept. Suppose if I want to drink fresh blood. Nowadays they are drinking fresh blood. So Kṛṣṇa says, "All right, you get a body, a tiger's body, a lion's body, and you drink fresh blood. Why artificially? Just take this body." If you have no discrimination to eat anything, so Kṛṣṇa gives us the body of a pig. You can eat anything. Up to stool, you can eat without any difficulty. So..., or if you want to enjoy like a demigod, so He gives you the same body. This is going on. But this is... Either I get the body of a demigod or I get the body of a hog or pig or anything, it is suffering, because I have to give up one body—that is suffering; I have to accept another body. That is *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi .* And as soon as I get body, the disease and old age is there. > So the living entity is called *kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra-jña* means one who knows his body. Every one of us, we know. I think, "It is my body." Nobody says "I body." Everyone says "my body," "my finger," "my hand." So therefore he is known as *kṣetra-jña:* one who knows about his body. So Kṛṣṇa says that *kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi*. I am proprietor of this body, you are proprietor of your body, but Kṛṣṇa is proprietor of every body. That is Kṛṣṇa. *Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam*. He is in everyone's body. *Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati*. So Kṛṣṇa, that singular number, *eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.* So that one singular number, supreme conscious person, Kṛṣṇa, He is maintaining the plural number. Therefore here it is said, *bhūta-bhṛn na ca bhūta-stho mamātmā bhūta-bhāvanaḥ.* --- **[1976: Morning Walk](spoken/1976/760424mw.mel)** >means Alexander the Great, actually he was great. Otherwise, he is the emperor, and ordinary thief is accusing him, and he said, "Yes, I am thief." He admitted. That is greatness. That is greatness. If he was not great, then he would have hanged him or punished him: "Oh, you are so... You are accusing me?" But no, he accepted. That is greatness. Mistake is one fault, but to accept that "I have done mistake," that is greatness. > This is unhappiness. And if you think, "Oh, what is there, unhappiness, in dying?" then you are animal. The animal are taken to the slaughterhouse. He is not disturbed. He is eating grass very peacefully. That is the animal life. If you do not understand what is unhappiness, then you are animal; you are not human being. But his unhappiness, that's a fact, to remain in a airtight bag for ten months. If you have no sense, "Oh, what is this?" and still being killed, is it not unhappiness? And if you say, "Where is unhappiness?" then you are a stone. The *Bhagavad-gītā* says, *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi*. Janma* is unhappiness. First of all you have to remain ten months in a packed-up bag, and that also risk your mother will kill you. And still you say, "It is not unhappiness"? Then what is happiness? You are so dull that you see there is no unhappiness in birth. Practically see. --- **[1977: Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi](spoken/1977/770424me.bom)** > Prabhupāda:* [Transl. The meaning of the word *"Īśvara"* is controller or He whose command is obeyed. Everyone's order is obeyed. My order is obeyed, your order is obeyed, everyone has their own area of authority. In your house you order your son, your servant, so in that sense everyone is *Īśvara*. But *Īśvara parama*, that is wanted. Above Whom there is no superior authority to command. He is the real *Īśvara*. He is described in the *sāśtra, Īśvaraḥ paramah kṛṣṇaḥ*. Everyone is *Īśvara*. Everyone, in their respective areas, jurisdiction, everyone is *Īśvara*. But that *Īśvara* is not real. The real *Īśvara* is He Whom nobody can command. Just like I order my disciples, but above me there is my guru. Above him is his *guru*, then his *guru*, then his *guru*, it will go on. But there is no *guru* above Kṛṣṇa.] > > [Transl. The very first thing they do is spoil it, distort it. Interpret it in their own way. So it's lost. What is the use of giving such a thing? That's why there are so many readers of Bhagavad-gītā, but nobody understands a line of Bhagavad-gītā. The real thing is ruined, so what benefit will you derive? You be assured that we will not give you worthless thing. We won't distribute spoiled thing. We won't give distorted and bad thing.] We shall give pure. [aside: Please come.] Then you see how your country becomes happy. That is real dayā. [Transl. What is the use of giving bad thing? Simply waste of time.] Śrama eva hi kevalam. [Transl. Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has declared it.] --- ## Letters on April 24 *Letters from this day: 11* --- **[1970: Letter to Syamasundara](letters/1970/700424_syamasundara)** > Regarding George's foreword, you write to say that certainly there will be no more changes. Do you mean that the changes which you have already suggested in you letter dated 11th April with quotation from Swami Vivekananda are to be added? We cannot add any quotation from Swami Vivekananda. --- **[1971: Letter to Jaya Jagadisa](letters/1971/710424_jaya_jagadisa)** > I was glad to see your letter addressed to Sriman Gurudasa and Srimati Yamuna devi regarding your recommendation for initiation by Mukunda Prabhu. --- **[1971: Letter to Jayapataka](letters/1971/710424_jayapataka)** > Thank you very much. I hope by now you have sent one copy to Boston for printing. --- **[1971: Letter to Rupanuga](letters/1971/710424_rupanuga)** > I understand that there is one man in Bombay who has plagiarized our Spiritual Sky label, so we are serving him the proper notice to stop this plagiarizing business. But in the winter season the collections are not so good so you should make some compensation for those months. --- **[1971: Letter to Shekhar Prasad Shrestha](letters/1971/710424_shekhar_prasad_shrestha)** > I am so glad that you are appreciating our Back To Godhead magazine. The article mentioned by you, "The Vedanta: Its Morphology and Ontology" is a very difficult article for a new man who is just trying to grasp this Krishna Consciousness philosophy. --- **[1972: Letter to Brahmananda](letters/1972/720424_brahmananda)** > You have got great responsibility in Africa, greater than in India. Our preaching in Australia and New Zealand was very successful, and in New Zealand we shall very soon have our own temple, as our new disciple there, Gaura Krishna das, has already given 3 acres of land in Auckland. --- **[1972: Letter to Hansadutta](letters/1972/720424_hansadutta)** > This program to make each and every center spiritually strong should be the duty of the GBC. --- **[1974: Letter to Gurudasa](letters/1974/740424_gurudasa)** > Regarding you report on construction progress I am glad to hear the building is roofed, however what about the backside residential quarters? Please give me up to date information on all phases on the construction. --- **[1974: Letter to Mahadeva](letters/1974/740424_mahadeva)** > Syamasundara has invited me to go to London and if he sends tickets as promised then I am going by the first week of May. I shall personally study the situation as mentioned by you and make my judgement personally. At that time I shall consult with Syamasundara. --- **[1974: Letter to Manager Of Punjab National Bank](letters/1974/740424_manager_of_punjab_national_bank)** > With further reference to my letter dated April 8th, and your reply of April 15, I beg to request you to transfer 3 lacs (Rs 300,000. --- **[1974: Letter to Tejiyas](letters/1974/740424_tejiyas)** > I am enclosing the list of checks requested by you by Registered post except I am not sending one check for Rs 3,000 for deity clothes to be paid to the tailor Lalita Prasad of Vrindaban. Deity paraphernalia is supposed to be collected separately by Gurudasa and Yamuna, not come out of the construction fund as you have requested. ---