September 5

Prabhupāda: Come on. Oh, he has shaved his face. Very nice. Sit down. [break] Today we have got two functions. One function is initiation of a brahmacārī, and another function is marriage ceremony of our one disciple Satsvarūpa brahmacārī and Jadurāṇī brahmacāriṇī. [break] …Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a verse which says, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke. The purport is that either if you remain in household life or you remain as mendicant in the forest, in either case, you just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So although we have four divisions of the social orders, namely the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa… Brahmacārī means student, strictly observing life of celibacy, following the rules and regulations enunciated by the spiritual master under strict discipline. That is called brahmacārī. And next is that if a brahmacārī wants to get himself married, that is allowed. So when a brahmacārī is married, he is called gṛhastha, or householder. But because a brahmacārī is trained from the very beginning of his life renunciation of material enjoyment, he cannot be absorbed like ordinary man in family life. Ordinary man, they cannot give up the family life or association of woman even up to the end of life. But according to Vedic system, association of woman is allowed only for a certain period, during the youthful days only, just to beget nice children. Because from the age of twenty-five years old up to fifty ...

Prabhupāda: All this eulogization about me, people, outsider, may think that “This man is being flattered and he is hearing his own eulogization.” But that is not the fact. It is the test, how they are receiving the message sincerely and they [are] expressing their feeling. So it is going to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it has come through the channel of disciplic succession, all these praises will also reach to Kṛṣṇa through that disciplic succession. So it is not personal thing. These things are required. Just like in the military training, they are taught by the officers in a different way, in so many ways. Similarly, this is also training of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the feeling of pure consciousness will reach to Kṛṣṇa. I thank you all very much for your improving in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And… I am a sannyāsī, you know. I came here empty-handed. So you are providing me. What can I do for you? I shall simply pray to Kṛṣṇa. Another thing, that don’t be satisfied that you have understood. That’s all. No. This should be distributed. Just like in my old age I have come to your country carrying the order of my spiritual master to distribute it. You are all young boys and girls; take this message and distribute it. The whole suffering humanity will be happy. That is our mission.

Prabhupāda: Spiritual master is not that a particular man is spiritual master. Spiritual master is a truth. So what is that truth? The truth is saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam. The whole world is in the blaze of material pangs, threefold miseries. And a person who is authorized to deliver people from that material pangs, he is called spiritual master. The example is given in this verse, saṁsāra-dāvānala. Dāvānala is the Sanskrit word. The English equivalent is forest fire. Just like in the forest in this part of the world there are sometimes forest fire, and government has arrangement to pour water from up. There are so many arrangement. But forest fire there is, a fact. And what is this forest fire? The forest fire… Nobody has got any interest to set fire in the forest, but it takes place automatically. And when the forest fire is there, all the animals within the forest, they become so much disturbed. They cannot escape. They die, especially the snakes. Because snakes are always envious, so they are first off to be burned into that forest fire. They cannot go very swiftly. Others, tigers and other beasts, they go away. But the snake, they crawl. They cannot get out. Mostly they burn. So this example is given to this materialistic life as forest fire because nobody wants any disturbance, but disturbance is created. Actually I am seeing. Since I have come to this part of the world in 1965, so many boys are chased by the government ...

Prabhupāda: Yes, designation means falsely identifying that I am this body. Now the soul is in this body. Next time the soul is in another body. So according to the body we are having designations. As soon as we get American body, I think myself American. Next life, if I get a body of a dog, then I think myself dog, designate. According to the body I create my designations. But one has to become free from all designations. That is called liberated stage. This is own constitutional position. That position is eternal servant of God. That is the real position of every living entity. But because at the present moment the living entity is in contact with matter, so according to the material modes of the body, he’s identifying himself with this body. That is called material designation. “I am American.” “I am Englishman.” “I am Hindu.” “I am Muslim.” “I am this.” “I am that.” These are all designations. So real perfection of life is without designations. And that is the real constitutional position. Jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa. Actual, position of the living entity [indistinct] So that is the perfection of life. And human life is especially meant for, to come to that transcendental position, without any designations. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for that purpose. One should be always thinking of Kṛṣṇa or God. That position is perfect [indistinct]. And if one keeps himself in that designation-less position, always thinking ...

