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8 Beyond Birth and Death Living in the bodily conception, our idea of happiness is like that of a man in delirium. Some philosophers claim that this delirious condition of bodily identification should be cured by abstaining from all action. Because these material activities have been a source of distress for us, they claim that we should actually stop these activities. Their culmination of perfection is in a kind of Buddhistic nirvāṇa in which no activities are performed. Buddha maintained that due to a combination of material elements, this body has come into existence, and that somehow or other if these material elements are separated or dismantled, the cause of suffering is removed. If the tax collectors give us too much difficulty because we happen to possess a large house, one simple solution is to destroy the house. However, Bhagavad-gītā indicates that this material body is not all in all. Beyond this combination of material elements, there is spirit, and the symptom of that spirit is consciousness. Consciousness cannot be denied. A body without consciousness is a dead body. As soon as consciousness is removed from the body, the mouth will not speak, the eye will not see, nor the ears hear. A child can understand that. It is a fact that consciousness is absolutely necessary for the animation of the body. What is this consciousness? Just as heat or smoke are symptoms of fire, so consciousness is the symptom of the soul. The energy of the soul or self is produced in the shape of consciousness. Indeed, consciousness proves that the soul is present. This is not only the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā but the conclusion of all Vedic literature.

We Are Not These Bodies 11 hanker for pleasure. A drop of ocean water has all the properties of the ocean itself, and we, although minute particles of the Supreme Whole, have the same energetic properties of the Supreme. The atomic soul, although so small, is moving the entire body to act in so many wonderful ways. In the world we see so many cities, highways, bridges, great buildings, monuments and great civilizations, but who has done all this? It is all done by the minute spirit spark within the body. If such wonderful things can be performed by the minute spirit spark, we cannot begin to imagine what can be accomplished by the Supreme Spirit Whole. The natural hankering of the minute spirit spark is for the qualities of the Whole—knowledge, bliss and eternality—but these hankerings are being frustrated due to the material body. The information on how to attain the soul's desire is given in Bhagavad-gītā . At present we are trying to attain eternity, bliss and knowledge by means of an imperfect instrument. Actually our progress towards these goals is being blocked by the material body; therefore we have to come to the realization of our existence beyond the body. Theoretical knowledge that we are not these bodies will not do. We have to keep ourselves always separate as masters of the body, not as servants. If we know how to drive a car well, it will give us good service; but if we do not know how, we will be in danger. The body is composed of senses, and the senses are always hungry after their objects. The eyes see a

We Are Not These Bodies 11 hanker for pleasure. A drop of ocean water has all the properties of the ocean itself, and we, although minute particles of the Supreme Whole, have the same energetic properties of the Supreme. The atomic soul, although so small, is moving the entire body to act in so many wonderful ways. In the world we see so many cities, highways, bridges, great buildings, monuments and great civilizations, but who has done all this? It is all done by the minute spirit spark within the body. If such wonderful things can be performed by the minute spirit spark, we cannot begin to imagine what can be accomplished by the Supreme Spirit Whole. The natural hankering of the minute spirit spark is for the qualities of the Whole—knowledge, bliss and eternality—but these hankerings are being frustrated due to the material body. The information on how to attain the soul's desire is given in Bhagavad-gītā . At present we are trying to attain eternity, bliss and knowledge by means of an imperfect instrument. Actually our progress towards these goals is being blocked by the material body; therefore we have to come to the realization of our existence beyond the body. Theoretical knowledge that we are not these bodies will not do. We have to keep ourselves always separate as masters of the body, not as servants. If we know how to drive a car well, it will give us good service; but if we do not know how, we will be in danger. The body is composed of senses, and the senses are always hungry after their objects. The eyes see a

