{"1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0001": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0002": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0003": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0004": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0005": "OTHER BOOKS\nby His Divine Grace\nA.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada\n\nBhagavad-g1ta As It Is\nSr1mad-Bhagavatam, Cantos 1-3 (6 Vols.)\nTeachings of Lord Caitanya\nThe Nectar of Devotion\nSri Tsopani�ad\nEasy Journey to Other Planets\nKr�r;Ja Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System\nKr�r;Ja, The Supreme Personality of Godhead (2 Vols.)\nTranscendental Teachings of Prahlad Maharaj\nTranscendental Teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu\nKr�r;Ja the Reservoir of Pleasure\nThe Perfection of Yoga\nBeyond Birth and Death\nOn the Way to Kr�r;Ja\nRaja-vidya: The King of Knowledge\nBack to Godhead Magazine (Founder)\n\nA complete catalogue is available upon request.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0006": "ALL GLORY TO SRI GURU AND GAURANGA\n\nCEJevatioll\nto\n. �rsna\nConsciousness\nHis Divine Grace\nA.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA\nFounder-Acarya\nInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness\n\n•\n\nTHE BHAKTIVEDANTA BOOK TRUST\nNew York\n\n·\n\nLos Angeles\n\n·\n\nLondon\n\n·\n\nBombay\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0007": "Readers interested in the subject matter\nof this book are invited by\nthe International Society for Krishna Consciousness\nto correspond with its Secretary.\n\nInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness\n\n3959 Landmark Street\nCulver City, California 90230\n\n© 1973 the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.\nAll rights reserved\nFirst Printing, 1973:\n\n100,000\nLibrary of Congress Catalog Card Number:· 73-76635\nInternational Standard Book Number: 0-912776-43-9\n\nPrinted in the United States of America by ISKCON Press\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0008": "contents\n1. Choosing Human and Animal Lives. .... 1\n2. Hard Struggle for Happiness.......... 13\n.3. Toward a Peaceful Society . .. .. . .. ... 31\n4. Knowing Kr�Qa as He Is..............44\n5. Knowing Kr�Qa's Energies............ 60\n6. Taking to Kr�Qa Consciousness........ 77\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0009": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0010": "1\n\nChoosing Human and\nAnimal Lives\nom a jiiiina- timiriindasya jiiiiniiiijana-saliikayii\ncak�ur unmllitam yena tasmai sr\"\"i-gurave nama[l\n\"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual\nmaster, who has opened my eyes, blinded by the\ndarkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.\"\nIt is customary with this verse to offer obeisances\nto the spiritual master who enlightens his disciples\nin the matter of transcendental knowledge. The Vedic\nprocess does not involve research work. In mundane\nscholarship, we have to show our academic learning\nby some research, but the Vedic process is different.\nIn the V edic process the research work is already\ndone; it is complete, and it is simply handed down\nby disciplic succession from teacher to student. There\nis no question of research work because the instruments and the means with which one conducts such\nresearch work are blunt and imperfect.\nAt this stage of our material existence, we are conditioned by many laws of nature. All conditioned\nsouls are subject to four defects due to the imperfection of their senses. One defect is that the conditioned\nsoul is certain to commit mistakes. There is no man\nwho does not commit mistakes. In India, for instance,\nMahatma Gandhi was supposed to be a very great\npersonality, but he also committed mistakes. Five\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0011": "2\n\nElevation to Kr!!f!a Consciousness\n\nminutes before he came to the meeting at which he\nwas killed, he was warned by confidential associates\nnot to go, but he persisted. To commit mistakes is\nvery natural in the conditioned state of life. Indeed,\nthe popular saying has arisen: \"To err is human.\"\nAnother imperfection of the conditioned soul is\nthat he is sure to be illusioned. Being illusioned\nmeans accepting something which is not, taking some\nphantasmagoria to be factual. Every one of us is\nunder the impression that we are these bodies, but\nactually we are not. Accepting the body to be the\nself is called illusion, or miiyii. The third imperfection is that conditioned souls have a tendency to\ncheat. We\n\nhave often heard a storekeeper say,\n\n\"Because you are my friend, I won't make any\nprofit off you.\" But in actuality we know that he is\nmaking at least 50% profit. There are so many instances of this cheating propensity. There are also\nmany examples of teachers\n\nwho actually know\n\nnothing but put forth theories in words like \"perhaps\" or \"it may be,\" while in actuality they are\nsimply cheating their students. The fourth imperfection is that the senses of the living entity are not\nperfect. Our vision is so limited that we cannot see\nvery far away nor very near. The eye can see only\nunder certain conditions, and therefore it is understood that our vision is limited. Similarly, all our\nother senses are also limited. It is not possible to\nunderstand the unlimited by these imperfect, limited\nsenses. The conclusion is that the Vedic process\ndoes not encourage us to endeavor to learn the\nAbsolute Truth by employing our present senses,\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0012": "Choosing Human and Animal Lives\n\n3\n\nwhich are conditioned in so many ways. If we are\nto have knowledge, it must come from a superior\nsource which is not conditioned by these four im­\n\nperfections. That source is Kr�Q.a. He is the supreme\n\nauthority of Bha gavad-g\"ita, and He is accepted as the\nperfect authority by so many saints and sages.\n\nThose who are serious students of Vedic literature\n\naccept authority. Bhagavad-g\"ita, for example, is not\n\na scholarly presentation which arose out of so much\nresearch work. It is perfect knowledge that was\n\ntaught by Lord Kr�Q.a to Arjuna on the battlefield\n\nof Kuruk�etra, and we receive information from it\n\nthat in previous ages Sri Kr�qa also taught it to the\n\nsun-god Vivasvan, and it was handed down from time\nimmemorial from V ivasvan by disciplic succession.\nimam vivasvate yogam\nproktavan aham avyayam\nvivasvan manave praha\nmanur ik�vakave 'brav\"it\n\n\"The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable\n\nscience of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvan, and Vivasvan\n\ninstructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and\nManu in turn instructed it to Ik�vaku.\" (Bg. 4.1)\n\nIf we study Bhagavad-g\"ita according to academic\nknowledge or according to our own mental specula­\n\ntion, we are certain to commit mistakes. It is not\npossible to understand Bhagavad-g\"ita in this way. It\n\nis necessary to follow carefully in the footsteps of\n\nArjuna. In previous ages, due to interpretation and\n\nmental speculation, the real purport of Bhagavad-g\"ita\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0013": "4\n\nElevation to Kr�11a Consciousness\n\nwas lost; therefore Kr�l).a re-established the teachings\nby giving them to Arjuna.\n\nevam parampara-praptam\nimam rajar§ayo vidu�\n\nsa kiileneha mahata\nyogo na§ta� parantapa\nsa evayam maya te 'dya\n\nyoga� prokta� puriitana�\n\nbhakto 'si me sakhii ceti\n\nrahasyam hy etad uttamam\n\n\"This supreme science was thus received through\nthe chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly\nkings understood it in that way. But in course of\ntime the succession was broken, and therefore the\nscience as it is appears to be lost. That very ancient\nscience of the relationship with the Supreme is today\ntold by Me to you because you are My devotee as\nwell as My friend; therefore, you can understand the\ntranscendental mystery of this science.\" (Bg. 4.2,3)\nThus whoever follows in the footsteps. of Arjuna,\napproaching\n\nKr�l).a\n\nin\n\na spirit of devotion, can\n\nunderstand the purpose of Bhagavad-gTtii as well as\n\nall other Vedic literatures.\n\nThere are f our Vedas-Siima, IJ.k, Yajur and\nAtharva, and there are 108 Upani�ads, including the\n\nlsopani�ad, Katha Upani§ad and Taittiriya Upani§ad,\n\nas well as the Vedanta-sutra, Srimad-Bhagavatam and\nBhagavad-gitii. These literatures are not meant for\nany particular class of men but for the totality of\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0014": "Choosing Human and Animal Lives\n\n5\n\nhuman society. All societies can take advantage of\nVedic knowledge to perfect human life. As pointed\nout\n\nbefore,\n\nhuman\n\nlife is not meant for sense\n\ngratification, but for understanding God, the universe\nand our own identity.\nFrom Vedic literatures we can understand that\nthis material world is only a partial manifestation of\nthe complete creation of God. The larger portion of\nGod's creation is found in the spiritual world of the\nVaikur;1thas. Above and beyond this material nature\n\nthere is a superior spiritual nature, as S ri Kr�r;1a states\nin Bhagavad-gTtii:\n\nbhumir apo nalo viiyu�\nkham mano buddhir eva ca\nahankiira ifiyam me\nbhinnii prakrtir afitadhii\n'\n\napareyam itas tv anyiim\nprakrtirh viddhi me param\nfiva-bhutam maha-baho\nyayedam dharyate jagat\n\"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and\nfalse ego-altogether these eight comprise My separ­\n\nated material ener gi es. Besides this inferior nature,\n\n0 mighty Arj una, there is a superior energy of Mine\nwhich\n\nis\n\nall\n\nliving\n\nentities\n\nwho\n\nare\n\nstruggling\n\nwith material nature and sustaining the universe.\"\n(Bg.\n\n7.4,5)\n\nThere are many material universes clustered together, and all these universes constitute the material\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0015": "6\n\nElevation to K_r�qa Consciousness\n\ncreation. Beyond these clusters of countless material\nuniverses is the spiritual sky, which is also mentioned\nin Bhagavad-g'ita.\n\nna tad bhasayate siiryo\nna sasanko na pavakal;t\nyad gatva na nivartante\ntad dhama paramam mama\n\"That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or\nmoon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it\nnever comes back to this material world.\" (Bg. 15.6)\nThat superior nature which is beyond this material\nnature is eternal. There is no history of its ever having\nbegun; it has neither beginning nor end.\n\nparas tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo\n'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanal;t\nyafz sa sarve�u bhiite�u\nnasyatsu na vinasyati\navyakto 'k�ara ity uktas\ntam ahul;t paramam gatim\nyam prapya na nivartante\ntad dhiima paramam mama\n\"There is another, eternal nature, which is transcendental to this manifested and non-manifested matter.\nIt is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in\nthis world is annihilated, that part remains as it is.\nThat supreme status is called unmanifested and in-\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0016": "Choosing Human and Animal Lives\n\n7\n\nfallible, and is the highest destination. Going there,\none never returns from that, My supreme abode.\"\n(Bg. 8.20,21)\nThe Vedic religion, or vanyiisrama-dharma, is also\ncalled eternal because no one can trace out its be·\nginning. The Christian religion has a history of 2,000\nyears, and the Mohammedan religion has a history\nof 1,300 years, but if we try to trace out the origins\nof Vedic religion, we will not be able to find a he·\nginning. Varr-iisrama-dharma is accepted as the eternal\nreligion of the living entity.\nWe often say that God created this material world,\nand this means that God existed before the world.\nSince the Lord was existing before this material\nmanif�station, He is not subject to this creation. If\nHe were subject to the laws of the material world,\nhow could He have created it? That the Lord is\nsimultaneously identical with His creation and yet\nexists in His completeness apart from it is stated in\n\nBhagavad-gztii.\nmaya tatam idarh sarvarh\njagad avyak ta-murtina\nmat-sthiini sarva-bhutani\nma ciiharh teflV avasthitaft\nna ca mat-sthani bhutani\npasya me yogam aisvaram\nbhuta-bhrn na ca bhuta-stho\nmamatma bhuta-bhiivanaft\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0017": "8\n\nElevation to ��qa Consciousness\n\n\"In My transcendental form I pervade all this creation. All things are resting in Me, but I am not in\nthem. Again, everything that is created does not rest\non Me. Behold My mystic opulence: Although I am\nthe maintainer of all living entities, and although I\nam everywhere, still My Self is the very source of\ncreation.\" (Bg. 9.4,5)\nActually we are all spirit souls and are intended to\nassociate with God in the spiritual sky where there\nare innumerable spiritual planets and innumerable\nspiritual living entities. However, those who are not\nfit to live in that spiritual world are sent to this material world. This very idea is expressed by Milton in\n\nParadise Lost. Although spirit soul, we have voluntarily accepted this material body and by accepting\nit have also accepted the threefold miseries of material nature. Exactly when we accepted it and how we\naccepted it cannot be traced out. No one can trace\nout the history o f when the conditioned soul first\nbegan accepting these material bodies.\nAt present Darwin's theory of the evolution of\norganic matter is very prominent in institutions of\nhigher learning, but there is information given in the\n\nPadma Puriirw and other authoritative scriptures of\nthe\n\nliving entities' spiritual evolution from one\n\nbodily form to another. This Puriirta informs us that\nthere are 8,400,000 forms of living entities, 900,000\nof which live within water. There are 2,000,000\nspecies amongst plants and vegetables alone. At\npresent everyone is giving stress to Darwin's theory,\nbut in Vedic literature there is immense information\nabout the different species. Darwin expresses the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0018": "Choosing Human and Animal Lives\n\n9\n\nopmwn that the species are evolving from lower\nforms of life, but this is not the whole truth. The\n\nsoul may progress from lower forms to higher forms,\n\nbut in the beginning of creation all species were\n\ncreated by Sri Kr�I)a, as indicated in Bhagavad-g\"ita.\n\nsarva-bhutani kaunteya\nprakrtim yiinti miimikam\nkalpa-kfiaye punas tiini\nkalpiidau visrjiimy aham\nprakrtim sviim avafitabhya\nvisrjiimi puna� puna�\nbhuta-griimam imam krtsnam\navasam pmkrter vasiit\n\"0 son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium every\n\nmaterial manifestation enters unto My nature, and at\nthe beginning of another millennium, by My potency\n\nI again create. The whole cosmic order is under Me.\n\nBy My will is it manifested again and again, and by\nMy will is it annihilated at the end.\" (Bg. 9. 7 ,8)\n\nAll of these living entities are subject to the three­\n\nfold miseries, including those miseries pertaining to\n\nthe body and mind. Animals cannot understand\n\nthat they are suffering, but human beings can. One\nwho does not know that he is suffering is in animal\n\nconsciousness. Animals may be standing behind a\n\nfence to be slaughtered, but they do not understand\n\nthis. As human beings, we should be cognizant that\n\nwe are suffering the pains of birth, old age, disease\nand death and should be inquisitive to know how to\n\navoid these miseries. We have been suffering from\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0019": "10\n\nElevation to KJ;�qa Consciousness\n\nthe beginning of our birth when as a baby we were\ntightly placed for nine months in the womb of a\nmother. After birth, suffering continues; although a\nmother may take much care for her child, the baby\nstill cries. Why? Because he is suffering. Either a bug\nis biting, or there is a pain in the stomach or some\nother malady. Whatever the case, the suffering goes\non. The child also suffers when he is forced to go to\nschool when he does not want to. The child does\nnot want to study, but the teacher gives him tasks\nanyway. If we carefully analyze our lives, we will\nfind that they are full of suffering. Generally speaking, conditioned souls are not very intelligent, and\ntherefore they go on suffering without ever inquiring why. We should understand, however, that this\nsuffering is there, and if there is a remedy we must\ntake advantage of it.\nThe great sage ij,�abhadeva instructed his sons in\nthis way: \"My dear boys, in this life you have acquired these beautiful bodies. Now you should know\nthat they are not meant for sense gratification like\nthe bodies of hogs and dogs but for spiritual realization.\" Essentially what l_t�abhadeva is saying is that\na life of sense gratification is meant for stool eaters\nlike hogs, and now that we have a higher form of\nlife, we should not try to imitate the lower forms.\nRecently we were surprised to see, while walking in\nCentral Park in New York City, that a group of\nyoung American boys and girls were engaged in\nworshiping hogs. While we were chanting Hare Kr�qa,\nthese groups of youngsters were chanting, \"Hog!\nHog! Hog!\" They were actually parading with hogs\nin Central Park and bowing down before them and\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0020": "Choosing Human and Animal Lives\n\nll\n\nworshiping them. They actually wanted one hog to\nbecome President, and they wanted the hogs to lead\nthem. This has gone to such lengths that at one be-in\nin Seattle there was a demonstration with hogs in\nwhich the boys and girls undressed themselves and\ngot in the mud and played with the hogs, and in\nthis way they were associating with the hogs and\npigs which they worshiped. All this is going on in a\ncountry where the young people have good looking\nbodies, a great deal of money and so many other\nadvantages over the young people of other nations.\nThe result of gaining all these advantages is that they\nhave simply taken to hog worship. Such hog worship\nwas anticipated long, long ago and was described in\n\nSnmad-Bhiigavatam,\n\nwhich was compiled at least\n\n5,000 years ago. The point is that a beautiful situation in life should be utilized for a beautiful end,\nnot for degraded forms of worship.\nIn the Vedic histories we find that there were\nmany, many exalted emperors and kings who practiced austerities and penances.\n\nDhruva Maharaja,\n\nAmbari�a Maharaja and Yudi��hira Maharaja were\nall great kings and were most opulent, but at the\nsame time they were great sages. Thus they set the\nexample for those who have acquired this good\nopportunity of a beautiful human form of life with\nall the facilities for economic development and good\nliving. This opportunity should be used to attain an\neven better life, and this can be actualized by practice of penance. At present we are existing in these\nmaterial bodies, but if we take to the process of\nKr�l)a consciousness, our consciousness will be purified. Although American and European, the young\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0021": ",.---\n\nElevation to K{�qa Consciousness\n\n12\n\nstudents who are voluntarily practicing Kr�l).a con­\n\nsciousness are very pleased to practice it. The process\nis\n\nnot\n\ntroublesome but pleasing.\n\nNow they are\n\nrealizing that purified existence constitutes the dif­\n\nference between animal life and human life.\n\nIf we purify our existence simply by following\n\nthe basic regulations of Kr�l).a consciousness, which\n\ninvolve abstaining from illicit sexual connection,\n\nmeat- eating, intoxication and gambling, we will\ngradually rise to attain our spiritual existence, which\nis completely pure. The sage ��abhadeva told his\nsons that once they purified their existence they\n\nwould have unlimited happiness. We are all intended\nto attain peace and happiness, but whatever peace\n\nand happiness we find in this material world is\nlimited. If we but purify our existence and attain\nspiritual existence,\n\npeace and happiness.