arcayam eva haraye
pujam yah sraddhayehate
na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

How the GBC and its followers propose that anyone rise above this level of kanistha-adhikari without a bhajan siksa guru is a mystery. Their idea that everyone can simply take instructions from the books of the founder-acarya without sadhu sanga and the association of a living siksa guru is rejected by our parama gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He has written about the soft rtvik advocates of his own time:

"Those who repeat the teachings of Thakur Bhaktivinode from memory do not necessarily understand the meaning of the words they mechanically repeat

...What are the Scriptures? They are nothing but the record by the pure devotees of the Divine Message appearing on the lips of the pure devotees. The Message conveyed by the devotees is the same in all ages. The words of the devotees are ever identical with the Scriptures. Any meaning of the Scriptures that belittles the function of the devotee who is the original communicant of the Divine Message contradicts its own claim to be heard. Those who think that the Sanskrit language in its lexicographical sense is the language of the Divinity are as deluded as those who hold that the Divine Message is communicable through any other spoken dialects. All languages simultaneously express and hide the Absolute. The mundane face of all languages hides the Truth. The Transcendental face of all sound expresses nothing but the Absolute. The pure devotee is the speaker of the Transcendental language. The Transcendental Sound makes His appearance on the lips of His pure devotee. This is the direct, unambiguous appearance of Divinity. On the lips of non-devotees the Absolute always appears in His deluding aspect. To the pure devotee the Absolute reveals Himself under all circumstances. To the conditioned soul, if he is disposed to listen in a truly submissive spirit, the language of the pure devotee can alone impart the knowledge of the Absolute. The conditioned soul mistakes the deluding for the real aspect when he chooses to lend his ear to the non-devotee. This is the reason why the conditioned soul is warned to avoid all association with non-devotees.

Thakur Bhaktivinode is acknowledged by all his sincere followers as possessing the above powers of the pure devotee of Godhead. His words have to be received from the lips of a pure devotee. If his words are listened from the lips of a non-devotee they will certainly deceive. If his works are studied in the light of one's own worldly experience their meaning will refuse to disclose itself to such readers. His works belong to the class of the eternal revealed literature of the world and must be approached for their right understanding through their exposition by the pure devotee. If no help from the pure devotee is sought the works of Thakur Bhaktivinode will be grossly misunderstood by their readers. The attentive reader of those works will find that he is always directed to throw himself upon the mercy of the pure devotee if he is not to remain unwarrantably self-satisfied by the deluding results of his wrong method of study.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,
The Harmonist, December 1931, vol. XXIX No.6

The entire essay by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is found at this URL if you are interested:
Personality Cultism Is Anti-Vaisnava

http://members.fortunecity.com/dev3/BAB.htm

Also we can read in Srila Prabhupada's Srimad-Bhagavatam the importance of hearing from self realized souls. He has written:
"One must learn the transcendental subject by submissive aural reception from the right sources." SB 1.1.5

"The acarya or the gosvami must be well acquainted with all these literatures. To hear and explain them is more important than reading them. One can assimilate the knowledge of the revealed scriptures only by hearing and explaining. Hearing is called sravana, and explaining is called kirtana. The two processes of sravana and kirtana are of primary importance to progressive spiritual life. Only one who has properly grasped the transcendental knowledge from the right source by submissive hearing can properly explain the subject."
SB 1.1.6

Why does the GBC and its followers think they can understand the Srimad-Bhagavatam without continuing to hear it from the lips of a pure vaisnava? Raghunatha das Gosvami continually sought the anugatya of a siksa guru when his diksa guru departed. Why so many of my godbrothers don t accept this principle of taking guidance from a siksa guru? Srila Sridhar Maharaj has written:

"When he grows up, he will accept another teacher for higher education but that does not mean that the primary teacher is neglected or insulted. For our own interest whatever we find which is akin to what was given to us by our guru maharaj, whatever we find that will enlighten us futher, and whatever will help us to understand more clearly what we heard from our guru maharaj must be accepted.

"Otherwise, what have I taken in the prison-house of my mind, through my scholarship? God is not a finite thing. He is infinite. And as much as in the cell of my brain I have imprisoned Him, shall I stick only to that? What is this. Is my realization a living thing, or is it dead? Is there any growth? What I have received from my spiritual master can it grow. Or is it finished? Have I reached the infinite standard where I can progress no further?

"If someone says that he has reached that standard, and that there is nothing further to be realized, then we offer our obeisances to him from far away. WE are not worshippers of that. If one thinks he is finished, that he has attained perfection we hate it! Even an acarya should consider that he is a student, and not a finished professor who has everything. One should always think of himself as a bona fide student. We have come to realize the infinite, not a finite thing..."
Sri Guru and His Grace pp.50-51

You can read more insights concerning sadhu-sanga and guru-tattva from Srila Sridhara Maharaja in Appendix VI.

Kanistha adhikaris cannot recognise who is a mahabhagavata Vaisnava and who is not. "He does not know how to behave toward devotees or people in general."

GBC resolutions that are inimical to sadhus expose a kanistha mentality and spiritual immaturity. Riding on the wake of what His Divine Grace put into place too many disciples of Srila Prabhupada are playing a very dangerous game of guru bhogi mentality that may destroy their bhakti creepers in time. While they hide behind institutional walls and make their internal policies their sacrosanct and avaisnava behavior becomes visible to the rest of the world.

Krsna Consciousness means Vaisnava association. Otherwise why did His Divine Grace travel the world so many times in the final years of his life offering sadhu-sanga? Was his goal to establish temples and communities whose real purpose becomes forgotten? I think not.

guror apy avaliptasys karyakarayam ajanatah
utpatha-pratipannasya parityago vidhiyate
"A guru addicted to sensual pleasure and polluted vice, who is ignorant and hs no power to descriminate between right and wrong, or who is not on the path of suddha bhakti must be abandoned. (Mahabharata, Udyoga-parva 179.25)

"One should not become a spiritual master unless he has attained the platform of uttama-adhikari."
NOI Verse 5.
Don't take this level of adhikara cheaply. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura told us that we live in a society of the cheaters and the cheated. Do not be cheated in the matter of guru. Read the Cc. And NOI and educate yourself what are the real guru's qualities. Try to understand who is actually a sadhu, and do not be fooled by institutional or ecclesiastical rubber stamps. Srila Prabhupada cautioned against this many times. Again in his lecture in London, "What is Guru" he said:

London, August 22, 1973

"...The same thing was spoken by all the acaryas. Ramanujacarya also says the same, Madhvacaryavsays the same thing, Caitanya Mahaprabhu says same thing, the Gosvamis say the same thing, and we are also speaking the same thing. There is no difference. We do not interpret the words of Krsna, that 'In my opinion, Kuruksetra means this body.' This is rascaldom. The whole situation has been spoiled by these so-called rascal gurus who gives his own opinion. This is our plain declaration: Let any rascal guru come. We can convince him that he is not guru, because he is speaking differently. We can challenge any rascal. ...So these rascals who are claiming to become God, is it a fact that nobody is equal to him, nobody is greater than him? There are so many.

"So this kind of guru, this kind of rascal, will not help you. Guru must come from the parampara system by disciplic succession. Five thousand years or five millions of years, what was spoken by the supreme God or guru, the present guru also will say the same thing. That is guru. That is bona fide guru. Otherwise, he's not guru. Simple definition. Guru cannot change any word of the predecessor...

"...So this is the process of guru. You cannot disobey the previous acarya or guru. No. You have to repeat the same thing. Not research. Sometimes rascals come that You are speaking the same thing. Why don't you speak something new by research work?" We say that we have no intelligence, we cannot make any research. We are... Guru more murkha dekhi koriya vicara. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that 'My Guru Maharaja saw Me a great fool number one.' So one who remains a great fool number one before his guru, he is guru. And one who says that 'I'm advanced so much that I can speak better than my guru,' then he's rascal. This is the process.

evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha (mahata)
yogo nastah parantapa

You can also read:
Guru Tattva: Real And Apparent
By Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0011/ET16-6431.html

It is very easy to prove that the present GBC has changed many of Srila Prabhupada's words. Among their other "accomplishments" this GBC prevented the translation of the five remaining Sad Sandharbas of Srila Jiva Gosvami and the Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Why? The did want to have their own contradictory position, opposed to these acaryas, accepted by the devotee population. They have also stood by silent as His Divine Grace s books have been re written; they have distored guru tattva, jiva tattva and regularly commit Vaisnava aparadha. Again I challenge them to prove that Srila Naryana Maharaja has ever taught anything contrary to the written word of the Six Gosvamis, or our other predecessor acaryas, like Visvanatha Cakravarti, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura or Srila Prabhupada. Who is the bona fide guru and who is the rascal? You decide.

Narayan Maharaja has a different style and emphasis in his preaching of KC This has been widely documented in other documents, but to make it short: Narayan Maharaja emphasizes the intimate moods of rasa in a way that Srila Prabhupada did not appreciate. Obviously he doesn t do that in all of his lectures and he certainly will not do it when he is recruiting people from ISKCON But we are continuously observing that after some time he will manifest his own understanding of how to teach KC that is different from the way Srila Prabhupada has taught.

I personally talked with ISKCON leaders who have sat at SNM s feet for so many years, who studied with him Vaisnava scriptures, and have heard hundreds of lectures give by him. These students were very dedicated to SNM and they have concluded, some reluctantly, that finally without a doubt, the presentation of KC given by SNM is significantly different than the one given by SP. And SP himself is who emphasizes that we should learn the process of KC from himself or from his direct representatives, and never through other people.

NM states that he is the "first" or maybe the "true" disciple of SP etc. Actually I have personally served SP for so many years as a GBC member and he has never mentioned NM, nor was NM engaged in any significant service to Srila Prabhupada s Mission. And finally, according to many devotees who were present in a meeting for answering technical questions regarding the rituals for the burial of SP,after his departure. SP has advised other technical matters and us that we should consult NM in this regard. SP never told in any book, article interview or any other documented statements, that NM should become the siksa guru of ISKCON. NM is consistently ignoring ISKCON s institutional integrity as established by SP. ISKCON is not a mundane entity. It is SP's society. SP gave ISKCON its name. SP has established the basic constitution of the GBC system etc. ISKCON is the only institution in the world that is exclusively dedicated to serving SCM strictly according to SP s personal vision..