12 Beyond Birth and Death beautiful person and tell us, “Oh, there is a beautiful girl, a beautiful boy. Let’s go see.” The ears are telling us, “Oh there is very nice music. Let us go hear it.” The tongue is saying, “Oh, there is a very nice restaurant with palatable dishes. Let us go.” In this way the senses are dragging us from one place to another, and because of this we are perplexed. indriyāṇām hi caratām yan mano nuvidhīyate tad asya harati prajñām vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi “As a boat on the water is swept away by a strong wind, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.” (Bg. 2.67) It is imperative that we learn how to control the senses. The name gosvāmī is given to someone who has learned how to master the senses. Go means senses, and svāmī means controller, so one who can control the senses is to be considered a gosvāmī . Kṛṣṇa indicates that one who identifies with the illusory material body cannot establish himself in his proper identity as spirit soul. Bodily pleasure is flickering and intoxicating, and we cannot actually enjoy it because of its momentary nature. Actual pleasure is of the soul, not the body. We have to mold our lives in such a way that we will not be diverted by bodily pleasure. If somehow we are diverted, it is not possible for us to establish our consciousness in its true identity beyond the body.

We Are Not These Bodies 13 bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām tayāpahṛta-cetasām vyavsāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-kṣema ātmavān “In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. The Vedas deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self.” (Bg. 2.44-45) The word veda means book of knowledge. There are many books of knowledge which vary according to the country, population, environment, etc. In India, the books of knowledge are referred to as the Vedas . In the West, they are called the Old Testament and New Testament. The Mohammedans accept the Koran. What is the purpose for all these books of knowledge? They are to train us to understand our position as pure soul. Their purpose is to restrict bodily activities by certain rules and regulations, and these rules and regulations are known as codes of morality. The Bible, for instance, has ten command-

14 Beyond Birth and Death ments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulated principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulated principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the verse above, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance ( traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul beyond the dualities of material nature. As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas which promise pain or heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician

14 Beyond Birth and Death ments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulated principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulated principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the verse above, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance ( traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul beyond the dualities of material nature. As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas which promise pain or heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician

14 Beyond Birth and Death ments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulated principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulated principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the verse above, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance ( traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul beyond the dualities of material nature. As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas which promise pain or heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician

14 Beyond Birth and Death ments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulated principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulated principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the verse above, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance ( traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul beyond the dualities of material nature. As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas which promise pain or heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician

14 Beyond Birth and Death ments intended to regulate our lives. The body must be controlled in order for us to reach the highest perfection, and without regulated principles, it is not possible to perfect our lives. The regulated principles may differ from country to country or from scripture to scripture, but that doesn't matter, for they are made according to the time and circumstances and mentality of the people. But the principle of regulated control is the same. Similarly, the government sets down certain regulations to be obeyed by its citizens. There is no possibility of making advancement in government or civilization without some regulations. In the verse above, Śrī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the regulative principles of the Vedas are meant to control the three modes of material nature—goodness, passion and ignorance ( traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā ). However, Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna to establish himself in his pure constitutional position as spirit soul beyond the dualities of material nature. As we have already pointed out, these dualities—such as heat and cold, pleasure and pain—arise due to the contact of the senses with their objects. In other words, they are born of identification with the body. Kṛṣṇa indicates that those who are devoted to enjoyment and power are carried away by the words of the Vedas which promise pain or heavenly enjoyment by sacrifice and regulated activity. Enjoyment is our birthright, for it is the characteristic of the spirit soul, but the spirit soul tries to enjoy materially, and this is the mistake. Everyone is turning to material subjects for enjoyment and is compiling as much knowledge as possible. Someone is becoming a chemist, physicist, politician