\n\nwe will experience unlimited\n\nThe spiritual world is not dry or abstract; as\npointed out before, there is variegatedness there. A\n\npart of the spiritual pleasure experienced in the\nV aikul).thas is the pleasure of dancing. There are\n\nalso young girls and young boys there. Indeed, there\nis no such thing as old age, or disease, or death, or\n\nthe pains of birth. If we want to participate in the\nunlimited\n\nhappiness,\n\nknowledge\n\nand\n\neternal life\n\nwhich constitute our actual heritage in the spiritual\n\nworld, we should not waste this life by working hard\nfor\n\nsense\n\ngratification\n\nand worshiping hogs. We\n\nshould accept a life devoted to the cultivation of\n\nKr�l).a consciousness, and then we will get unlimited\n\nhappiness and unlimited pleasure. This is the sum\nand substance of the Kr�l).a consciousness movement.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0022": "2\n\nHard Struggle for\nHappiness\nIn the revealed scriptures the Supreme Lord is\ndescribed as sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha. Sat means eternal, cit means fully cognizant, iinanda means joyful,\nand vigraha means that He is a person. Thus the Lord,\nor the Supreme Godhead, who is one without a\nsecond, is a fully cognizant and eternally joyful\npersonality with a full sense of His identity. No one\nis equal to Him or greater than Him. This is a concise\ndescription of the Supreme Lord.\nThe living entities (jivas) are minute samples of\nthe Supreme Lord, and being so they therefore find\nin their activities the desire for eternal existence, for\ncomplete knowledge, and for happiness. These desires are evident in human society, and in the upper\nplanetary systems (Svargaloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka,\nMaharloka, Brahmaloka, etc.) the living entities enjoy\na longer duration of life, an increased amount of\nknowledge, and a generally more blissful existence.\nBut even in the highest planet in this material world,\nwhere the duration of life and standard of enjoyment are thousands and thousands of times greater\nthan those on earth, there is still old age, disease and\ndeath. Consequently the level of enjoyment is insignificant in comparison to the eternal bliss enjoyed\nin the company of the Supreme Lord. Loving service\nto\n\nthe Supreme\n\nLord\n\nin different relationships\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0023": "14\n\nElevation to Kr�qa Consciousness\n\nmakes even the enjoyment of impersonal Brahman\nas insignificant as a drop of water in comparison to\nthe ocean.\nEvery living being desires the topmost level of\nenjoyment in this material world, and yet everyone\nis unhappy here. This unhappiness is present on all\nthe higher planets, despite a longer lifespan, higher\nstandards of enjoyment and comfort. That is due to\nthe law of material nature. We can increase the\nduration of life and standard to the highest capacity,\nand yet by the law of material nature we will be\nunhappy. The reason for this is that the quality of\nhappiness which is suitable for our constitution is\ndifferent from the happiness which is derived from\nmaterial activities.\n\nThe living entity is a minute\n\nparticle of the superior spiritual energy of the Lord,\nwhich is sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha, and therefore he has\nthe necessary propensity for joy which is spiritual in\nquality. Unfortunately for him, he is trying vainly to\nattain his enjoyment from the foreign atmosphere\nof material nature.\nA fish that is taken out of the water cannot be\nhappy by any arrangement on land. He must be\nsupplied with water. In the same way, the minute\nsac-cid-iinanda living entity cannot be really happy\nthrough any amount of planning conceived by his\nillusioned brain in this material universe. He must\ntherefore be given a different type of happiness\nwhich is spiritual in essence. Our ambition should be\naimed at enjoying spiritual bliss and not this temporary happiness. Some philosophers claim that spiritual bliss is attained by negating material happiness\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0024": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\nand\n\nmaterial\n\nexistence.\n\nTheoretical\n\n15\nnegation\n\nof\n\nmaterial activities as propounded by Sripada Sankar­\n\nacarya may be effective for an insignificant section\n\nof mankind, but the best and surest way for everyone\n\nto attain spiritual bliss was propounded by Lord\n\nSri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by means of devotional\n\nactivities. These devotional activities can change the\nvery face of material nature.\n\nHankering after material happiness is called lust,\n\nand lusty activities are sure to meet with frustration\nin the long run. The body of a snake is very cool,\n\nbut if a man, wanting to enjoy this coolness, garlands\nhimself with a venomous snake, he will surely be\n\nkilled by the snake's venomous bite. The material\n\nsenses are compared to snakes; indulgence in material\nhappiness will surely kill our spiritual identity. There­\n\nfore a sane man should be ambitious to find the real\n\nsource of happiness.\n\nIn order to find this source, however, we need\n\nsome knowledge of what that happiness is. There is\nthe story of the foolish man who had no experience\nwith sugar cane. When he asked his friend about the\n\ncharacteristics of sugar cane, he was imperfectly\n\ninformed that sugar cane resembles the shape of a\nbamboo stick. Consequently he began trying to ex­\n\ntract juice from bamboo sticks, but naturally he was\n\nbaffled in his attempts. This is the situation with the\n\nillusioned living entity who, in his search for eternal\n\nhappiness, tries to extract happiness from this mate­\n\nrial world, which is not only full of miseries but is\nalso transient and flickering. In Bhagavad-gita the\n\nmaterial world is described as being full of miseries.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0025": "16\n\nElevation to KJ;�qa Consciousness\niibrahma-bhuvaniil lokii[t\npunar iivartino 'rjuna\nmiim upetya tu kaunteya\npunar janma na vidyate\n\n\"From the highest planet in the material world, down\nto the lowest, all are places of misery, where repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains\nto My abode, 0 son of Kunti, never takes birth\nagain.\" (Bg. 8.16)\nThe ambition for happiness is natural and good,\nhut the attempt to derive it from inert matter by\nso-called scientific arrangements is an illusory attempt\ndoomed to frustration. Those who are befooled\ncannot understand this. How a person is driven by\nthe lust for material happiness is also described in\n\nBhagavad-gita.\nidam adya maya labdham\nimam priipsye manoratham\nidam astl:dam api me\nbhaviflyati punar dhanam\n\n\"The demoniac person thinks: 'So much wealth do\n\nI have today, and I will gain more according to my\nschemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase\nin the future, more and more.'\" (Bg. 16.13)\nThis atheistic or godless civilization is a huge\naffair contrived for the gratification of our senses,\nand now we are all mad after money in order to\nmaintain this empty shell. Money is sought after by\neveryone because that is the medium of exchange\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0026": "I7\n\nHard Struggle for Happiness\n\nfor objects for sense gratification. Obviously the\nexpectation of peace in such an atmosphere of gold\nrush pandemonium is a utopian dream. As long as\nthere is the slightest tinge of sense gratification or\ndesire for sense gratification, peace will remain far,\nfar away. This is because by nature we are all eternal\nservants of the Supreme Lord and therefore cannot\nenjoy anything for our personal interests. It is therefore necessary for us to learn how to employ our\nsenses in the transcendental service of the Lord, and\nto utilize everything to serve His interest. This alone\ncan bring about much desired peace. A part of the\nbody cannot in itself be independently happy. It can\nonly derive its happiness and pleasure out of serving\nthe entire body. The Supreme Lord is the whole, and\nwe are the parts, but we are all busily engaged in\nactivities of self-interest. No one is prepared to serve\nthe Lord. This is the basic cause for our conditioning\nin material existence and for our resultant unhappiness.\nFrom the highest executive in his skyscraper office\ndown to the coolie in the street-all are working with\nthe thought of\n\naccumulating\n\nwealth,\n\nlegally\n\nor\n\nillegally. Actually it is all illegal, for to work for\none's self-interest is both unlawful and destructive.\nEven the cultivation of spiritual realization for one's\nown self-interest is unlawful and destructive. The\npoint is that all activities must be directed to the\nsatisfaction of Kr�J}.a and His service.\nThose who are not engaged in the transcendental\nloving service of the Supreme Lord wrongfully think\nthat they are accumulating so much money day\nafter day.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0027": "18\n\nElevation to ��qa Consciousness\n\niisa-pasa-sata'ir baddhal;\nkama-krodha-parayaral;\nlhante kiima-bhogartham\nanyiiyeniirtha-saiicayiin\n\"Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires,\nby lust and anger, they secure money by illegal\nmeans for sense gratification.\" (Bg. 16.12)\nConsequently, although there is no lack of money\nin the world, there is a scarcity of peace. So much\nhuman energy is being diverted to making money,\nfor the general population has increased its capacity\nto make more and more dollars, but in the long run\nthe result is that this unrestricted and unlawful\nmonetary inflation has created a bad economy all\nover the world and has provoked us to manufacture\nhuge and costly weapons to destroy the very result\nof such cheap money-making. The leaders of the\nbig money-making countries are not really enjoying\npeace but are making plans to save themselves from\nimminent destruction by nuclear weapons. In fact,\nhuge sums of money are being thrown into the sea\nby way of experiments with these dreadful weapons.\nSuch experiments are being carried out not only at\nhuge costs but also at the cost of many lives. In this\nway the nations are being bound by the laws of\n\nkarma. When men are motivated by the impulse for\nsense gratification, whatever money is earned is\nspoiled, being spent for the destruction of the human\nrace. The energy of the human race is thus wasted\nby the laws of nature because of man's aversion to\nthe\n\nLord, who is actually the proprietor of all\n\nenergtes.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0028": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n19\n\nWealth is worshiped and is referred to as Mother\nLak�mi, or the goddess of fortune. It is her position\nto serve Lord Narayava, the source of all the naras,\nor living beings. The naras are also meant to serve\nNarayaQa under the guidance of the goddess of\nfortune. The living being cannot enjoy the goddess\nof fortune without serving Narayal}.a, and therefore\nwhoever desires to enjoy her wrongly will be punished\nby the laws of nature. These laws will make certain\nthat the money itself will bring about destruction instead of peace and prosperity.\nUnlawfully\n\naccumulated\n\nmoney is now being\n\nsnatched from miserly citizens by various methods\nof state taxation for the future civil and international\nwar fund, which is spending money in a wasteful and\ndestructive\n\nmanner.\n\nThe citizens are\n\nno longer\n\nsatisfied with just enough money to maintain a family\nnicely and cultivate spiritual knowledge, both of\nwhich are essential in human life. Now everyone\nwants money unlimitedly to satisfy insatiable desires.\nIn proportion to the people's unlawful desires, their\naccumulated money is taken away by the agents of\nillusory energy in the shape of medical practitioners,\nlawyers, tax collectors, societies, constitutions, socalled holy men, famines, earthquakes, and many\nsimilar calamities. One miser who hesitated to purchase a copy of Back to Godhead spent $2,000 for\na week's supply of medicine and then died. Another\nman who refused to spend a cent for the service of\nthe Lord wasted thousands of dollars in a legal suit\nbetween\n\nthe members of his home.\n\nThere\n\nare\n\ninnumerable similar instances occasioned by the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0029": "20\n\nElevation to �&qa Consciousness\n\ndictation of illusory nature. Indeed, that is the law\nof nature; if money is not devoted to the service of\nthe Lord, it must be spent as spoiled energy in the\nform of legal problems or diseases. Foolish people do\nnot have the eyes to see such facts; therefore the\nlaws of the Supreme Lord befool them.\nThe laws of nature do not allow us to accept\nmore money than is required for proper maintenance. There is ample arrangement by the law of\nnature to provide every living being with his due\nshare of food and shelter, but the insatiable lusts of\nhuman beings have disturbed the arrangement set\nforth by the Almighty Father of all species of life.\nBy the arrangement of the Supreme Lord, there is\nan ocean of salt because salt is so necessary for the\nliving being. God has, in the same manner, arranged\nfor sufficient air and light, which are also essential.\nAnyone can collect any amount of salt from the\nnatural storehouse, but constitutionally we cannot\ntake more salt than what we need. If we take more\nsalt, we spoil the broth, and if we take less salt our\nfood becomes tasteless. On the other hand, if we\ntake only what we require, our food is tasty and we\nare healthy. Presently there is a great deal of concern\nover the fact that our natural resources are becoming\npolluted and exhausted.\n\nActually there is ample\n\nsupply, but due to misuse and greed everything is\nbeing spoiled. What conservationists and ecologists\ndo not understand is that everything will continue\nto be spoiled by the insatiable lusts of mankind unless this Kr�qa consciousness process is taken up. It\nis impossible to have peace on any platform of existence without Kr�l).a consciousness.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0030": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n21\n\nMan is therefore suffering due to his insatiable\ndesires and lusts. Not only is man suffering, but the\nplanet on ,which he resides, his mother earth, represented in Srimad-Bhiigavatam by mother cow, is also\nsuffering. Once a well-known sviimi in India was\nasked whether God or providence is responsible for\nthe sufferings of humanity. The sviimi replied that\nthese sufferings were all God's pastimes or tilii. The\nquestioner continued to ask why a living entity\nshould be put under the dictations of the law of\nkarma. The sviimi could not answer these questions\n\nto the satisfaction of his inquirers. The monists and\nimpersonalists who think only in terms of the oneness of the living entities with the Supreme Lord\ncannot give satisfactory answers to such questions.\nSuch an imperfect reply can hardly satisfy the heart\nof a living entity.\nThe Lord is described in all scriptures as lilapuru�ottama, or the Personality of Godhead, who is\n\nby His own nature always engaged in transcendental\npastimes. In the Vediinta-sutra He is also described\nas iinandamayo 'bhyiisiit. The monists and impersonalists try with great difficulty to explain this sutra in\ndiverse ways in order to support their imperfect\ntheory of oneness and impersonality. However, the\nfact remains that iinanda, pleasure, cannot be enjoyed\nalone. That variety is the mother of enjoyment is a\nwell-known fact. Cities, for instance, are known to\nbe attractive if they contain a variety of things.\nLiving entities are naturally attracted by variety, by\nattractive streets, buildings, cinemas, parks, conveyances,\n\nbusinesses,\n\nemployments,\n\nfoodstuffs,\n\netc.\n\nDespite all this variety, the English poet Cowper once\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0031": "··� L..\n\nElevation to Kr�Pll Consciousness\n\n22\n\nsaid, \"The city is made by man, but the country is\nmade by God.\" The countryside is also full of\nnatural variegatedness in a crude form, whereas in the\ncity this variegatedness is displayed in a modernized\nscientific manner. Poets like Cowper are attracted to\nthe variegatedness of the country, and prosaic people\nwho live in the city are attracted by the colorful\nvarieties manufactured by man. In any case, it is\nvariegatedness which attracts people both to the\ncountry and the city. This is the proper explanation\nof the verse of the Vediinta-sutra.\nMany so-called\n\nsviimis\n\nwho are so frequently\n\nattracted by the cities often seek a kind of pleasure\nin society and feminine friendship. Generally they\nare not attracted by the natural beauty of the woods,\nalthough they may assume the dress of a man who\nis meant to live in the woods. Such sviimis are seeking varieties of enj oyment in matter because they\nhave no information of the variegatedness of spiritual\nlife. On the one hand they enj oy variegatedness in\nmatter,\n\nand\n\non\n\nthe\n\nother\n\nthey\n\ndeny\n\nspiritual\n\nvariegatedness to the Absolute. Because they are\npledged to the theory of monism and impersonalism, they deny that whatever pertains to matter can\npertain also to spirit. According to them, spirit is the\ndenial of matter. The fact is, however, that spirit is\nnot a negation of matter, but matter is a perverted\nreflection of spirit.\nThe real pleasure of variety exists in spirit without\ndeluding relativity. On the other hand, inert matter,\nin association with dynamic spirit, manifests a false\nrepresentation or a perverted reflection of that very\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0032": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n23\n\nspiritual variegatedness which is so adamantly denied\nby the monist class of so-called sviimis.\nAs stated before, the Supreme Lord is sac-cid­\n\niinanda-vigraha, joyful by nature, and therefore He\nexpands Himself by His different energies, parts,\nand differentiated and plenary portions. The Supreme\nLord is the Absolute Truth, and He is one without a\nsecond, but He also includes His diverse energies,\nparts, and plenary portions which are simultaneously\none with and different from Him. Because He is\njoyful by nature, He expands Himself in diverse ways,\nand the activities of these expansions are called His\ntranscendental pastimes or His lilii. These pastimes,\nhowever, are not blind and inert; they exhibit full\nsense, independence, and freedom of action and\nreaction. The complexities of the actions and the\nreactions of the diverse energies of the Absolute\nTruth constitute the subject matter of a vast science\ncalled the transcendental science of God, and the\n\nBhagavad-gitii is the ABC or primary book of knowledge for students interested in that science. Every\nintelligent human being should become interested in\nthis transcendental science; indeed, according to the\nopinions of the sages, human life is only meant for\nlearning this science. The opening words of the\n\nVediinta-siitra proclaim: \"Now is the time to inquire\nabout Brahman.\"\nHuman life by nature is full of suffering, and\nlower life forms are even more miserable. Any sane\nman with properly discriminating senses can understand that life in the material world is full of miseries\nand that no one is free from the actions and reactions\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0033": "Elevation to ��q.a Consciousness\n\n24\n\nof such miseries. This is not a pessimistic view of\nlife but is an actual fact which we should not be\nblind to. The miseries of life are divided into three\ncategories, namely miseries arising from the body\nand mind, miseries arising from other living entities,\nand miseries arising due to natural calamities. A\nsane man must look to eliminate these miseries and\nthereby become happy in life. We are all trying to\n\nachieve peace and freedom from these miseries, at\nleast unconsciously, and in the higher intellectual\ncircles there are attempts to get rid of these miseries\nby ingenious plans and designs. But the power that\nbaffles all the plans and designs of even the most\nintelligent person is the power of Maya devi, or the\nillusory energy. The law of karma, or the result of all\nactions and reactions in the material world, is controlled by this all-powerful illusory energy. The\nactivities\n\nof\n\nthis\n\nenergy\n\nfunction\n\naccording to\n\nprinciples and regulations, and they act consciously\nunder the direction of the Supreme Lord. Everything is done by nature in full consciousness; nothing is blind or accidental. This material energy is also\ncalled Durga, which indicates that it is a force which\nis very difficult to surpass. No one can surpass the\nlaws of Durga by any amount of childish plans.