# May 21 ## Spoken on May 21 *Lectures from this day: 10 recordings* --- **[1968: Initiation Lecture](spoken/1968/680521in.bos)** > So at least for one year chanting regularly, observing the rules and regulation, one comes to the platform of spiritual platform. And then, another initiation, this is called *dīkṣā*. That is also *dīkṣā*, that is first process. This *dīkṣā*, second process, is not very essential. The essential is to chant. In this age, there is no need of this second initiation. But those who are going to be recognized as properly initiated, so this second installment was introduced by Sanātana Gosvāmī. *Dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ* [*Hari-bhakti-vilāsa* 2.12], his twice birth he's completed. > This is also in India. But the *śāstra* does not allow that. It is not slavery, actually; it is grand protection. If the husband is nice, then wife's position is very secure. Just like a king, and the woman whom the king marries, she becomes at once queen, without any endeavor, and she gets all the respect of the husband. Just see Rāmacandra. Rāmacandra was very young *kṣatriya*, fighter, everything. Sītā has no such record. But Sītā has got the same respect as Rāma—Sītā-Rāma. Now we have heard so many activities of Kṛṣṇa, nothing of Rādhārāṇī, but Rādhārāṇī is still as good as Kṛṣṇa. --- **[1969: Initiation lecture [Partially Recorded](spoken/1969/690521in.nv)** > All right. You please sit down. So the boy is satisfied that "I am not going to school. --- **[1972: Sunday Feast Lecture](spoken/1972/720521le.la)** > So there are many classes of men who have no understanding of God. Some of them are saying, "God is dead," or "God is impersonal," "There is no God," "Zero," "I am God," "You are God," so many things. All these people do not know what is God; therefore there are different theories. Therefore somehow or other if you can understand God, then your life is successful. Somehow or other. Because this human life is especially meant for understanding God. Athāto brahma-jijñāsā, the *Vedānta-sūtra.* You have heard the name of *Vedānta. Vedānta* means... *Veda* means knowledge, and *anta* means ultimate. The ultimate knowledge. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam* : "The ultimate purpose of reading *Vedas* is to know Me." > In the *Vedānta-sūtra* or *Bhāgavata* it is said that Brahmā, he's the first creature. There was no other, any other living entity when he was created first. So if I say that he also got knowledge from others, then the argument may be, "Who is the next person to give him knowledge?" So therefore *Bhāgavata* says, "No. He received knowledge from Kṛṣṇa." How? "From the heart." *Tene brahma hṛdā. Hṛdā.* Because God, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting in everyone's heart—your heart, my heart, everyone. And He can give you instruction. His name is therefore *caitya-guru. Caitya-guru* means who gives conscience and knowledge from within. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* Kṛṣṇa says, *sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo* : --- **[1973: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.1.10](spoken/1973/730521sb.dal)** > So Vidura was so expert advisor, counselor, that there was a statement, *vaidurikam.* Just like the *cāṇakya-śloka.* On ordinary things, *cāṇakya-śloka* is evidence. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said... I think you can introduce *cāṇakya-śloka* amongst the students. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said that *vidvatvaṁ ca nṛpatvaṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana.* A man who is learned and man who is very rich, so how they should be compared? The Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, "There is no comparison." Comparison must be there when there is points of similarity. Just like we say, "Your face is just like moon." So if the face is actually similar to the moon, then we can say. So points of similarity. Analogy means there must be points of similarity. The largest number of similarity makes the analogy perfect. This is logical rules. > But his policy was that "I could not be elevated on the throne because I was blind, but actually the kingdom belongs to me. So anyway, my brother occupied the throne. Now he is dead and gone. So why his sons should be king? My son should be king." This was the politics. So he was trying how to kill the Pāṇḍavas from the very beginning. And Vidura was restricting him, restraining him. So this is the subject matter. He called Vidura, "What is to be done?" Vidura..., he disclosed everything to Vidura. Vidura said, "No, you cannot do that." --- **[1975: Morning Walk](spoken/1975/750521mw.mel)** > So our business is to educate people that "Everything is Kṛṣṇa. You try to understand." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You are trying to forget Kṛṣṇa. That is your argument. Just like the materialistic person argue, "Why shall I do this? Why shall I go to Kṛṣṇa?" They argue simply this. Actually, there cannot exist anything without Kṛṣṇa. *Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam,* Kṛṣṇa says. "All this, whatever you see, that is My expansion of energy. Everything is resting on Me." *Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni [*Bg* 9.4]. > The same electric energy is creating heater and cooler. For the cooler there is no different electric energy. And for the heater there is no different—the same electric. Similarly, the material and spiritual is coming from Kṛṣṇa's energy. How Kṛṣṇa's energy can be material? That is spiritual. In *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said that "These material elements, they are also My energy." So how Kṛṣṇa's energy can be material? *Bhinnā, [*Bg 7.4] separated, a little separated, that's all. Separated means as soon as you separate Kṛṣṇa from anything, that is material. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you have to dovetail everything with Kṛṣṇa. Then it will be spiritual. As soon as you say these demons, they separate Kṛṣṇa, "What is Kṛṣṇa? What is God? We are scientist, we are technicians and so on, so on. We create our own thing," that means they don't dovetail with Kṛṣṇa; therefore they are materialist. When we want to enjoy life without Kṛṣṇa, that is material. And Kṛṣṇa gives chance, "All right, you enjoy without Me." And when he is, what is called, disgusted, then Kṛṣṇa comes once, "Now you have experienced. You haven't got happiness. Now give up this attitude to enjoy without Me." *Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam*.... "Do it." This is going on. The rascals, they want to enjoy life without Kṛṣṇa. The *gopīs* are dancing with Kṛṣṇa; the dancing is here also, ball dance. Why they do not get any pleasure? Without Kṛṣṇa. You dance with Kṛṣṇa, you get real pleasure. --- **[1975: Room Conversation with Mr. Moore Director of Research of the Department of Social Welfare](spoken/1975/750521r1.mel)** > So these things should be taken care of—at least a class of men must be ideal for people, others will see. And the training should go on, just like we are doing. We are inviting people to come to chant with us, to dance with us, take *prasādam.* And gradually they are becoming. The same stuff, addicted to drinking, addicted to prostitution, addicted to meat-eating, he is becoming saintly person. This is practical. You can see, what was their previous history and what they are now. > One who is learned, he is equal to everyone. That is learned. "I take care of my brother and I kill you," that is not right. That is going on, everywhere. Nationalism. Nation... National means one who has taken birth in that land. But the animal, poor animal, because they cannot make any protest, send them to the slaughterhouse. And if there were ideal men, they would have protested, "Oh, why you are doing this? Let them live also. You live also. Just produce food grains. The animals can also take, you can also take. Why should you take animal?" That is recommended in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* --- **[1975: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.1](spoken/1975/750521sb.mel)** > Hmm. So we have discussed the last two days what is the aim of life. So this whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is diverting the aim of life. There are two ways. Our present position, the aim of life is sense gratification. *Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham*. Material life means sense gratification, as much as possible. And the central point of sense gratification is sex life. *Yan maithunādi. Maithuna* means sexual intercourse. This is the machine to keep the living entity bound up under the condition of material nature. We are conditioned by the material nature. We are thinking we are free. We are not free. That is not the fact. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā* that "You are thinking that you are free, whatever you like you can do, enjoy sense gratification—but under condition. You are not free." > So this is not advancement. The advancement is that, as Kṛṣṇa says, that to solve the problem of birth, death, old age and disease. That is advancement. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that *ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna*. Even if you go... Why to the moon planet? Even if you go to the topmost planet, which is called Brahmaloka... There you can live for many millions of years, but you have to die. As you have to die here, as the cats dies, dog dies... We human being, we also die. The demigods, they also die. The Brahmā will also die. Nobody can save himself from death. Death... Birth, death, old age and disease. We have already discussed that we living beings, soul, we are eternal. We are eternal; we are simply changing the body, one body to another. In this way, material life means you can live for one minute or one hour or hundred years or millions of years. You get a particular type of body, and according to that body, you live. And therefore you have to die. Kṛṣṇa says that *ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna.* Even if you go to the topmost planet, you can live for long, long years, but you will have to die and again come to this earthly planet and again begin your life. This is going on. So how it is going on? *Pravṛtti-mārga.* "I want to enjoy sense gratification." This is the basic principle. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that back to home, back to Godhead, not to make proceed or progress towards birth, death, old age and disease, but make progress towards no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called *nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti* means stop this type of progress. --- **[1976: Room Conversation About Deity Making and Tulasi Tea](spoken/1976/760521r1.hon)** > Govinda dāsī:...*tulasī* flowers in your water, and it flavors the water. Well, when boiled water is poured on it, it's supposedly very medicinal too. And they drink the tea with a little bit maybe of honey or drink it plain. And it's very palatable. Customers like it. I've..., I used to drink it, but I heard that it was an offense to, to drink it, so I didn't know. I just thought it was really good. > Govinda dāsī:...the deities too. So therefore that's why I, I was doing them here. I was getting it all organized here. I was simply going to ask him to help me with the Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta and the deity of yourself. --- **[1976: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.21](spoken/1976/760521sb.hon)** > If you actually want *śānti,* peace, then you try to understand only three things. What is that? *Sarva-loka-maheśvaram:* Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of everything. Just like we ask every day, "Who is the proprietor of the sea?" They do not know. Theories. But Kṛṣṇa said, "I am the proprietor," *sarva-loka-maheśvaram,* "not only of this sea." This Pacific Ocean is only one, insignificant. There are millions of Pacific Ocean flying in the sky. So who is the proprietor? *Sarva-loka-maheśvaram.* Kṛṣṇa says, "I am." You are not proprietor. There must be some proprietor. So who is that proprietor? Kṛṣṇa says, "I am the proprietor." You have to know it, whether Kṛṣṇa is not proprietor. He says, "I am proprietor," but if you are doubtful, prove that He is not proprietor. But that you cannot do. Or bring another person who can claim like that, that "I am the proprietor." Therefore you have to accept Kṛṣṇa as the proprietor. And it is accepted by all great personalities: Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, all the *ācāryas,* Nimbārka, then Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and our worshipable Deity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone has accepted. So unless we are grand fool, we can't deny this. It is not possible. *Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam*. We have to take knowledge by the disciplic succession. So let us get admission by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: *kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam*. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa*. > So it is the natural comment by Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva is the writer of *Vedānta* philosophy, and he has written a comment personally, so that in future, rascals may not misrepresent *Vedānta.* There are so many *bhāṣyas,* but that is not commentary. Real commentary... The author knows what he wants to speak. So *Vedānta* is the compilation by Vyāsadeva. So he knows what he wants to speak. What others have got the right? Just like *Bhagavad-gītā.* The purpose of *Bhagavad-gītā* is known by Kṛṣṇa. Why the rascals comment in different way? They may write their rascal philosophy, other. Why they touch *Bhagavad-gītā* and give different interpretation? They have no right. I have written a book; I have got my purpose. Why you should poke your nose and make it a different purpose? This is very mischievous rascaldom. So we want to stop this. We present *Bhagavad-gītā* as it is, as Kṛṣṇa says. We don't allow any rascal to comment upon *Bhagavad-gītā* in a different way. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is very natural. If you have got a different type of philosophy, you can write. Why you should touch *Bhagavad-gītā* and misrepresent it? So because they are *śūdras—*their business is to cheat—they do that. But a *brāhmaṇa* will not do that. *Yathānukīrtanam. Yathānukīrtanam. Brāhmaṇa* means as it is, they will describe. That is *brāhmaṇa.* And if one has got some motive, that "*Bhagavad-gītā* is popular book. Let me utilize it and make my rascal philosophy popular..." This is going on. Big, big politician, big, big mental speculator... No. That is wrong. That is *śūdra.* A *brāhmaṇa* should present as it is. *Yathānukīrtanam.* This word is used. --- **[1977: Room Conversation](spoken/1977/770521r1.vrn)** > This is India's culture. The whole world is in darkness, and they are risking their life in the transmigration of one body to another, *mṛtyu-saṁsāra-var...