We Are Not These Bodies 15 or artist or whatever. Everyone knows something of everything and everything of something, and this is generally known as knowledge. But as soon as we leave the body, all of this knowledge is vanquished. In a previous life, one may be a great man of knowledge, but in this life he has to start again by going to school and learning how to read and write from the beginning. Whatever knowledge was acquired in the previous life is forgotten. The situation is that we are actually seeking eternal knowledge, but this cannot be acquired by this material body. We are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment. The body must be considered a diseased condition. A diseased man cannot enjoy himself properly; a man with jaundice, for instance, will taste sugar candy as bitter, but a healthy man can taste its sweetness. In either case, the sugar candy is the same, but according to our condition it tastes different. Unless we are cured of this diseased conception of bodily life, we cannot taste the sweetness of spiritual life. Indeed, it will taste bitter to us. At the same time, by increasing our enjoyment of material life, we are further complicating our diseased condition. A typhoid patient cannot eat solid food, and if someone gives it to him to enjoy, and he eats it, he is further complicating his malady and endangering his life. If we really want freedom from the miseries of material existence, we must minimize our bodily demands and pleasures.

We Are Not These Bodies 15 or artist or whatever. Everyone knows something of everything and everything of something, and this is generally known as knowledge. But as soon as we leave the body, all of this knowledge is vanquished. In a previous life, one may be a great man of knowledge, but in this life he has to start again by going to school and learning how to read and write from the beginning. Whatever knowledge was acquired in the previous life is forgotten. The situation is that we are actually seeking eternal knowledge, but this cannot be acquired by this material body. We are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment. The body must be considered a diseased condition. A diseased man cannot enjoy himself properly; a man with jaundice, for instance, will taste sugar candy as bitter, but a healthy man can taste its sweetness. In either case, the sugar candy is the same, but according to our condition it tastes different. Unless we are cured of this diseased conception of bodily life, we cannot taste the sweetness of spiritual life. Indeed, it will taste bitter to us. At the same time, by increasing our enjoyment of material life, we are further complicating our diseased condition. A typhoid patient cannot eat solid food, and if someone gives it to him to enjoy, and he eats it, he is further complicating his malady and endangering his life. If we really want freedom from the miseries of material existence, we must minimize our bodily demands and pleasures.

We Are Not These Bodies 15 or artist or whatever. Everyone knows something of everything and everything of something, and this is generally known as knowledge. But as soon as we leave the body, all of this knowledge is vanquished. In a previous life, one may be a great man of knowledge, but in this life he has to start again by going to school and learning how to read and write from the beginning. Whatever knowledge was acquired in the previous life is forgotten. The situation is that we are actually seeking eternal knowledge, but this cannot be acquired by this material body. We are all seeking enjoyment through these bodies, but bodily enjoyment is not our actual enjoyment. It is artificial. We have to understand that if we want to continue in this artificial enjoyment, we will not be able to attain our position of eternal enjoyment. The body must be considered a diseased condition. A diseased man cannot enjoy himself properly; a man with jaundice, for instance, will taste sugar candy as bitter, but a healthy man can taste its sweetness. In either case, the sugar candy is the same, but according to our condition it tastes different. Unless we are cured of this diseased conception of bodily life, we cannot taste the sweetness of spiritual life. Indeed, it will taste bitter to us. At the same time, by increasing our enjoyment of material life, we are further complicating our diseased condition. A typhoid patient cannot eat solid food, and if someone gives it to him to enjoy, and he eats it, he is further complicating his malady and endangering his life. If we really want freedom from the miseries of material existence, we must minimize our bodily demands and pleasures.

16 Beyond Birth and Death Actually material enjoyment is not enjoyment at all. Real enjoyment does not cease. In the Mahā-bhārata there is a verse— ramante yogino 'nante —to the effect that the yogīs ( yoginaḥ ), those who are endeavoring to elevate themselves to the spiritual platform, are actually enjoying ( ramante ), but their enjoyment is anante —endless. This is because their enjoyment is in relation to the Supreme Enjoyer (Rāma), Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the real Enjoyer, and Bhagavad-gītā confirms this. bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati “The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bg. 5.29) Bhoga means enjoyment, and our enjoyment comes from understanding our position as the enjoyed. The real enjoyer is the Supreme Lord, and we are enjoyed by Him. An example of this relationship can be found in the material world between the husband and the wife; the husband is the enjoyer ( puruṣa ), and the wife is the enjoyed ( prakṛti ). The word pri means woman. Puruṣa , or spirit, is the subject, and prakṛti , or nature, is the object. The enjoyment, however, is participated in both by the husband and the wife. When actual enjoyment is there,

