# August 2 ## Spoken on August 2 *Lectures from this day: 12 recordings* --- **[1968: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.5](spoken/1968/680802sb.mon)** > So when one learns how to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, direct service, then that is the ultimate goal of religious principles. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* also, Lord says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya* : "You give up all types of religious principles." *Sarva-dharmān. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja:* "Simply just surrender unto Me." Because this is religion. Anything which does not teach how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, or God, that is not religion. Therefore I said in the beginning, there is some difference of meaning between religion and *dharma.* Religion and *dharma.* Religion is a faith, but *dharma* is the original characteristic of the living entity. > And here Kṛṣṇa says that "You give up all types of faiths." Because we have created so many faiths within this world. According to time, circumstances, country, atmosphere, everything, we have got different faiths. But Kṛṣṇa says it is not the question of faith; it is the question of actual relationship. Because every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and the duty of part and parcel is to render service to the whole; therefore Kṛṣṇa came to establish this type of religion, this first-class religion, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. So any religion. --- **[1970: Śrīla Prabhupāda leaving for Japan Purport to Nṛsiṁha Prayers](spoken/1970/700802pu.la)** > Nṛsiṁhadeva may save you. Lord Nṛsiṁha, *prahlāda āhlāda-dāyine.* And to the Hiraṇyakaśipu, *śilā-ṭaṅka-nakhālaye.* Both ways Kṛṣṇa is protecting. And Viṣṇu, you see He has got four hands. In two hands He's carrying *śaṇkha, cakra,* and in two hands *gadā, padma.* This *śaṅkha* and *padma* is for the devotee, and *gadā* and *cakra* for the demon. Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā, yadā yadā hi..., paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām*. > Following the rules and regulation, chalked-out plans. And *sato vṛtteḥ,* dealing very straightforward. No diplomacy, no politics, no duplicity. That will not help you. *Sato vṛtteḥ. Vṛtteḥ,* his profession, should be very straightforward. No underhand dealings. *Sato vṛtteḥ* and *sādhu-saṅga*,* and in the association of devotees. --- **[1971: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.16–20](spoken/1971/710802sb.ny)** > So anyone who takes to this process, only to Kṛṣṇa, they are *dvandva-moha-nirmuktā*, they are freed from all dualities. No more dualities. *Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam* : Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore I must surrender unto Kṛṣṇa and engage myself in the service of the Lord. This is called *kṛṣṇārpita-prāṇa*, dedicated to Kṛṣṇa. > What is a saint? Saintly means *titikṣava*. *Titikṣava* means they are very tolerant. Don't you see that Jesus Christ was crucified—still he was tolerant. He did not take any revenge. This is called *suśīlāḥ sādhava*, tolerant. *Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ* : one side they are, for their personal self, they are tolerating all kinds of insult; but at the same time, still, they are *kāruṇikā*, very merciful to the people in general. --- **[1972: Room Conversation with Ian Polsen](spoken/1972/720802r1.lon)** > So these are all mad condition. So when he turns to God... Service he must give. Nobody can say, "I'm not serving anybody.'' That is not possible. You must be serving somebody. Just like you are serving government, he is serving some office, because service is our nature. So we are not happy, because the service is misplaced. When the service is rightly placed, then it is our normal condition. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender unto Me.'' That is real liberated condition. > Nobody says, neither Tilak, Gandhi, this Ramakrishna, this Aurobindo. Nobody says that. He's made purposefully avoiding his duty. And these rascals are going as dutiful. His duty was to say as Kṛṣṇa says, if he is actually student of *Bhagavad-gītā*. Here is Kṛṣṇa saying that you surrender, you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. We are doing that duty. We are not speaking something nonsense. --- **[1972: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.23](spoken/1972/720802sb.lon)** > After many, many births, when one becomes actually wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. Not an ordinary person. So that perfection, anyone can take. It is open. Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ...* If we do that, then we become perfect immediately. "How? I am so much sinful! How I can become immediately perfect by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa?" Kṛṣṇa says, *ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi* : "I shall give you protection from all reaction of your sinful life." "Oh, I have done so much sinful activities." > Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *sarva-dharmān parityajya*. Why He is asking "Give up all other religious systems. Simply surrender unto Me"? That is religion. In another place *Bhāgavatam* confirms, *dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam*. *Dharma* means that which is given by God, the laws given by God. God is Kṛṣṇa, the Absolute Person. Whatever laws He gives, that is religion. So He gives these laws, that "You surrender unto Me." This is religion. --- **[1974: Bhagavad-gītā 4.10](spoken/1974/740802bg.vrn)** > We must eat, we must sleep, and we must be afraid of, and we must have sex. This is material life. *Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam.* And spiritual life means minus this: no more fear, no more attachment, no more sex life. Just like in the life of the Gosvāmīs. *Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau.* Conquered. Conquered over these things, material necessities. So this is called penance. Here it is said. *Bahavo jñāna-tapasā.* First of all *jñāna,* understanding our position. This is called *jñāna.* And then practice *tapasya. Tapasyā* means make these things, material necessities, zero. That is called *tapasya. Tapasyā.* Because we are accustomed to all these things—eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. So to give up, it is not possible all of a sudden. That is not possible. Because we are accustomed. Just like the fan is rotating. You stop the switch, it will rotate, at least, for some time, because the force is there. Similarly, even if we accept that these things should be stopped—no more eating, no more sleeping, no more sex, no more fearing—that should be... There must be determination. But it may go around, because we are practiced to this. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the *Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ*. If we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness full, even due to our past habits we are attached to all things, Kṛṣṇa says it doesn't matter. But you keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. > Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that *paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate.* You can make zero automatically when you find better engagement. So we have to give better engagement. Then things will be zero. Because you have got better engagement, you are not interested to go to the hotel. There is hotel also, cinema also in Vṛndāvana. But will you go there? So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and..., and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore *paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate*.* If you get better engagement, to try to engage yourself always in the better engagement, then these material activities will be zero. But zero is not our philosophy. Positive, not negative. They simply make negative. Negative will not help us. --- **[1976: Lecture During Walk [Partially Recorded](spoken/1976/760802le.nmr)** > So we have to adjust things in such a way that without any condition, without any check, we can go on with our devotional service. Just like we can sit down here or anywhere. Here is the opportunity. This land is very good. You can sit down anywhere and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa *mahā-mantra.* There is no need of chair or cushion or nothing else. *Ahaituky apratihatā.* Any condition. And *yenātmā samprasīdati,* that will please your everything—your heart, your mind, your body, your soul, everything. *Yenātmā samprasīdati.* This is the easiest method for achieving the highest perfection of life. So go on with this process without any check and be happy. --- **[1976: Room Conversation](spoken/1976/760802r1.nmr)** > Bhakti-latā-bīja* is the origin of devotional service. Unless one satisfies the spiritual master, he gets the *bīja,* or root cause, of *karma, jñāna* and *yoga* without the benefit of devotional service. However, one who is faithful to his spiritual master gets the *bhakti-latā-bīja.* This *bhakti-latā-bīja* is received when one is initiated by the bona fide spiritual master. After receiving the spiritual master's mercy, one must repeat his instructions, and this is called *śravaṇa-kīrtana—*hearing and chanting. One who has not properly heard from the spiritual master or who does not follow the regulative principles is not fit for chanting [*kīrtana*]. This is explained in *Bhagavad-gītā*: *vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana*. One who has not listened carefully to the instructions of the spiritual master is unfit to chant or preach the cult of devotional service. One has to water the *bhakti-latā-bīja* after receiving instructions from the spiritual master." > The word *guru-prasāda* indicates that the spiritual master is very merciful in bestowing the boon of devotional service upon the disciple. That is the best possible gift the spiritual master has to offer. Those with a background of pious life are eligible to receive life's supreme benefit, and to bestow this benefit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead sends His representative to impart His mercy. Endowed with the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the spiritual master distributes the mercy to those who are elevated and pious. Thus the spiritual master trains his disciples to render devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called *gurukṛpā.* It is *kṛṣṇa-prasāda,* Kṛṣṇa's mercy, that He sends a bona fide spiritual master to the deserving disciple. By the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one meets the bona fide spiritual master, and by the mercy of the spiritual master, the disciple is fully trained in the devotional service of the Lord. --- **[1976: Room Conversation](spoken/1976/760802r2.nmr)** > So when one comes to this understanding, that we are not master, we are servant... *Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate* : after many, many births, if by chance one gets the association of the servant of the Lord, then he understands that he is not master, he's servant of Kṛṣṇa, and then he surrenders. *Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.