Ratha-yatra Lecture — Philadelphia, July 12, 1975

Ladies and gentlemen, first of all I wish to thank you, the inhabitants of this great city,

Philadelphia. You are so kind, enthusiastic, in taking part in this movement.

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So I am very much obliged to you. I am especially obliged to the American boys and girls who are

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helping me so much in spreading this Krsna consciousness movement in the Western countries.

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I was ordered by my spiritual master to preach this Krsna consciousness in the Western countries.

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So in 1965 I first came in New York. Then in 1966 this society was regularly registered

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in New York, and from 1967 this movement is regularly going on in America, Europe, Canada,

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and south of Pacific Ocean, Australia, and throughout the whole world.

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So I may inform you little about this movement, Krsna consciousness.

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Krsna, this word, means all-attractive. Krsna is attractive to every living entities,

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not only human being, even the animals, birds, bees, trees, flowers, fruits, water.

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That is the picture of Vrndavana. This is material world.

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We have no experience of the spiritual world. But we can get an glimpse idea, what is spirit and

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what is matter. Just try to understand the difference between a living man and a dead body.

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The dead body means as soon as the living force within the body is gone, then it is dead matter,

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useless. And so long the living force is there, the body is very important.

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So as we experience in this body, there is something as dead matter and something as living force,

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similarly, there are two worlds: the material world and the spiritual world.

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We living entities, every one of us, we belong to the spiritual world.

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We do not belong to the material world. Some way or other, we are now in contact with this

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material world and material body, and the business is that although we are eternal living force,

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on account of our contact with this material body, we have to take four tribulations:

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birth, death, disease and old age. That we have to undergo.

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In this material world we are getting one type of body, and it is ended at a certain stage.

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Just like any material thing. You take, for example, of your dress.

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You are dressed with a certain type of garment, but when it is worn out, no more usable,

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then you throw it, you get another dress. So this material body is the dress of the spirit living force.

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But because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy this material world,

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we get different types of body. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as a machine.

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Actually it is machine, this body. In the Bhagavad- gita it is said,

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isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya

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So we living entity, we desire. “Man proposes; God disposes.” God is very kind.

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Whatever you desire, He will fulfill. Although He says that

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“This kind of material desires will never satisfy you,” but we want.

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Therefore God supplies us, Krsna, different types of body to fulfill our different desires.

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This is called material, conditional life. This body, change of body according to desire,

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is called evolutionary process. By evolution we come to the human form of body through many

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other millions bodies. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati. We pass through 900,000

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species of form in the water. Similarly, two million forms as plants, trees.

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In this way, by nature’s way, nature brings us into this human form of life just to develop

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or awaken our consciousness. Nature gives us the chance, “Now what do you want to do?

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Now you have got developed consciousness. Now you again want to go to the…

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…We have got fifty-seven books for convincing the philosophers, scientists.

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If you want to know the value of this movement through science, philosophy,

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we have got enough ingredients to supply you. Otherwise, it is simple, very simple.

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Simply chant this mantra,

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Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

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Then everything will be manifest to you. Ceto-darpana-marjanam.

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This chanting of Hare Krsna mantra means cleansing the core of your heart.

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Because our heart or mind or consciousness is now covered with so many dirty things.

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So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra, then these dirty things will be cleansed.

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Then we shall be able to see “What I am, what is my position, what is my goal of life,

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what I have to do.” This is human consideration. The dogs, cats, they cannot do that.

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But a human being, they can do it very nicely.

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So on account of this, you will find that these young men, not only from your country

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but in other countries also, in Africa, in Australia, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia–everywhere–

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as soon as they are understanding this philosophy, they are joining this movement.

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And it is not very difficult. We don’t charge anything for selling Hare Krsna mantra.

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We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yatra.

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Now, our only means is chanting Hare Krsna.

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And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Krsna mantra.

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So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Krsna mantra.

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We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us.

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But we simply chant Hare Krsna. So it is very potential. Narottama dasa Thakura,

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a great acarya of Vaisnava sampradaya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana.

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This Hare Krsna movement, or chanting of Hare Krsna, it is not anything material.

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Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Krsna. You see practically.

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You go on chanting twenty-four hours; you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said,

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golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world.

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Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place,

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there is another machine which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world.

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So that vibration is Hare Krsna mantra.

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golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-sankirtana, rati na janmilo kene tay

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“Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Krsna mantra.”

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Samsara-davanale, diba-nisi hiya jwale. The samsara, this material world, is very uncomfortable place.

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Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be,

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but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your president Nixon,

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how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down.

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So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn’t matter.

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It is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart.

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if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety,

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then you must take to this Hare Krsna mantra. This is our request. You can try for it

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and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

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So our only request is, with folded hands and begging you, so many flatterings,

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we simply request… Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya. This is our process.

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We are not very violent pushing. Now, you see our procession came, so many, for three hours.

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There was no violence. And the police department of your country, they very much appreciate

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because they have got experience whenever there is some procession, there is violence.

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“Win-breaking crowd,” they say. But these people are not win-breaking crowd.

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So this Krsna consciousness movement… You have already accepted it, this movement,

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your so many young men. So we request. This is another occasion to invite you.

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So our only request is that you chant Hare Krsna mantra, and you will feel very much happy.

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There will be no anxiety. And then you can do your work. It doesn’t matter what you are doing.

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But chanting of this Hare Krsna mantra will make you more and more happy,

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free from material anxieties, and if we continue this process, then everything will be clearly

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understood about spiritual life, and very easily we shall be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

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Now, this occasion I may explain little bit. Here you see Jagannatha and Balarama and Subhadra.

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They are Krsna and His elder brother and His sister, Subhadra.

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There is a place in India about ninety miles north of Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi.

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The place is named Kuruksetra. It is accepted as the holy place, pilgrimage.

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People still gather there, especially during the eclipse, solar and lunar eclipse.

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So there was once, five thousand years ago, there was a solar eclipse, and all people,

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from all parts of India, they came to Kuruksetra, and Krsna at that time was prince at Dvaraka,

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He also came with His elder brother and sister. Krsna in His childhood,

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He was raised as the foster son of Maharaja Nanda and mother Yasoda in Vrndavana.

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Then, when He was grown up… You will find this history in the Krsna book.

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So the incidence is that Krsna was the beloved personality in Vrndavana.

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So when He left Vrndavana, all the people there, they were very, very unhappy.

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So when Krsna came to Kuruksetra from Dvaraka with His brother and sister,

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these people in Vrndavana, they got news that Krsna is coming there.

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Vrndavana is about the same distance. Kuruksetra is greater distance.

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Anyway, they came to see Krsna out of their love. And the most beloved personality,

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Srimati Radharani, She was requesting Krsna that “You are the same Krsna.

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I am the same Radharani. But the place is not the same.

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You are here in Kuruksetra in royal opulence, and we are coming from the village.

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So if You again please come to Vrndavana.” This was Radharani’s request.

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And it is very ecstatic feeling. Those who are advanced devotee, they can enjoy.

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So we observe this incidence annually in as many places in the Western countries.

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At the present moment we hold this ceremony in London, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia,

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and where else? Buffalo, Melbourne, yes. So this is a very feeling festival.

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So I thank you very much. You have come here. And try to understand our philosophy.

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You are all educated boys and girls. We have got fifty-seven books.

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Try to read, and try to understand. And take it very seriously, and you will be happy.

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Thank you very much. (end)