16 Beyond Birth and Death Actually material enjoyment is not enjoyment at all. Real enjoyment does not cease. In the Mahā-bhārata there is a verse— ramante yogino 'nante —to the effect that the yogīs ( yoginaḥ ), those who are endeavoring to elevate themselves to the spiritual platform, are actually enjoying ( ramante ), but their enjoyment is anante —endless. This is because their enjoyment is in relation to the Supreme Enjoyer (Rāma), Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the real Enjoyer, and Bhagavad-gītā confirms this. bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati “The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.” (Bg. 5.29) Bhoga means enjoyment, and our enjoyment comes from understanding our position as the enjoyed. The real enjoyer is the Supreme Lord, and we are enjoyed by Him. An example of this relationship can be found in the material world between the husband and the wife; the husband is the enjoyer ( puruṣa ), and the wife is the enjoyed ( prakṛti ). The word pri means woman. Puruṣa , or spirit, is the subject, and prakṛti , or nature, is the object. The enjoyment, however, is participated in both by the husband and the wife. When actual enjoyment is there,

We Are Not These Bodies 17 there is no distinction that the husband is enjoying more or the wife is enjoying less. Although the male is the predominator, and the female is the predominated, there is no division when it comes to enjoyment. On a larger scale, no living entity is the enjoyer. God expanded into many, and we constitute those expansions. God is one without a second, but He willed to become many in order to enjoy. We have experience that there is little or no enjoyment in sitting alone in a room talking to oneself. However, if there are five people present, our enjoyment is enhanced, and if we can discuss Kṛṣṇa before many, many people, the enjoyment is all the greater. Enjoyment means variety. God became many for His enjoyment, and thus our position is that of enjoyed. That is our constitutional position and the purpose for our creation. Both enjoyer and enjoyed have consciousness, but the consciousness of the enjoyed is subordinate to the consciousness of the enjoyer. Although Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer and we the enjoyed, the enjoyment can be participated in equally by everyone. Our enjoyment can be perfected when we participate in the enjoyment of God. There is no possibility in our enjoying separately on the bodily platform. Material enjoyment on the gross bodily platform is discouraged throughout Bhagavad-gītā : mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ āgamāpāyino 'nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

Elevation at Death 25 years. Yet despite such a long life span, death awaits everyone. Even if one lives twenty thousand or fifty thousand or even millions of years, in the material world the years are all counted, and death is there. How can we escape this subjugation to death? That is the lesson of Bhagavad-gītā . (Bg. 2.20) na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin nāyam bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ ajo nityaḥ śāśvato'yam purāṇo na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre “For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, once having been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” We are spirit soul, and as such we are eternal. Why then should we subject ourselves to birth and death? One who asks this question is to be considered intelligent. Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious are very intelligent because they are not interested in gaining entrance to any planet where there is death. They will reject a long duration of life in order to attain a body like unto God’s. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Sat means eternal, cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of pleasure. Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure. If we transfer ourselves from this body into the spiritual world—either to Kṛṣṇaloka, Kṛṣṇa’s planet, or any other spiritual planet—we will receive a similar sac-cid-ānanda body. Thus the aim of those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is different from those who are trying to promote

34 Beyond Birth and Death process and travels at the speed of mind and wind for millions of years, he will still end up not knowing. For him, the subject matter will remain elusive and inconceivable. But that subject matter is given in Bhagavad-gītā: ananya-cetāḥ : Kṛṣṇa says to meditate on Him without deviation from the path of devotional service in submission. For one who worships Him in this way— tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ : “I become easily available.” This is the process: if one works for Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, Kṛṣṇa cannot forget him. By becoming submissive, he can attract the attention of God. As Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī used to say, “Don’t try to see God. Is God to come and stand before us like a servant just because we want to see Him? That is not the submissive way. We have to oblige Him by our love and service.” The proper process for approaching Kṛṣṇa was given to humanity by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rūpa Gosvāmī, His first disciple, appreciated it. Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister in the Mohammedan government, but he left the government to become a disciple of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s. When he first went to see the Lord, Rūpa Gosvāmī approached Him with the following verse: namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne guara-tviṣe namaḥ “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is more magnanimou