History is showing us that ISKCON is continuing to survive in spite of leaders who are falling down or becoming unfaithful. Actually GM preachers have no experience in an ..international society working according to a GBC system. SP has explained clearly and insistently that the GM has disintegrated into so many mathas, each one with it's own acarya. It seems that it is virtually impossible for the GM gurus to imagine any other system besides the acarya system. In this way in their dealings with ISKCON NM consistently behaves himself strongly as if he himself should be our acarya. This became crystal clear for the first time in his famous lecture in our KB temple in Vrndavana many years ago when he declared that he now has come to teach us whatever SP hasn t, but for certain he would if he were still alive. We are simply following whatever SP has explicitly said.

Whatever SP has taught us to do only a new acarya may judge whatever the previous acarya may have said, but did not say. I have personal experience of trying over and over to meet with NM to solve our differences. I went to see him twice when he came to LA. Both times I could not see him privately in a way that we could discuss substantial matters. Then I wrote a personal letter directing his attention to finding a gap in his schedule in order to share some time with some ISKCON leaders, particularly amongst those `favorable towards him. In this way I was searching the possibility of establishing a closer relationship, in order to discuss important matters of cooperation. Up to the present date I have not received any answer to that letter. One of his close associates told me not to expect any response because he was short of time. In other words, this is the standard of NM behavior.

It is clear. He has enough time to go all over the world to recruit people leaving ISKCON in order to join him. Nevertheless now he does not have enough time to sit with ISKCON leaders to seriously discuss a way of mutual cooperation. I have not seen yet a sign that NM is seriously interested in cooperating with ISKCON leaders. I have not seen a sign showing that he sees us as genuine representatives of SP. What I have indeed seen in every case is that he wants us to deal with him as with a senior Vaishnava. Now, IN EVERY CASE AND CIRCUMSTANCE NM is senior to all combined leaders of ISKCON, then he is clearly the acarya. This is simple algebra. NM is certainly senior to any of us as an individual. Nevertheless, we as a group, have received an order to give a direction to our society. What follows is an extract of a recent speech by NM in Germany.

Just as the Berlin Wall was destroyed, His Divine Grace wants to abolish the institutional walls of the vaishnava world. He compared the sectarian mentality of not hearing to the sages outside the institution to which one belongs to the mentality of a son that inherited a wheel from his father. Nevertheless, the water of the wheel has become polluted and infected in due course of time, this person now refuses to drink the pure Ganga water, that is flowing nearby.

The problem here is the SP built the institutional walls of ISKCON in order to protect his teachings. We are willing to hear from NM, but up to the present we were not able to engage him in a serious conversation where we could hear each other. Listening to sadhus does not mean that we have to simply hear from him. SP repeatedly ordered us that the GBC should govern ISKCON, since between the GBC members we have tens of years of experience in hearing and serving SP. Therefore there should be a mutual relationship between NM and ISKCON leaders with regard to their exchanges.

If you read Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta you will find that in the beginning of the seventies there was a conspiracy to take away SP s position as the founder acarya of ISKCON and to diminish SP and place SBSST as the true SP. SP personally detected that the devotees of ISKCON press had been contaminated with this idea when the published one of the small books. There they eliminated SP's titles, such as His Divine Grace, and Prabhupada. Recently in Caracas, Venezuela NM repeatedly has preached that SP is not the founder of ISKCON and repeatedly has referred to him as Bhaktivedanta Swami instead of Prabhupada, meaning that the real Prabhupada was BS.. NM has stated that other gurus from the GM were more advanced than SP. I am not accusing NM of participating in a conspiracy. The fact is hence that whatever he was preaching in Caracas is basically identical to the idea that has appeared in the seventies., and that SP rejected as a conspiracy against him. I had personally tried to establish a conversation with NM but until now I have been unsuccessful. So these are some of the basic points.

There are serious reasons explaining why unfortunately ISKCON is now unable to have any intimate association with NM. If NM is really seriously interested in cooperation beyond recruiting ISKCON devotees, he must find time to deal with mutually respectful relationship with the senior representatives of SP.
Wishing you the best
Hrydayananda Goswami.




> >> CHAT ON LINE - 05/12/00 (excerpt)

> >Devotee _ Thank you for your answer about NM. HM wrote a letter to the council president giving him instructions about this and explained that his disciples are forbidden to have any kind of association with NM s disciples.
JPS: And please you can say the same to my disciples. I used to be liberal with him, but since he has re initiated some of my disciples, I know that I cannot trust him.
Devotee: Yes, yes, I translated your letter to Revatinath and we will certainly do this.
JPS: Thank you
> >>- JPS has logged out. (05/12/00 at 09:48)





Revatinath das has written:
As you have seen in your visit to Rio, we ISKCON devotees are very fragile and dispersed.
I am feeling very insecure in because of ISKCON s lack of definition concerning our temple, or even a center.
Devotees usually are enchanted with the opulence and organization of NM s camp.
.

Srila Jayapataka Swami responds:

No, it is not that he is organized,. Actually he has some enthusiastic disciples that are inspired against ISKCON And they will spread lies about ISKCON gurus and they will say anything to convince people to take initiation or re initiation from NM. You need to prepare people to understand these things. Do not accept any kind of re initiation and avoid seeing NM. I don't know how many people will resist but we need to do that.

Revatinath das writes:
Anyway I would like to know what is your advice and so how to deal with NM s disciples. For certain we will be invited to the inauguration. And I would like to know how t react to this, an at the same time I would like to keep friendly relationships with them. Should we be strict and radical and do not accept any kind of association What should be the correct conduct regarding this matter, guru maharaja. And how to deal with situations such as those during Rathayatra and other public Vaisnava events in case of their presence.
> >> - Srila Jayapataka Swami:
> >> Email em 02/12/00.
> >>

Srila Jayapataka Swami Responds:
:
Don t worry about good relationships with the disciples of NM. Only avoid their association and fight as long as you can as much as you can. If they are saying lies or destroying devotees faith .then you have to defend SP's Movement even if it may cause some displeasing situations. NM's disciples tell people to reject their gurus and get re initiated by NM. I had some disciples and I consented that they could accept siksa from NM but instead of siksa NM gave them re initiation. I don t advise any of my disciples to hear from him or even to participate in any program organized by NM. I recommend the same to anyone who is following SP.
P.S. To those who are concerned there is a more complete document discussing many of the divergences between ISKCON and NM including quotes from SP about 50 pages. To ask for this information you may request this address¥
> >>

Pandal Lecture at Cross Maidan

Prabhupada: I think it should be down little. All right. That's all. Yes. (chants mangalacarana prayers) So ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your taking so much trouble in participating with us in this great movement of Krsna consciousness. As I am repeatedly placing before you with all humbleness that this movement is very, very much essential, not only at the present moment, but also all the time. And specially in this age, Kali-yuga, the age of disagreements and quarrel. Kali-yuga means nobody agrees with anyone. Everyone has got his own opinion, however condemned it may be. And on that point everyone is prepared to fight with one. Therefore it is called Kali-yuga. So putting different theories, philosophical speculations, will not solve the problems of the world, because not only during this age, but in all other ages also, there are different philosophers, different scriptures. That is the law of this material nature. Here there is no oneness. Duality. This world is meant for duality. So it is called dvaita. Dvaita means duality. So Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, he says, dvaite bhadrabhadra sakali samana, ei bhala ei manda saba manodharma. In the world of dualities, bhadrabhadra, "This is good, this is bad, this is nice, this is not nice," they are simply mental speculation because in this world nothing is nice. Everything is bad because it is not eternal. Therefore Sankaracarya said, jagan mithya, brahma satya. That's a fact. These, anything, the varieties of this world: temporary. That is the right word. It is not mithya; it is temporary fact. The Vaisnava philosopher says that this world is not false, but temporary, anitya. Anitya samsara moha janmaile (?).
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, jada-vidya saba mayara vaibhava: "Advancement of material science is increasing the illusion of maya." We are already illusioned, and if we go on increasing the illusion more and more, then we become more and more entangled. That is the nature. And so long we are illusioned, we shall put forward different theories, different philosophies, and different arguments. Therefore sastra says, tarko apratisthah. Simply by argument and reasoning, you cannot make any spiritual advancement. Because you may be very good, I mean to way, logician, putting forward nice arguments, but somebody may come who is better than you. He will spoil all your logic, and he will establish his own logic. That is nyaya-sastra. In Sanskrit there is nyaya-sastra. So they are taught how to defeat his opponent. Therefore the Absolute Truth you cannot understand by argument, by material dealings. In the Brahma-samhita it is said,

panthas tu koti-sata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vayor athapi manaso muni-pungavanam
so 'py asti yat-prapada-simny avicintya-tattve
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe
yukta-vairagyam ucyate

prapancikataya buddhya
hari-sambandhi-vastunah
mumuksubhih parityago
phalgu-vairagyam kathyate

tyaktva su-dustyaja-surepsita-rajya-laksmim
dharmistha-arya-vacasa yad agad aranyam
maya-mrgam dayitayepsitam anvadhavad
vande maha-purusa te caranaravindam