* [*Bg*9.3]. The rascals do not know what they are doing. They are simply taking account of few years. He does not know that he's eternal. A few years, a fragment, a pass..., passing way, that's all. A passing flash. And *bharam udvahato vimūḍhān.* This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy. This rascal... *Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān*. This is Vaiṣṇava's concern, that "These, what, rascals, they are doing?" That is Vaiṣṇavism. "What these rascals are doing, jumping like monkey, wasting time?" That is Vaiṣṇavism. *Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī.* These rascals do not know, driving motorcar, *"bhaṭ-bhaṭ-bhaṭ-bhaṭ-bhaṭ-bhaṭ-bhaṭ."* He's going to fall down in the sea, but rascal does not know. He's racing with a dog. Dog is also running with full speed, and he's showing, "Oh, I have got this car. This much proud I am." --- ## Letters on May 21 *Letters from this day: 16* --- **[1967: Letter to Hayagriva](letters/1967/670521_hayagriva)** > I understand that some girls have volunteered to type and therefore you can now get the revised Gitopanisad nicely and correctly typed before it is handed over to the press. --- **[1967: Letter to Mukunda Janaki](letters/1967/670521_mukunda_janaki)** > Your ardent call is responding from heart and I have decided to return to San Francisco any day after 5th June 1967. --- **[1967: Letter to Ravindra Svarupa](letters/1967/670521_ravindra_svarupa)** > I am very glad to learn that you are doing your best and your good wife is helping you nicely. --- **[1967: Letter to Syamasundara](letters/1967/670521_syamasundara)** > I am very glad to see your enthusiasm in the service of Lord Krishna and I am sure that this spiritual intoxicant of Krishna consciousness will encourage many many students who are actually in search after the Absolute Truth. I am very glad to learn that my students and children in San Francisco are doing well in Krishna consciousness. --- **[1969: Letter to Sivananda](letters/1969/690521_sivananda)** > Your proposition to establish a center and then hand it over to the people who come later on and then start another center is the desire of Lord Caitanya. --- **[1970: Letter to Manager Of Bank Of Baroda](letters/1970/700521_manager_of_bank_of_baroda)** > So the purpose of the remittance you have asked to send is to transfer their money to them. 4,000 may now be transferred on the strength of the above statement. --- **[1970: Letter to Manager Of Security Pacific Bank](letters/1970/700521_manager_of_security_pacific_bank)** > Please transfer $3,600 (Three thousand, and six hundred dollars) to the First National Bank of Boston, Brighton Avenue Branch, in favor of account No. --- **[1970: Letter to Yogesvara Gurudasa Digvijaya Lesley Yvonne Jyotirmayi Paul Prithadevi Purnananda Tom Lena Dhananjaya Inga Mandakini Tirthapada Trivikrama Yamuna Jaya Hari](letters/1970/700521_yogesvara_gurudasa_digvijaya_lesley_yvonne_jyotirmayi_paul_prithadevi_purnananda_tom_lena_dhananjaya_inga_mandakini_tirthapada_trivikrama_yamuna_jaya_hari)** > This is the new years day of the appearance of Satya Yuga. Satya Yuga means the age when people did not know anything except the Absolute Truth or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. --- **[1971: Letter to Kirtika](letters/1971/710521_kirtika)** > Rupanuga Prabhu has recommended you for initiation and I am so glad to accept you as my duly initiated disciple. --- **[1972: Letter to Bibhu](letters/1972/720521_bibhu)** > I have considered coming to New Vrndavana and Pittsburgh for Janmastami and I think that I shall be able to come after all. --- **[1972: Letter to Jayadeva](letters/1972/720521_jayadeva)** > Actually, nothing in Krishna consciousness is an accident, but sometimes Krishna will put us into a seemingly unfavorable situation just to help us realize that he is the Controller. --- **[1972: Letter to Niranjana](letters/1972/720521_niranjana)** > I am glad to hear that our Ramananda Prabhu has visited you in Varanasi and that he has still some feeling for me and for this Krishna Consciousness Movement. --- **[1972: Letter to Ranadhira](letters/1972/720521_ranadhira)** > I have already written to Bibhu that I shall be very glad to attend your Janmastami at New Vrndavana and I shall also visit the Pittsburgh temple at that time. You may arrange the engagement on September 8th, that is all right. --- **[1972: Letter to Yadubara](letters/1972/720521_yadubara)** > I am very pleased to learn from you your system of filing of all life members to insure that they receive all our literatures. --- **[1973: Letter to Ekendra Shawn Christina Dvarakadhisa Kimi Tonya Joe John Candramukhi Carol Peggy Lisa Stephanie](letters/1973/730521_ekendra_shawn_christina_dvarakadhisa_kimi_tonya_joe_john_candramukhi_carol_peggy_lisa_stephanie)** > By serving Krishna we can become happy because we are re-establishing our original constitutional position of eternity, knowledge and bliss. --- **[1973: Letter to Niranjana](letters/1973/730521_niranjana)** > Now I have come here to New York. My health is not keeping very well. I'm suffering from cold and cough. I am returning back to India for medical treatment. ---