\nTo get\n\nrid\n\nof the\n\nsufferings\n\nof humanity is\n\nsimultaneously a very difficult and also a very easy\naffair. As long as the conditioned souls, who are\nthemselves bound up by the laws of nature, manufacture plans to get rid of the three miseries, there\nwill be no solution. The only effective solutions are\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0034": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n25\n\nthose mentioned in Bhagavad-gitii, and we have to\nadopt them in our practical lives for our own benefit.\nThe three miseries of material nature are not found\nin the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. As mentioned\nbefore, He is eternally joyful, and His transcendental\npastimes are not different from Him. Because He is\nthe Absolute Truth, His name, fame, form, qualities\nand pastimes are all identical with Him. His pastimes,\ntherefore, cannot be equated with the sufferings of\nhumanity\n\nas the so-called sviimi contends.\n\nThe\n\npastimes of the Supreme Lord are transcendental to\nthe actual miseries and sufferings of human beings.\nThe sufferings of humanity are caused by the\nmisuse of the discriminative power or the little\nindependence which is given to individual souls.\nThe fraudulent sviimis or mental speculators, in order\nto remain consistent with the theory of monism,\nmust pass off the miseries of mankind as the pastimes of God, but actually these miseries are only\nthe enforced punishments of Maya devi inflicted\nupon the misguided conditioned souls.\nAs living entities, we are part and parcel of the\nSupreme Lord. Indeed, we actually belong to His\nsuperior energy. As such, we may join His transcendental pastimes in our unconditioned state of life,\nbut as long as we are conditioned by the laws of\nkarma, in contact with the inferior energy, our\nsufferings are our own creations, born of a gross\nmisuse of our little independence. The impersonalist\nmonists only misguide people by contending that\nthe threefold miseries are a part of the Lord's pas-\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0035": "26\n\nElevation to �qa Consciousness\n\ntimes. Such impersonalists and monists have mis­\n\nguided their followers because they incorrectly think\n\nthat the Supreme Lord and the individual souls are\nequal in all respects. True, the individual souls are\n\nequal in quality with the Supreme Lord, hut not in\nquantity. If the individual soul were quantitatively\n\nequal to the Supreme Lord, he would have· never\n\nbeen subjected to\n\nthe laws of material nature.\n\nMaterial nature is subordinate to the will of the\n\nSupreme Lord, and therefore He cannot be subjected\n\nto the laws of material nature. It is contradictory\n\nfor the Lord to be subjected to the laws of His own\ninferior energy.\n\nmatta{t paratararh nan yat\nkiiicid asti dhanaiijaya\nmayi sarvam idarh protarh\nsiitre mari-gara iva\n\"0 conquerer of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth\nsuperior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls\n\nare strung on a thread.\" (Bg. 7. 7)\nAgain, Sri Kr�qa states:\n\ntribhir guramayair bhavair.\nebhi{t sarvam idarh jagat\nmohitarh nabhijanati\nmam ebhya{t param avyayam\n\"Deluded by the three modes (goodness, passion,\n\nand ignorance), the whole world does not.know Me\n\nwho am above them and inexhaustible.\" (Bg. 7.13)\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0036": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n27\n\nThe individual souls, who are put into the miseries of the material world, are suffering the resultant\nreactions of their unsanctioned activities. This is the\nverdict of Bhagavad-gztii.\n\ntiin aham dvi�ataly, kriiriin\nsamsiire�u nariidhamiin\nk�ipiimy ajasram asubhiin\niisurz�v eva yoni�u\n\"Envious, mischievous, the lowest of mankind, these\ndo I ever put back into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.\" (Bg.\n16.19)\nThe parts and parcels are meant to serve the whole,\nand when they misuse their independence they are\nsubject to the miseries of the laws of matter, just as\ncriminals are subject to police action. The state considers its citizens to be its parts and parcels, and\nwhen a citizen misuses his relative independence, the\nstate puts him under police authority. The life of a\ncitizen outside the prison and the life of a citizen\nwithin the prison are not the same. Similarly, the\nsufferings of the living entities within the prison of\nmaterial nature cannot be equated with the pastimes\nof the Supreme Lord which exist in the absolute\nfreedom of sac-cid-iinanda.\nNo government wants its citizens to act in such a\nway that they must go to prison and suffer tribulations. The prisonhouse is undoubtedly constructed\nby the state government, but this does not mean\nthat the government is anxious for its citizens to be\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0037": "Elevation to KJ;�J!.a Consciousness\n\n28\n\nput into it. Indirectly, the disobedient citizens force\nthe government to construct the prisonhouse. It is\nnot done for the pleasure of the government, which\nhas to spend a great deal of money in constructing\nand maintaining it. On the contrary, the government\nwould be very glad to demolish prisons altogether\nprovided that there are no disobedient citizens in the\nstate. In the same way, this material world is created\nby the Supreme Lord, but the Supreme Lord does\nnot will that living entities be put in it. The living\nentities themselves make that decision. The residents\nof this material world are therefore different from\nthose who are eternally engaged in the transcendental\npastimes of the Supreme Lord.\nThe impersonal monists have no information of\nfull-fledged independent life in the eternal spiritual\nrealm. According to them, the spiritual realm is\nsimply void. This is like prisoners thinking that there\nis no life outside the prison. Life outside of a prison\nis certainly free from prison activities, but is not\ndevoid of activity. The soul is by nature eternally\nactive,\n\nbut the impersonalists try to negate the\n\nactivities of the soul in the spiritual realm. Thus they\nmisunderstand the miseries of prison life to be the\npastimes of the Supreme Lord. This is due to their\npoor fund of knowledge.\nThe Supreme Lord never creates the actions and\nreactions of an individual soul. In Bhagavad-gztii this\nmatter is clearly defined in the following way:\n\nna kartrtvam na karmii(li\nlokasya srjati prabhu�\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0038": "Hard Struggle for Happiness\n\n29\n\nna karma-phala-samyogam\nsvabhavas tu pravartate\nnadatte kasyacit papam\nna caiva sukrtam vibhu{l\najiianenavrtam jiianam\ntena muhyanti jantava�\n\"The embodied spirit, master of the city of his body,\ndoes not create activities, nor does he induce people\nto act, nor does he create the fruits of action. All\nthis is enacted by the modes of material nature.\nNor does the Supreme Spirit assume anyone's sinful\nor pious activities. Embodied beings, however, are\nbewildered because of the ignorance which covers\ntheir real knowledge.\" (Bg. 5.14-15)\nIt is clear from these passages that the sufferings\nof humanity are not to be equated with the pastimes\n\nof the Supreme Being, nor is the Supreme Being\nresponsible for them. The Lord is never responsible\nfor anyone's vices or virtues. By vicious actions, we\nare put into more and more distressful conditions,\nwhereas by pious actions we place ourselves on the\npath of happiness. Thus man is the architect of his\nown material distress or happiness. The Lord does\nnot want the living entity to become entangled in the\nreactions of activities, be they good or bad. He simply\nwants everyone to go back home, back to Godhead.\nAs long as we are not awakened to our pure eternal\nrelation with God, we are certainly bewildered in our\nactions. Our actions, in respect to right and wrong,\nare all performed on the platform of ignorance. We\nmust rise to the platform of pure knowledge, which\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0039": "Elevation to K.l:�f!a Consciousness\n\n30\n\nis the pure realization that we are the eternal servitors\nof the Supreme Lord and enjoyers of His transcendental pastimes. The Supreme Lord is the masterenjoyer of those pastimes, and we are the servitorenjoyers.\nTranscendental knowledge is only attainable by\ntranscendental devotional service, as described in\n\nBhagavad-gzta.\nte�am satata-yuktanarh\nbhajatarh przti-purvakam\ndadami buddhi-yogarh tarh\nyena mam upayanti te\n''To those who are constantly devoted and worship\nMe with love, I give the understanding by which they\ncan come to Me.\" (Bg. 10.10)\nBy rendering such devotional service only, and\nnot by merely acquiring a bulk of discriminative\nknowledge, can we know the Supreme Lord as He is.\nWhen\n\nwe\n\nknow\n\nthe\n\nPersonality of Godhead in\n\nreality, we can then enter into His pastimes. That is\nthe verdict of all revealed scriptures.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0040": "3\n\nToward a Peaceful\nSociety\nsn\n\nbhagaviin uviica\n\nidam sarzram kaunteya\nk§etram ity abhidhzyate\netad yo vetti tam priihult\nk�etrajiia\n\niti tad-vidafl\n\n\"The Supreme Lord said: This body, 0 son of Kunti,\nis called the field, and one who knows this body is\ncalled the knower of the field.\" (Bg. 13.2)\nThe Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kr�l].a, is\ninstructing Arjuna about the knowledge of kfietra\nand k�etrajfia. K�etra refers to the field, which is the\nbody, and k�etrajfia refers to the knower of the\nfield, who is the individual soul. If land is to be\ncultivated, there must be some cultivator, and if this\nbody, which is likened unto a field, is to be cultivated,\nthere must be a proprietor who can cultivate it. Now\nwe have these material bodies, and it is our duty to\ncultivate them properly. That cultivation is called\n\nakarma_, or work. A person may come to our place\nwith a hoe to cultivate land, or he may come to\nsimply drink coffee or tea. We have been given this\nparticular type of body to cultivate and to attain\nrequired sense objects according to our desires. This\nbody is a gift from God. God is very kind, and if\nsomeone wants something from Him, He allows it.\n\"All right,\" He says. \"Take this.\" His relationship to\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0041": "32\n\nElevation to ��11a Consciousness\n\nus is just like the relationship of a father to a son.\n\nThe son may insist upon getting something from the\n\nfather, and the father may try to convince him that\n\nwhat he wants is not for his good, saying, \"My dear\n\nson, don't touch this. This is not good for you.\" But\n\nwhen the boy insists upon it, the father will allow\n\nhim to have it. The affectionate father gives the son\n\njust what he wants. Similarly, the Supreme Father\n\ngives His sons and daughters just what they want. It\n\nis stated in Bhagavad-gitii that all beings, in all\n\nspecies of life, are his children.\n\nsarva-yoni�u kaunteya\nmurtaya� sambhavanti yii�\ntiisiim brahma mahad yonir\naham bija-prada� pitii\n\"It should be understood that all species of life, 0 son\n\nof Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material\nnature, and that I am the seed-giving Father.\" (Bg.l4.4)\n\nIn this material world, the mother, prakrti, which\n\nis material nature, supplies us with the body, and the\n\nSupreme Father impregnates this matter with living\n\nsouls. There is an erroneous theory current that only\nhuman beings have souls and that other living entities\ndo not, but we understand from Vedic authority\n\nthat there are over 8,000,000 species of bodies,\n\nincluding plants and trees, and that they all have\n\nsouls, otherwise they would not be able to develop\n\nand grow. In this verse Sri Kr�:r;a claims that all\nliving entities, regardless of the forms they take in\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0042": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\n33\n\nLhis material world, are his sons, and that they are\nrelated to Him as a son is related to his father.\nThis Kf�I)a consciousness is especially meant for\nunderstanding the position of the soul and its relationship with God.\n\nk�etrajnam ciipi miim viddhi\nsarva-k�etre�u bhiirata\nk�etra-k�etrajnayor jiiiinam\nyat taj jniinarh matam mama\n\"0 scion of Bharata, you should understand that I\nam also the knower in all bodies, and to understand\nthis body and its owner is called knowledge. That is\nMy opinion.\" (Bg. 13.3)\nIf we meditate upon this body and study whether\nor not we are actually the body, we will come to the\nconclusion that we are k�etrajiia, the knower of the\nbody but not the body. If we study our finger and\nconsider whether or not we are the finger, we will\ncome to the conclusion that we are not the finger\nor any other part of the body, but that the finger,\nthe arms, the legs, the head, etc. are our fingers,\narms, legs, etc. In this way we can come to the conclusion that we are not these bodies but that the\nbodies belong to us. Therefore we say, \"This is my\nbody.\" Unfortunately people in this modern civilization never stop to inquire what they are or who they\nare. They are simply laboring hard, working hard all\nday in an office or factory, under the impression\nthat, \"I am this body.\" And if we ask people who\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0043": "34\n\nElevation to K��qa Consciousness\n\nthey are, they reply, \"I am Hindu, I am Moslem, I\nam Swedish, I am American, I am Christian, etc.\"\nThese are various identifications or designations of\nthe body, but the fact is that we are not these bodies.\nThe body is simply the field of our activities. We are\nno more the body than the cultivator of a field is\nthe field.\nThere are different kinds of bodies and different\nactivities in accordance to the different types of\nbodies. A dog enjoys one kind of activity, a cat\nenjoys another, and a human enjoys another. There\nare differences of activity due to differences of body.\nWhen we come to the platform of truth, however,\nand understand that we are not these bodies, then\nour activities change from material activities to spiritual activities. As long as we are operating under the\nbodily conception of life, our activities are material,\nbut as soon as we understand, \"I do not belong to\nthis body, aham brahmiismi, I am spirit soul,\" our\nactivities will be in accordance to that realization,\nthat is to say that they will cease to be motivated\nfrom the material or bodily platform. Knowledge of\nour proper identity as separate from the body is real\nknowledge, but this knowledge is denied as long as\nwe cling to bodily identification.\nIn the scriptures it is said that as long as we are in\nthis bodily conception of life, all our activities will\nbe defeated. A child is born into ignorance, and if as\nhe grows older he remains under the bodily conception of life, he lives in darkness. His position is\nthat of a sudra. In the Vedic literatures we find that\nin this age everyone is born a sudra; therefore every-\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0044": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\n35\n\none requires to be educated as to his real identity. If,\nhowever, we remain satisfied with our birth by our\nfather and mother, we will remain in our condition\nas sudra. We have to rise to the brahminical platform\nby following the purificatory processes.\nAs mentioned before, there are four basic characteristics of an impure life-illicit sex, intoxication,\nmeat-eating and gambling. According to the Vedic\nprinciples, sex should not be indulged in outside of\nmarriage. In human society there is therefore a system of marriage which distinguishes us from the cats\nand dogs. Whether we are Hindu, Moslem, or Christian, we acknowledge the system of marriage. The\npurpose of this system is to avoid illicit sex. According to the Vedic system, intoxication is also discouraged; nor is meat-eating advocated, for human\nbeings should be nonviolent. We have been given\nsufficient grains, fruits, milk, and vegetables, and\nthere is no necessity to kill poor animals. Some\npeople argue that if we do not eat meat we will be\nundernourished, but we can see that the students of\nthis Kr�Qa consciousness movement have given up\nmeat and are very healthy, whereas people who are\neating meat are still, despite their meat-eating, subject to so many diseases and unhealthy conditions.\nGambling is\n\nalso discouraged\n\nbecause it simply\n\nagitates the mind.\nThis then is the purificatory process by which\none can become a briihmarta. This path is open to\neveryone. A briihma\"{la is one who is truthful and\npure, tolerant and simple, full of knowledge and\nfaith in God. He can control his mind and his senses\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0045": "36\n\nElevation to K��qa Consciousness\n\nalso.At the present moment there is a great necessity\nfor brahmar-as, because almost everyone is� sudra,\nfor almost everyone is wholly engaged in maintaining\nthe body, eating, sleeping, mating and defendingall symptoms of animals and sudras.\nSociety cannot be peaceful unless there are four\ndivisions of human beings functioning in harmony\nwith one another. These four divisions are comprised\nof briihmar-as, k§atriyas, vaisyas and sudras. These are\ndiscussed by Kr�l)a in Bhagavad-g'ita in this way:\n\ncatur-var[L_yam maya sr�tam\ngu[La-karma-vibhagasal)\ntasya kartaram api mam\nviddhy alwrtaram avyayam\n\"According to the three modes of material nature\nand the work ascribed to them, the four divisions\nof human society were created by Me. And, although\nI am the creator of this system, you should know\n\nthat I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.\"\n(Bg. 4.13)\nThese four divisions of men in human society are\nnatural, not artificial, because in the material world\neverything is operating under the influence of the\nthree modes of material nature-goodness, passion\nand ignorance. As long as we are in the material\nworld, it is not possible to classify everyone in the\nsame category because each and every person is\nworking under the influence of the modes of material nature. However, when we transcend the material\nplane, there is oneness. At that time, all the divisions\nfall apart. The question is therefore how to transcend\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0046": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\n37\n\nthe modes of material nature, and that transcendence\n\nis the very process of Kr�l).a consciousness. As soon\n\nas we become situated in Kn>l).a consciousness, we\n\nbecome transcendental to the modes of material\nnature.\n\nmiim ca yo 'vyabhiciirerw\nbhakti-yogena sevate\nsa gupiin sama{ityaitiin\nbrahma-bhuyiiya kalpate\n\"One who engages in full devotional service, who\n\ndoes not fall down in any circumstance, at once\n\ntranscends the modes of material nature, and thus\n\ncomes to the level of Brahman.\" (Bg. 14.26)\n\nThus one who is engaged in Kr�l).a conscious\n\nactivity is at once elevated to the transcendental\nposition. By nature we are not matter but Brahman\n\n(aham brahmiismi). The philosophy of Saitkaracarya\nis mainly based on the principle that we should not\nthink that we are products of this material nature. It\n\nis by some unfortunate accident that we are in con­\n\ntact with material nature. Actually our nature is that\n\nof spirit, Brahman, and that nature has to be invoked.