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

So nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe. We should not give up anything. That is not Krsna consciousness. That is not advice of Lord Krsna in the Bhagavad-gita. He never says (to) Arjuna that "You give up this fighting and go to the Himalayas and sit down silently there to meditate." Never He advises. We are following that. As Krsna says, as Krsna advises to Arjuna, yuddhyasva mam anusmaran... So long you are in this material world, you have to fight because this material world is called avidya-karma-samjna anya trtiya saktir isyate. This energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, material energy, it is called avidya-karma-samjna. Here the position is everyone is ignorant and he has to work for his maintenance. Even a small ant which requires a grain of sugar, he has to work also very hard. And the elephant who eats hundred pounds at a time, he has also to work. Even a rich man, he has also to work, and a very poor man, he has also to work. Therefore this material energy is called avidya-karma-samjna anya. So our Krsna consciousness philosophy is that we have to work, but we should work for the best bargain. That is our philosophy. And that is taught in Bhagavad-gita. There are, according to Vedanta philosophy, there are five kinds of interest, or arthas, pancartha. What is that? God, first of all to know what is God. Next, to understand what is jiva, or the living entity. Then, what is this material nature, or what is that spiritual nature. Isvara, jiva, prakrti. And then time--what is the time factor, past, present, and future. And then there is karma, activities. These five things, primary principles of philosophical speculation or philosophical understanding, are very clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita: isvara, jiva, prakrti, kala, and activities. So out of these five, isvara, the Lord, the jiva, the living entities, the nature, prakrti, and the time factor, as well as the..., they are eternal. They are not temporary. But the material energy is temporary. Actually, what is the difference between material energy and spiritual energy? The difference is material energy, the consciousness is different, and in the spiritual energy, the consciousness is Krsna. That is the difference. Just like the sky. The sky is one, but when there is cloud, it is called clouded sky. The sky is the same. The clouded sky is not different from the original sky, but the cloud has come and has covered the sun. Not the sun. It is not the actual term. The cloud has covered my eyes. The cloud cannot cover the sun. The sun is fourteen hundred times..., fourteen hundred thousands of times bigger than this earth. Now, how a cloud spreading over, say, one hundred miles or two hundred miles can cover the sun? It is not possible. It covers the eyes of us who are within one hundred and two hundred miles. So as the cloudy sky is not different from the original sky, it is simply covered, similarly, this material world is not different from the spiritual world, but it is simply covered. In ignorance we forget Krsna. That's all. The forgetfulness is compared with the cloud. That is stated in simple Bengali poetry:

krsna bhuliya jiva bhoga vancha kare
pasate maya tare japatiya dhare

So prapancika. Therefore Rupa Gosvami says the process is anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah. You... We should be unattached to the material necessities of life. It is not that we shall neglect this body. Because a body is vehicle for understanding. So we cannot neglect it. Just like you take care of your car. You ride on your car. For business you go from one place to another. So you have to keep it fit so that it can move very nicely, it can carry out your order. Similarly, there is no necessity of neglecting this body. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yuktahara viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi. We do not say that "You don't eat," but we say that "You eat Krsna prasada, bhagavat-prasada." You satisfy your tongue. You do not starve, but you satisfy your tongue by the foodstuff which is offered to Krsna. That is our proposal. We do not say that "You don't sleep," but we say, "Yes, you sleep. But sleep as much as possible so that to keep your body fit." We do not say that "You don't have sex life." But you have, have it. Just like in this association you'll find my disciples. Out of them, there are many grhasthas. So there is no check that the woman and man should not mix. No. But they should mix together for producing Krsna conscious children. You have seen the sample of one Krsna conscious child. She's always dancing and she's always jolly. She's always jolly, chanting Hare Krsna.

So in this way, Krsna consciousness movement is to Krsnize everything favorably. That is called saranagati. Just like Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. That does not mean that it was told to Arjuna... So Arjuna did not give up his profession as a fighter, but he submitted to Krsna. He Krsnized the fighting principle. He fought for Krsna, not that he gave up fighting. In the beginning of Bhagavad-gita he was a fighter, soldier. And at the end of his understanding Bhagavad-gita he remained a fighter and a soldier, but his consciousness was changed. That is the difference. Similarly, the activities of this material world which is going on, we do not say like the Mayavada philosophers, that brahma satya jagan mithya. According to the leader of Mayavada philosophers, Sripada Sankaracarya, his perfection of life begins when one takes to sannyasa. The Sankaracarya philosophers, they do not admit anyone as realized soul unless he has accepted sannyasa. But Vaisnava philosophy is not like that. Vaisnava philosophy is that you may remain in any condition of life--it doesn't matter--but you become Krsna conscious. That's all.

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa vaca
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan muktah sa ucyate

So our main business should be how to improve in Krsna consciousness. So far other things are required, bodily necessities, that is recommended by Rupa Gosvami, anasaktasya: "Don't be attached." Don't take food, don't eat simply for satisfying your palate. That is called sense enjoyment. But you, just to keep yourself fit, just to keep your body fit for giving service to the Lord, you can eat Krsna prasada. And so far Krsna prasada is concerned, it is not very bad; it is very good. We offer... Of course, those who are followers of Vedic principles of life, they know how nice foodstuff can be offered to Krsna. There are hundreds and thousands of varieties of fruits. There is nice grains also, there is nice milk also, there is sugar also. So you can prepare nice foodstuff on these ingredients which are considered sattvika, sattvikahara. Fruits, grains, vegetables, and sugar, rice, wheat, they are considered as sattvikahara. So you can prepare. Krsna also says that patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati. Krsna is the Supreme Lord. He can eat everything. Just like we have evidences from His life, sometimes He ate fire. Blazing fire in the forest, He ate up. So He can eat everything because He is God. He has got the potency of accepting anything. That is a different thing. But when He demands from His devotees, He says, patram puspam phalam toyam. So we have satisfy Him from these groups. Patram puspam means vegetables, fruits, grains; and toyam, water or milk, like that. And you partake the prasada.

Sometimes I am questioned in European countries that "What is the difference between patram puspam? That is also eatables. They are also vegetables. They have got life. Why do you ask us not to eat meat because they are living beings?" So answer is that it is not the question of living being. Every living being has to eat another living being. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. Those who have got hands, they are eating the legless. Just like the vegetables. Just like cows, goats, or other animals, they are eating grass. The grass is also a living entity, but it has no legs. It is being eaten up by another animal which has got legs. Similarly, we are also a kind of animal with hands. We are eating another animal which has no hands. Similarly, those who are strong, even in animal kingdom or vegetable kingdom, those who are strong, they are eating the less strong. In this way the whole world is maintained by one animal is eating another animal or one living entity is eating another living entity. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. So you (we) are not interfering with the right of the living entities. A tiger has got the right to eat another animal. So we are not going to preach amongst the tigers that "You become vegetarian" or "You become Krsna conscious." That is not our business. Our business is that we are inducing, we are entreating, we are requesting people that "You take Krsna prasada." That is our business. To become vegetarian or nonvegetarian is not very big business. We do not admit that vegetarians are very much pious and nonvegetarians are not pious. No. Not like that. We say that everyone is impious who is not taking foodstuff offered to Krsna. That is our view. Anyone. That is stated by Krsna. Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih: "Anyone who is eating foodstuff offered to Yajna, to Visnu or Krsna, he is diminishing his volumes of sinful life." Bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat: "And anyone who is cooking for himself, not for Krsna, then he is simply eating a lump of sinful life." It doesn't matter whether he is vegetarian or nonvegetarian. This is the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. We have to eat what is offered to Krsna. Yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva. Yajnarthe karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma-bandhanah. If you simply work for Krsna... That is called karma-yoga. One who is working simply for Krsna, he is karma-yogi. You have got tendency to work. You have got tendency to flourish yourself by advancing industrialism. That's nice. You go on, do it. We don't forbid it. But do it for Krsna. Make Krsna center. That is the whole teachings of Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. You offer... Kurusva tad mad-arpanam. Yat karosi. "Whatever you do, it doesn't matter. Whatever you eat," yat karosi yaj juhosi, "whatever you sacrifice, whatever you give in charity, give unto Me." Kurusva tat mad-arpanam. This is Krsna consciousness.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is to educate people how to live in spiritual atmosphere, and then there will be peace and prosperity. Unless one is in spiritual life... Because factually we are spiritual entities. Mamaivamsah. We are part and parcel of Krsna. Krsna is the whole spirit, and we are His part and parcel. Just like a machine and there is small screw, a part of the machine. The screw, although it has no value, but because it is a part of the machine, big machine, if that screw is missing, you will have to purchase at any price. It has got value. The same screw, when it is without the machine, it has no value because it is only a small particle of the machine. Similarly, when we are out of the atmosphere, we are out of Krsna atmosphere... There are many examples. Just like a fire and the sparks of the fire. They are of the same quality. If the sparks of the fire fallson your cloth, it will immediately burn. But the sparks of the fire and the whole fire is different in quantity. But in quality the sparks of the fire is as good as the fire. There are many examples. You can understand what is our relationship with Krsna or God. We are small. We are atomic small, and Krsna is unlimitedly great. That is the difference. Otherwise, so far quality is concerned, Krsna and ourself, the same. As the part and parcel of Krsna, if we live always with Krsna, then we are in spiritual life. If we always live in Krsna consciousness, then in spite of our living in this material world we are called jivan mukta, "liberated in this material condition." Jivan mukta. He has got to die and take liberation. Even in this life he is liberated. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita:

mam ca 'vyabhicarini-
bhakti-yogena yah sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

So in the Bhagavad-gita it is taught what is God, what is nature of God and who is God, and what are these living entities, we living entities, and what is our relationship. These things are taught in the Bhagavad-gita. We have to find out. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He says,

aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha-bhava-samanvitah

So as Arjuna said that param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan: "You are the Supreme Personality." Sasvatam purusa. He is accepted purusa. Purusa, the Supreme Lord, purusa; the bhokta, the enjoyer. And He's parambrahman and pavitra, uncontaminated. Pavitra means uncontaminated by the material nature. Paramam bhavan. And He is the rest of everything. Krsna also says,

maya tatam idam sarvam
jagat avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
naham tesu avasthitah

So if we want to learn some specific subject we have to accept a proper authority or a bona fide teacher. Similarly if we want to learn the science of God, we have to approach a person who knows the science. Not that a casual person takes one Bhagavad-gita and writes his comment and it goes on for some ulterior purpose. In that way you cannot understand Bhagavad-gita. And Bhagavan, Krsna, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati. He is situated in everyone's heart. So as soon as you are actually a devotee... He is everyone's heart but He is silent. But as soon as one is devotee, one is inclined to serve Krsna, at that time He gives him intelligence. He does not give intelligence... He gives others intelligence in a different way, as we want. Everyone, because we are free, so as we want. Because without sanction of Krsna, we cannot do anything. Therefore one has to take sanction from Krsna for doing anything. So for others He gives sanction, "All right. You do it." Because He will see. Krsna does not say that you do it because He perceives that I must do it. So Krsna gives the sanction. That is one sanction. But there is another sanction, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. That is sanction for the devotees. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. Tesam. "For those who are twenty-four hours engaged in My service." Satata-yukta. Satata means always, without any deviation. Simply in Krsna consciousness, thinking everything in Krsna consciousness. He is seeing one flower. You'll be surprised... This little girl, the other day we were walking in hanging gardens, and this little girl, as soon as she saw some flower, immediately she expressed her opinion that these flowers should be taken and made into garland for Krsna. This is Krsna consciousness. She is being taught from the very beginning of her life how to become Krsna conscious. So it is not difficult. It depends only on training. Even in this old age, and especially in this age this method is very simple. Simply we have to agree to accept it. That's all. Otherwise Krsna consciousness is the simplest form of self-realization and advancement in spiritual life.

So Krsna, as I was talking, that Krsna is sitting in everyone's heart. And as soon as one is inclined to serve Him, He is also ready to respond immediately. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. One who is engaged twenty-four hours in His service, in Krsna's service, bhajatam priti-purvakam , not as a matter of routine... Of course, we have to begin as a matter of routine. But when you develop gradually love for Him, that is called priti. Just like this Diety worship. Our students, first of all they are engaged in a matter of duty of devotional service. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam arcanam. This is called arcanam. But by worshiping the Deity he feels an attachment for service. That is natural. Tathasakti. It is called asakti. It will develop if you begin Krsna consciousness at your home. Then you will feel at a certain stage an attachment for Krsna. Asakti. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga.

adau sraddha tato sadhu-
sanga atha bhajana-kriya
tato anartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha tatah rucis

tathasaktis tato bhavas
sadhakanam ayam premnah
pradurbhave bhavet kramah

So the symptom of a devotee is always engaged in Krsna consciousness. And Krsna is sitting in everyone's heart. As soon as He sees that "This particular living entity is very much interested in Me," tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam dadami buddhi-yogam tam. Immediately dictate from within that "You do like this, you do like that." What is that dictation? Yena mam upayanti te. That dictation is favorable for advancing towards Krsna. That dictation is favorable to advance towards Krsna. Why does He say...., why does He do like that? That is His special favor. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhava-(stho)
jnana-dipena bhasvata

Thank you very much. (end)

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

--

Sydney, February 16, 1973

Prabhupada:

(mayy asakta-manah partha)
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

So this Bhagavad-gita should be read by every individual person to know the science of God. It is a great science. God is not a fiction or an imagination, as people take it. Not always, but in human society, everywhere in civilized human society there is some conception of religion, and the purpose of executing religious faith means to understand God. There is no other purpose of any religion. If in any religion the understanding of God is lacking, that is not first-class religion. So we are preaching not any particular type of religion. Religion is described in the English dictionary as "a kind of faith." Actually, religion does not mean. The Sanskrit word dharma, that dharma means characteristic. It is not a kind of faith--characteristic, or occupational duty. Generally it means characteristic. The characteristic is that every living being, whether it is animal or human being or tree or plants or insect... (loud noise from speaker system) (aside:) What is it? Every living being has a particular characteristic that is visible in all kinds of forms of living being. That is service. Everyone is rendering service. Here we have so many ladies and gentlemen present, but every one of us is rendering some service to the superior. That is our position. The animals also, the inferior animals, they are rendering service to the superior animal. The superior animal is eating the inferior animal, jivo jivasya jivanam. Big snake is eating small snake. There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, apadani catus-padam. Those who are two-legged, they are eating the four-legged. And the four-legged animals, they are eating who cannot walk. Apadani catus-padam. Those who cannot move, just like grass, plants, tree, they cannot move, they are being eaten up by the four-legged animals. And the four-legged animals are being eaten by the two-legged animals, human beings. Just try to understand how the weaker section is serving the stronger section. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. One living entity is the food or living means for another living entity, by nature's law. So the conclusion is that we must render service to the strong. This is nature's law.

Now that being the position, we all living entities, we are weaker, and the strongest is the Supreme Lord; therefore our business is to render service to the Supreme Lord. We are rendering service to the stronger section, but the strongest of all stronger is the Supreme Lord. Therefore the conclusion is that our normal position is to render service to God. This is the position. We cannot say that "We don't care for God." That you cannot say. We are so dependent on God's mercy that we cannot say. Just like today, this evening, when we were coming in this hall, there was heavy rain. So this heavy rain... I am coming from India, and other parts there is drought. There is no rainfall; they are suffering for want of rainfall. But in Australia, especially in Sydney, I see there is good rainfall. So how the distinction can be adjusted? In some places there is no rainfall, but here we have got sufficient rainfall at the present moment. It is God's mercy. You cannot do it. Where there is shortage of rainfall, they cannot bring in rainfall by their scientific advancement of knowledge. That is not possible. You have to depend on God, on the mercy of God. What is this rainfall? This rainfall is an arrangement, taking water from the seas and spread all over the surface of the land. But you cannot do it. The sea water you can spread by pumping or by some other means, but that will not serve your purpose. The sea water must be distilled. It must be made into sweetness. Then such rainfall will give you some effect in producing agricultural production and so many things.

So in every way we are dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When we speak of Krsna, we mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So here, Krsna is teaching Himself, God is teaching Himself, what is God, what is the science of God. You cannot speculate on the science of God: "God may be like this. God may be like that." No. You have to know God from God Himself. Just like you cannot speculate about the position of a very big man. Suppose there is a very big man in your country. If you speculate about him at home, the knowledge is never perfect. It cannot be. Speculative knowledge is never perfect, especially when you imagine something about somebody. That is all humbug; it has no meaning. So God cannot be realized by speculation. But here is a chance wherein God is speaking about Himself, so you can understand what is God. Now in this verse, Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says,

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

So that love for Krsna, or God, how you can develop or how you can awaken, that is explained by Krsna in this verse. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. You have to increase your attachment for Krsna, or God. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, the first-class religion is that which teaches the follower how to love God. This is first-class religion.

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati

So how to love Krsna, or God, that is being instructed by Krsna. Mayy asakta. You have to increase your attachment for Krsna. When I speak of Krsna, you should take it "God," the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, if Supreme Personality of Godhead has got any suitable name, perfect name... God may have many thousands of names, but the most perfect name which we can give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna. Krsna means "all-attractive." God must be all-attractive. It is not that God is attractive for a certain class of men and not attractive for others. You will find the picture of Krsna. Here is Krsna's picture, and there are many other pictures also. Here is also. He's attractive to the animals, He's attractive to the trees, He's attractive to the flowers, He's attractive to the water, and what to speak of human beings. He's attractive; therefore His name is Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive. So if any suitable name can be assigned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Krsna. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Now Krsna says, "If you develop your attachment for Me," mayy asakta-manah partha, "My dear Arjuna..." Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. It is a yoga, yoga system. You have heard the name of yoga system. There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the foremost and the topmost yoga system is to develop your attachment or constantly being in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is first-class yoga. Yoga actually means to make your connection with the Supreme Lord. That is yoga. Yoga means addition, connect. And viyoga... The opposite word is viyoga. Just like addition and subtraction. Similarly, the yoga, and the opposite word is viyoga, or viyoga. Viyoga means when we are detached from God, and yoga means when we are attached to God. This the two different words. So here it is recommended, yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. It is another practice of yoga, the topmost yoga. In previous to this verse there is another verse,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

Unfortunately, the impersonalists, they have no idea of the form, form of the Lord. Because they're impersonalist, they do not accept any form of the Lord. But there is the form of the Lord. Form of the Lord, there must be. God is accepted as the supreme father. In Christianity also it is accepted, the supreme father. In every religion He's accepted the supreme person, supreme father, supreme master. So how He can be accepted as imperson? From logical point of view... Just like you are a person, your father is a person, his father is also a person, his father is also a person. Go on, even you do not know your topmost forefather, you know it that he has a person. Similarly, the supreme father, the father of all fathers, how He can be imperson? Logically you cannot conclude. He must be a person. And that is the Vedic version also. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattva yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate

Anyway, our position is, we learn from Bhagavad-gita that we have to increase our attachment for God, Krsna. mayy asakta. This is the perfect process of yoga system. And if you simply increase your attachment for Krsna, then asamsayam, without any doubt, samagram, and in fullness, you can understand what is God. This is Krsna consciousness movement. We have got our Krsna's form. Just like you see Krsna is playing on His flute. Here is also Krsna standing with His brother Balarama. So Krsna is sometimes with Radharani, so we worship Krsna-Radha, Radha-Krsna in our temple. Those who have not seen--we invite all of you to our temple--there is Radha-Krsna Deity. So this process, Krsna consciousness movement, is to teach people how to increase his attachment for Krsna. There are many processes. The beginning of the Krsna consciousness is sraddha, a little faith. That is the beginning. Adau sraddha. Sraddha means to accept that "This is a nice movement." This a nice movement. Just like you have come here with sraddha, little faith, that "What these people are making in Krsna consciousness movement? Let us go and see." This is called sraddha. This is the first thing. So you have to increase this sraddha. How? Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. If you want to increase this sraddha, then you have to make association with the devotees. Just like all these European, American, Canadians, all my devotees, they came first to me when I began this Krsna consciousness movement in New York. I was chanting underneath a tree, and these girls and boys, they were coming, so that was sraddha. Then as they gradually came to me, that is called sadhu-sanga. Just like anything you want to learn, you must associate with such kind of men. If you want to learn business, there are so many business corporation, association. So sometimes you become member in the stock exchange and other association to learn their business and make progress in their business. Similarly, if you want to increase your love for Krsna, or God, you must associate with persons who are interested in this business--devotees. These devotees, they have no other interest. All these boys and girls who are under my direction, they have no other interest, simply Krsna. So we have to associate with such persons, Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. Sadhu-sanga means to associate with the devotees. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. Sadhu. Sadhu, this word, Sanskrit word, is meant for the devotees, the lover of Krsna. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: sadhur eva sa mantavyah. Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah. One who has unflinching faith in Krsna, one who is cent percent engaged to render service to Krsna, he is called sadhu. Sadhu does not mean a kind of dress or kind of beard. No. Sadhu means a devotee, perfect devotee of Krsna. That is a sadhu. Therefore it is recommended, sadhu-sanga. We have to associate with sadhu, means who have completely dedicated life for Krsna's service. That is the injunction in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. This process is very simple. Krsna advises Himself how to become a sadhu, how to become a saintly person. That is also. Only follow four principles: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. You simply think of Krsna, man-mana. You just become devotee of Krsna, man-mana bhava mad-bhak... Mad-yaji--you simply worship Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhak... Mam namaskuru--"You offer your obeisances unto Me." These four principles. Think of Krsna. That thinking of Krsna we have introduced. We have not introduced; it is introduced from Vedic literature--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If you chant these sixteen words, it is not very difficult. Anyone, there is no secrecy. There is no charge for it. We don't say that "I shall give you some secret mantra. You give me some money." No. We don't say. We openly chant this Hare Krsna mantra. Anyone can chant also. But see the effect of chanting this mantra. That is up to you. If you begin chanting, you'll feel the effect very soon. So this is called man-manah, always thinking of Krsna. As soon as one chants Hare Krsna, immediately he remembers Krsna. He immediately remembers Krsna's activities, Krsna's pastimes, Krsna's form, Krsna's quality, Krsna's attributes--everything. That is called to absorb the mind in Krsna. That means you become immediately the first-class yogi. Yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana. This is the process.

So these boys and girls who have taken to Krsna consciousness movement seriously, they are all first-class yogis because they are always thinking of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah.So adau sraddha... So if you want to develop Krsna consciousness, then you kindly associate with these devotees. We are opening so many centers all over the world--we have already 102 centers--just to give opportunity to all classes of men to associate with devotees and develop your love for God. This is the purpose. And we have no other purpose, these centers are being opened. So I request you, those who are interested in loving God, in Krsna consciousness, they will kindly associate with these devotees. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. And these devotees... This is our method. When a man, a gentleman or lady comes to our association, he associates with us for three months, six months, then automatically he desires to be initiated. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga atha bhajana-kriya. Bhajana-kriya means one becomes anxious. The effect of sadhu-sanga is to become anxious how to execute this devotional service properly. That is called initiation. So they come forward. The president recommends that "This boy or girl is now living with us for so many months, he's interested, he may be initiated." Then we initiate. But initiate with some condition. Anartha-nivrttih syat. These are the different stages. Initiation means that he must be free from all kinds of sinful activities. These four principles, the pillars of sinful activities, are four in number: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Striya suna panabhi(?). So automatically they give. All these boys and girls who are sitting here, you know that they have given up automatically. They have been able, by association with Krsna. It has become very practical and easy thing to give up all these four principles of sinful activities. Because without being pure, you cannot understand the Supreme Pure. God is the Supreme Pure. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Anyone who is completely free from the reaction of sinful life, yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Now, how is it possible? If one is simply engaged in pious activities. The most pious activity is to be engaged in Krsna consciousness movement. Pure. Then these are the different stages. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sango tato bhajana-kriya atha anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha means things we do not want. Artificially we are practiced to things. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating, we do not practice it from the beginning of our birth. Just after birth the child, the baby, requires little honey or little milk, not the meat. But afterwards, the parents or the guardians are teaching how to eat meat. This is not our human business. Human teeth is meant for eating fruits and grains. That is scientific. Our teeth is made in that way. So anyway, meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, as soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness movement, these four pillars of sinful life is immediately broken.

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango tato bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha (tato rucis)

So this is not very difficult; anyone can practice. How it is difficult? These European, American boys, they were never practiced to it, not in their family or by culture. But because Krsna consciousness is there in everyone's heart, simply by little practice it comes, it develops. So we request that to make your life successful, this human form of life, you practice this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That is the success of life, not to live like animals, simply eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defense. They are the business of the animals also. If we develop simply in these four principles of animal life, that is not advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization is tested when a nation or person is interested to inquire about God. That is advancement. Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is advancement--how a nation or person is advanced to inquire about God or about himself. God and we, we are of the same quality, because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. That's a fact. God is the supreme living being and we are also living being, but He is the head, supreme. That is the description in the Vedas:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam (yo) vidadhati kaman

harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

So our recommendation is... Not our; it is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who inaugurated or revitalized this Krsna consciousness movement five hundred years ago in Bengal as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, namnam akari bahudha nija sarva saktis, tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. Namnam akari: the name and person whose name. Because God is absolute, there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in this material calculation, if you want water, simply by chanting "water, water," you won't get water. The water substance is different from the name "water." But God being absolute, His name, His form, His quality, His entourage, they are all the same, as good as God. So if you associate with any one of them, either God personally or with His name or with His form or with His quality or with His paraphernalia, immediately you become in contact with God. This is the science. This is not fiction; this is science. Because if you accept God as absolute, there cannot be difference between God and His name and His form. So this is science. You'll realize as you make progress. You'll realize. Just like these boys, they're chanting Hare Krsna mantra, they are realizing; otherwise I've not bribed them. They're mad after Hare Krsna mantra. It is not due to my bribing them. They're actually realizing that they are in touch with Krsna. So anyone can do that. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, therefore, that there are many thousands of names of God. Although we say that the only perfect name is Krsna, but if you think, "No, we have got another name," that's all right. But it must be the name of God. It must be full with the conception of God. If you have got, you can chant that name also. There is no hindrance. Namnam akari. Because every name being identical with God, every name of God is as powerful as God. As powerful, because identical. Identical; therefore every name has got the same power and potency as the Supreme Person, God, has got. Namnam akari bahudha nija sarva saktis. Nija sarva saktis: all potencies are there. Tatrarpita. There is, it is already endowed with all the potencies.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah: "My dear Lord, You have sent in age Your name, which is full of potency, as much potencies as You have got. Still, I am so unfortunate that I cannot chant even Your holy names." It is so nice. You haven't got to do anything, simply try to chant the holy name of God. Then gradually everything will evolve within you, because within you everything is there. Simply you have to accept the process and everything will come out. Ceto-darpana-marjanam. Our misunderstanding is due to dirty things within our hearts. So first benefit of chanting Hare Krsna maha-mantra will be that all the dirty things within your hearts will be cleansed. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. And immediately you'll be relieved from the blazing fire of this material existence. This material existence is compared with a blazing forest fire. Forest fire means... Nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes places automatically. Similarly, in this material world, however peacefully you want to live, without God consciousness, you cannot live peacefully. It is not possible. Forget it. Therefore, if you think of Krsna or God always, immediately you'll be free from the conflagration of the blazing fire of this material existence. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam. And as soon as this blazing fire of material existence is extinguished, immediately you come to the platform of blissfulness. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam sreyah-kairava-candrika. Then that blissfulness will increase one after another, one after another. Just like the comparison has been given just like the moon. The after the dark moon, the moon comes out just like a line, and then it increases, increases, and one night it becomes full. Similarly, as your heart becomes cleansed of the material dirty things, your real form, sat-cit-ananda vigrahah, eternity, blissful life of knowledge, becomes visible, just like the moon is visible. And one day you'll come to the full pleasure, full moon night, and that is your sarvatma snapanam. And at that time you'll enjoy your life like anything. That is our highest perfection of life. Param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam. The only method is chanting this holy name of God, Krsna.

So because Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted these sixteen names--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--therefore we also follow the footprints of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. We are also chanting the same Hare Krsna maha-mantra, and we shall request you also. There is no expenditure, there is no loss on your part, but if there is any gain, why don't you try it? That is our request. Chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is the process for increasing your attachment for God and Krsna. And as you increase your love... That is our real constitutional position, to love God. We are loving also, in this fallen state, but not God, all non-God or some pseudo God. But when we come to the real stage of loving God, then at that time our life becomes perfect, and it is said in the Brahma-samhita, premanjana cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. When you develop your love of God, Krsna, then you see God every moment, every step. Santah sadaiva. Sadaiva means always. If you say, "Can you show me God?" there is no need of showing God. You qualify yourself, and God will be visible in every step of your life. Then your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. (break) ... God, he's (indistinct).

Devotee: Jaya! (audience laughs)

Prabhupada: So one can believe in himself, that's all. (break) ...the rainy season. Why the rainy season is there? Can you answer why the rainy season is there? Why it is raining? These are periodical changes. Just like there is summer season, winter season, rainy season. Similarly, this material world is subjected to the seasons or changes. It is called jagat. Jagat means which is changing. But we do not like this changing because we are eternal. We have been put into this condition, changing condition; therefore we are not happy. So this Krsna consciousness movement means to get ourselves out of this changing condition to the eternal condition. It is very, I mean to say, what is called, intelligent question: Why there is Kali-yuga? Kali-yuga means these ages are change. Just like the same way, as there is summer season; after summer season, there is rainy season; after rainy season there is winter season. Similarly, there are four yuga, namely Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga and Kali-yuga. Satya-yuga means perfect age. Then Treta-yuga--one-fourth less of perfection. Then Dvapara-yuga--three-fourth, er, half less; and then Kali-yuga--three-fourths less. Three-fourths bad elements and one-fourth good elements, and that is also very rare. But if you, if we take to Krsna consciousness, we become transcendental. We have nothing to do with these seasonal changes of Kali-yuga. That is recommended. Kalau. Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha. If we take to Krsna consciousness, then we are not affected by the bad effects of Kali-yuga. That is recommended. (break) Kali-yuga is disagreement and fight. This is called Kali-yuga. Here, at the present moment, in this age, everyone disagrees with other, and they fight. Therefore it is called Kali-yuga.

Guest: Do you believe the (indistinct) father of Jesus Christ?

Devotee: He wants to know if Krsna is above Jesus Christ.

Prabhupada: Yes, because Jesus Christ says that he's son of God, and Krsna says He's God. Therefore, He's father of Jesus Christ.

Devotee: Any other questions? (break)

Prabhupada: There is no difference between father and son. Just like there is no difference between you and your father. To become son is not bad, or to become father is not good or bad. Father and son relationship is very affectionate, so there is no difference between father... (end)

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Guest (5): Perhaps they are the people, the older followers of...
Prabhupada: Not always these people. Not all. (Hindi) We have created this problem. (Hindi) (break) You'll get your bread, bara, and somebody will fill up your belly. (Hindi) It is not possible. (Hindi)

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam vidadhati kaman

Guest (6): Swamiji, suppose one wants to become life member... They can't pay whole money in one charge. They want to pay in installments.

Prabhupada: That's nice. We shall accept. Oh, yes.

Guest (6): They told me that it is impossible for them to pay whole sum.

Prabhupada: That doesn't matter. Let him pay by...

Guest (6): They are ready to pay two or three installments.

Prabhupada: That's all right. It is accepted. Please bring them.

Guest (6): One man, that Bengali person, he is coming. He wants to become member but he is telling that "I am unable to pay whole..."

Prabhupada: No, no, no. That doesn't matter. Let him pay by installments.

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

So this promise the judge knows, and he gives his judgment on that. Similarly, these promises must be kept; otherwise it will be useless. That is your business, the same thing, guru-krsna..., that by the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Krsna, you get the thing. Now to use the thing properly, that will depend on you. Guru-krsna-krpaya bhakti-lata-bija. I can give you very nice thing, but you keep it locked up in your treasury and never use it, then what will you do? Mali haya sei bija kare aropana. You have to sow it and pour water and see that it is nicely growing. This..., that is very nicely described in rupa-siksa, mali hay sei bija kare aropana. So don't think that after the official ceremony of initiation your business and my business is finished. No. The business begins. It is not the finishing; it is the beginning. So if you don't go farther, adau guru-asrayah... The beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is the beginning. And, adau guru-asrayah, then the student must be very inquisitive, sad-dharma-prccha. Sadhu-marga-anugamanam. You'll find all these things, instruction, in The Nectar of Devotion. They are there.

So today some of you are going to be initiated. This is the beginning of your spiritual life. But if you don't take care for farther development, then that is up to you. You may fall down. Because maya is very strong. Maya will place so many impediments. She does not like that so easily you go back to home, back to Godhead. That is maya's business. Daivi hy esa gunamayi. Just like police. Police business is to see the criminal that is actually, he is in his original consciousness to become law-abiding citizen. Otherwise police will go on punishing him. That is police affair. Similarly, this maya is the police agent. Her business is to chastise you. Every moment this is going on. Ei rupe brahmanda brahmite kona bhagyavan jiva.

So this material life means within the jurisdiction of maya, and she's always punishing us. Anadi-bahirmukha jiva krsna bhuli gela ataeva maya tare (indistinct). Because we have tried to forget Krsna, that is not good for us. That is also explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam,

ya esam purusam saksad
atma-prabhavam isvaram
avajananti na bhajanty
sthanad bhrastah patanty adhah

740128SB.HAW

Reporter: Because I take the word of my father, of my mother, that he is my father...
Prabhupada: Yes.
Reporter: ...I cannot prove it. Nobody can prove it that he is my father.
Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Therefore that is the beginning of knowledge. That is the beginning, adau sraddha. That is stated in the sastra: adau sraddha, faith. Then if you have got sraddha, then adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Suppose if you are, if you are very much anxious, you have got faith to understand Krsna, then next step is to associate with persons who know Krsna. Just like you are doing some business, so you have to enter into some association, businessmen, to understand the business from them. Similarly, if you have faith in Krsna, then you have to understand Him through the association of devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangau. Atha bhajana-kriya. Then as soon as you have... Just as these boys, they came to me. After association they wanted to be initiated: "Swami, please initiate." That is called bhajana-kriya. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah atha bhajana kriya. And if you are performing bhajana kriya nicely, then anartha-nivrttih syat, then all misgivings will go away.
Reporter: Anartha visya.
Prabhupada: Anartha-nivrttih syat. Then nobody will question. All questions will be anartha-nivrttih, all doubts gone. Then nistha, firm faith. Then firm faith, nistha. Then taste. Whenever there is Krsna topics, immediately you go. Tato nistha...
Reporter: Taste?
Prabhupada: Taste, rucih.
Reporter: Accha. Taste, rucih.
Prabhupada: Tato nistha tatah rucih athasakti , then attachment.
Reporter: Tatha?
Prabhupada: Asakti.
Reporter: Asakti.
Prabhupada: Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. That is Krsna says, mayi asakta. We have to increase our asakta, attachment, for Krsna by this process. Tathasakti tatah bhavah. Then you will see Krsna everywhere. That is krsna prema.

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Prabhupada:

(mayy asakta-manah partha)
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

So this Bhagavad-gita should be read by every individual person to know the science of God. It is a great science. God is not a fiction or an imagination, as people take it. Not always, but in human society, everywhere in civilized human society there is some conception of religion, and the purpose of executing religious faith means to understand God. There is no other purpose of any religion. If in any religion the understanding of God is lacking, that is not first-class religion. So we are preaching not any particular type of religion. Religion is described in the English dictionary as "a kind of faith." Actually, religion does not mean. The Sanskrit word dharma, that dharma means characteristic. It is not a kind of faith--characteristic, or occupational duty. Generally it means characteristic. The characteristic is that every living being, whether it is animal or human being or tree or plants or insect... (loud noise from speaker system) (aside:) What is it? Every living being has a particular characteristic that is visible in all kinds of forms of living being. That is service. Everyone is rendering service. Here we have so many ladies and gentlemen present, but every one of us is rendering some service to the superior. That is our position. The animals also, the inferior animals, they are rendering service to the superior animal. The superior animal is eating the inferior animal, jivo jivasya jivanam. Big snake is eating small snake. There is a verse in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, apadani catus-padam. Those who are two-legged, they are eating the four-legged. And the four-legged animals, they are eating who cannot walk. Apadani catus-padam. Those who cannot move, just like grass, plants, tree, they cannot move, they are being eaten up by the four-legged animals. And the four-legged animals are being eaten by the two-legged animals, human beings. Just try to understand how the weaker section is serving the stronger section. That is the law of nature. Jivo jivasya jivanam. One living entity is the food or living means for another living entity, by nature's law. So the conclusion is that we must render service to the strong. This is nature's law.

Now that being the position, we all living entities, we are weaker, and the strongest is the Supreme Lord; therefore our business is to render service to the Supreme Lord. We are rendering service to the stronger section, but the strongest of all stronger is the Supreme Lord. Therefore the conclusion is that our normal position is to render service to God. This is the position. We cannot say that "We don't care for God." That you cannot say. We are so dependent on God's mercy that we cannot say. Just like today, this evening, when we were coming in this hall, there was heavy rain. So this heavy rain... I am coming from India, and other parts there is drought. There is no rainfall; they are suffering for want of rainfall. But in Australia, especially in Sydney, I see there is good rainfall. So how the distinction can be adjusted? In some places there is no rainfall, but here we have got sufficient rainfall at the present moment. It is God's mercy. You cannot do it. Where there is shortage of rainfall, they cannot bring in rainfall by their scientific advancement of knowledge. That is not possible. You have to depend on God, on the mercy of God. What is this rainfall? This rainfall is an arrangement, taking water from the seas and spread all over the surface of the land. But you cannot do it. The sea water you can spread by pumping or by some other means, but that will not serve your purpose. The sea water must be distilled. It must be made into sweetness. Then such rainfall will give you some effect in producing agricultural production and so many things.

So in every way we are dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When we speak of Krsna, we mean the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So here, Krsna is teaching Himself, God is teaching Himself, what is God, what is the science of God. You cannot speculate on the science of God: "God may be like this. God may be like that." No. You have to know God from God Himself. Just like you cannot speculate about the position of a very big man. Suppose there is a very big man in your country. If you speculate about him at home, the knowledge is never perfect. It cannot be. Speculative knowledge is never perfect, especially when you imagine something about somebody. That is all humbug; it has no meaning. So God cannot be realized by speculation. But here is a chance wherein God is speaking about Himself, so you can understand what is God. Now in this verse, Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says,

mayy asakta-manah partha
yogam yunjan mad-asrayah
asamsayam samagram mam
yatha jnasyasi tac chrnu

So that love for Krsna, or God, how you can develop or how you can awaken, that is explained by Krsna in this verse. Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. You have to increase your attachment for Krsna, or God. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, the first-class religion is that which teaches the follower how to love God. This is first-class religion.

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati

So how to love Krsna, or God, that is being instructed by Krsna. Mayy asakta. You have to increase your attachment for Krsna. When I speak of Krsna, you should take it "God," the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, if Supreme Personality of Godhead has got any suitable name, perfect name... God may have many thousands of names, but the most perfect name which we can give to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krsna. Krsna means "all-attractive." God must be all-attractive. It is not that God is attractive for a certain class of men and not attractive for others. You will find the picture of Krsna. Here is Krsna's picture, and there are many other pictures also. Here is also. He's attractive to the animals, He's attractive to the trees, He's attractive to the flowers, He's attractive to the water, and what to speak of human beings. He's attractive; therefore His name is Krsna. Krsna means all-attractive. So if any suitable name can be assigned to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is Krsna. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature. Now Krsna says, "If you develop your attachment for Me," mayy asakta-manah partha, "My dear Arjuna..." Mayy asakta-manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. It is a yoga, yoga system. You have heard the name of yoga system. There are different kinds of yoga systems, but the foremost and the topmost yoga system is to develop your attachment or constantly being in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is first-class yoga. Yoga actually means to make your connection with the Supreme Lord. That is yoga. Yoga means addition, connect. And viyoga... The opposite word is viyoga. Just like addition and subtraction. Similarly, the yoga, and the opposite word is viyoga, or viyoga. Viyoga means when we are detached from God, and yoga means when we are attached to God. This the two different words. So here it is recommended, yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. It is another practice of yoga, the topmost yoga. In previous to this verse there is another verse,

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

Unfortunately, the impersonalists, they have no idea of the form, form of the Lord. Because they're impersonalist, they do not accept any form of the Lord. But there is the form of the Lord. Form of the Lord, there must be. God is accepted as the supreme father. In Christianity also it is accepted, the supreme father. In every religion He's accepted the supreme person, supreme father, supreme master. So how He can be accepted as imperson? From logical point of view... Just like you are a person, your father is a person, his father is also a person, his father is also a person. Go on, even you do not know your topmost forefather, you know it that he was a person. Similarly, the supreme father, the father of all fathers, how He can be imperson? Logically you cannot conclude. He must be a person. And that is the Vedic version also. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.

vadanti tat tattva-vidas
tattva yaj jnanam advayam
brahmeti paramatmeti
bhagavan iti sabdyate

Anyway, our position is, we learn from Bhagavad-gita that we have to increase our attachment for God, Krsna. mayy asakta. This is the perfect process of yoga system. And if you simply increase your attachment for Krsna, then asamsayam, without any doubt, samagram, and in fullness, you can understand what is God. This is Krsna consciousness movement. We have got our Krsna's form. Just like you see Krsna is playing on His flute. Here is also Krsna standing with His brother Balarama. So Krsna is sometimes with Radharani, so we worship Krsna-Radha, Radha-Krsna in our temple. Those who have not seen--we invite all of you to our temple--there is Radha-Krsna Deity. So this process, Krsna consciousness movement, is to teach people how to increase his attachment for Krsna. There are many processes. The beginning of the Krsna consciousness is sraddha, a little faith. That is the beginning. Adau sraddha. Sraddha means to accept that "This is a nice movement." This a nice movement. Just like you have come here with sraddha, little faith, that "What these people are making in Krsna consciousness movement? Let us go and see." This is called sraddha. This is the first thing. So you have to increase this sraddha. How? Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga. If you want to increase this sraddha, then you have to make association with the devotees. Just like all these European, American, Canadians, all my devotees, they came first to me when I began this Krsna consciousness movement in New York. I was chanting underneath a tree, and these girls and boys, they were coming, so that was sraddha. Then as they gradually came to me, that is called sadhu-sanga. Just like anything you want to learn, you must associate with such kind of men. If you want to learn business, there are so many business corporation, association. So sometimes you become member in the stock exchange and other association to learn their business and make progress in their business. Similarly, if you want to increase your love for Krsna, or God, you must associate with persons who are interested in this business--devotees. These devotees, they have no other interest. All these boys and girls who are under my direction, they have no other interest, simply Krsna. So we have to associate with such persons, Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. Sadhu-sanga means to associate with the devotees. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. Sadhu. Sadhu, this word, Sanskrit word, is meant for the devotees, the lover of Krsna. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: sadhur eva sa mantavyah. Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyah. One who has unflinching faith in Krsna, one who is cent percent engaged to render service to Krsna, he is called sadhu. Sadhu does not mean a kind of dress or kind of beard. No. Sadhu means a devotee, perfect devotee of Krsna. That is a sadhu. Therefore it is recommended, sadhu-sanga. We have to associate with sadhu, means who have completely dedicated life for Krsna's service. That is the injunction in the Bhagavad-gita. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. This process is very simple. Krsna advises Himself how to become a sadhu, how to become a saintly person. That is also. Only follow four principles: man-mana bhava mad-bhakto. You simply think of Krsna, man-mana. You just become devotee of Krsna, man-mana bhava mad-bhak... Mad-yaji--you simply worship Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhak... Mam namaskuru--"You offer your obeisances unto Me." These four principles. Think of Krsna. That thinking of Krsna we have introduced. We have not introduced; it is introduced from Vedic literature--Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If you chant these sixteen words, it is not very difficult. Anyone, there is no secrecy. There is no charge for it. We don't say that "I shall give you some secret mantra. You give me some money." No. We don't say. We openly chant this Hare Krsna mantra.

Bhagavad-gita 7.1
Sydney, February 16, 1973
730216BG.SYD
Prabhupada:(mayy asaktsam mad-gatenantaratmana. This is the process.

So these boys and girls who have taken to Krsna consciousness movement seriously, they are all first-class yogis because they are always thinking of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. So adau sraddha... So if you want to develop Krsna consciousness, then you kindly associate with these devotees. We are opening so many centers all over the world--we have already 102 centers--just to give opportunity to all classes of men to associate with devotees and develop your love for God. This is the purpose. And we have no other purpose, these centers are being opened. So I request you, those who are interested in loving God, in Krsna consciousness, they will kindly associate with these devotees. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga. And these devotees... This is our method. When a man, a gentleman or lady comes to our association, he associates with us for three months, six months, then automatically he desires to be initiated. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga atha bhajana-kriya. Bhajana-kriya means one becomes anxious. The effect of sadhu-sanga is to become anxious how to execute this devotional service properly. That is called initiation. So they come forward. The president recommends that "This boy or girl is now living with us for so many months, he's interested, he may be initiated." Then we initiate. But initiate with some condition. Anartha-nivrttih syat. These are the different stages. Initiation means that he must be free from all kinds of sinful activities. These four principles, the pillars of sinful activities, are four in number: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Striya suna panabhi(?). So automatically they give. All these boys and girls who are sitting here, you know that they have given up automatically. They have been able, by association with Krsna. It has become very practical and easy thing to give up all these four principles of sinful activities. Because without being pure, you cannot understand the Supreme Pure. God is the Supreme Pure. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Anyone who is completely free from the reaction of sinful life, yesam anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Now, how is it possible? If one is simply engaged in pious activities. The most pious activity is to be engaged in Krsna consciousness movement. Pure. Then these are the different stages. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sango tato bhajana-kriya atha anartha-nivrttih syat. Anartha means things we do not want. Artificially we are practiced to things. Just like meat-eating. Meat-eating, we do not practice it from the beginning of our birth. Just after birth the child, the baby, requires little honey or little milk, not the meat. But afterwards, the parents or the guardians are teaching how to eat meat. This is not our human business. Human teeth is meant for eating fruits and grains. That is scientific. Our teeth is made in that way. So anyway, meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, as soon as one takes to Krsna consciousness movement, these four pillars of sinful life is immediately broken.

adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
sango tato bhajana-kriya
tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat
tato nistha (tato rucis)

So this is not very difficult; anyone can practice. How it is difficult? These European, American boys, they were never practiced to it, not in their family or by culture. But because Krsna consciousness is there in everyone's heart, simply by little practice it comes, it develops. So we request that to make your life successful, this human form of life, you practice this Krsna consciousness, or God consciousness. That is the success of life, not to live like animals, simply eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defense. They are the business of the animals also. If we develop simply in these four principles of animal life, that is not advancement of civilization. The advancement of civilization is tested when a nation or person is interested to inquire about God. That is advancement. Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is advancement--how a nation or person is advanced to inquire about God or about himself. God and we, we are of the same quality, because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. That's a fact. God is the supreme living being and we are also living being, but He is the head, supreme. That is the description in the Vedas:

nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam (yo) vidadhati kaman

harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

So our recommendation is... Not our; it is the recommendation of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who inaugurated or revitalized this Krsna consciousness movement five hundred years ago in Bengal as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, namnam akari bahudha nija sarva saktis, tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah. Namnam akari: the name and person whose name. Because God is absolute, there is no difference between His name and He Himself. Just like in this material calculation, if you want water, simply by chanting "water, water," you won't get water. The water substance is different from the name "water." But God being absolute, His name, His form, His quality, His entourage, they are all the same, as good as God . . .

Bhagavad Gita Class
July 30, 1972 -- Calcutta
720307BG.CAL

... feeling obliged that "We have got life pratyaksavagamam." Pratyaksa means direct. Direct. Bhaktih paresanubhavo. Just like if you eat, you will directly understand whether you are getting strength and whether hunger is being satisfied. You don't require to take certificate, that "I am eating. Am I satisfied?" You know. Why you want to take satisfaction... uh, certificate from other? You know. Pratyaksavagamam dharmyam. This is bhakti process. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sanga 'tha bhajana-kriya tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat. These are the different stages. Every stage you will find that "Yes, I am making progress." If you have got sraddha, if you have got little faith, "All right, these people are teaching Krsna consciousness. Let us see what they are talking about..." You come first of all, just like these boys came to me. Now, adau sraddha, then they little like it, then sadhu-sanga, then again came, again came, again came. Then offered themselves, bhajana-kriya: "Now maybe you kindly accept me as your disciple." As soon as the bhajana-kriya, immediately there is anartha-nivrttih syat. All unwanted things: no smoking, no intoxication, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling. We make this condition before making a student. It is not that "You, you will remain a sudra, mleccha, and I make you a disciple. I'll never touch you, I'll never touch your food (foot?), and I become your guru." It is not this guru business. It is not guru business. Guru must transfer his qualities to the student. How it is there that a man makes one's person as disciple ... is Sanatana Gosvami's injunction. Immediately he becomes brahmana if he's actually initiated. If you are falsely initiated, he remains a sudra and you remain a rascal. That's all. Why you should falsely initiate a person? If you cannot make him a brahmana and elevate him to the highest stage of devotional service, why should you cheat others? Initiation means making him dvijatvam. Tatha diksa-vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam. How an initiated person can remain a sudra? This is going on. Therefore they are thinking that "These American, they are mlecchas and yavana. How they can become sannyasi?" This is nonsense. How ...

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Srimad Bhagavatam Class
San Francisco, May 31, l967
670315SB.SF
Sraddhaya tat-kathayam ca. He is further explaining. Sraddhaya, with faith and devotion, sraddha. Sraddha means faith and devotion. So this faith and devotion is the beginning, is the basic principle of Krsna consciousness. Adau sraddha tato sadhu-sanga tato bhajana-kriya anartha-nivrttih syat. This is the process. So here it is also said, sraddhaya tat-kathayam ca. When there is a speech about Krsna, or about Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam. So sraddhaya tat-katha... (end)

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Srimad Bhagavatam Class
New Vrndavana
February 7, 1976
760702SB.NV

So srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanam. Even if we do not understand what is being spoken about Krsna, still, simply by hearing, one becomes pious. Punya-sravana-kirtana. Kirtana, one is speaking or chanting, another is hearing. Both of them are benefited, becomes pious. In this way, we cannot understand Krsna unless we are sinless. So there is no need of separate attempt to become sinless. If we simply hear, then we... Punya-sravana-kirtana. Punya means piety. Simply by hearing, you become pious. Then you become interested, naturally. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. Somehow or other, if one becomes a little fit for: "Oh, here is Krsna consciousness movement. What they are doing, let me see," that is called sraddha. And this sraddha is little increased, then one will like to associate with the devotees. Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah. In this way, when he is accustomed, then he will like to become one of the devotees, offers himself to be initiated.

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730216BG.SYD
... beginning of the K œ a consciousness is raddh_, a little faith. That is the beginning. Adau raddh_. �raddh_ means to accept that "This is a nice movement." This a nice movement.... called raddh_. This is the first thing. So you have to increase this raddh_. How? Adau raddh_ tata s_dhu-sa_ga. If you want to increase this raddh_, then you have to ... they have no other interest, simply K œ a. So we have to associate with such persons, Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga. S_dhu-sa_ga means to associate with the devotees. Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga. S_dhu. S_dhu, this word, Sanskrit word, is meant for the devotees,...

730216BG.SYD
... yogis because they are always thinking of K œ a. Man-man_ bhava mad-bhakta . So adau raddh_... So if you want to develop K œ a consciousness, then you kindly associate with these ... are interested in loving God, in K œ a consciousness, they will kindly associate with these devotees. Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga. And these devotees... This is our method. When a man, a ... associates with us for three months, six months, then automatically he desires to be initiated. Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga atha bhajana-kriy_. Bhajana-kriy_ means one becomes anxious. The effect ... is to be engaged in K œ a consciousness movement. Pure. Then these are the different stages. Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_go tato bhajana-kriy_ atha anartha-niv tti sy_t. Anartha means things we ...

730216BG.SYD
adau raddh_ tata s_dhu- sa_go tato bhajana-kriy_ tato 'nartha-niv tti sy_t tato niœ…h_ (tato rucis)...

730216BG.SYD
adau raddh_ tata s_dhu- sa_go 'tha bhajana-kriy_ tato 'nartha-niv tti sy_t tato niœ…h_ tato rucis...

720307BG.CAL
... about..." You come first of all, just like these boys came to me. Now, adau raddh_, then they little like it, then s_dhu-sa_ga, then again came, again came, again ...

740128SB.HAW
... _ raya ... The beginning is to take shelter of guru. That is the beginning. And, adau guru-_ raya , then the student must be very inquisitive, sad-dharma-p cch_. S_dhu-m_rga-anugamanam....

750627SB.LA
... obeisances to Guru-Gaur__ga, by whose mercy we get K œ a. This is the system. Adau gurv_ rayam. Now, Caitanya Mah_prabhu is so kind. R pa Gosv_m could understand, could understand.

760627SB.NV
adau raddh_ tata s_dhu- sa_go 'tha bhajana-kriy_ tato 'nartha-niv tti sy_t tato niœ…h_ rucis tata ...

760702SB.NV
... And this raddh_ is little increased, then one will like to associate with the devotees. Adau raddh_ tata s_dhu-sanga . In this way, when he is accustomed, then he will like ...

670315SB.SF
... this faith and devotion is the beginning, is the basic principle of K œ a consciousness. Adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga tato bhajana-kriy_ anartha-niv tti sy_t. This is the process. So ...

710326LE.BOM
adau raddh_ tato s_dhu- sa_ga atha bhajana-kriy_ tato anartha-niv tti sy_t tato niœ…h_ tata rucis...

74-04-23.Mr.
Letter: Mr. Saxena
adau sraddha tatha sadhu-sango' tha bhajana kriya tato nartha nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah...

74-11-06.Sar
Letter: Sarvamangala
... lust, and this is very important. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna says: tasmat tvam indriyany adau "In the very beginning you must curb lust by regulating the senses." Therefore we have ...

690510rc.col
... life, everyone should do that. So if you ask... You can ask some questions. Adau gurv_ rayam sad-dharma-p cch_t. If you go to a person, superior, or spiritual master, then ...

701212rc.ind
... in this? (break) (Hindi) So it is coming? (Hindi) (break) We must have faith. Adau raddh_ (Hindi) You should be prepared even there is difficulty. Just like when I took ...

711110IV.DEL
Prabhup_da: Yes, yes. Therefore that is the beginning of knowledge. That is the beginning, adau raddh_. That is stated in the _stra: adau raddh_, faith. Then if you have got raddh_, then _dau raddh_ tata s_dhu- sa_ga . Suppose ...

750721mw.sf
... then sleep, then faith will be lost. That is happening. Therefore it is said, adau raddh_ tato s_dhu-sa_ga . You accept faith, maybe blindly. Now you make further progress by ...

HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

If you want a copy of the Badger Videotape, contact me by email purudas@bvml.org
Just send me your snail mail address, and request a copy no charge.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: It is not passive but it is somewhat vague within us and we may not always be able to detect its advices. It is difficult to understand its advice.

Devotee: Can the Caittya-guru be a manifestation of our Gurudeva and Krishna also?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Yes. When we internally as something while standing before our Gurudeva, “Please advise me in this particular position. What am I to do?” Then we may feel something: “My Gurudeva is giving this suggestion.” If we are pure then we shall be able to catch the real solution from him. While reading Bhagavad-gita we may also ask Krishna, “What is the real meaning of Your speech? Please allow me to understand.” According to our position we will be able to understand if Krishna suggests, “this is the purpose of My speech:….. “ But it is vague and depends upon one’s capacity of realization.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: Of course, but in a passive way. Generally the Caittya-guru’s function is better there. If you fail to understand a particular passage, then you cannot have progress. Passively it is represented to you, but you have to extract the real purpose; and another Vaishnava may see something more there. Therefore it has been said, ‘jaaho bhaagavata pada vaisnavera staane.’ If you want to read the Bhagavatam you must go to a Vaishnava acharya, a Vaishnava teacher, and read it under his guidance, otherwise you may fail to understand the real standpoint. You must read Vaishnava scriptures with the help of the Vaishnava Acharya. the passive Shiksha-guru, may help to remind you, but if you fail to understand, the book will not come to remove your misconception. But the living Shiksha-guru, the sadhu, , will point out and explain the misunderstanding. Sadhu and shastra are both necessary, but the sadhu is principal. In the absence of the living Scripture –the sadhu – the passive Scripture – the shastra – is the there to give us help.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: "Of course. But we must not identify him with appearance we experience by our physical senses. The inner identification is necessary, and that vision will increase according to our inner growth. Our vision will increase and transform from prakrita to aprakrita, from material to transcendental. As our vision changes, the way we see Gurudeva will change accordingly. A man is generally known first by his external uniform, then by his body, then by his mind, then by his intelligence. As much as our eye will develop to see things rightly, what we see will change its appearance. Acharyyam mam vijaniyat - the Lord says, “It is ultimately I who am the Acharyya. It is My function in different stages and forms.” At the same time different Acharyyas may simultaneously work together. They have their common ground in the Sri Gurudeva, but like so many branches of a tree, they differ in many ways. Still, the ideal is acaryyam mam vijaniyat. The ideal is going from gross to subtle. According to the depth of vision of the eye of the viewer some factors are in common, some different. Different depths of vision will disclose different realities of the Acharyya, and it willgo in different Rasas (Divine Relationships) to the highest position by a gradual process of realization. Otherwise it will be marttya-buddhi, a material conception of the Divinity, and that is a crime; that is ignorance. It is erroneous. We are to withdraw ourselves from the snare of identifying reality with the physical form presented to our senses. The eye is a deceiver; it cannot see the proper form. The ear also deceives. The form of the Acharyya is not indrya-graya, perceivable by the senses; it is indriyatita, beyond the experience of the senses. Because we are in such a low position we must gradually proceed to the inner world with the help of the figure we see before us. But so much importance is given to seeing deeper. The Acharyya sometimes wears winter clothing and sometimes he wears summer clothing, but we are not identify him with the dress even though it is also indispensably connected with his body. Similarly the Acharyya may show himself to have a young body but later in life he shows an old body. Similarly in one birth he may come in a particular body and another time he may come in another body. The same Acharyya may come differently at different times. From the external we shall have to go to the internal. This applies to us also. If I lose this body of flesh and blood and have instead only a subtle body, then I shall see the Guru in the form of his subtle body, not in the form of this physical type of body. The devatas, gandharvas, and siddhas also have their Gurus, but neither they nor their Acharyyas have a material body. So we are to eliminate the external conception and enter with the internal conception, and that will be all important to a progressive disciple. It does not mean that he will disregard the physical form of Gurudeva, but he will look to the real importance and real presence within. We should worship the remnants of the Acharyya –his coat, his shoes, his sandals, etc. – but that does not mean that such things will be superior to his own body. Similarly, if we are eager to do some physical service to him but he does not want that then we should not do it. If I go to massage his feet but he says, “No, no I do not want that,” then we should refrain. His internal wish will be higher. In this way we are to make progress from the subtle to the gross, but that does not mean we should abhor all external things. We should respect them, but more importance should be given towards the internal as the higher, deeper representation. Eho bahya, age kaha ara. “This is superficial, go deeper.’ As much as we have deeper vision we shall go forward."

Srila Sridhar Maharaja: Our attitude should be to consider that he is seeing everything from above. We cannot have full knowledge of our Gurudeva. A devotee after fifteen years of continuous service as a sannyasi was told by our Guru Maharaj, Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, “You have not seen me. You could not see or meet me.” By this example we can understand that it is very difficult for the disciple to know in what plane the Gurudeva is staying. He was one of the most popular sannyasis amongst Srila Prabhupad’s disciples, but during Srila Prabhupad’s last days that sannyasi took some independent action which caused this remark to come from our Guru Maharaj, “You could not meet me; you could not see who I am.” In other words we understood that Guru Maharaj indicated, “You are trying to be a canvasser of the grihasthas –not my servant. Some men and money are at your disposal and you think I want men and money and so you are supplying me with such things. You think that your property is your men and money, and sometimes you give something to me by way of a bribe, and then you return to keeping your estate. But I require that you be my man and that you will always work cent-percent on my behalf, and never be influenced by the popular opinion of any charm of the material world. You are to handle the world, but not establish any connection or affection in the world. Cent-percent you are to be mine. That should be the attitude. You are to be my man and you are not to incur any obligation to external world. It is not that in the name of Devotion you will come and plead on their behalf to me. You are to be always cent percent mine, and in this way engage yourself with the outside world – whether with men, money, fame, or anything else. This connection must not be slack.” On the other hand Vasudeva Datta said to Mahaprabhu on behalf of the people at large, “Please accept them. I stand as their guarantor. If you wish, you may send me to eternal hell, but please accept them.” But that mood is of another type. There is no lacking of faith in the center; rather the most intense degree of faith in the center is displayed by his words, although apparently he pleaded for the public at his own risk.

Sripad Puru Das
Prabhu Page