# November 27 ## Spoken on November 27 *Lectures from this day: 5 recordings* --- **[1966: Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 20.66–96](spoken/1966/661127cc.ny.md)** > So for a really renounced person is that whatever clothing is thrown in the street, he'll collect and he'll wear it. He would not purchase any new clothing. That is the order of strictly one who follows... *Cīrāṇi.* Sanātana... Svarūpa... Śukadeva Gosvāmī, in the *Bhāgavata,* he said that "Whether old clothings and torn clothings cannot be had on the street? Whether trees are not giving fruits? Whether the rivers are dried up? Whether the caves in the mountain, they are closed? Then why the renounced order of persons go to the *viṣayi*?" *Viṣayi* means those, those who are materialistic. > So this *mādhukarī* system means a renounced order of *sannyāsī* or a *vairāgī,* he should not accept in one place sumptuously. He should go to every householder and take a bit of *capātī* from this house, a bit of *capātī* from that house, a bit of *capātī* from that house, so that the householders also may not be disturbed and they may be benefited. When a real *sannyāsī* or *vairāgi* accepts something from the householder, it is a great benefit for him. Therefore to accept little from this house, to accept little from that house, that is also another mercy of the renounced *sannyāsī* or devotee of the Lord. Yes. --- **[1968: Bhagavad-gītā 2.8–12](spoken/1968/681127bg.la)** > But Kṛṣṇa is not... Kṛṣṇa said, *sambhavāmy ātma-māyayā* : "I appear in My own, original stature. I do not change." We change. The individual soul... *Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni*. He's conducted by, influenced by this *prakṛti,* nature, but He's not conducted or influenced by the nature. He comes in His own influence, as He is, *ātma-māyayā.* This is the distinction. Therefore He does not change body. When I come, I change bodies. This time I may have this body; next time I may have another body. That is material, and therefore I forget. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter that "Many times you and I came. You have forgotten." Because we change our material body, therefore we forget. These things all will be explained. > So matter has no individuality; spirit has individuality. So if the points of similarity differ, then there is no analogy. That is the law of analogy. So you cannot analogize with matter and spirit. Therefore this analogy is fallacious, the *ghaṭākāśa poṭākāśa.* Then another evidence is in the *Bhagavad-gītā.* Kṛṣṇa says that *mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta : --- **[1972: Bhagavad-gītā 2.23](spoken/1972/721127bg.hyd)** > Nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ:* the spirit soul cannot be burned. If it would have been burned, then according to our Hindu system, we burn the body, then the soul is burned. Actually, the atheists think like that, that when the body's burned, everything is finished. Big, big professor, they think like that. But here, Kṛṣṇa says, *nainaṁ dahati pāvakaḥ:* "It is not burned." Otherwise, how it exists? *Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre*. Everything is very clearly stated. The soul does not burn; neither it can be cut into pieces. > So God is great. We cannot understand *how* great He is. That is our folly. We are simply calculating, "He may be one inch greater than me. Or one foot greater than me." That is mental speculation. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, *manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye :* "Out of many millions of men, one may try to make his life successful, understanding the Absolute Truth." And *yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin me vetti tattvataḥ .* --- **[1974: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.27](spoken/1974/741127sb.bom)** > Because we are not meant for this service. We are, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, *jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa*. Our main business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. In Vṛndāvana, in Goloka Vṛndāvana, somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as His friend, cowherd boy. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as *gopī,* as lover. Somebody is serving Kṛṣṇa as father and mother, Mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja. Somebody is Kṛṣṇa's friend as servant, as tree, as water, as flower, as land, as cows, as calf. So many ways. This is our business. But somehow or other we did not like to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore we have been put into the service of *māyā* in three modes of nature. Just like a criminal. A criminal does not like to obey the laws of the state; therefore a criminal is put into the prison house and he's forced to abide by the law of the state. The state laws are there—either outside the prison house or inside the prison house. But one who does not obey ordinarily outside the jail the orders or the laws of the state, he is put into the prison house. But he cannot avoid the laws of the state. That is not possible. Because a citizen means he must abide by the laws of the state. > So when one becomes devotee, he's not a fool. Pure devotee is full knowledge. *Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate*. After many, many births, when one is actually *jñānavān,* actually wise, he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. How? *Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ*. He surrenders to Kṛṣṇa. "Kṛṣṇa, I forgot You so long. Now I understand that You are everything." That is knowledge. That is real knowledge. Therefore it is said, *jñānena vairāgya-vijṛmbhitena.