34 Beyond Birth and Death process and travels at the speed of mind and wind for millions of years, he will still end up not knowing. For him, the subject matter will remain elusive and inconceivable. But that subject matter is given in Bhagavad-gītā: ananya-cetāḥ : Kṛṣṇa says to meditate on Him without deviation from the path of devotional service in submission. For one who worships Him in this way— tasyāhaṁ sulabhaḥ : “I become easily available.” This is the process: if one works for Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, Kṛṣṇa cannot forget him. By becoming submissive, he can attract the attention of God. As Guru Mahārāja Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī used to say, “Don’t try to see God. Is God to come and stand before us like a servant just because we want to see Him? That is not the submissive way. We have to oblige Him by our love and service.” The proper process for approaching Kṛṣṇa was given to humanity by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and Rūpa Gosvāmī, His first disciple, appreciated it. Rūpa Gosvāmī was a minister in the Mohammedan government, but he left the government to become a disciple of Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s. When he first went to see the Lord, Rūpa Gosvāmī approached Him with the following verse: namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne guara-tviṣe namaḥ “I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is more magnanimou

6 EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS the worlds, is wrong in conception. This is further explained in the Bhagwat Geeta as follows :- “The finest and immeasurable anti-material particle is always indestructible, permanent and eternal. But its encagement by material particle is annihilated at a certain period. The same principle is applicable also in the case of material and anti-material worlds. No body should be afraid of the anti-material particle as becoming subject to annihilation either as particle or as the world of such particles.” Everything that is annihilated is also created at a certain stage. As the material body is created so also the material world is created. And because the anti-material particle is never annihilated so also it is never created. This is corroborated in the Bhagwat Geeta” as follows:- “The anti-material particle which is the vital force is never born or created. It exists eternally. It has no date of birth nor any period of death. It is neither created nor annihilated by repeatition. It is eternally existing and as such it is the oldest of the old and yet it is always fresh and new. By annihilation of the material particles the anti-material particle is never annihilated.” The above principle is applicable to the anti-material world also. When the material world is annihilated, the anti-material world exists in all circumstances. This fact will be explained more elaborately later on in this article. The anti-material scientist may also know it from the Bhagwat Geeta as follows:- “A learned fellow who knows perfectly well that the anti-material particle is indestructible, does not think of its being annihilated by any means.” The atomic scientist may think of annihilating the material world by their discovery of nucleus weapons, but they are unable to do so in the matter of anti-material world. The anti-material particle is more clearly explained in the following lines :— “It is neither cut into pieces by any material weapon, nor it is burnt by fire. Neither it is moistened by water nor it is dried up or evaporated by air.”

8 EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS that they speculate with the help of inferior energy without any souce of information from the Superior. It is therefore necessary that one should rise up to the plane of Superior energy* and from that transcendental position only one can realise the real position of the anti-material principle. From the platform of material world one cannot estimate the real position of the anti-material world. But the Supreme Lord who is the controller of both the material and anti-material energies descends out of His causeless mercy, and gives us complete information of the anti-material world and thus we can know what the anti-material world is. The Supreme Lord and the living entities both are of the same antimaterial quality. We can thus make an idea of the Supreme Lord by an elaborate study of the living entities. Every living entity is an individual person. Therefore, the Supreme Living Being must also be the Supreme Person. In the Vedic literature the Supreme Person is very rightly claimed as Krishna. This name of Krishna of the Supreme Lord is the only intelligible Name of the highest order. Because He is the controller of both the energies material and anti-material, the very word Krishna signifies that He is the Supreme Controller. In the Bhagwat Geeta the Lord informs this fact as follows:— “There are two worlds namely the material and the anti-material world. The material world is made of inferior qualitative energy divided into eight material principles but anti-material world is made of superior qualitative energy. And because both the material and anti-material energies are emanations of the Supreme Transcendance Personality of Godhead, it is apt to conclude that Lord Krishna is the ultimate cause of all creations and annihilations”. The Lord’s two inferior and superior energies manifest the material and anti-material worlds and as such He is the Ab- *Bhatiyoga” the activity of Superior energy. “मक्त्या मामभिजानाति यावान् यश्चामि तत्वतः” etc. (मः गी)

14 EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS material world and the intelligent class of men who are clean in heart and habit will be able to know such details in the nutshell from the text of the Bhagwat Geeta. They are as follows :— “The presiding Deity of the anti-material world is Shri Krishna in His original Personality as well as by expansion of His many plenary portions. Such Personalities of Godhead can be known only by anti-material activities commonly known as “Bhaktiyoga” or devotional service. The Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Truth and He is the Whole anti-material principle. The material principle as well as the anti-principles are emanations from His Person. He is the root of the complete tree. When water is poured into the root of a tree the branches and leaves of the tree develop automatically. And in the same way when Shri Krishna the Personality of Godhead is worshipped, all details of material worlds are enlightened in the heart of the devotee without labouring in the materialistic way. That is the secret of the Bhagwat Geeta. ” The process of entering into the anti-material world is different from the materialistic ways. Admittance or transmigration of the individual living being or the anti-material particles who is now embarrassed by material association.—can enter the anti-material world very easily by practising the anti-material activities, while residing in the material world. But those who are gross materialists and depend on the limited strength of experimental thought by mental expeculation or by materialistic science, can enter into the anti-material world with great difficulty. The means of approach of the gross materialist in the anti-material world is covered by shrouded endeavour. The mechanical planes or missile or electronic rockets that are now being thrown in the outer space cannot even approach the material planets in the higher regions and what to speak of the planets situated in the anti-material sky far beyond the material sky within our experience. The ‘Yogis’ who have perfectly controlled the mystic power can also enter into that region with great difficulty. The ‘Yogis’ who can control the anti-material particle within the material body, by practice of mystic power can give up their material bodies at will at a certain opportune moment and thus enter the anti-material world

EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS 15 through a specific thoroughfare which connects the material and antimaterial worlds. If such 'Yogis' are at all able to do this act they behave so in accordance with the prescribed method given in the Bhagwat Geeta as follows :— “Persons who have realised the transcendence can reach the anti-material world by leaving their material bodies during the period of Uttarayana or when the sun passes towards the northern side or at another auspicious moment in which the deities of fire and effulgence control the atmosphere.” “These different deitles or powerful directing officers are appointed in the administration of the Cosmic intricacies. Foolish people who are unable to see the intricacies of cosmic management flout up the personal management of fire, air, electricity, days, night, periods, etc. But the perfect 'yogis' know how to satisfy such unseen administrators of the affairs of material world. Such yogis take advantage of such administrations and leave the material body at will at an opportune moment when they can enter the anti-material world or in the higher planets of the material world. In the higher planets of the material world they can enjoy more comfortable and pleasant life for lacs and crores of years but life in those higher planets is not eternal. Those who desire eternal life, do enter into the anti-material world by the 'Yogic' or mystic powers at the opportune moments created by the administrators of the cosmic affairs unseen by the gross materialists of this 7th class planet of earth.” “Those who are not yogis but die at some opportune moment on account of their previous pious acts or sacrifice, charity, penance etc. can rise up to the higher planets after death to return back again on this planet. Such periods of death is called ' Dhooma ' Night black-fortnight or when the sun passes southern side.” To summarise the whole thing as above mentioned, the Bhagwat Geeta recommends every one to adopt the means of devotional service or anti-material activities, if at all any one wants to enter into the anti-material world. Such persons, who adopt the means of devotional service as prescribed by the

EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS 15 through a specific thoroughfare which connects the material and antimaterial worlds. If such 'Yogis' are at all able to do this act they behave so in accordance with the prescribed method given in the Bhagwat Geeta as follows :— “Persons who have realised the transcendence can reach the anti-material world by leaving their material bodies during the period of Uttarayana or when the sun passes towards the northern side or at another auspicious moment in which the deities of fire and effulgence control the atmosphere.” “These different deitles or powerful directing officers are appointed in the administration of the Cosmic intricacies. Foolish people who are unable to see the intricacies of cosmic management flout up the personal management of fire, air, electricity, days, night, periods, etc. But the perfect 'yogis' know how to satisfy such unseen administrators of the affairs of material world. Such yogis take advantage of such administrations and leave the material body at will at an opportune moment when they can enter the anti-material world or in the higher planets of the material world. In the higher planets of the material world they can enjoy more comfortable and pleasant life for lacs and crores of years but life in those higher planets is not eternal. Those who desire eternal life, do enter into the anti-material world by the 'Yogic' or mystic powers at the opportune moments created by the administrators of the cosmic affairs unseen by the gross materialists of this 7th class planet of earth.” “Those who are not yogis but die at some opportune moment on account of their previous pious acts or sacrifice, charity, penance etc. can rise up to the higher planets after death to return back again on this planet. Such periods of death is called ' Dhooma ' Night black-fortnight or when the sun passes southern side.” To summarise the whole thing as above mentioned, the Bhagwat Geeta recommends every one to adopt the means of devotional service or anti-material activities, if at all any one wants to enter into the anti-material world. Such persons, who adopt the means of devotional service as prescribed by the

EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS 17 planets in the universe inhabited by beings endowed with reasons.” This statement of the Russian astronomer is but the latest confirmation of the statement of the ‘Brahma Samhita’ . In the ‘Brahma Samhita’ the description is summarised as follows:— ‘Yasya prahba prabhavata jagadaada koti kotisu vasadadi vibhuti bhinnam tad brahma nisklaama annata ashesabhutam govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami.’ According to ‘Brahma Samhita’ as mentioned above there is not only infinite number of planets as confirmed by the Russian astronomer but there is an infinite number of universes also . And all these infinite number of universes with their infinite number of planets within, are floating on and are produced of the Brahma effulgence emanaing from the transcendental body of Govinda (Lord Sri Krishna) the Primeval Lord who is worshipped by Brahma the presiding deity of the Universe where we are residing. The Russian astronomer confirms also that all the planets, which are estimated to be not less than approximately 100,000,000 planets, are inhabitated. And in the ‘Brahma Samhita’ it is said that in each and every one of the infinite number of universes, there are infinite number of variegated planets. The astronomer’s view was seconded by professor Vladimir Alpatov, a biologist. According to him, some of the above mentioned planets had reached a state of development corresponding to that of earth. The report adds also as follows:— “It could be that life similar to that in earth, flourished on such planets.” “Doctor of chemistry Nikolat Zhirov covering the problem of atmosphere on other planets, pointed out that the organisms of a Maritian, for instance could very well adapt itself to normal existence with a low body temperature.” “He said that he felt that the gaseous composition of Maritian atmosphere was quite suitable to sustain life of beings which have become adapted to it.”

18 EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS This adaptibility of organism in different varieties of planets, is described in the 'Brahma Samhita' as Vibhuti Bhinnam i.e. each and every one of the innumerable planets within an universe is endowed with a particular type of atmosphere and the living beings there are more perfectly advanced in science and psychology on account of better atmosphere of life. Vibhuti means specific power and Bhinnam means variegated. Scientists who are attempting to explore the outer space and trying to reach other planets by mechanical arrangements must know it for certain that organisms adapted to the atmosphere of the earth cannot exist in the atmospheric influence of other planets. As such the attempt to get into the orbit of the Moon, the Sun or the Mars, as they are anxious to get into these particular planets, will be completely a futile endeavour of man on account of different atmosphere prevailing in those planets which are described in the 'