The Final Lesson - November 1977 Vrndavana

Subtitles

[00:05]: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a pure devotee
[00:11]: of Lord Krishna and therefore his entire life, including his passing from this mortal world
[00:18]: was a perfect example of Krishna consciousness.
[00:21]: This video depicts his final pastimes.
[00:27]: During his last months in Vrindavana His Divine Grace continued to instruct
[00:33]: his disciples, discuss the affairs of ISKCON and translate Srimad-Bhagavatam.
[00:38]: On his request his disciples maintained 24 hour kirtan and readings from the scriptures.
[00:50]: Srila Prabhupada invited all his disciples to be with him as he passed the test
[00:56]: we all must face. However, due to circumstances often beyond their control,
[01:01]: most of his disciples were not present.
[01:05]: Now those who choose to can experience those precious moments.
[01:10]: Although these scenes can be emotionally wrenching they do depict
[01:15]: a rare transcendental event. The last chapter in Srila Prabhupada’s glorious life,
[01:22]: “The Final lesson.”
[01:52]: Out of many thousands of men, one may endeavor for perfection and among
[01:58]: many millions who have achieved perfection one may be a devotee of Lord Krishna.
[02:04]: Such a devotee, who is fully peaceful, is extremely rare.
[02:31]: Being situated in his original Krishna conscious position
[02:35]: a pure devotee does not identify with the body.
[02:38]: Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view.
[02:43]: Indeed one should overlook a devotees’ having a diseased or infirmed body.
[02:49]: According to ordinary vision such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of
[02:55]: a pure devotee but despite such seeming defects the body of a pure devotee can not be polluted.
[03:02]: It’s exactly like the waters of the Ganges which remain pure although
[03:07]: filled with bubbles, foam and mud during the rainy season.
[03:11]: Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding bathe in the Ganges
[03:16]: without considering the condition of the water.
[04:31]: Since we cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul,
[04:36]: out of His immense compassion the Supersoul appears before us as a pure devotee,
[04:41]: the spiritual master. Such a spiritual master is as worshipable as Krishna is for in his
[04:50]: dealings there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord.
[05:26]: The verdict of all reaveled scriptures is that even by a moment’s association
[05:32]: with a pure devotee one can attain all success.
[05:36]: That moment is human societies greatest treasure.
[05:44]: Seeing the spiritual master with devotion and reverence is the perfection of one’s eyesight.
[05:50]: Touching his lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of touch
[05:55]: and glorifying his qualities is the tongues real activity.
[06:32]: Karma hetu. If you engage in devotional service we get a different nature
[06:44]: and if we engage in the basis of sense gratification the result is [not clear]
[07:04]: And according to the association of different natures we get a body,
[07:21]: karanam guna-sango ‘sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu.
[07:27]: Therefore we should always seek good association, devotee association.
[07:40]: Then our life will be successful.
[07:58]: Jnana. If we live with good association then we cultivate knowledge.
[08:08]: That means association. A man is known by his company.
[08:19]: So if we have the chance of association with devotees then our character,
[08:36]: nature [not clear]
[08:40]: By hearing, by discussing Srimad-Bhagavatam, this raja-guna, tama-guna
[08:56]: is subdued, then sattva-guna remains.
[09:05]: nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya.
[09:16]: Then the sattva-guna, tama-guna cannot do us harm.
[09:28]: Therefore Varnasrama dharma is so essential,
[09:39]: that people remain in sattva-guna.
[09:52]: Tama-guna, raja-guna, rajas tama bhava.
[09:58]: Increases lust and greediness and that implicates the living entity
[10:17]: to exist in this material world in many, many forms.
[10:29]: That is very dangerous. Therefore they should be brought into
[10:47]: sattva-guna by the establishment of Varnasrama dharma.
[10:54]: How to bring people in sattva-guna. The Brahminical qualifications.
[11:09]: Very neat and clean. Rise early in the morning, see Mangal-Aroti.
[11:23]: In this way to stay in sattva-guna.
[11:43]: The body, mind and senses of the pure devotee,
[11:47]: acting only for the satisfaction of the Lord, are transcendental
[11:52]: and are taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
[11:57]: Being awake to his constitutional position, the pure devotee is
[12:02]: situated in samadhi, the highest perfectional stage of yoga.
[12:07]: Being fully absorbed in devotional service, he does not care
[12:12]: what is going on with the external body.
[12:14]: Such a confidential devotee of the Lord sees in every moment,
[12:19]: even a most difficult moment, the special mercy of the Lord.
[13:11]: Pure devotees are themselves places of pilgrimage.
[13:15]: Because of their purity they are constant companions of the Lord
[13:20]: and therefore they can purify even places of pilgrimage.
[13:25]: For such a pure devotee there is no difference between living and dying
[13:31]: because in this life he engages in pure devotional service
[13:35]: and after giving up his body he engages in the same service
[13:40]: in the spiritual world thus his devotional service is never hindered
[13:46]: nor does he perceive the pangs of death.
[13:50]: The pure devotee does not forget Lord Krishna even for a moment
[13:56]: and Lord Krishna never forgets His devotee.
[14:24]: Every learned man knows very well that attachment to the material world
[14:29]: is the greatest entanglement to the spirit soul.
[14:32]: But that same attachment when applied to the spiritual master
[14:36]: opens the door of liberation.
[14:56]: The spiritual master’s eternal occupation is to expand the service
[15:00]: of the Lord by training his disciples in a service attitude.
[15:05]: This service attitude, along with knowledge of Krishna,
[15:09]: is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor.
[15:43]: Our dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because our
[15:50]: association with material desires one after another we were gradually
[15:54]: falling into a blind well full of snakes following the general populous
[15:59]: but your servant Srila Prabhupada kindly accepted us as his followers
[16:05]: and instructed us how to achieve the transcendental position.
[16:10]: Therefore our first duty is to serve him.
[16:14]: How could we leave his service?
[37:10]: Srila Prabhupada was the crown jewel on the head of this world.
[37:14]: Without him this world is bereft of its valuable ornament.
[37:19]: Yet in Srila Prabhupada’s absence there is no need to become despondent
[37:25]: because there is no difference between Srila Prabhupada’s instructions
[37:29]: and Srila Prabhupada himself.
[37:32]: He is personally present in his instructions.
[37:36]: In his absence therefore Srila Prabhupada’s words of direction
[37:40]: are the pride of his followers.
[37:43]: Their implicit faith in his words is their success.
[38:03]: O virtuous devotees, thus we have seen the departure of
[38:07]: Srila Prabhupada and this is just to increase our desire for him
[38:12]: because the more we hanker for him the more we will be
[38:16]: freed from all material desires.