* This *jñāna* means *vairāgya—*no more attachment for serving the so-called society, friendship, love, country. These are all foolishly engagement. But people will not understand that. They'll think that "This is my first service. This is my first..." How long you'll serve, my dear sir? But if you serve Kṛṣṇa, this service automatically becomes possible. --- **[1976: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.6.5](spoken/1976/761127sb.vrn)** > Desireless means your desires are suppressed by forced: "I shall not desire." That is not possible. You have got eyes, and if you want to suppress your eyesight, "I shall not see anything," is that possible? That is not possible. Yes, I have got my eyes, but I want to see Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. That is wanted. That is wanted. Not that "No, I shall not see." Even meditation, so-called meditation, that is also seeing. Real meditation, seeing within. *Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasaḥ paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ . *Paśyanti,* this word is used. *Paśyanti* means sees, but within, not without. Meditation means seeing within. Not that without seeing. Concentrating the mind to see the form of Lord Viṣṇu, that is real meditation. And without seeing Lord Viṣṇu, that is *kleśa.* If you want to fix up my mind into nothing, they say nothingness, that is not possible. > So *kāma,* and the proof is because in the material world everyone wants to fulfill his own desire, therefore when the desire is not fulfilled he becomes angry, *manyu.* The next stage is *manyu. Manyu* means anger. And *mada,* then pride, then greediness, then *śoka.* These are different stages. Lamentation, *bhaya.* So many things. What is the cause? The root cause is *karma-bandha.* Because I am bound up by the resultant action of my past *karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa yantra-dehopapattaye*. By the superior arrangement, according to my *karma* I get a body with varieties of *kāma, krodha, moha,* like that. *Kāma,* because somebody has got the body of a human being, his *kāma,* desires, are different from the hogs and pigs because he has got a different body. He has got also *kāma,* and the human body, he has human being, he has got also *kāma.* But one is desiring to have a very palatable dish, and the other is desiring stool. The different..., according to the bodies the desires are [indistinct]-less. So conclusion is that when you get your spiritual body then the desire will be different. And that is *prema.* Desires are going on. Now the desires are designated. Designated. Because one has got a particular type of body, his desires are different from another because another person, he has got a particular type of body. But in the spiritual world, because there is no material body, only desire is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. '*Kāma' kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe.* This is spiritual. Spiritual means when the center is Kṛṣṇa. That is spiritual. Otherwise it is material. That is material means to forget Kṛṣṇa and satisfy His own senses. That is material. Just like a flower, a nice flower. One is accepting this flower for satisfying his smelling power and another is accepting the same flower with the desire that "Here is a nice flower. Let me offer it to Kṛṣṇa." So according to difference of mentality. The Kṛṣṇa, *sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravindayor*, if we simply engage our mind to Kṛṣṇa, naturally the flower will be offered to Kṛṣṇa. --- ## Letters on November 27 *Letters from this day: 11* --- **[1968: Letter to Gopala Krsna](letters/1968/681127_gopala_krsna)** > *_ * great satisfaction ____ your letter of November 20th along with your very kind gift of one pull-over sweater. --- **[1969: Letter to Manager Of Lloyds Bank](letters/1969/691127_manager_of_lloyds_bank)** > Replying your letter of 24th November, 1964, I am returning herewith the bill of Exchange from Khem Singh & Sons duly accepted by me. Payment should be given on arrival of the parcels. Please therefore let me know at the above address immediately on arrival of the parcels, and I shall arrange for the payment forthwith. --- **[1969: Letter to Pradyumna](letters/1969/691127_pradyumna)** > Prior to this I received one letter from Arundhati explaining why things were delayed, and you have also kindly explained it. --- **[1970: Letter to Jayapataka](letters/1970/701127_jayapataka)** > I quite approve your proposal that if the money is used for establishing Bombay center, the donors will not be encouraged. In that case you can open an account with the Central Bank of India in the name of ISKCON. --- **[1971: Letter to Abhirama](letters/1971/711127_abhirama)** > The plans are very nice, and I want that such a "floating ISKCON" be organized, but for financial questions you should consult with my GBC men and together you can chalk out your plan. --- **[1971: Letter to Kirtiraja](letters/1971/711127_kirtiraja)** > I am very pleased that you have taken over responsibility for our ISKCON books mail-order department. --- **[1971: Letter to Lalita Kumar Jambavati](letters/1971/711127_lalita_kumar_jambavati)** > I am very pleased that your preaching work is going on nicely. If only the intelligent class of men understand our Krishna philosophy, then our mission is successful. --- **[1973: Letter to Jayadharma](letters/1973/731127_jayadharma)** > Yes, the process is to give the very best to the Spiritual Master no matter what the cost. --- **[1975: Letter to Brsni Prabhu](letters/1975/751127_brsni_prabhu)** > Regarding the Gaura Nitai deities, I think 100 dollars is too much to pay for one pair of deities. In India the carvers have always used a wood bitter in taste, this keeps the worms from eating it, best is nim wood if such wood (bitter in taste) is available there then why not make Gaura Nitai from wood. --- **[1975: Letter to Ramesvara Prabhu](letters/1975/751127_ramesvara_prabhu)** > The incident with Purusottama is now a closed chapter, in the future be more careful, we have got enemies as well as friends, we have to be careful. I was very happy to receive the new edition of Bhagavad gita the make up is very nice. --- **[1976: Letter to Balarama](letters/1976/761127_balarama)** > Upon your recommendation I am pleased to accept the following devotees as my initiated disciples. ---