\n\nThis material life is a diseased condition; when we\n\nare situated in Brahman, we are in our healthy con­\n\ndition. That healthy Brahman condition is imme­\n\ndiately attained as soon as we engage ourselves one\n\nhundred percent in Kr�l).a consciousness.\n\nWhen we transcend material nature through the\n\nrendering of service unto Kr�l).a, what is our status?\n\nDo we become zero? Some philosophies maintain\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0047": "38\n\nElevation to K��11a Consciousness\n\nthat after liberation from material life, after the\n\nnirviir-a of this material body, we become zero,\nvoid. That is a dangerous theory. By nature the\nliving entity is not attracted to zero. We may be\ndiseased and suffering from so many elements, but\nif our doctor comes and says, \"Let me finish your\nailments by killing you,\" we will immediately say,\n\"No, no! Better let me suffer from the disease.\" We\ndo not want to be killed just to end our miseries.\nThus the theory that after material life there is void\nis not at all attractive. Nor is it a fact. We are sac-cid­\n\niinanda-vigraha, eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and part and parcel of the Supreme. The Supreme Lord is sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha, and we are\nqualitatively one with Him. Although very small, a\ndrop of seawater is as salty as the sea, and although\nwe are but spiritual atoms, we have the same properties as the supreme spirit whole. There is no\nquestion of being void, for as living entities our\nspiritual properties are all there in infinite variegatedness. If, however, out of the frustration of material\nexistence we commit suicide, we do not end our\nmiseries. We simply create other miseries. If one\nattempts suicide but does not succeed, or is somehow\nrevived, he is subject to being punished under state\nlaw. Similarly, the laws of nature treat suicides as\ncriminal acts. We are to end this material life only\nafter finding out the true blissful life of eternity. We\nshould not simply be trying to end the miseries of\nthis life simply out of frustration, but we should engage ourseh:es in activities that will raise us to spiritual life.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0048": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\n39\n\nThe four divisions of human society were created\nby\n\nS ri Kr�f,la in order to facilitate this process of\n\nelevation. Just as a student is elevated from a lower\nclass to a post-graduate class, the divisions of labor\n\n(catur-varrtyam) are created to elevate us from the\nlowest stages of consciousness to the highest stage of\nKr�f,la consciousness. This process is a process of\n\ncooperation. In the human body, the most important part is the head, then the arms, the belly and the\nlegs. Although the head is considered to be the most\nimportant part, there is no question of neglecting\nthe legs or any other part. Similarly, in the divisions\nof human society, no one division is important to\nLhe exclusion of the others. Of these divisions, the\n\nbrahmartas are considered to be the intellectual class,\nLhe class of teachers; the k§atriyas are the administrative and military class; the vaisyas are the mercantile and agricultural class; and the sudras are the\ncommon laborer class. In a properly run society, all\n\nof these classes are required. If they cooperate in\nLheir progress toward Kr�f,la consciousness, there is\nno strife amongst them.\nIn the present social status, we find that we are\nexisting in these four divisions, but there is no\ncooperation. Everyone is dissatisfied. Today there is\ngreat strife between the capitalist class and laborer\nclass because between them there is no compromise.\nThere is only friction. All this strife amongst the\nclasses is due to lack of Kr�f,la consciousness. Indeed,\nthere is not even a possibility of cooperation unless\nthere is Kr�f,la consciousness. Kr�f,la consciousness is\nabsolutely essential for harmonizing all facets of\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0049": "Elevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\n40\n\nhuman society. Regardless of what class we belong\nto, if we cooperate in Krf?Q.a consciousness, there will\n\nbe peace in the world.\n\nThus Krr?Q.a consciousness is the utmost necessity\n\nfor all divisions of society. Every chapter and every\n\nconclusion of Bhagavad-gftii aim toward Krr?Q.a con­\n\nsciousness. Sri Kn>Q.a, who is speaking Bhagavad-gftii,\nis always stressing devotion to His personal Self.\n\nmanmanii bhava madbhakto\nmad-_yiifi miirh nama� kuru\nmiim evai�_yasi sat_yarh te\npratijiine pri_yo 'si me\n\"Always think of Me and become My devotee. Wor­\n\nship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you\n\nwill come to Me without fail. I promise you this\n\nbecause you are My very dear friend.\" (Bg. 18.65)\n\nThroughout Bhagavad-gftii we find this word miim\n\nstressed. Miim means \"unto Me,\" meaning unto\nKrf?Q.a. But there are many miscreants who are interpreting\n\nthis miim to mean \"everyone.\" When I\n\nsay, \"Bring me a glass of water,\" does it mean that\n\nI want you to bring everyone a glass of water? The\n\nindividuality is there, but by jugglery of words they\ninterpret \"me\" or \"I\" to mean \"everyone.\" Con­\n\nsequently\n\nwhen\n\nKr�Qa says\n\n\"I,\"\n\nthe miscreants\n\nidentify this \"I\" with themselves. This is a gross\n\nmisinterpretation. Although Bhagavad-gftii is very\n\npopular in the world, due to this misinterpretation\n\nby mundane scholars, it has not been properly understood.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0050": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\nBhagavad-gftii\n\nclearly\n\nexplains\n\n41\n\nthat this ciitur­\n\nvarrzyam system was established by Kr�Q.a, but He is\noutside of this system. When Kr�Q.a comes as an\nincarnation, He does not come as a member of any\n\nsocial order, not as a briihmarza or anythmg else.\n\nWhen Krg1a came, He came as the son of Devaki and\nVasudeva. Vasudeva belonged to the royal family\n\nand was therefore a k�atriya. As such, Kr�t;ta played\n\nLhe part of a k�atriya, but this does not mean that\nKr�Q.a belonged to the k�atriya class. There are many\n\nincarnations of Kr�Q.a in many forms of life. In one\n\nincarnation He appeared as a fish, as a member of the\n\ncommunity of fishes, but this does. not mean that\n\nI le is a fish. If we think upon seeing a fish that it\n\nbelongs\n\nto Kr�Q.a's family, we are mistaken.\n\nOf\n\ncourse, from another point of view, everything is\nK{$Q.a, but K{$Q.a is awof from everything. This is\nthe transcendental nature of Kr�Q.a, and if we under ­\n\nstand it, we will be liberated from birth and death.\n\nAlthough Kr�t;ta has established the four divisions of\n\nhuman society,He is not in anyone of them (tasya kar­\n\ntaram api miirh viddhy akartiiram avyayam). As soon\nas\n\nwe understand that although Kr�Q.a was born into\n\na k�atriya family, He is not a k�atriya, we actually be­\n\ncome liberated. If we think that because K{$Q.a acts\nin a particular way-as on the battlefield He gave\n\ninstructions to Arjuna to fight-He is bound by the\nreactions of His activities, we are mistaken. \"Works\n\ndo not defile Me,\" Sri Kr�Q.a says (na miirh karmiirzi\n\nlimpanti). In conclusion, we must accept the fact\nthat when K{$Q.a comes as one of us, He is not in\n\nactuality \"one of us.\" He is transcendentaL This\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0051": "42\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\nfact we must learn by submissive inquiry from authoritative sources, such as Bhagavad-gitii or a spiritual\nmaster who is fully realized in Kn;Qa consciousness.\nToday all facets of human society are thinking\nthat their self-interest is in maintaining this body.\nConsequently today's society is simply a society of\ncats, dogs and hogs. From Vedic literatures we can\nunderstand that we don't have to work hard all day\nsimply to maintain this body. We are working very\nhard because we are trying to control material nature\nfor the purposes of sense gratification. One who can\ncome to understand that Kr�Qa is the root of everything, the origin of everything, can understand the\nmeaning of isvara� parama� kr�TJa�- Kr�Qa is the\nsupreme controller. In the universe there are many\nisvaras,\n\nor controllers, but Kr�Qa is the supreme\n\namong all of them. Kr�Qa consciousness gives us this\nknowledge. Without It, we will remain ignorant of\nour real self-interest.\nModern society is in dire need of intellectual\npersons or briihmm;ws who can broadcast real spiritual knowledge all over the world. That is an absolute\nnecessity for a society which is working hard simply\nto exploit nature. If people try to understand this\nKr�Qa\n\nconsciousness\n\nphilosophically,\n\nwith\n\nmovement scientifically and\ntheir\n\nbest knowledge and\n\njudgement, and try to cooperate, there will be peace\nall over the world. In essence, the method is very\nsimple. We need only chant Hare Kr�Qa, Hare Kr�Qa,\nKg;l).a Kr�I]a, Hare Hare I Hare Rama, Hare Rama,\nRama Rama, Hare Hare and follow the regulative\nprinciples mentioned before. By following the regu-\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0052": "Toward a Peaceful Society\n\n43\n\nlative principles, we will be avoiding the four pillars\nof sinful life, and by chanting the Hare l<{�:r;ta mantra,\nwe will be associating with God constantly; thus\nthere will be peace among all classes of men.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0053": "4\n\nKnowing Kr?Dd\nas He Is\nWe do not need any high qualifications to offer\nprayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nWhatever our social or intellectual position may be,\nwe can offer prayers. We do not have to be very\nlearned or very scholarly, nor do we have to present\nour prayers in nicely selected words that are poetical, rhetorical or metaphorical. None of this is\nrequired, although if it is there it is very nice. We\nsimply have to express our feelings, but in order to\nbe able to do this we have to be aware of our position.\nOnce we are aware of our position, our feelings can\nbe expressed sincerely and automatically.\nWhat is our position? This has been taught by\nLord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who teaches us how to\npray in his prayer:\n\nna dhanam na janam na sundar\"\"im\nkavitam va jagadtsa kamaye\n\nmama janmani janmaniivare\n\nbhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi\n\n\"0 almighty Lord! I have no desire to accumulate\nwealth, nor have I any desire to enjoy beautiful\nwomen, nor do I want any number of followers.\nWhat I want only is that I may have Your causeless\ndevotional service in my life-birth after birth.\"\n\n(Sik:�a§.takam, 4)\n\n. In this prayer the word jagadtsa means \"Lord of\n\nthe universe.\" ]agat means universe, and isa means\n44\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0054": "Knowing ��11a as He Is\n\n45\n\nLord. Whether we are Hindu, Moslem or Christian or\nwhatever,\n\nwe must acknowledge that there is a\n\nsupreme controller of this universe. This cannot be\ndenied by anyone who has faith in God. Our conviction should be that our Supreme Father is Jagadisa,\nor\n\nLord of the entire universe. Only Lord Jagadisa is\n\nin control; everyone else is controlled. The atheists,\n\nhowever, do not like this term because they like to\nI hink that they are in control, but actually this is not\nLhe case. All beings in the material world are subject\nlo\n\nthe three modes of material nature-goodness,\n\npassion and ignorance-but the Supreme Lord is\nabove these modes.\n\ntribhir gur-amayair bhiivair\nebhi� sarvam idam jagat\nmohitam niibhijiiniiti\nmiim ebhya� param avya_yam\n\"Deluded by the three modes (goodness, passion,\n\nand ignorance), the whole world does not know Me\nwho am above them and inexhaustible.\" (Bg. 7.13),\nThe Brahma-samhitii also gives us information regarding .T agadisa, the Supreme. In that work, Lord\nBrahmii says that the supreme controller is Lord\nKr9l)a Himself (isvara� parama� krrrw�). The word\n\n\"\"isvara� means controller, and the word parama�\nmeans supreme. All of us are controllers to some\nI imited extent. If we have nothing to control, sometimes we keep a dog or cat so we can say, \"My dear\ndog, please come here.\" In this way we can think,\n\"I am the controller.\" Sometimes the tables tum,\n\nhowever, and we find that the dog controls the\nmaster. This happens because actually no one is the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0055": "46\n\nElevation to Kr�l}a Consciousness\n\ncontroller, and everyone is controlled. Unfortunately\nwe are forgetful of this situation, and this forgetfulness is called maya. We refuse to accept any controller of this universe because if we accept a controller\nwe have to account for our sinful activities, just as\nwhen we accept the government we have to account\nfor our unlawful activities. Our position is that we\nwant to continue in our sinful activities, and therefore we deny the existence of a controller. This is\nthe\n\nbasic\n\nprinciple of\n\ngodlessness.\n\nThe current\n\npropaganda that \"God is dead\" is spread because\npeople want to continue being rascals without restriction. This is the basic principle underlying the\ndenial of God's existence. But however much we\ndeny His existence, He will not die. In this regard,\nthere is a Bengali proverb that says: sakuni sape\ngorumarar-a. The work sakuni means vulture. Vultures\n\nenjoy dead animal carcasses, especially the carcass\nof the cow. Sometimes a vulture may go for days\nwithout a carcass; therefore this proverb says that\nthe vulture curses the cow, wishing him to die. But\nthis does not mean that the cow will die just to\noblige the vulture. Similarly, these atheistic vultures\nwant to see God dead so they can take pleasure in\nthinking, \"Now God is dead, and I can do anything\nI like.\"\nWe must know then for certain that there is a controller; that is the beginning of knowledge. Why\nshould we deny this truth? In every field of activity\nwe find some finite controller, so how can we deny\nthe existence of an infinite controller in this creation?\nIt is not without reason therefore that Lord Caitanya\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0056": "Knowing Kt�qa as He. Is\n\n47\n\nMahaprabhu particularly uses this word .J agadisa,\nLord of the universe. He does not manufacture the\nterm, for it is found in many different Vedic mantras.\nFor instance:\n\ntava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-srngam\ndalita-hirartyakasipu-tanu-bhrngam\nkesava dhrta-narahari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare\n\"\n\n0 my Lord, Your hands are very beautiful, like the\n\nlotus flower, but with Your long nails You have\nripped apart the wasp Hiral).yakasipu. Unto You,\nLord\n\nof\n\nthe\n\nuniverse,\n\ndo I\n\noffer\n\nmy\n\nhumble\n\nobeisances.\"\nHiral).yakasipu was an atheist who denied the existence of God, but God came as Lord Nrsimhadeva, a\nhalf-man, half-lion incarnation, and killed him. Therefore praise is given to the Lord as supreme controller\nof the universe aitd all living entities (jaya jagadisa\n\nhare).\nThere is also another prayer: jaganniitha-sviimT\n\nnayana-patha-giimi bhavatu me: \"0 Lord of the universe, please be visible unto me.\" In all these prayers,\nand in many others, the supreme controller of the\nuniverse is acknowledged. Everyone is trying to become supreme controllers, but it is not possible by\nindividual,\n\ncommunal or national effort. Because\n\neveryone is trying to be supreme, there is great\ncompetition in the world. The world is created in\nsuch a way, however, that no one can become supreme. Regardless of what position we place ourselves in, we will find that someone is inferior to us\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0057": "Elevation to Kr�Q.a Consciousness\n\n48\n\nand that someone is superior. No one individual can\nsay, \"I am the supreme. No one is above me.\" Nor\ncan anyone say, \"I am the most inferior. No one is\nbelow me.\" Once we think that we are the most\ninferior, we'll immediately find that someone is\ninferior to us; and once we think that we are supreme,\nwe'll immediately find someone superior. This is our\nposition.\nGod's position, however,\n\nis not like this. In\n\nBhagavad-gl:tii Kr�Q.a asserts His superiority Himself\nin this way:\n\nmatta� paratararh niinyat\nkiiicid asti dhanaiijaya\nmayi sarvam idarh protarh\nsutre mar-i-gar-ii iva\n\n\"\n\n0 conquerer of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth\n\nsuperior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls\nare strung on a thread.\" (Bg. 7. 7)\nGod is asamaurdha, which means that no one is\nequal to or superior to Him. If we find someone who\nhas no superior, we can accept him as God. God can\nbe defined as one who has no superior and who has\nno equal. This is the Vedic version. In the Upani�ads\nit is said, na tat samai ciibhyadhikai ca drsyate: no\none is found equal to or greater than Him.\nAnother characteristic of God is that He has\nnothing to do. In the material world, when a man\nis considered very important, he always has a great\nnumber of things to do. The President of the United\nStates, for instance, is considered to be the supreme\nman in the country, but as soon as there is some\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0058": "Knowing ��J!a as He Is\n\n49\n\ndisturbance in Central Europe or in any other place\nin the world, he immediately has to call a meeting\nof his cabinet to consider how to deal with the\nsituation. So even he is required to do so many\nthings. If he does not do anything, he is no longer\nthe supreme man. In Vedic literatures, however, we\nfind that God has nothing to do (na tasya kiiryam\n\nkararam ca vidyate). Kr�lJa may act in so many ways\nin the world, but it is not because He is required to\ndo so. This is indicated in Bhagavad-gitii.\n\nna me parthiisti kartavyam\ntri�u loke�u kincana\nniinaviiptam aviiptavyam\nvarta eva ca karmari\n\n\"0 son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me\nwithin all the three planetary systems. Neither am I\nin want of anything, nor have I the need to obtain\nanything-and yet I am engaged in work.\" (Bg. 3.22)\nIn this respect it is interesting to note that one\nEuropean gentleman, who went to Calcutta and visited several temples, noted that in the temple of the\ngoddess Kali, the deity had a very ferocious figure,\nwith a chopper _in hand, and was cutting off the\nheads of demons and wearing them as garlands. In\nother temples he saw the deity engaged in similar\nactivities, but when he came to the Radha-Kr�l).a\ntemple, he said, \"I find that in this temple there is\nGod.\" When asked how he concluded this, he said,\n\"In every temple I saw that the deity was doing\nsomething, but here I see that God is simply playing\na flute and enjoying Himself. He obviously has\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0059": "50\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\nnothing to do.\" This is a very intelligent conclusion;\nindeed, it is the Vedic conclusion.\nNowadays it is becoming fashionable for people to\nclaim that they are becoming God by meditation.\nThis means that by meditation it is possible to transform oneself into God; in other words, God meditates, and by His meditation He becomes God. This\nis all nonsense. God is God, and He was always God\nand will always be God. Even as an infant on the lap\nof His mother KwJ.a is God. No meditation was required, no austerity or penance. When Putana, the\ndemonic witch, came to poison Baby Kr�rya, she came\nas a beautiful young girl and asked Mother Yasoda,\n\"Oh, Yasodamayi, you have a very nice baby. Will\nyou kindly give Him to me so I can nurse Him?\"\nY asoda was a very simple village woman, and she\nsaid, \"Oh yes, you can take my child.