# October 11 ## Spoken on October 11 *Lectures from this day: 6 recordings* --- **[1968: Lecture](spoken/1968/681011le.sea)** > So you can judge from this how God can be imperson. He's person. And Vedic literature informs that He's a person like you and me. And your Bible also says that man is made after God. Not that God is made after man. Your feature, your two hands, two legs, one head, nice eyes, nice face, everything, this is imitation of God's feature. Therefore man is made after God. Not that because we have got two hands, two legs, or one head, therefore artists have imagined a God like us. No. Actually, this version of Bible is truth. Any scripture, there is truth. > "The breathing exercise and meditation practices of *yoga* are very difficult in this age. It was difficult even five thousand years ago, or else Arjuna would not have rejected the proposal of Kṛṣṇa. This age of Kali is called the fallen age. At the present moment people in general are short-living, are very slow in understanding self-realization or spiritual life. They are most unfortunate and, as such, if somebody is a little bit interested in self-realization, he is misguided by so many frauds. --- **[1973: Bhagavad-gītā 13.17](spoken/1973/731011bg.bom)** > And Kṛṣṇa says also that *kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata*. Just like I am living entity; I am soul. I know the business of my body; the pains and pleasure of my body I know. But the pains and pleasure of your body I do not know, neither you know my pains and pleasure. So we are all individual. But there is another proprietor. Actually, He is the proprietor. He is the proprietor; we are simply occupier. Just like of a house there are two persons: one is the proprietor of the house; another, tenant, is the occupier. So we are simply occupiers. Real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. *Sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi mām...* That is *īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānām*. He knows everyone's, what you are doing. Not only I, you—everyone. > We are now in forgotten state. This conditioned material life means we have forgotten our real, constitutional position. I am thinking, "I am this body," but I am not this body. I am spirit soul, *ahaṁ brahmāsmi.* But we have forgotten it. We have forgotten our relationship with the Supreme Lord. This forgetfulness is also due to the influence of the Supersoul. Because we wanted to act... Just like a very first-class dramatic director, he instructs the player in such a way that sometimes he forgets. The more he forgets, he plays very nicely. Similarly, we wanted to enjoy this material world, so unless we forget completely that "I am spirit soul; I am not this body. Actually I can not enjoy..." So that forgetfulness is also due to the Supersoul. He is giving us full chance. But His advice that "Do not be entangled in these material activities." Therefore His instruction is *sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. That is His instruction. --- **[1974: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.31](spoken/1974/741011sb.may)** > So this universe, material world, is just like a *durgā.* You cannot escape. Conditioned souls, you cannot escape. It is very difficult. *Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī duratyayā*. There are rules and regulation. Just like immigration department, security department—same thing. These are simply reflection of the original function of the supreme government. So this is... Just like prison house. You cannot escape so easily. If you try to escape, then you'll be again punished. So the *bhīḥ,* the superintendent of police... The original superintendent is Durgā. Durgā means the protector of this *durgā,* where you cannot escape. So she is also servant of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said, *bhīr api yad bibheti.* This Durgā is the fearful personified, but still, she cannot disobey Kṛṣṇa's order. That is her position, *dāsī. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te*. The *bhīḥ,* the fearful feature of Kṛṣṇa's potency, can only excuse you when you are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, you have to suffer these material pangs. We can understand how we are materially inconvenienced. We are... We have got such a nice house, and we are living on the third floor, so nicely decorated with marble. But the Durgā's agent, the flies, they can go there and disturb you so much so that you would like to go away from this house. This is our position. So the *bhīḥ,* the fearful personified agent, can punish you anywhere. You may think that "I am very comfortably situated," but that fearful agent can go anywhere. > So *sṛṣṭi-sthiti... Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram*. So *prakṛti,* this material nature, is working, and if one is criminal... Criminal means we are. Just see the flies, the insects, how much they are suffering. Whole night, they struggle to enjoy the lamp, and in the morning all dead. All dead. This is their life. So we are thinking that we are better situated. No, we are not better situated. Our the principle is the same, that you come here, you accept a certain type of body, and whole night, or whole life... Night means ignorance, darkness. So in ignorance you go on struggling whole life, and then you become dead, finished. The same thing. There is no difference between the life of the insect... Therefore Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that, that the..., these big, big demigods... *Yat kāruṇya-katākṣa-vaibhavavatām.* There is a verse; I just now forget it. *Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate* [*Caitanya-candrāmṛta* 5]. Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī says that *kaivalya,* the impersonalists' theory of becoming one, monist, with the Absolute... That is called *kaivalya.* So he says, *kaivalyaṁ narakāyate:* "For a devotee who has got little favor of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for him, this *kaivalya-sukha,* happiness of becoming one with the Supreme, is as good as the hell." *Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate.* And *tri-daśa-pūra ākāśa-puṣpāyate. Tri-daśa-pūra* means where thirty-three millions of demigods live, heavenly planets, it is something like phantasmagoria, *ākāśa-puṣpa,* which has... Just like in Bengal they say, jokingly, *ghoḍāra ḍima*. *Ghoḍār ḍima* means a *ghoḍā*, a horse, never gives eggs. It is fantastics. It is not possible. Similarly, these heavenly planets, for a Vaiṣṇava, is *ghoḍār ḍima.* They don't care for it. It is no fact. --- **[1975: Bhagavad-gītā 18.42–45](spoken/1975/751011bg.dur)** > Then what is to be done? *Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. This is service. This is wanted. All other service... I have given you already the example. Who can give better service than Mahatma Gandhi? Who can become such honest man, ideal man. He was addressed as *mahātmā.* Still, his service was not recognized. He was killed. So that is the result of material service. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that "This kind of service rendering will never satisfy you, neither the party will be satisfied. You give up all this wrong engagement; you give service to Me." *Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja*. "Then I will give up so many duties I have got?" "Yes, you can give up." "No, I will be involved in sinful activities because I am giving all..., others service." "Yes." *Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi:* "I shall give you protection. Don't bother. Don't worry." This is the sum and substance of the instruction in the *Bhagavad-gītā*, and you have to learn it. Then our life will be successful. > Therefore Kṛṣṇa presents before you the problem amongst... We have got so many problems, but that is temporary. Real problem is, Kṛṣṇa says, *janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam .* A man of knowledge should always keep in the front the real problem. What is that? Birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real problem. So the human life is meant for solving these four problems: birth, death, old age and disease. And that can be done by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we are pushing on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to solve the ultimate problems of life. So our request is that you take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously and solve the ultimate problems of life. And that problems of life can be solved simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. --- **[1977: Room Conversation](spoken/1977/771011r2.vrn)** > I think that this disease is simply Kṛṣṇa testing our actual..., our love for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so that we will learn that we fully need you, 'cause actually we do. Everything we've done in this movement you've guided us with. We're realizing that you have to continue to guide us. We're not self-realized. We simply are able to carry out your instructions. So we have nothing else to do but to be with you here until you get healthy again and then lead us. This is our business now—to be with you. It seems like there are so many opportunities now that are beginning to present themselves. When you first went to the West there was nothing at all, and you created a whole world of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And now the public is beginning to actually take a real interest in our movement, and people, respectable people from all over the world, are coming forward to want to help our movement. So there's a great facility that's available now even more than ten years ago. So if we've made so much progress in ten years, in another ten years there's no way to measure how much our movement can be expanded. And we're all just ready to follow each one of your directions. You don't have to tax yourself by... You can just talk to us and tell us, and we'll act. And we're very happy. In the meantime, we will give you the medicine of *hari-nāma.* --- ## Letters on October 11 *Letters from this day: 12* --- **[1966: Letter to Panchu](letters/1966/661011_panchu)** > Since I have come to America I have not heard anything from you. In the beginning I had to write two or three letter to your revered father, but I did not receive any reply from him. --- **[1967: Letter to Brahmananda](letters/1967/671011_brahmananda)** > On my arrival in Calcutta I have duly received your two letters dated __ & 5th instant. --- **[1967: Letter to Rayarama](letters/1967/671011_rayarama)** > Yes you try to make successful BTG as you have recently planned and then you may proceed to London. --- **[1968: Letter to Ananda](letters/1968/681011_ananda)** > I may inform you that I may go to Vancouver sometimes in the next week or so. When exactly I shall go there, I shall inform you in my next letter. --- **[1969: Letter to Jagadisa](letters/1969/691011_jagadisa)** > Regarding the information you heard that it is all right to neglect one's 16 rounds as a daily minimum, this is wrong. --- **[1969: Letter to Kirtanananda](letters/1969/691011_kirtanananda)** > Regarding your question about who shall get the money that is collected by you and your assistant, Jimmy, I think that because practically a sannyasi belongs to every center whatever is collected should go to the same center where you are staying. --- **[1972: Letter to Tamala Krsna Giriraja](letters/1972/721011_tamala_krsna_giriraja)** > Nair has purposefully delayed with a motive to cheat us as he had done with some others in this connection. But this time he cannot cheat us because we are in possession of the land and our deity Radha-Krsna is installed there. --- **[1974: Letter to Pranava](letters/1974/741011_pranava)** > Regarding the registration fee, I have purchased the Bombay land paying half and half. I cannot invest more than 1 lakh in this transaction, including everything. --- **[1974: Letter to Ramesvara](letters/1974/741011_ramesvara)** > Your report of the book distribution there is very encouraging. Our books are being appreciated by learned circles, so we should take advantage. --- **[1974: Letter to Sri Govinda](letters/1974/741011_sri_govinda)** > Any discrepancy, that can be corrected. --- **[1974: Letter to Srinathji Temple](letters/1974/741011_srinathji_temple)** > There is a great need for spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world based on the Bhagavad gita As It Is. I am very much grateful for your contribution of so many books on Vallabh Sampradaya and also the framed pictures. --- **[1974: Letter to Tejiyas](letters/1974/741011_tejiyas)** > N.B. Your letter to Brahmananda Swami dated Oct. ---