So, yesterday we were discussing the…, what is the first-class religious system. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. The test is, people are very much enthusiastic to fight: “My religion is better.” “I am Hindu. Our religion is very good.” Somebody says, “No, we are Christian, we are…, our religion is very good.” Somebody Muhammadan. This fighting is going on. In European history there was fight, crusade, between religious group. In our country, in India, there was fight between Hindus and Muslims. What is the meaning of this fight? Actually when one is God conscious, he knows God, that where is the chance of fighting? Yasya deve parā… Because one should be… If actually one is God conscious, yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā. The Vedic literature gives us information that actually if one is a devotee of God… God is one. God cannot be two. It is not that Hindus have got one God and Christians have got another God. No. God cannot be two. Then there cannot be any competition of Gods: “I am God.” Just like nowadays it has become a fashion, so many gods, rascals, are coming, “I am God.” He says, “I am God,” “I am God,” “I am God.” Now how many Gods are there? No, God is one, eko brahma dvitīya nāsti, that is the Vedic injunction. Just like the sun. Sun is one, from our practical example. You cannot say that “This is American sun” and “This is Indian sun,” or “It is African sun.” Sun is one. See, ...

Prabhupāda: …and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly receiving me. This is the first time I am coming in this country, Sweden. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is spreading all over the world gradually. It is little difficult to understand the purport of this movement, because it is completely on the spiritual platform. Generally, people do not understand what is spiritual platform. So as we can understand that we are combination of two things… Every one of us, living being, we are at the present moment combination of spirit and matter. Matter we can understand, but on account of our long association with the matter, we cannot understand what is that spirit. But we can imagine that there is something which distinguishes a dead body and living body. That we can understand. When a man is dead… Suppose my father is dead or somebody, a relative, is dead, we lament that “My father is no more. He has gone away.” But where he has gone? The father is lying on the bed. Why do you say, “My father has gone away”? If somebody says that “Your father is lying sleeping on the bed. Why you are crying that your father has gone away? He has not gone. He is sleeping there…,” but that sleep is not this sleep, ordinary sleep as we have daily. That sleep means eternal sleep. So actually, we have no eyes to see who is my father. During the lifetime of my father I did not know who is my father; therefore when the actual father goes away, we cry that “My ...

So brahmacārī, in the beginning of life—brahmacārī means beginning of life, student life—they must be trained up how to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the first training. The brahmacārī is trained up to rise early in the morning and offers fire sacrifice, then studies of Vedas, then saṅkīrtana. There are so many routine work for brahmacārī. So this must be executed. And for gṛhastha, dāna, charity. Gṛhastha must be prepared or trained up to give charity. And who will accept the charity? The charity will be accepted by the brahmacārī and sannyāsa. Not the vānaprastha. Brahmacārī will accept charity on behalf of the spiritual master. And a sannyāsī will accept charity only for his maintenance. That’s all.

Prabhupāda: All over the world, they are expecting something spiritual enlightenment from India. That is a fact. But our government is callous in that respect. Therefore any so-called svāmī, yogīs come from India, they gather to receive him, to hear something from him. Yes. This is the tendency, that… The real thing is that people expected something… Still they are respectful to India on account of the spiritual enlightenment. That I have studied. Still they go to India to have some spiritual enlightenment. And actually we have got this in India. If anything has to be learned about spiritual, then it is only India. That has been admitted by one Chinese gentleman. He’s a learned scholar. His book is recommended in New York University. I forget his name. He has written in his book that “If you want to learn something religion and spiritual, then you must go to India.”

Prabhupāda: Oh. There are so many songs. So you have devotional tendency. Develop it. Make your life successful. That is my humble suggestion. Manuṣya-janama pāiyā, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nā bhajiyā, jāniyā śuniyā bi… Anyone who has got this human form of life, he does not engage himself in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he’s drinking poison knowingly. Jāniyā śuniyā biṣa khāinu. Biṣa means poison. A great opportunity, this human life. That is our mission, that this modern civilization, they have created such entanglement that people are rotting, and they are losing the opportunity of this human form of life. Only on the basis of this bodily concept of life. yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma-ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ So by order of our superiors, we are trying to introduce. But we are very unhappy seeing these people. They are spoiling their life in the bodily concept of life. He does not know what is going to happen next life. But there is a next life. That’s a fact. As we had past life as child, as boy, as young man, similarly, we have past life also. This simple truth they cannot understand. Or there is no attempt in the educational field.

Prabhupāda: “…bring my property. My property.” [laughter] [laughing] “We are one.” He thought that he is very good gentleman. [indistinct] property is for īśvara? No, he says that “We are one. Your property is my property and my property is my property.” [laughter] Dīkṣita’s argument is like that: “We are one.” So your room is my room; my room is my room. [end]

So two parties, Yamadūta and the Bhagavad-dūtā. So this human life is the junction, which way to go: to the Yamadūtas or to the Bhagavad-dūtās. There is no three. Two alternative. In the Bible also it is said, “Either you go to hell or go to heaven.” Is it not? This is right. Yamadūta means go to hell, and Bhagavad-dūtā means go to Vaikuṇṭha. This is the junction. Now make your selection. So long we are in the lower, animal life, nature is giving chance. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Then nature brings you in the platform of human life, developed consciousness, and you can take advantage of the śāstra. Anādi bahirmukha kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā. Veda-Purāṇa, why they have been made? It is made for the human being. This is the chance. Veda-Purāṇa is not made for the cats and dogs. They are not supposed to read Veda and Purāṇas. Similarly, if the human being does not take care of the Veda-Purāṇa, then he is no better than the cats and dogs. Ataeva kṛṣṇa veda purāṇa karilā: to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpta-varān nibodhata. This is the Vedic injunction.

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] …No, that is wrong. [indistinct]. Sannyāsī should go on preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching. Practically, I was sitting here in Vṛndāvana, in Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. So at the age of seventy years, nobody goes out. At least from Vṛndāvana nobody goes at the age of seventy years. But Kṛṣṇa asked me. I thought that “I must go. Guru Mahārāja wanted it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu… Let me try.” So if I had not gone, then this institution would not have developed. So this is practical. Mahataḥ nirvicaraṇam.[?] Mahātmā, they must move. So when there is absolute necessity they may stay. Otherwise, they must move. Move on, move on, move on, move on, move on. No staying. That is principle. No staying. I am this old age, I cannot move… My… I… So many… Still I am traveling all over the world. I am simply interested that whatever I have done, it may not be vanquished in my absence. Let me go and encourage them. Otherwise, I have no capacity to move now. But still I am moving, only for this purpose. Girinaṁ gṛhna-cetasam[?]. So a sannyāsī must move. A sannyāsī must not stay anywhere more than three days. That is the principle. So he was moving, but his moving is creating disturbances here. Therefore I have stopped. And besides that, a temple is nirguṇa. A sannyāsī is forbidden to stay anywhere else, but in a temple he can stay for more than three days, provided there is business. Otherwise, there is no necessity. ...

Prabhupāda: …they’re reading now. Here, although we have got books, nobody reads. But there they are reading. Otherwise, nobody is… [microphone moving] That means they are concentrating with so many books. There are other books also. Why they cannot sell so many books? Unless public is interested… If one has read one part of Bhāgavatam, he has got some impression, and actually that is the… [break] …I think it is in Japan. One young gentleman came, I do not know where, he simply asked me, “Swāmījī, can I talk with you?” “Yes, sit down.” His first appreciation was, “Swāmījī, where you have got so vast knowledge?” I have already told some of you. So these people, these Americans and Europeans, they are intelligent. They are seeing that here are some ideas which is not to be found throughout the whole world. Therefore they are purchasing. Actually, it is right here. Every verse, every śloka is so sublime, and if it is properly explained, people must appreciate. There is no doubt about it. And they are doing that. In our country, due to the loss of our own culture and poverty, we have now taken, “Money is everything.” [someone enters] Aiye. Wherefrom you are coming?

We were discussing this verse yesterday. Anartha. This anartha means this material civilization. There is no need, and still we have accepted it. That is called anartha, meaningless. So there are hundreds and thousands of anarthas, as it is stated that śrotavyādīni rājendra nṛṇāṁ santi sahasraśaḥ. Sahasraśaḥ means thousands and thousands. Because we have created anartha, unnecessary necessities of life, therefore we have to know, we have to learn, we have to teach so many, I mean to say, unwanted. Just like there is a problem now, especially in the Western countries, unwanted population. They do not want, but it is increasing. Similarly, unwanted necessities. This is called anartha. Simple thing. Just like we require some food. That is essential. We cannot live without taking food. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa is giving very simple formula, that annād bhavanti bhūtāni. If there is sufficient quantity of anna, or eatables, then people become very nice, well-satisfied, either animal or man. If he can eat sufficiently, he’s satisfied. So annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhavanti means flourishing. He becomes healthy, he becomes strong, and he can think nicely, he can work nicely. So anna is required. But simple method is given how anna is produced. That is also given, annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. If there is sufficient rain, then you can easily produce food grain. Just like this year, the rain is sufficient; everywhere we go it is ...