\" Putana had\nsmeared poison on her breasts, and she intended to\nkill Kr�rya by letting Him suck them. This is the demonic spirit; demons are always wanting to kill\nKr�rya so they can say, \"God is dead. There is no\nGod. God is impersonal.\" Kr�rya was so kind to\nPutana that He allowed her to nurse Him, but when\nHe sucked her breasts He not only sucked out the\npoison but her life as well. Putana fell to the ground\ndead and was immediately transformed into her original demonic form. So this is God; in the lap of His\nmother He is God. He does not have to become God\nby meditation, penance, austerity or by following\nrules or regulations. He is substantially and eternally\nGod, and He has nothing to do. If one claims that he\ncan become God by worshiping such and such a\ndeity or by meditating, we should immediately take\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0060": "Knowing �!!J!a as He Is\n\n51\n\nit that he is not a god, but a dog. In understanding\n\nGod, we must be careful to accept the Vedic conclu­\n\nsion only: na tasya kiiryarh kararwrh ca vidyate: God\nhas nothing to do. Why would God have to do some­\n\nthing to become God? If we manufacture gold, that\n\nis artificial gold, not real gold. Gold is natural, and\n\nsimilarly God is natural. In His childhood pastimes,\n\nin the lap of His mother, He is God; while He is\nplaying with His boyfriends, He is God; while He is\ndancing, He is God; while He is fighting at Kuruk�etra,\n\nHe is God; while He is married to His queens, He is\n\nGod; and while He is speaking, He is God. There is\nno difficulty in understanding God. All that is re­\n\nquired of us is that we listen to Kr�Q.a.\n\nIn Bhagavad-gitii Kr�r:ta tells Arjuna:\n\naharh sarvasya prabhavo\nmatta[l sarvarh pravartate\niti matvii bhajante miirh\nbudhii bhiiva-samanvitii[l\n\"I am the source of everything; from Me the entire\n\ncreation flows. Knowing this, the wise worship Me\n\nwith all their hearts.\" (Bg. 1 0.8)\n\nThis means that Sri Kr�r:ta is the fountainhead of\n\nLord Siva and the origin of Vi�Q.U and of Brahma,\n\nand, of course, of all other demigods and other liv­\n\ning creatures. He says further:\n\nmamaiviirhso fiva-loke\njiva-bhutalt saniitana[l\nmana[l-�a�thanfndriycil]i\nprakrti-sthiini kar�ati\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0061": "52\n\nElevation to Kr�qa Consciousness\n\n\"The living entities in this conditional world are My\n\nfragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to\n\nconditioned life, they are struggling very hard with\nthe six senses, which include the mind.\" (Bg. 15.7)\n\nIn the Brahma-sarhhita Lord Brahma explains that\n\nif we are looking for God, here is God.\n\npremiiiijana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena\nsanta� sadaiva hrdaye�u vilokayanti\n\nyam syiimasundaram acintya-gur-a-svarupam\n\ngovindam adi-puru�am tam aham bha]ami\n\n\"I worship Govinda, the primeval\n\nLord, Who is\n\nSyamasundara, Kr��a Himself, with inconceivable\n\ninnumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see\nin their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion\ntinged with the salve of love.\" (Bs. 5.38)\n\nThere are similar descriptions everywhere in Vedic\n\nliterature, but rascals and demons are so obstinate\n\nthat even though Kr��a is confirmed to be the\n\nby the twelve standard iiciiryas\n(Brahma, Narada, Siva, Bhi�ma, the Kumaras, Kapila,\nSupreme\n\nGod\n\nManu, etc.) and by Vyasa, Devala and many other\n\ndevotees,\n\nthey\n\nstill refuse to accept\n\nHim. Lord\n\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu also confirms that Kr��a is\nthe Supreme Godhead, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam\n\nsays, kr�r-as tu bhagaviin svayam. Srimad-Bhiigavatam\n\ngives a list of all incarnations of God, and at last con·\n\neludes that the name Kt�Qa, which appears on this\n\nlist, indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead,\n\nwhereas all other names represent manifestations or\nincarnations. Ete ciirhsa-kaliil;l purhsa�.\n\nAll other\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0062": "Knowing KJ;�J!.a as He Is\n\n53\n\nnames of God are either parts of God or portions\nof parts. The parts are called amsa, and the portions\nof parts are called kala�. As living entities, we are\n\namsa, but we are very fragmental amsa. All others\nare either amsa or kala�, but Kr�rya is bhagaviin\n\nsvayam- the Supreme Personality of Godhead.\nOur prayers should be directed to the Supreme\nPersonality of Godhead and none else. Therefore we\npray with Brahma:\n\ncintamari-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrk§alak�avrte�u surabh\"ir abhipalayantam\nlak�m\"i-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam\ngovindam adi-puru�am tam aham bha]ami\n\n\"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first\nprogenitor, who is tending the cows, fulfilling all\ndesire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of wish-fulfilling trees, always served\nwith great reverence and affection by hundreds of\nthousands of Lak�mis, or gop\"is.\" (Bs. 5.29)\nHere Kr�J].a is called the original person (adi­\n\npuru�am). We are all persons. Our father is a person,\nand\n\ntherefore we are\n\npersons. If we trace our\n\nfather's father back, we will find that he was also a\nperson, and that his father was a person, and so on\nall the way back to Lord Brahma, who was the first\ncreated person in this universe. Then we will also\nfind that Lord Brahma's father, Vigm, is also a\nperson. Everyone is a person, and Kr�l,la is the supreme person. The impersonalists' understanding of\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0063": "Elevation to K.r��a Consciousness\n\n54\n\nGod is called nirarcii. Ni� means \"negative\" and area\nmeans \"form,\" so nirarcii means \"negative form.\"\nThe impersonalists are mistaken when they think\nthat God has no form at all. The word nirarcii does\nnot indicate that He has no form, but that he has no\nmaterial form as we do. Form is there, but it is not\nmaterial; it is spiritual form.\nWhat is the value of our form? This form will be\nchanged after a few years, as soon as we give up the\nbody. Our forms are changed just as we change our\nsuits and dresses, but God doesn't have a form like\nthis; therefore He is sometimes called nirarcii. Form\nis there, and that also has been explained in the\n\nBrahma-samhitii.\n\nLord Brahma describes His form\n\nin this way:\n\nve7Jum kvm;antam aravinda-daliiyatak�am\nbarhavatamsam asitiimbuda-sundarangam\nkandarpa-koti-kamaniya-vise.sa-sobham\ngovindam adi-puru§arh tam aham bhafami\nangiini yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti\npasyanti panti kalayanti cirarh jaganti\niinanda-cinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya\ngovindam adi-puru§arh tam aham bhafami\n\"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept\n\nat playing on His flute, with blooming eyes like\nlotus petals, with head bedecked with a peacock's\nfeather, with the figure of beauty tinged with the\nhue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming\n\nmillions\n\nof\n\nCupids.\n\nI\n\nworship Govinda, the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0064": "Knowing Kr�'!a as He Is\n\n55\n\nprimeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of\nbliss, truth and substantiality and is thus full of the\nmost dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that\ntranscendental figure possesses, in Himself, the fullfledged functions of all the organs, and eternally\nsees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes,\nboth spiritual and mundane.\" (Bs. 5.30,32)\nThis form has nothing whatsoever to do with\nmaterial forms. 1m personalists say, \"Oh, you say\nKr�r.ta has a form. If so, how can you say that He is\nthe Supreme? The impersonal Brahman is the Supreme, and the impersonal Brahman is formless.\"\nBut we have information from Bhagavad-g'ita that\nKr�r.ta is the source of the impersonal Brahman.\n\nbrahmarto hi prati�thiiham\namrtasyiivyayasya ca\nsiisvatasya ca dharmasya\nsukhasyaikiintikasya ca\n\"And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman,\nwhich is immortal and imperishable, eternal, the\nconstitutional position of ultimate happiness.\" (Bg.\n.\n14.27)\nKr�r.ta certainly has form, but His form, as stated\nbefore, is sac-cid-iinanda-vigraha,\n\neternal, full of\n\nbliss, and full of knowledge. The attributes of His\ntranscendental body are summarized by Lord Brahma\nin this way:\n\n'isvara� parama� kr�rta�\nsac-cid-iinanda-vigrahafr\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0065": "Elevation to Kr�l].a Consciousness\n\n56\n\nanadir adir govinda�\n\nsarva-kara1Ja-karaTJam\n\n\"Kr�J)a, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme\nGodhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body.\nHe is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He\nis the prime cause of all causes.\"(Bs. 5.1)\nThe word Govinda means \"He who gives pleasure\nto the senses.\" We perceive pleasure through our\nsenses, and therefore Kr�J)a, who is the reservoir of\npleasure, is called Govinda. If we serve Kr�J)a with\npurified senses, we will begin to relish the pleasure\nof that supreme reservoir.\nHow can we describe God or understand His\nglories? It is not possible. God is unlimited. Regardless of our finite limitations, however, we can express\nour own feelings and say, \"My God, my Lord.\"\nThis will be accepted. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu\nteaches us to pray in this way:\n\nayi nandatanuja kinkararh\n\npatitarh marh vi�ame bhavambudhau\n\nkrpaya tava pada-pankajasthita-dhulisadrsarh vicintaya\n\n\"0 son of Maharaja Nanda, I am Your eternal ser­\n\nvitor, and although I am so, somehow or other I have\nfallen in the ocean of birth and death. Please, therefore, pick me up from this ocean of death and fix\nme as\n\none\n\nof\n\n(Sik�ii�takam, 5)\n\nthe atoms at\n\nYour lotus feet. \"\n\nThis should be the standard of prayer; we should\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0066": "Knowing Kr�qa as He Is\n\n57\n\nonly want to be placed as one of the atoms at Kr�Q.a's\nlotus feet to render service unto Him. Everyone is\npraying to God with some interest, but even if we\npray to God, \"Give me some money, give me some\nrelief, a nice house, a nice wife, or nice food,\" that\nis also good. Yet this is not to the standard of Lord\nCaitanya\n\nMahaprabhu's prayer.\n\nOur only prayer\n\nshould be that the Lord enable us to serve Him\nbirth after birth. Our prayer should be, \"Dear Lord,\nYou are so great that I want to engage in Your\nservice. I have been serving all these rascals, and I\nam not satisfied. Now I have come to You. Please\nengage me in Your service.\" This is the last word in\nprayer. Some people complain that when they pray\nto God they do not feel His presence. We should\nknow that this is due to our incapacities, not God's.\nThere are two conceptions of presence-the physical\nconception and\nphysical\n\nthe vibrational conception. The\n\nconception\n\nis\n\ntemporary,\n\nwhereas\n\nthe\n\nvibrational conception is eternal. When we enjoy or\nrelish the vibration of Kr�Q.a's teachings in Bhagavadg\"itii, or when we chant Hare Kr�Q.a, we should know\nthat by those vibrations He is immediately present.\nHe is absolute, and because of this His vibration is\njust as important as His physical presence. When\nwe\n\nfeel separation from\n\nmaster,\nwords\n\nwe\nof\n\nshould just\ninstructions,\n\nKr�l).a\n\nor\n\nthe spiritual\n\ntry\n\nto\n\nremember\n\nand\n\nwe\n\nwill\n\ntheir\n\nno longer\n\nfeel that separation. Such association with Kr�l).a\nand the spiritual master should be association by\nvibration, not physical presence. That is real association. We put so much stress on seeing, but when\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0067": "Elevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\n58\n\nKrgw was present on this earth, so many people saw\nHim and did not realize that He is God; so what is\nthe advantage of seeing? By seeing Kr�Qa, we will\nnot understand Him, but by listening carefully to\nHis teachings, we can come to the platform of understanding. We can touch Kr��a immediately by sound\nvibration; therefore we should give more stress to\nthe sound vibration of Kr�l).a and of the spiritual\nmaster-then we'll feel happy and won't feel separation.\n\nFrom Srimad-Bhiigavatam\n\nwe\n\nunderstand that\n\nwhen Kr�l).a departed from this world, Arjuna was\noverwhelmed with sorrow, but when he began to\n\nremember the instructions of Bhagavad-gTtii, he became pacified. Arjuna was Kr�Qa's constant friend,\n\nso when Kr�l}a went to His abode, Arjuna was\noverwhelmed, but just by remembering His teachings he got relief from the pains of separation. Thus\nwhenever we feel separation, it is best to remember\n\nthe teachings. The teachings of Bhagavad-gitii were\nimparted to Arjuna for his happiness and for the\n\nhappiness of all men. This is indicated by Kr�Qa, at\nthe beginning of the Tenth Chapter, when He says:\n\nbhuya eva maha-baho\n\nsrrtu me paramam vacaft\n\nyat te 'ham pnyamartiiya\n\nvak�yami hita-kiimyaya\n\n\"Again, 0 mighty-armed Arjuna, listen to My supreme\nword, which I shall impart to you for your benefit\nand which will give you great joy.\" (Bg. l 0.1)\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0068": "Knowing ��qa as He Is\n\n59\n\nBy hearing the words of Lord Kr��Ja and following\nthem carefully, we will attain not only peace in the\nworld, but the supreme peace (pararh santim). All\nthat is required is that we seek refuge in the lotus\nfeet of Kr�l)a and render service unto Him by chant·\ning His glories and pushing this Krg1a consciousness\nmovement in every town and village of the world. It\nis Kr��Ja's promise that by such surrender peace and\neternal life will come automatically.\n\ntam eva sara(larh gaccha\nsarva-bhavena bharata\ntatprasadat pararh santirh\nsthanarh praps_yasi sasvatam\n\n\"0 scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him in all\nrespects, so that by His mercy you can have transcendental peace and the eternal abode.\" (Bg. 18.62)\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0069": "5\n\nKnowing Kr�octs Energies\nFor Kt�Q.a there is no difference between material\nand spiritual energy. For Him, it is all the same.\nSometimes electricity works for cooling purposes,\nand sometimes it works for heating purposes, but\n\nthe energy generated from the electric p owerhouse\nis all the same. Similarly, Kt�Qa's energy is always\nspiritual, but it is acting in different ways. In a\ntown there may be a department of welfare and a\ndepartment of police. In the eyes of the government\nboth are the same, for both are subsidiary parts of\nthe government, but for the individual they render\ndifferent services. The material energy may be working in different ways that may not be very pleasant\nto the living entity, but that does not mean that\nmaterial energy is not liked by Kt�Q.a. It is as important as spiritual energy, but it is engaged to\npunish the conditioned soul, j ust as the police department is engaged in punishing criminals. In the\nBrahma-sarhhitii, it is confirmed that Kt�Q.a's energy\nis always spiritual, but it is acting in different ways\nin different fields of activities. In relation to Kt�Q.a\nthere is no distinction between the energies, but for\nour\n\nunderstanding we discriminate and say that\n\nsometimes the energy is working in a material way\nand sometimes in a spiritual way. We are thinking\nthat the energy is hot or cold, good or bad, pleasant\nor unpleasant, but in fact the energy is the same.\n\n60\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0070": "Knowing Kr�q.a's Energies\n\n61\n\nKr�Q.a cannot distribute inferior energy because\nHe is not inferior. He is always superior, spiritual,\nand therefore His energy is always spiritual. Subhadra\nis the sister of Kr�Q.a, and from her comes the incarnation of Durga, the personification of material energy. Subhadra is in the spiritual world and is eternally\nrelated to Kr�Q.a as His energy, but when Durga conducts her activities here in the material world, it is\nnot that she is to be considered inferior. In the\n\nBhagavad-gTta as well as in Brahma-samhita it is said\nthat Durga or Maya is acting under Kr�Q.a's direction,\nso how can she be considered inferior? Criminals may\nthink that the police department is an inferior governmental department, but the law-abiding citizens do\nnot think that this is so. It simply functions in a particular way. Similarly, the material energy has to act\nto bewilder the living entity who is under the direction of Kr�Q.a.\nWe are the living entities within the material\nenergy, and we are in this position because we\nwanted to\n\ndominate\n\nmaterial nature. Kr�Q.a has\n\ngiven us the facility, saying, \"All right, you may try,\nbut you cannot be successful.\" As long as we are in\nignorance of how the laws of nature are working\nunder the supreme direction of K.r.sra, we will continue to be defeated in our activities. When we\nunderstand Kr�Q.a in perfection, we will automatically know the laws of nature and how they are acting. V ai�Q.avas are concerned with the background of\nthe laws of material nature. When we understand\nKr�Q.a in perfection, we can understand that there is\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0071": "62\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\nin actuality no inferior or material energy, but that\neverything is spiritual. We can understand that on\nthe higher platform whatever we are experiencing\nare the actions and reactions of the different energies of the\n\nSupreme Lord. When we understand\n\nK��rp perfectly, then these distinctions of superior\nand\n\ninferior energies will disappear. Whatever is\n\nengaged in the service of K��I).a is superior energy. In\nthe higher sense, everything is serving K��I).a, and\nthose who are highly elevated understand this.\nThat the Lord has various energies is confirmed\nin Vedic literatures. Yet the Supreme Lord personally\nhas nothing to do. How is this? He has not to strive\nfor wealth, for all wealth is His; nor for knowledge,\nfor all knowledge is His; nor for power, for all power\nis His; nor for beauty, fame or renunciation, for they\nare all His in full. Nor does He directly manage\nuniversal affairs, for He has many assistants who can\nconduct affairs while He remains in His abode. This\n\nis confirmed in SrT lSopani�ad:\n\nanejad ekam manaso jav�yo\nnainad deva apnuvan purvam arfiat\ntad dhavato 'n_yan at_yeti tifithat\ntasminn apo matarisva dadhati\n\"The Personality of Godhead, although fixed in His\nabode, is more swift than the mind, and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods\ncannot approach Him. Although in one place, He\nhas control over those who supply the air and rain.\nHe surpasses\n\nMantra 4)\n\nall\n\nin excellence.\"\n\n(Sri lsopani§ad,\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0072": "Knowing ��qa's Energies\n\n63\n\nThus Kr�I]a has no work to perform. As the\nSupreme Personality of Godhead, He simply engages\nin enjoying Himself with the gop\"ls (cowherd girls)\nand His consort Radhariit]i. Kr�I]a, as Kr�I]a, does not\nreally engage in killing demons. When Kr�r;ta kills\ndemons, He is known as Vasudeva Kr�r;ta, not the\noriginal Kr�r;ta. When Kr�r;ta expands Himself, He\nfirst\n\nexpands\n\nas\n\nBalarama,\n\nthen\n\nSankar�at]a,\n\nPradyumna, Aniruddha and Vasudeva. As Vasudeva,\nHe acts in Mathura and Dvaraka, but as Kr�ga, in\nHis original feature, He remains in Vrndavana. This\nmay seem to be confusing; even one of the greatest\nfiction writers in Bengal misunderstood and thought\nthat Kr�I]a of Vrndavana, Kr�I]a of Dvaraka, and\nKr�Q.a of Mathura were three different persons. But\nthis is not difficult to understand if we know the\nnature of Kr�I]a's expansions. Kr�I]a is the same, and\nHe is the one without a second, but He can expand\nHimself in billions and trillions of forms. This is all\nfor the purpose of His enjoyment.