* Such great soul who has understood that "I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa," he's a very great soul. *Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ.* Very, very rare to be found. But that is the fact. The sooner we learn that "We cannot become master, we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Let us surrender to Kṛṣṇa and remain in our own position as servant," then it is perfection of life. Therefore one who surrenders, one who offers... This is the beginning, *man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru*. Namaskuru.* Kṛṣṇa says *namaskuru. Namaskuru* means "Just offer your obeisances unto Me." So in the absence of... Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but Kṛṣṇa sends His representative. So if we begin, offer *namaskuru* to the representative, it goes to Kṛṣṇa, and then gradually, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious and becomes situated in his own original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is perfection of life. > So this mastership competition is going on life after life, sometimes as human being, sometimes as animal, sometimes as fish, aquatics, sometimes as demigod, bird. This is the whole material situation. And the difficulty is that we cannot become master, but on account of our false ambition that "I shall become master," we are becoming servants of material nature. We are acting in a certain way to become master, creating a situation, mentality, and at the time of death, when this body finishes, the mind absorbed in that mastership idea takes me to another body according to my ambition. So I become again manifest in different body to exhibit my mastership; another chapter begins. So they do not know how these subtle laws of material nature is working to give us opportunity to become master according to our idea, false idea. And we are actually suffering, sometimes as human being, sometimes as animal, sometimes as trees, sometimes as dog. So the mastership cannot be attained. That is not possible. In the false idea to become master we are becoming slaves of the laws of material nature. This is real position, and that is suffering. --- ## Letters on August 2 *Letters from this day: 13* --- **[1958: Letter to Harbanslal](letters/1947-1965/580802_harbanslal)** > I am very glad to learn that you have now gone to foreign countries for tour on business as well as cultural mission and I hope that you are enjoying there both your good health as well as the trouting experience. --- **[1967: Letter to Brahmananda](letters/1967/670802_brahmananda)** > In continuation of yesterday's letter signed by Kirtanananda, I may further inform you that the MacMillan contract is very important. --- **[1967: Letter to Mukunda](letters/1967/670802_mukunda)** > I have not heard anything from you since I have come back to India. Please see if it is possible for him to get Immigration Visa. --- **[1967: Letter to Students](letters/1967/670802_students)** > I am always thinking of you, and I am feeling separation. I shall always pray to Krishna for your steady advance, but try to follow the principles which are necessary to strengthen oneself in the matter of spiritual advance. Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. --- **[1969: Letter to Ann Clifford](letters/1969/690802_ann_clifford)** > I am pleased to learn that you have become interested in Krishna Consciousness through living at the Krishna House in Montreal and associating with the devotees there. --- **[1969: Letter to Gaurasundara](letters/1969/690802_gaurasundara)** > I am always encouraged to learn of the nice activities of our Hawaii Iskcon as they go on under your direction. --- **[1970: Letter to Acyutananda Jayapataka](letters/1970/700802_acyutananda_jayapataka)** > "Krishnas provided six months free house nine rooms occupy August fourth" I hope by the time this letter reaches you, you might have already occupied the house, so reply me this letter to London address 7 Bury Place, London, W.C.1. --- **[1972: Letter to Aksayananda](letters/1972/720802_aksayananda)** > For some time now it has been my desire that our students in India shall have the advantage of one or two trucks or vans for spreading this Krsna consciousness movement there. --- **[1972: Letter to Anuradha Bhaktilata Rama Tulasi](letters/1972/720802_anuradha_bhaktilata_rama_tulasi)** > Upon the recommendation of Tulasi I have gladly consented to accept you as my duly initiated disciples. --- **[1972: Letter to Danavir](letters/1972/720802_danavir)** > I am very happy to hear that the programs there are becoming more and more improved, and that you are enthusiastic to understand the Krishna philosophy and to preach very boldly. --- **[1973: Letter to Gurudasa](letters/1973/730802_gurudasa)** > Yes! why not? You may write to the other temples and ask them to contribute something to the program, that is approved by me. --- **[1976: Letter to Nityananda](letters/1976/760802_nityananda)** > On your recommendation I am accepting the following disciples for first and second initiation: *First Initiation*: Michael Hyldahl—Vamsimohana dasa Rodolfo Rios—Rasa-Vilasa dasa James Lanclos—Jnana-natha dasa Willie Butch McCord—Vaninatha Raya dasa *Second Initiation*: Jitamitra das brahmacary --- **[1977: Letter to Embassy Of The Usa](letters/1977/770802_embassy_of_the_usa)** > As I am planning to go to the United States shortly, and as over one year has passed since I was last there, I am requesting your good office to extend the validity of my Registration Card for another year. ---