\nIn the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-g\"ltii, Kr�Q.a\nexplains His different manifestations to Arjuna in\nthis way:\n\nuccaiftsravasam asvaniim\nviddhi miim amrtodbhavam\nairiivatam gajendrar_t\"iim\nnariiTJiim ca naradhipam\nayudhaniim aham vajram\ndhenunam asmi kiimadhuk\nprajanas ciismi kandarpaft\nsarpii1Jam asmi viisukift\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0073": "64\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\n\"Of horses know Me to be Uccail;lsrava, who rose\nout of the ocean, born of the elixir of immortality;\nof lordly elephants I am Airavata, and among men I\nam the monarch. Of weapons I am the thunderbolt;\namong cows I am Kamadhuk, giver of abundant milk.\nOf procreators I am Kandarpa, the god of love; and\nof serpents I am Vasuki, the chief.\" (Bg. 10.27,28)\nLord Knn).a further enumerated the many great\nmanifestations of the material creation and explained\nhow each was representative of Himself. He concluded a long detailed account of these manifestations by saying:\nathava bahunaitena\nkim jiiatena taviirjuna\nvi�tabhyaham idam krtsnam\nekamsena sthito jagat\n\"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed\nknowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support these entire universes.\" (Bg. l 0.42)\nThus this material world is existing on one plenary\nportion of Kr�Q.a. If Kr�Q.a didn't enter this universe,\nit could not exist. Similarly, unless the spirit soul,\nwhich is a fragmental portion of Kr�Q.a, enters this\nbody, this body cannot exist. As soon as the spirit\nsoul leaves, the body immediately becomes useless;\nwhen Kr�Q.a enters into matter, matter has value.\nThis is true for the minute individual atom and the\ngreat universe as well.\nSince the manifestations of Krgta are so great, we\nshould know that His enjoyment is far greater than\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0074": "Knowing Kt�qa's Energies\n\n65\n\nours. We have to try to understand what kind of\n\nenjoyment Kr�J)a likes. Everyone knows that God is\n\ngreat, and we can conclude from this that His enjoy­\n\nment is great also. In this regard, Svarupa Damodara\nGosvami has written a verse which says that although\n\nthe loving affairs of Radha and Kr�J)a may appear\n\nlike ordinary material affairs, this is not actually the\ncase. Radharalji is the pleasure potency of Kr�J)a. In\n\nthe Vediinta-sutra the Absolute Truth is said to be\nalways enjoying the pleasure potency. When we\nwant pleasure, we cannot have it alone. We feel\npleasure in the company of friends or family. I may\n\nspeak in a room alone, but if I speak in a room\n\nbefore other people, the pleasure is increased. Pleasure\n\nmeans that there must be others, and therefore Kr�J)a,\n\nthe Absolute Truth, who is always engaged in enjoying Himself, has become many.\n\nWe are Kr�J)a's parts and parcels and have been\n\ncreated to give pleasure to Kr�J)a. The chief pleasure\n\npotency is RadharaJ)f, and so Radha-Krg1a are always\n\ntogether. Whereas the material energy is conducted\n\nby the external potency, Maya, the spiritual world\n\nis conducted by the internal potency, RadharaJ)i. We\n\noften pray to RadharaJ)i because She is the pleasure\n\npotency of Kn;J)a.. The very word \"Kr�J)a\" meahs\n\nall-attractive, but RadharaJ)i is so great that She\n\nattracts Kr�J)a. If Kr�J)a is always attractive to every­\n\none, and RadharaJ)i is attractive to Kr�J)a, how can\n\nwe imagine the position of Srimati RadharaJ)i? We\n\nshould try humbly to understand and offer Her our\nobeisances, saying, \"RadharaJ)i, You are so dear to\n\nKr�J)a. You are the daughter of King Vr�abhanu, and\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0075": "Elevation to .Kf�l).a Consciousness\n\n66\n\nYou are KwJ.a 's beloved. We offer our respectful\nobeisances unto You.\" Radharal}i is very dear to\nKr�Qa, and if we approach Kr�l)a through the mercy\nof RadharaQi, we can easily attain Him. If Radharal)i\nrecommends a devotee, Kr�l)a immediately accepts\nhim, however foolish he may be. Consequently in\n\nV rndiivana we find that devotees chant RadhariiQi's\nname more often than Kr�l)a's. Wherever we go in\nIndia we will find devotees calling,\n\n\"\n\nWe\n\nin\n\nshould\n\nbe\n\nmore\n\ninterested\n\nJ aya Radhe.\"\nworshiping\n\nRadharaQi, for however fallen we may be, if some·\nhow or other we can please Her, we can very easily\nunderstand Kr�l)a. If we try to understand Kr�l)a by\nthe speculative process, we will have to spend many\nlifetimes of speculation; but if we take to devotional\nservice and just try to please Radharal}i, then Kr�l)a\ncan be very easily realized. Radharal}i is such a great\ndevotee that She can deliver Kr�IJ.a.\nEven Kr�Qa cannot understand Radharalji's qualities. He fails to understand Her because She is so\ngreat.\n\nIn\n\norder\n\nto understand Radhariil)i, Kr.�pa\n\nactually accepted Her position. Kr�l)a thought, \"Although I am full and complete in every respect, I\nstill don't understand RadhariiQi. Why is that?\" This\nobliged Kr�Qa to accept the propensities of Radhiiral}�\nand this accounts for His manifestation as Lord\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu. Caitanya Mahiiprabhu is Kr�l)a\nHimself, but He is Kr�l)a accepting the propensities\nof Radhariil)i. Radharal)i is always feeling separation\nfrom\n\nKr�Qa,\n\nand\n\nsimilarly,\n\nin\n\nthe\n\nposition of\n\nRadharal)i. Lord Caitanya was always feeling that\nseparation. Furthermore, those who follow the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0076": "67\n\nKnowing ��'!a's Energies\n\nteachings of Lord Caitanya should experience and\nrelish the feelings of separation, not of meeting.\nThe\n\ngosviimis,\n\ndisciples\n\nof\n\nLord\n\nCaitanya\n\nMahaprabhu, the most perfect and highly elevated\nbeings, never said, \"I have seen Kr�l).a.\" Instead,\nthey constantly cried, \"Where is Radharal).i? Where\nare Lalita and Visakha and the other damsels of\nVrndavana?\" In their mature stage of love of Godhead,\n\nwhen\n\nthey were living in Vrndavana, the\n\ngosviimis would also cry, \"Radhariil).i, where are You?\nWhere are Your associates? Where are You, 0 son of\nNanda Maharaja? Where are you all?\" In this way\nthey were searching after Kr�l).a, and they never at\nany time said, \"Last night I saw Kr�l).a dancing with\nthe gop\"is.\" Such claims are not made by a mature\ndevotee, but by one who takes things very cheaply.\nSome people think that Radha and Kr�l).a are so\ncheap that They may be seen every night, but this\nis not the teaching of the gosviim\"is who were always\nsearching after Kr!l'!a crying, \"Where are You? Where\nare You Radhariil).i? Where are You Kr�'!a? Are You\nthere by Govardhana Hill? Are You on the bank of\nthe Yamuna?\" In this way, throughout the whole\ntract of V rndavana, the gosviim\"is were crying and\nsearching after Radha and Kr�l).a like madmen.\nWe have\n\nto follow in the footprints\n\nof the\n\n. gosviimis and search out Radha and K��'!a in this\nway. Vrndavana is in our hearts, and we must search\nfor Him there. This is the process recommended by\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu, the process of worship in\nseparation.\n\nFeeling\n\nseparation from Kr�l).a, Lord\n\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu would throw Himself into the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0077": "68\n\nElevation to Kr�r.ta Consciousness\n\nsea. Sometimes He would leave His room in the\ndead of night and disappear. No one would know\nwhere He had gone, but all the while He was searching after Kr�t;J.a. Thus it is not that we are to enjoy\nthe loving exchanges between Kr�t;J.a and Radha like\nspectators at some sports show. We must feel separation from Them. The more we feel separation, the\nmore we should understand that we are advancing.\nWith our material senses, we cannot see Kr�t;J.a, nor\ncan we even hear His name. We can begin to perceive\nHim when we advance in devotional service. That\ndevotional service begins with the tongue, not the\nlegs, eyes or ears. The tongue must be utilized to\nchant Hare Kr�t;J.a, Hare Kr�t;J.a, Kr�t;J.a Kr�t;J.a, Hare\nHare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare\nHare and take Kr�r.ta prasadam. Thus the tongue has\na dual function, and by utilizing it in this way, we\nwill realize Kr�t;J.a. We cannot see Kr�t;J.a with our\nmaterial eyes, nor hear about Him with material ears,\nnor touch Him with our hands; but if we engage our\ntongue in His service, He will reveal Himself, saying,\n\"Here I am.\"\nThis chanting of Hare Kr�t;J.a extinguishes the blazing fire of material nature. This is also the purport to\nthe following prayer to the spiritual master.\n\nsarhsara-da vanala-lit}ha-lo katra7Jaya karur ya-ghanaghanatvam\npraptasya kalyiira-guriirravasya\nVande guro� Sn-carararavindam\n\"The spiritual master is receiving benediction from\nthe ocean of mercy. Just as the cloud pours water\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0078": "Knowing Kr�J].a's Energies\n\n69\n\non the forest fire to extinguish it, so the spiritual\nmaster extinguishes the blazing fire of material exis­\n\ntence. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the\n\nlotus feet of my spiritual master.\" (Sri Gurva�takam,\nVerse l)\n\nThis material world is often compared to a forest\nfire which takes place automatically.No one wants a\n\nforest fire, but there is often lightning, or carelessness, or friction, or whatever, and the fire immediate­\n\nly takes place. Similarly, this material world is beset\n\nwith a blazing fire of problems. Everyone wants to\n\nlive here peacefully, but situations develop in such\na way that this is not possible for anyone. We struggle\nvery hard to adjust things in so many ways, but\nnature's laws are so cruel and dangerous that in\n1>pite of our hopes and plans the blazing fire of the\nproblems of material existence continues.\nIn this century, for instance, we have attempted\nto put out the fire of war, but it has not been\npossible. There was a First World War, and then a\nLeague of Nations was formed to try to prevent a\nsecond, but despite their attempts a second took\nplace. Now a United Nations has been constructed\n\nto help end war, but war is going on in VietNam, in\nEgypt, in Pakistan and other places. No one wants a\n\nThird World War, but it seems imminent. It is not\n\npossible to send a fire brigade, a few men with\nbuckets of water, to extinguish a great fire in the\n\nforest. To extinguish a roaring forest fire there must\n\nbe volumes of water; in other words, there must be\nan arrangement that is beyond human endeavor.\n\nWhen there is a merciful cloud over the forest fire,\n\nthe cloud bursts, rain pours down in torrents, and\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0079": "70\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\nthe blazing fire is immediately extinguished. As a\ncloud collects water from the ocean, similarly the\nspiritual master collects water from Kr�Qa's ocean\nof mercy and pours it over the blazing fire of material\nexistence. Thus one who bestows or distributes the\nmerciful rain of Kr�Qa is called a spiritual master or\nguru.\nIn Vedic literatures it is said that in order to\nunderstand the transcendental science of Kr�Qa con·\nsciousness, we must try to acquire knowledge of how\nto extinguish this blazing fire of problems. Scientists,\n\nphilosophers and other educated men are trying\n\nvery hard to extinguish it, but the result seems to be\n\nbigger and bigger bombs. The karmTs or fruitive\nlaborers are working with heart and soul, day and\nnight, to extinguish this fire or to diminish the\nmiserable condition of material existence by dint of\nhard\n\nlabor.\n\nThe jnanTs or philosophers are also\n\ntrying, but they have become disgusted and so proclaim, \"This world is false.\" Thinking this, they try\nto merge into the existence of the Supreme and in\nthis way extinguish the fire. This is like the jackel\nwho tries to pick some grapes from a vine, and\nwhen he fails, says, \"Oh, these grapes are sour anyway.\" The yogTs or meditators try to gain superior\n\nmystic power by becoming greater than the greatest,\nsmaller than the smallest, lighter than the lightest,\n\nand heavier than the heaviest, but this is just so much\n\nchild's play. With any material body-whether it be\ngreat\n\nor small,\n\nlight or heavy-the problems of\n\nmaterial existence still remain. In this way one may\nprogress from one stage to another, coming from\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0080": "Knowing ��qa's Energies\n\n7l\n\nthe stage of karmi or fruitive laborer, to the stage of\n\njfiiini or philosopher, to the stage of yogi or medi­\n\ntator, but in any case one finally has to come to the\nplatform of bhakti, or devotional service. This is the\n\nreal evolutionary process. It is indicated in Bhagavad­\n\ngitii in this way:\n\nbahuniim janmaniim ante\n\njfiiinaviin miirh prapadyate\n\nviisudevah sarvam iti\n\nsa mahiitmasudurlabha{t\n\n\"After many births and deaths, he who is actually\nin knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to\nbe the cause of all causes, and all that is. Such a\ngreat soul is very rare.\" (Bg. 7.19)\nSurrender to Kr�Q.a is the point; that is the aim of\n\nlife, and the bhaktas, the intelligent men of the world,\n\ntake to this stage immediately. Therefore Kn;Q.a says\nthat they are wise men. If, after many, many births\none has to come to this point of surrender, then why\nnot immediately?\nThe blazing fire of material nature is supervised\nby Durga. Often she is portrayed with weapons in\nher hands. She has ten hands, and each holds a\ndifferent type of weapon. This indicates that she is\nruling all ten directions of this universe. She wields\nthe different weapons to chastise the demons. There\nis one famous picture of a demon struggling with a\nlion, and the goddess Durga is pulling the demon's\nhair and pushing her trident against his chest. If we\nstudy this picture we can determine that we are the\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0081": "Elevation to Kr�J].a Consciousness\n\n72\n\ndemon and that the trident is the threefold miseries\nof material existence from which we are always\nsuffering. Some miseries are inflicted by other living\nentities, some are inflicted by natural disasters, and\nsome are inflicted by the mind and body themselves.\nIn one way or another we are always struggling\nagainst these three types of miseries. No one in the\nmaterial creation can say that he is free from them.\nThe trident of this material nature is pressed against\neveryone's chest, and because of this, pure happiness\nwithin this material world is not possible. We may\ntry to satisfy Mother Durga by worshiping her or by\ngiving her some bribe, but Durga is not so easily\nbribed.\nTherefore we should know that our aim of life\nshould be to understand the Supreme Personality\nof Godhead. We should make every arrangementsocial, political, philosophical or religious-but the\naim should be to approach the Supreme Person. In\nthe\n\nVedas it is stated that the learned advanced\n\npeople, the demigods of the creation, simply look\nto the lotus feet of Kr�JJ.a. The aim should be the\nsame with human civilization. Without looking to\nKr�JJ.a's lotus feet, all religious, social or political\nendeavors will fail. It is not possible to make progress\nas long as our desires are anchored in the material\nworld. In this regard, there is a story of a bridegroom's party who had to go to the bride's house\ndown the river. It was settled that they would start\nat night by boat and reach the destination early in\nthe morning. Therefore at night, after supper, the\njubilant party got aboard a boat, made themselves\ncomfortable and instructed the boatmen to start.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0082": "Knowing ��qa's Energies\n\n73\n\nSince all the members of the party were seated\ncomfortably, and since the river breeze was very\npleasant, they slept soundly that night. In the\nmorning they all got up early, but to their astonishment they saw that the boat had not moved an inch\ntoward the destination, even though the boatmen\nhad rowed vigorously all night long. Finally, after\ninquiring, they found that despite the boatmen's\nrowing, the boat had not llL-Oved because they had\nfailed to raise the anchor. The marriage ceremony\nwas thus spoiled because of a foolish mistake.\nOur present civilization is therefore a mistaken\ncivilization because the mistaken leaders have forgotten to raise the anchor of attachment. Instead,\nthe anchor is being more and more firmly fixed\nbecause they have structured the social order on the\nbasis of sense gratification. This sense gratifying\nsocial and political set-up, maintained by various\nplans and schemes, has been described in Bhagavad­\n\ng\"itii as follows:\nlc'iimam iisritya du�purarh\ndambha-miina-madiinvitiifl\nmohiid grh\"itvasad-griihiin\npravartante 'suci-vratii�\ncintiim aparimeyiirh ca\npralayiintiim upiisritii�\nkiimopabhoga-paramii\netiivad iti niscitiifl\n\"The demoniac, taking shelter of insatiable lust,\npride, and false prestige, and being thus illusioned,\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0083": "74\n\nElevation to .Kf�I].a Consciousness\n\nare always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the\nimpermanent. Their belief is that to gratify the\nsenses unto the end of life is the prime necessity of\nhuman civilization. Thus, there is no measurement\nfor their anxiety.\" (Bg. 16.1 0-ll)\nThe leaders, like the boatmen, are all illusioned.\nThey mislead us into taking some temporary benefit,\nbut how long can their plans and schemes go on? If\nthey persist until they die of heart failure or are\nkilled by assassins, then another just like them takes\ntheir\n\nplace.\n\nEven the\n\nso-called\n\nphilosophers of\n\nmodern society are captivated by material name and\nfame, and so they do not lead the general populace\nin the proper direction. Thus the anchor of life remains deeply fixed in the waters of nescience for the\npurpose of sense gratification, and thus our so-called\ncivilization rots in a stagnant pool. Because we are\nnot moving, we are always in the same port of\nproblematic life. All schemes are only useless scraps\nof paper in the face of war, famine, earthquakes and\nother disasters. All these disasters are warnings from\nMother Durga, and by them she confirms her eternal\nsuperiority\n\nover the\n\nillusioned\n\nplanmakers.\n\nThe\n\ndifferent weights on the anchor which keep us\ngrounded in material life are our attachments to the\nmaterial body due to our ignorance of spiritual facts,\nour attachment to kinsmen due to bodily relations,\nour attachment to our land of birth and our material\npossessions, our attachment to material science and\nour attachment to religious forms and rituals without\nknowing their true purpose-all these anchor the\nboat of the human body in the material universe.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0084": "Knowing ���a's Energies\n\n75\n\nSri Kr�va, using the example of a strongly rooted\n\nbanyan tree, advises us in Bhagavad-gitii how to get\nrid of this attachment once and for all:\n\nna rupam asyeha tathopalabhyate\nnanto na ciidir na ca sampratifltha\nasvattham enam suviruflha-mulam\nasanga-sastrel}a dp;lhena chittvii\ntata\"{l padam tat parimargitavyam\nyasmin gata na nivartanti bhuyafl\ntam eva ciidyam puruflarh prapadye\nyata\"{l pravrttilt prasrta puriil}T\n\"The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in\n\nthis world. No one can understand where it ends,\n\nwhere it begins, or where its foundation is. This\n\nbanyan tree must be cut out with determination,\n\nby the weapon of detachment.Thereafter, one must\n\nseek that situation from which, having gone, one\n\nnever comes back.\n\nOne must surrender to that\n\nSupreme Personality of Godhead from whom every­\n\nthing has begun and is extending since time imme­\n\nmorial.\" (Bg. 15.3,4)\n\nThe Personality of Godhead, who is fully cog­\n\nnizant of everything in His creation, informs us in\n\nour best interest that we must desire to get rid of this\nmaterial existence. We must detach ourselves from\n\neverything material. To make the best use of a bad\n\nbargain, our material existence should be l 00%\n\nspiritualized by constant association with Kp�J;la's\nmessage, His devotees and His names. Therefore\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0085": "76\n\nElevation to ��qa Consciousness\n\neveryone who ordinarily engages in material affairs\ncan derive the highest benefit from this Kt\\il).a con­\n\nsciousness movement. All kinds of spiritual endeavors\n\nare more or less tinged with material contamination.\n\nHowever, pure devotional service is transcendental\n\nto all\n\npollution.\n\nWe need not artificially adopt\n\nprinciples of materialism; we need only fix our\n\nminds on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, the\nPersonality of Godhead, Sri Kt\\iJ.la.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0086": "6\nTaking to\nKrsna Consciousness\nIn India all scriptures and great spiritual teachers,\nincluding\n\nS ankaracarya,\n\nan\n\nimpersonalist,\n\naccept\n\nKr�lJa as the Supreme Lord. In the beginning of his\ncommentary\n\non\n\nthe Bhagavad-g'ita,\n\nS ankaracarya\n\nsays that Narayal)a is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested creation, and in the same\ncommentary he says that the Supreme Personality\nof Godhead, Narayal)a, is Kr�lJa appearing as the son\nof Devaki and Vasudeva. Thus in this respect there\nis little difference of opinion about Kr�lJa. Those\nwho are authorities, be they personalists or impersonalists,\n\nare in agreement that Kr�l)a is the\n\nSupreme Lord.\nWhen Kr�lJa was present on this planet, He proved\nby His a_ctivities and opulence that He is the Supreme\nLord. If we are actually anxious to understand who\nand what the Supreme Lord is, all of the information\nis given in Vedic literatures. If we utilize whatever\nwe have in our possession to understand God, Kr�lJa\nwill prove that He is the Supreme Personality of\nGodhead. If we but accept this one fact, then all of\nour\n\neducation\n\nis\n\ncomplete.\n\nIt is fashionable to\n\n. research to try to find out who is God, but this is\nnot necessary. God is present, and He Himself says:\n\nmattaft parataram niinyat\nkiiicid asti dhanaiijaya\nmayi sarvam idam protam\nsutre mal}i-gal}ii iva\n77\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0087": "Elevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\n78\n\n\"0 conquerer of wealth (Arjuna), there is no truth\n\nsuperior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls\n\nare strung on a thread.\" (Bg. 7. 7)\n\nThis information is not only given in Bhagavadgita but in other scriptures as well, and it has been\naccepted\n\nfrom\n\nthe\n\nvery\n\nbeginning\n\nby\n\ngreat\n\nacaryas (teachers) like Sarikaracarya, Ramanujlicarya,\n\nMadhvacarya, Lord Caitanya and many other stal­\n\nwart authorities. Even at the present moment those\nwho do not accept Kr�l).a as the Supreme Lord are\n\naccepting the knowledge given by Kr�l).a to Arjuna.\n\nSo in this way they are accepting Kr�l).a indirectly.\n\nIf one accepts\n\nBhagavad-gita as a great book of\n\nknowledge, he is also accepting Kr�l).a. There is no\n\ndoubt that the Supreme Absolute Truth is Kr�l).a\n\nand that we have our eternal relationship with Him.\nOur eternal relationship with God is sabhajana:\n\nGod is great, and we are subordinate. He is the\n\npredominator, and we are the predominated. The\n\nduty of the subordinate is to please the predominator.\n\nSimilarly, if we want to be happy, we must learn\n\nhow to make Kr�l).a happy. This is the process of\nKr�l).a consciousness.\n\nBut how is it to be understood that the Su­\n\npreme Lord is satisfied by our service and labor?\n\nIt is actually possible to perfect our service or\n\noccupational duty. Everyone has some service to\n\nperform according to his designations. He may be an\nIndian or American, Hindu, Muslim or Christian,\n\nman, woman, brahmap,a,\n\nk�atriya, vaisya, sudra or\n\nwhatever-in any case he is meant to do some sort\n\nof work, and that work is his occupational duty.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0088": "Taking to Kw�a Consciousness\n\n79\n\nPerfection of duty can he tested by seeing whether\nthe Supreme Lord is satisfied by its execution. The\nSupreme Lord's satisfaction can be tested by the\nLord's representative, the spiritual master. Therefore it is important to seek out a real representative\nof the Supreme Personality of Godhead and work\nunder him. If he is satisfied, then we should know\nthat the Supreme Lord is also satisfied. That is\nexplained by Visvanatha Cakravarti 'fhakura:\n\nyasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado\nyasyiiprasiidiin na gatifi, kuto 'pi\ndhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam\nvande guro[l sri-carararavindam\n\"By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedieted by the mercy of Kr�Q.a. Without the grace of\nthe spiritual master no one can make any advancement. Therefore I should always remember the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer\nmy respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my\n\nspiritual master.\" (Sri Gurva§takam, Verse 8)\n\nThe spiritual master is the representative of the\nSupreme Lord. How does he become the representative? If one says that such and such an object is a\npair of spectacles, and if he teaches his disciple in\nthat way, there is no mistake as to the identity of\nthe object. The spiritual master is he who has captured the words of a particular disciplic succession.\nIn the case given, the key word is \"spectacles\"that's all. The spiritual master does not have to say\nanything\n\nbeyond\n\nthat. This is the qualification.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0089": "80\n\nElevation to Kr��a Consciousness\n\nKr�l).a says, \"I am the Supreme,\" and the spiritual\n\nmaster says, \"Kr�l).a is the Supreme.\" It is not that\n\nto be a rep1\n\n·\n\nentative of Kr�l).a or to be a spiritual\n\nmaster one has to have any extraordinary qualifica­\n\ntion. He simply has to carry the message from the\nauthority as it is without any personal interpreta­\n\ntion. As soon as there is some personal interpreta­\n\ntion, the message is lost and the instructions become\n\noffensive. A person who interprets the scriptures\n\naccording to his own whims should be immediately\nrejected.\n\nOnce Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, \"You must\n\nat least have enough sense to test to find out who is\na spiritual master and who is not.\" For instance, if\nwe want to purchase something, we must at least\n\nhave some idea of what that thing is, otherwise we\n\nwill be cheated. If we want to purchase a mango\n\nfrom the market, we must at least know what type\n\nof food a mango is and what it looks like. Similarly,\n\nwe must have some preliminary knowledge of the\nqualifications\n\nfor\n\na\n\nbona\n\nfide\n\nspiritual\n\nmaster.\n\nBhagavad-g\"ita itself gives some information about\nthe succession of spiritual masters. Lord Sri Kr�l).a\nsays:\n\nimam vivasvate yogam\nproktavan aham avyayam\nvivasvan manave praha\nmanur ik�vakave 'brav\"it\nevam parampara-praptam\nimam rajar§ayo vidu{l\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0090": "Taking'to Kr�11a Consciousness\n\nsa kiileneha mahatii\nyogo na�tafl parantapa\nsa eviiyarh maya te 'dya\nyogafl proktafl puriitanafl\nbhakto 'si me sakhii ceti\nrahasyarh hy etad uttamam\n\"I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the\nsun-god\n\nVivasvan,\n\nand Vivasvan instructed it to\n\nManu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn\ninstructed it to Ik�vaku. This supreme science was\nthus received through the chain of disciplic succes sion, and the saintly kings understood it in that way.\nBut in course of time the succession was broken, and\ntherefore the science as it is appears to be lost. That\nvery ancient science of the relationship with the\nSupreme is today told by Me to you because you are\nMy devotee as well as My friend; therefore, you can\nunderstand\n\nthe\n\ntranscendental\n\nmystery of\n\nthis\n\nscience.\" (Bg. 4.1-3)\nThat original spiritual disciplic succession was\nbroken, but now we can receive the same message\nby studying Bhagavad-gTtii. In Bhagavad-gTtii Kr�J).a\nspeaks to Arjuna just as in a far distant time He\nspoke to the sun-god. If we accept the words of\nArjtma and Kr�J).a, it may be possible for us to understand Bhagavad-gTtii, but if we want to interpret it\nin our own way, the results will be nonsensical. The\nbest way to understand Bhagavad-gTtii is to accept a\nbona fide spiritual master. This is not very difficult.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0091": "82\n\nElevation to .Kr��a Consciousness\n\nArjuna says that he accepts all that Kn;Q.a has\nsaid to him because Kn;Q.a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead:\nnafito mohaf:t smrtir labdha\ntvat prasadan mayacyuta\nsthito 'smi gata-sandehaf:t\nkari�ye vacanarh tava\n\"Arjuna said, My dear Kr�l).a, 0 infallible one, my\nillusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by\nYour mercy, and now I am fixed without any\ndoubt, prepared to act according to Your instructions.\" (Bg. 18.73)\nAs Arjuna, we should accept Kr�Q.a as the Supreme\nPersonality of Godhead and do as He says:\nyat kaTOfii yad asnasi\nyaj juho�i dadasi yat\nyat tapasyasi kaunteyq\ntat kuru§va madarparJam\n\"0 son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all\n\nthat you offer and give away, as well as all austerities\nthat you may perform, should be done as an offering\nunto Me.\" (Bg. 9.27)\nBy accepting Kr�l).a in this spirit, we can attain\ncomplete knowledge. If, however, we do not accept\nKr�l).a and interpret Bhagavad-g\"ita in our own way,\nthen everything will be spoiled.\nIf we are sincere, we will get a sincere spiritual\nmaster by the grace of Kr�Q.a. If, however, we want\n\n,,\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0092": "Taking to ��11a Consciousness\n\n83\n\nto be cheated, Kr�Qa will send us a cheater, and we\nwill be cheated throughout our lives. That is actually\n\ngoing on. For those who do not want to understand\n\nKr�Qa as He is but want to understand by dint of\n\ntheir own imperfect vision, Kr�Qa, God, remains\nunknown.\n\nThe whole process is to accept Kr�Qa and His\n\ninstructions and therefore to render devotional ser­\n\nvice unto Him. It is Srimati RadharaQi who is the\n\nvery embodiment of perfect devotional service. In\n\nthe Brahma-samhitii RadharaQi is described as Kr�Qa's\n\nexpansion of His spiritual potency. In this way, She\n\nis nondifferent from Kr�Qa. The gopi:s, who tend\nRadha and Kr�Qa, are not ordinary women or girls;\n\nthey are expansions of Kr�qa's pleasure potency.\n\nRadhariiQi and the go pis should never be accepted as\n\nordinary women; indeed, to understand their position\n\nwe need the guidance of a spiritual master. If we\nliving\n\nentities\n\nwant\n\nto\n\nactually associate\n\nwith\n\nRadharaQi, that may be possible, although She is not\n\nan ordinary woman. We can become associates of\nRadharaQi\n\nby\n\nqualifying\n\ndevotional service.\n\nourselves\n\nin\n\nadvanced\n\nIn devotional service there is no frustration; even\n\nif we perform only a small amount, it will grow.\n\nDevotional service is never lost. As far as material\n\nthings are concerned, whatever we gain in the world\nwill be lost when the body is finished. But since we\n\nare eternal spiritual sparks, our spiritual assets go\n\nwith us, gradually fructifying. In this way those who\nhave previously cultivated transcendental conscious­\n\nness come in\n\ncontact\n\nwith Kr�Qa consciousness\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0093": "84\n\nElevation to Kr�J!.a Consciousness\n\nthrough this movement. Interest in Kr�l)a conscious·\nness is not commonplace. In Bhagavad-grta it is said\nthat out of many millions and billions of persons,\nonly one is interested in achieving perfection. If\nwe can advertise that simply by reading this book\nand\n\nmeditating\n\nfor\n\nfifteen minutes\n\nanyone can\n\nimmediately get power, become successful in business and pass his examination, many people would\nbe attracted to the book. People are not attracted\nto Kr�J;la consciousness because they prefer to be\ncheated by maya. They think that the perfection of\nlife is in eating a great supply of food, or in sleeping\ntwenty hours, or in having a new mate every night\nor every day. People are interested in these things,\nbut not in the perfection of life.\nEvery intelligent man should at least experiment\nwith Kn>l)a consciousness. He should say, \"All right.\nI have been enjoying this eating and sleeping for so\nmany lives. These things were available for me to\nenjoy in my bird and animal bodies. Now in this\nlife let me restrict the four principles of animalistic\nlife-eating, sleeping, defending and mating-and let\nme devote my time to developing Kr�l)a consciousness. In this way my life will be successful.\"\nIt is not that we have coined this term \"Kr�J;la\nconsciousness.\" Kr�t;ta consciousness is the oldest\nphrase in the history of the world:\n\nman-mana bhava mad-bhakto\nmad-yafi mam namaskuru\nmam evaiflyasi satyam te\npratijane priyo 'si me\n\nl,i\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0094": "Taking to ��11a Consciousness\n\n85\n\nman-mana bhava mad-bhakto\nmad-yiifi mam namask um\nmiim evai;5yasi yuktvaivam\natmanam matparayar-a�\n\n\"Always think of Me. Become My devotee. Worship\n\nMe, and offer your homage unto Me. The result is\n\nthat you will come to Me without fail. I promise you\n\nthis, because you are My very dear friend. Engage\nyour mind always in thinking of Me, engage your\n\nbody in My service; and surrender unto Me. Com­\n\npletely absorbed in Me, surely will you come to\nMe.\" (Bg. 18.65, 9.34)\n\nThe phrase man-mana bhava mad-bhakto\n\nmeans\n\n\"just be always conscious of Me.\" This then is Kr�.t:ta\n\nconsciousness. In Bhagavad-gTta Kr�t;�-a is repeatedly\n\nsaying that we should worship Him, offer obeisances\n\nunto Him and then come to Him. Bhagavad-gTtii\n\nclearly points to the absolute necessity of Kr�.t:ta\n\nconsciousness, and Bhagavad-gTta is accepted as the\n\nessence of the Upani§ads. Even from the historical\n\npoint of view, it has no comparison. It has been r.al­\n\nculated on the basis of archeological evidence that\n\nKr�.t:ta spoke Bhagavad-gTtii on the Battlefield of\n\nKuruk�etra more than five thousand years ago. So\n\nthis Kr�Q.a consciousness movement, even from the\n\nhistorical point of view, is five thousand years old. Its\n\nphilosophy is the oldest in the history of the world.\n\nIf we wish to trace it even further back, we find\nthat Sri Kr�t;�-a spoke it earlier to the sun-god. Kr�t;�-a is\n\neternal, and consciousness of Kr�Q.a is also eternal. In\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0095": "Elevation to l{r�qa Consciousness\n\n86\n\nthis way ��!)a consciousness should be approached.\nIt should not simply be considered a theory.\nWhen\n\nKr�l)a consciousness\n\nis covered by any\n\nother consciousness, we experience our contaminated\nconditional life. When the sky is clear, we can see the\nsun's brilliant effulgence, but when it is covered by\nclouds, we cannot see it. We may be able to perceive\nthe sunlight, but we cannot see the sun disc itself.\nWhen the sky is clear, it is in its natural condition.\nSimilarly, our consciousness is eternally Kr�l)a consciousness because we are part and parcel of Kr�l)a\neternally. This is asserted in the Fifteenth Chapter\nof Bhagavad-gztii:\n\n·\n\nmamaivamso jiva-loke\nfiva-bhutal;t saniitana(l\nmana(l-�a�.thiinzndriyiiri\nprakrti-sthiini kar§ati\n\"The living entities in this conditional world are My\nfragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to\nconditioned life, they are struggling very hard with\nthe six senses, which include the mind.\" (Bg. 15. 7)\nSomehow or other we have come in contact with\nmaterial nature, and because of the mind and the six\nsenses,\n\nwe\n\nare struggling hard to exist. That is\n\nDarwin's theory-the struggle for existence, survival\nof the fittest. However, the actual fact is that our\nconstitutional position is not one of struggle. Struggle\nis the position of animal life. Human life should be\nblissful and should have as its goal spiritual advance-\n\n�..\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0096": "Taking to ��f!a Consciousness\n\n87\n\nment. At one time that was India's principle of life,\nand there was a class of people, the briihmar-as, who\nengaged themselves exclusively in spiritual culture.\nAlthough brahminical cultural life is enunciated in\nthe scriptures of India, it is not for Indians alone,\nbut for all human beings. The Vedas were written\nfor all mankind, but it so happened that when the\n\nVedas were written, what is now known as the\nIndian culture was the only one extant. At that\ntime, the whole planet was called Bharatavar�a, after\nEmperor Bharata Maharaja, the son of J;t�abhadeva.\nBharata\n\nMaharaja\n\nruled\n\nthe\n\nwhole\n\nplanet,\n\nbut\n\ngradually the planet was divided up. So the dharma\nof Vedic culture should not simply be considered\nIndian or Hindu in a sectarian sense.\nOften the word dharma is translated to mean\nreligion, but to conceive of dharma as a religion is to\nmisconceive the word. In general usage, the word\nreligion refers to a particular type of faith. The\nword dharma does not. Dharma indicates the natural\noccupation of the living entity. For example, wher·\never there is fire, there is heat and light, so it may be\nsaid that heat and light are the dharma of fire. Fire\ncannot change its dharma. In the same way, liquidity\nis an intrinsic quality of water, and this quality\ncannot be changed. If it is, it can no longer be considered water. The dharma of the individual soul\ncan never be changed, and that dharma is the occupational duty of rendering service unto the Supreme\nLord. Faiths and religions can be changed. Today I\nmay be a Hindu, but tomorrow I may become a\nChristian or Moslem. In this way faiths can be\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0097": "Elevation to Kr�11a Consciousness\n\n88\n\nchanged, but dharma is a natural sequence, a natural\noccupation or connection.\nKr�IJa says that as soon as there is a discrepancy\n\nin the discharge of the dharmas of the living entities,\nwhen there is an upsurge of unnatural activities, He\ndescends.\n\nOne\n\nof the principal purposes of His\n\ndescent is to reestablish religious principles. The best\nsystem of religion is that which best trains us to\nsurrender unto the Supreme Lord. This is the basic\nprinciple underlying Bhagavad-g'ita. We can select our\n\nown\n\nreligion\n\nand\n\nbe\n\nHindu,\n\nMoslem,\n\nBuddhist,\n\nChristian or whatever, as long as we know the real\npurpose\n\nof\n\nreligion.\n\nIndeed,\n\nSrimad-Bhagavatam\n\ndoes not recommend that we give up our present\nreligion, but it does hint at the purpose of religion.\nThat purpose is love of Godhead, and that religion\nwhich teaches us best how to love the Supreme\nLord is the best religion.\nIn this age especially there is a general decay in\n'the consciousness of the masses of people. A few\npeople remember that there is a God, but for the\nmost part people are forgetting Him. Therefore they\ncannot be happy. People are thinking that God is\ndead, or that we have no obligation to God, or that\nthere is no God. This sort of thinking will never\nmake for happiness. When civilization is godless or\natheistic, as it is today, God or His representative\ncomes to remind people of their relationship with\nthe supreme consciousness.\nWhen\n\nSanatana\n\nGosvami inquired\n\nfrom\n\nLord\n\nCaitanya, \"What am I? Why am I always in a miserable condition? What is the position of all living\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0098": "Taking to KwJ.a Consciousness\nentities?\"\n\nSri Caitanya\n\n89\n\nMahaprabhu immediately\n\nanswered that the real identity is that of servant of\nGod. We should not understand the word \"servant\"\n\nin the sense of materialistic servant. To become a\nservant of God is a great position. People are always\n\ntrying to get some government post or some posi­\n\ntion in a reputed business firm because the service\nrendered in such positions earns great profits. Al­\n\nthough we are very anxious to get good positions in\n\nthe government service, we do not stop to think of\n\ngetting a position\n\nin God's service. God is the\n\ngovernment of all governments.\n\nGod's service is dharma. This dharma may be\n\ndescribed differently in different countries accord­\n\ning to different cultural and climatic conditions or\n\nsituations, but in every religious scripture obedience\nto God is instructed. No scripture says that there is\n\nno God or that we as living entities are independent­\n\nnot the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas or even the\n\nBuddhist literatures. Generally, according to Buddhist\n\nphilosophy,\n\nthere\n\nis\n\nno individual soul and no\n\nsupreme soul, but actually since Lord Buddha is\n\naccepted by Vedic literatures as an incarnation of\n\nGod, by obeying Lord Buddha one is actually follow­\n\ning God. In the Srimad-Bhiigavatam there is a list of\nincarnations,\n\nand\n\nLord\n\nBuddha\n\nis\n\nthousand\n\nyears\n\nago,\n\naccepted as\n\none of them. Srimad-Bhiigavatam was compiled by\nVyasadeva\n\nfive\n\nand\n\nLord\n\nBuddha appeared about 2,600 years ago, so Snmad­\n\nBhiigavatam actually foretold the event of his incar­\n\nnation. Lord Buddha preached that there is no God\n\nand no soul, that this body is a combination of\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0099": "90\n\nElevation to Kr�IJ.a Consciousness\n\nmatter, and that when we dissolve this material\ncombination, sensations of misery and happiness\n\nwill no longer exist. Then Sankaracarya appeared to\n\npreach that the external feature of Brahman, the\nbody, is merely an illusion. In all religions, temple\nworship and acceptance of authority are present.\n\nWe may accept Kr�lJa, or Lord Jesus Christ, or\nJehovah, or Lord Buddha, or Sankaracarya, or Guru\n\nNanak, but in any case acceptance of authority is\n\nrequired.\n\nIn Bhagavad-gita Lord Sri Kr�l)a is accepted as the\n\nsupreme authority. Sometimes Kr�lJa descends per­\n\nsonally, and sometimes He descends by His incarna­\n\ntions. Sometimes He descends as sound vibration,\n\nand sometimes He descends as a devotee. There are\n\nmany different categories of avataras. In this, present\nage Kr�lJa has descended in His holy name, Hare\nKr�lJa, Hare Kr�lJa, Kr�lJa Kr�lJ.a, Hare Hare/ Hare\n\nRama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord\n\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu also confirmed that in this age\n\nof Kali, Kr�lJa has descended in the form of sound\n\nvibration. Sound is one of the forms which the Lord\n\ntakes. Therefore it is stated that there is no difference\n\nbetween Kr�lJa and His name.\n\nToday people have forgotten their relationship\n\nwith God, but this incarnation of Kr�lJa in the form\n\nof His holy names, this chanting of Hare Kr�lJa, will\n\ndeliver all the people of the world from their forget­\n\nfulness. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that if we\n\nchant or associate with the chanting of the holy\nnames of Kr�lJ.a, we will reach the highest perfectional stage of life. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam\n\nJ\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0100": "Taking to Kt�11a Consciousness\n\n91\n\nthere are different processes for different ages, but\nthe principle of each process remains valid in all\nages. It is not that the chanting of Hare Kr�Q.a is\neffective in this age and not in Satya-yuga. Nor is it\nthat people were not chanting the holy names of\nKr�Q.a in Satya-yuga. In Satya-yuga meditation was\nthe main process, and great munis meditated for\nperiods\nthis\n\nextending\n\nage,\n\nupwards\n\nof\n\n60,000 years. In\n\nhowever, perfection by that means of\n\nmeditation is not possible because we are so shortlived.\n\nConsequently in\n\nthis age\n\nit\n\nis\n\nespecially\n\nrecommended that we all sit down together and chant\nHare Kr�Q.a. It is very easy, and everyone can take\npart in it. There is no necessity of education, nor are\nany previous qualifications required. In this age\npeople are also very slow and unfortunate, and\nthey are contaminated with bad association. Caitanya\nMahaprabhu introduced the chanting of Hare Kr�Q.a,\nHare Kr�Q.a, Kr�Q.a Kr�Q.a, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama,\nHare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare as a great means\nof propaganda for spreading love of God. It is not\nthat it is recommended only for Kali-yuga. Actually,\nit is recommended for every age. There have always\nbeen many devotees who have chanted and reached\nperfection in all ages. That is the beauty of this\nKr�Q.a consciousness movement. It is not simply for\none age, or for one country, or for one class of\npeople. Hare Kr�Q.a can be chanted by any man in\nany social position, in any country and in any age,\nfor Kr�Q.a is the Supreme Lord of all people in all\nsocial positions, in all countries, in all ages.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0101": "", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0102": "GLOSSARY\nAnanda-spiritual bliss, pleasure.\nAvatara-an incarnation of God who descends from\nthe spiritual world.\nBhagavad-gTta-the book which records the spiritual\ninstructions given by Kr�Q.a to His friend Arjuna\non the Battlefield of Kuruk�etra.\nBhakti-devotional service to God.\nBrahmar;as-the intellectual class in human society.\nCatur-vaqtyam-divisions of labor in human society\nas described in the Vedic literatures.\nDharma-the natural occupation of the living entity,\nwhich is to serve God.\nGopTs-cowherd girl friends of Kr�Q.a described in the\n\nVedic literatures.\nGovinda-Kr�Q.a, who gives pleasure to the senses.\nGuru-spiritual master.\n.Jagadisa-the Lord of the universe, Kr�Q.a.\nJivas-living entities or souls.\n]iianTs-speculative philosophers.\n\nKarma-fruitive activities or their reactions.\nKarmTs-fruitive laborers.\nK�atriyas-the administrative and military class in\nhuman society.\nK�etrajiia-the individual spirit soul who is the knower of the field of the body.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0103": "Glossary\n\n94\n\nLllii- transcendental pastimes of the Lord.\nLllii puru§ottama-the Personality of Godhead, who\n-\n\nis by His own nature always engaged in transcendental pastimes.\nMantra-a transcendental sound vibration.\nMaya-material atmosphere in which the conditioned\nsoul tries to enj oy without God.\nNliras-living beings.\nPrakrti-material nature.\nSac cid ananda vigraha-description of God as a fully\ncognizant and eternally j oyful personality with a\n, full sense of His identity.\nSudras-the common laborer class in human society.\n-\n\n-\n\n-\n\nVaisyas- the mercantile and agricultural class in human society.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0104": "INDEX\nAbsolute Truth\nSee Kr$1)a\nAnimals\nchoosing life of humans or,\n1-12\n\ndon't know they're suffering,\n9\n\nArjuna\n.\nheard G!ta from Sri Kr91)a,\n3-4, 81-82\nBhagavad-g!tii\n\nanalogy of banyan tree in,\n75\n\nas ABC of spiritual knowledge, 23\nas perfect knowledge taught\nby K�91)a, 3\ndescription of spiritual world\nin, 5-8\nmeant for happiness of all\nmen, 58\non disciplic succession, 8081\n\non four divisions of human\nbeings, 36\non K��l)a as source of Brahman, 55\non miseries of material world\n15-16\n\non sense gratifying social\nset-up, 73-74\non spiritual evolution, 8-9\npoints to necessity of Kr$1)a\nconsciousness, 85\nstresses devotion to Sri\nK�91)a, 40\nBhakti yoga\nSee Krsna consciousness\n\nBody, mat��i�l\nas field of activities, 31, 34\n\nBrahm a\nacknowledges K��l)a as supreme controller, 45\nas first created person, 53\nK��l)a as origin of, 51\nBrahman\nKr�l)a as source of, 55\nBriihmarJaS (intellectual class)\nnecessity for in modern society, 35-36, 42-43\nBrahma-sarhhitii\n\nacknowledges Kf&J;la as supreme controller, 45\nBuddha\nas incarnation of God, 89-90\n\nCaitanya Mahaprabhu\nacce�ts K�$1)a as God, 78\nHis Sik�ii�.takam prayer, 44\nK�$1)a's manifestation as, 6668\n\non Hare K��l)a mantra,\n\n90-\n\n91\n\nparticularly uses word lagadisa, 46-47\n\npropounded devotional service, 15\nConditioned souls\nbound by laws of nature, 2425\n\ndeluded by modes of nature,\n45\n\nfour defects of, 1-2\nnot interested in perfection\nof life, 84\npunished by material energy,\n60-61\n\nDevotional service\nbegins with tongue, 68\nnever lost, 83-84\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0105": "96\n\nIndex\n\npropounded by Caitanya\nMahiiprabhu, 15\ntranscendental knowledge attainable by,30\ntranscendental to all pollution, 76\nSee also Kr�l)a consciousness\nDisciplic succession\nGitii handed down by, 3\nspiritual master must be in,\n79-81\nSee also Spiritual Master\nDurga\nas personification of material\nenergy,61\nsupervises fire of material\nnature, 71-72\nEnergy\nDurga as personification of\nmaterial, 61\neverything is actually spiritual, 60-62\nknowing Kr�l)a's energies,\n60-76\nmaterial engaged to punish\nconditioned souls, 60-61\nEvolution\nDarwin's theory refuted,8-9\nGod\nSee Krsna\nGosviimis' (disciples of Lord\nCaitanya)\nalways searching after Riidhii\nand Kr�l)a,67\nGovinda\nSee Kr�l)a\n·\n\nHappiness\nhankering after material is\nlust, 15\nhard struggle for,13-30\nimpossible in godless civilization,88\n\nimpossible in material world,\n72\npious actions lead to, 29\nvariegatedness necessary for,\n21-23\nHare Kr�l)a mantra\nextinguishes fire of material\nnature, 68-69\nKr�l)a has descended in,57 ,\n.\n90\npeace by chanting, 42-43\nHeaven\nSee Spiritual world\nHuman life\nmeant for penance, 10-11\nmeant to be nonviolent, 35\nmeant to study science of\nGod,5,23,86-87\nperfected by Vedic knowl·\nedge, 4-5\n\n1mpersonalists\nagree Kr�l)ais Supreme Lord,\n77\nconsider Lord and individual\nsouls equal, 25-26\ndeny spiritual variegatedness,\n21-23,28\nthink God has no form,53.\n55\nJehovah\naccepting His authority, 90\nSee also Kr�l)a\nJesus Christ\naccepting his authority, 90\nKingdom of God\nSee Spiritual world\nKnowledge,spiritual\nattainable by devotional service, 30\nBhagavad-gitii as ABC of,23\n\n�\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0106": "Index\nbroadcast by real brahma[!as,\n42-43\ngiven by spiritual master, 1,\n41-42, 57-58, 68-70, 7980, 82-83\nKr�!Ja\nas creator of divisions of\nhuman society, 36\n\nas origin of demigods, 51\nas reservoir of pleasure, 56\nas substantially and eternally\nas\n\nGod, 50-51\nsupreme authority\n\nof\n\nG!tii, 3\nas supreme controller, 42\nas supreme person, 53-55\nclaims all living beings as His\nsons, 31-33\n\ndescended in His holy name,\n90-91\nhas no material form, 54-56\nHis energy always spiritual,\n60-62\n\nHis expansions, 63\nHis manifestation as Lord\nCaitanya Mahiiprabhu, 66-\n\n68\nnot bound by His work, 41,\n49\nRiidhiiriil).i attractive to, 6566\nstresses devotion to His personal Self, 40\nSee also Lord Sri Caitanya\nMahaprabhu,the Supreme\nLord\n\nKr�!Ja consciousness\nas pleasing process, ll-12\nas transcending modes of\nnature, 37\nas utmost necessity for human society, 39-40\n\nBhagavad-g!ta points to necessity of, 85\n\n97\ninterest in not commonplace, 84\nmeant for understanding position of soul, 33\n\nSee also Devotional serVIce\nLiving beings\nas all sons of Kr�!Ja, 13,3133,86\nbelong to superior energy,\n25\ncreated to give pleasure to\nGod, 65\nmaintained by Almighty Father, 20\n\nmeant to serve Supreme\nLord, 19,27,29-30\nnaturally attracted by vari­\n\nety, 21\nnot attracted to void, 38\nsubject to three-fold miseries,\n8-10\nVar[!iisrama-dharma as eternal religion of, 7\n\nMahiimantra\nSee Hare Krsna mantra\nMarriage\n.. .\n\nmeant for avoiding illicit sex,\n\n35\nMaterial world\n\nas partial manifestation of\ncreation, 5-6\ncompared to forest fire, 6970\nexists on plenary portion of\nKr�!Ja, 64\n\nfull of miseries, 15-16,23-25\nno one can become supreme\nin, 47-48\nMiiyii\n\nas accepting body as self, 2\nas forgetfulness of our position, 45-46\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0107": "98\n\nIndex\n\nbaffles planmakers,24\npeople prefer to be cheated\nby,84\nMiiyiiviidis\n\nSee Impersonalists\nMeditation\nno one can become God by,\n\n50-51\nModes of nature\n\nall conditioned souls subject\nto,45\n\ntranscended by Kr�pa consciousness, 36-37\nwork according to,36\n\nMoney\nused for sense gratification,\n16-20\n\nNariiyaQ.a\n\nSee K��Q.a\n\nPadma Puriina\non spirit�al evolution, 8\n\nPeace\n\nby chanting Hare Kr�Q.a man­\n\ntra, 42-43\nby hearing words of Kr�Q.a,\n\n59\nimpossible without four social orders, 36\n\nonly achieved by serving\nKr�Q.a, l 7-18\ntoward a peaceful society,\n31-44\nPenance\nhuman life meant for,lO-ll\nPrayers\nno high qualification necessary to offer, 44\nof Caitanya Mahiiprabhu,44,\n56\nof Lord Brahmii,52,53,54-\n\n55,55-56\nshould be directed to Supreme Personality of Godhead,53\n\n..,\n\nRiidhiiriiQ.i\nas embodiment of perfect\n\ndevotional service,83\nas pleasure potency of Sri\n\nKr�Q.a,65\ncan deliver Kr�Q.a,65-67\nReligion\nthe real purpose of, 87-91\n\nI:t�abhadeva\non purpose of life, 10-12\n\nSarikaraciirya\naccepts Kn>Q.a as Supreme\nLord, 77\nhis basic philosophy,37\nhis theoretical negation of\nmaterial activities,15\nScriptures\n,\nSee Bhagavad-g!tii, SnmadBhiigavatam\nSense gratification\ngodless civilization contrived\nfor,16-17\nmoney used for,16-20\nsocial order structured on,\n73\n\nSenses\nKr�Q.a gives pleasure to, 56\n\nKr�Q.a not perceived by material,68\n\nof conditioned soul limited,\n1-3\nused in service of Lord, 17\n\nSiva\nconfirms Kr�Q.a as Supreme\nGodhead, 52\n\nKr�Q.a as origin of,51\nSoul\n\nSee Living beings\n\nSpiritual master\n\nas representative of Supreme\n\nLord, 79-80,82-83\nassociation with by vibration, 57-58\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0108": "Index\ndistributes mercy of Kr�J;�a,\n68-70\ngives disciples transcendental\n\nknowledge, 1\nsubmissive inquiry from, 4142\nSpiritual world\nconducted by Radhiini!].i, 65\ndescribed in Gitii, 5-8\n, f�ll of variegatedness, 12\nSn /Sopani�ad\nconfirms Kr�J;�a has nothing\nto do, 62\nSfimad-Bhiigavatam\nanticipated hog worship m\nthis age, 11\nconfirms Kr�J;�a as Supreme\nGodhead, 52\nforetold coming of Buddha,\n89\non real purpose of religion,\n88\nSubhadra\nincarnation of Durga comes\n\nfrom, 61\nSiidras\nin this age everyone born,\n34-36\nSuicide\nsimply creates other miseries, 38\nSupreme Lord\nas above modes of nature, 45\nas one without a second,\n13,48\nas Supreme Father, 31-33\n\nexpands\n\nHimself\n\nenergies, 23\n\nby\n\nHis\n\nhas nothing to do, 48-50,\n62-63\nknown by devotional service,\n30\nnot subject to material creation, 7-9\n\n99\nspiritual\n\nmaster\n\nas\n\nsentative of, 79-80\n\nrepre­\n\ntranscendental pastimes of,\n21,23\nSee also Kr�J;�a\n\nVarrziisrama-dharma\nas eternal religion of living\nbeings, 7\nVediinta-siitra\non purpose of human life, 23\non variegatedness and pleasure, 21-22\nVedas\nmeant for totality of human\nsociety, 4,87\nVisnu\n�� father of Lord Brahmii,\n53\nKr�J;�a as origin of, 51\nSee also Krsna\nVisvanatha c�·kravarfi Thiikura\non mercy of spirituai master,\n79\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0109": "BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS\nHis Divine Grace\nA.C.BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA\n\"When one is enlightened\nwith the knowledge by which\nnescience is destroyed,\nthen his knowledge reveals everything,\nas the sun lights up everything\nin the daytime.\n\n� -5 . 16\n\"8h agavad-glta\n\nAvailable from:\nISKCON BOOKS 3959 Landmark Street\nCulver City, California 90230\nSoftcover $4.95\n\nHardcover $10.95\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0110": "ISKCON CENTERS\nAROUND THE WORLD\nISKCON is a worldwide community of devotees dedicated to the\nprinciples of bhakti-yoga. Write,call,or visit for further information.\nClasses are held in the evenings during the week,\nand a special feast and festival is held every Sunday afternoon.\nAFRICA: Durban, S. Africa-c/o Popatlal Kara, 201 Grey Street; Nairobi, KenyaP.O. Box 28946 (E. Africa)\nTHE AMERICAS: Atlanta, Georgia-24 NE 13th St. 30309/ (404)892-9042; Austin,\nTexas-1916 justin Lane 78757I(512)454-6445; Baltimore,Maryland-516 Cathedral\nSt. 21201; Boston, Massachusetts-40 N. Beacon St. 02134/(617)782-8892; Buffalo,\nNew York-132 Bidwell Pkwy. 14222/ (716)882-0281; Caracas, Venezuela-Mariano\nMont ilia No. 3, San Bernardino, Apartado 4345, Zona Postal 101f 51-44-38; Chicago,\nlllinois-1014 Emerson St., Evanston 60201I (312)475-9126; Cleveland, Ohio15720 Euclid Ave., E. Cleveland 44112/ (216)451-0418; Dallas, Texas-5430 Gurley\nSt. 75223/ (214)827-6330; Denver, Colorado-1400 Cherry St. 80220/ (303)3226661; Detroit, Michigan-8311 E. jefferson Ave. 48214/ (313)824-6000; Honolulu,\nHawaii-2016 McKinley St. 96822/ (808)949-9022; Houston,Texas-707 Hawthorne\nSt. 77006/ (713)526-0475; Laguna Beach, California-641 Ramona Ave. 92651/\n(714)494-9172; Los Angeles, California-3764 Watseka Ave. 90034/ (213)8710717; Mexico City, Mexico-Gobernador Tiburcio, Montiel No. 45, San Miguel,\nMexico City 18/ (905)515-4242; Miami, Florida-4001 Kumquat Ave., Coconut\nGrove 33133/ (305)448-7893; Montreal, Canada-3720 Park Ave., Montreal 130,\nQuebec/ (514)849-4319; New Orleans, Louisiana-2936 Esplanade Ave. 70119/\n(504)488-1313; New Vrindavana, W. Virginia-RD No. 3, Moundsville 26041/ (304)\n845-2790; New York, New York-439 Henry St., Brooklyn 11231/ (212)596-9658;\nNorfolk, Virginia-624 Boissevain Ave., Apt. B 23507/ (703)623-5004; Philadelphia,\nPennsylvania-641 E. Chelten Ave. 19144/(215)849-1767;Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania5135 Ellsworth Ave. 15232/(412)683-7700;Portland,Oregon-2507 NE Stanton St.\n97212/ (503)284-6395; St. Louis, Missouri-4544 Laclede Ave. 63108/ (314)3611224; San Diego, California.,.-3300 3rd Ave. 92103/ (714)291-7778; San Francisco,\nCalifornia-455 Valencia St. 94103/ (415)864-9233; Seattle, Washington-400 18th\nAve. East 98102/ (206)329-9348; Toronto, Canada-187 Gerrard St. East, Toronto\n225, Ontario/(416)922-5415; Vancouver, Canada-1786 W. 11th Ave.,Vancouver-9,\nB.C./ (604)732-8422; Washington, D.C.-2015 \"Q\" St. NW 20009/ (202)667-3516.\nASI A: Bombay, India-Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Road, juhu Beach, Bombay\n54; Calcutta, lndia-3 Albert Road, Calcutta 17/ 44-3757; jakarta, lndonesia-P.O.\nBox 2640; Kowloon, Hong Kong-45A Broadway, 15/Fioor, Mei Foo Sun Chuen;\nManila,Philippines-179 Ortega St., San juan, Rizal; Mayapur, lndia-ISKCON International Center, P.O. Sree Mayapur Dham, W. Bengal (District Nadia); New Delhi,\nlndia-66 Babar Road, Bengali Market; Tokyo, japan-3-4-18, Shimo Ochiai Shinjukuku/593-3603; Vrndavana, lndia- Radha-Damodar Temple, Seva Kunj, Mathur?., U.P.;\nVrndavana, India- Raman Reti, Mathura, U.P.\nAUSTRAL I A: Adelaide, Australia-254 A. Rundle Street, Adelaide, S.A.; Auckland,\nNew Zealand-67 Gribblehirst Rd., Mt. Albert/ 688-666; Brisbane, Australia-47\nMary St., Queensland 4000; Melbourne, Australia-14 Burnett St., St. Kilda, Victoria\n3182; Perth, Australia-500 Fitzgerald St., Kewdale, N. Perth, W.A. 6006; Sydney,\nAustralia-83 Hereford St., Glebe, N.S.W. 2037/ 660-7159\nEUROPE: Amsterdam, Holland-Bethanienstraat 39 (C)/ 020-253160; Berlin, W.\nGermany-1 Berlin 65, Holzstr. 11/ 491-21-33; Edinburgh, Scotland-14 Forrest\nRoad ( U . K.)/ (031)225-4797; Geneva, Switzerland-9, chemin du Credo, 1213 Petit\nLaney/ 022-92-1318; Hamburg, W. Germany-2 Hamburg 54, Kapitelbuschweg 20/\n570-53-82; Heidelberg, W. Germany-69 Heidelberg 1, Karlsruherstr. 31/ 31354;\nLondon,England-7 Bury Place, Bloomsbury WCl /01-242-0394; Munich,W. Germany\n-8042 Oberschleissheim, Dr. Hoffmeister Str. 7 (MUnchen)/3150421; Nottingham,\nEngland-51, Norwood Road, Radford; Paris, France-26 Bis, rue d'Estienne d'Orves,\n92-Fontenay-aux- Roses/350-26-07.\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0111": "\"After many births and deaths, he\nwho is actually in knowledge surrenders\nunto K�r;�a knowing Him to be\nthe cause of all causes and all that is.\nSuch a great soul is very rare.\"\nBhagavad-g[tii ( 7.19}\n\n", "1973_Elevation_to_Krsna_Consciousness#p0112": ""}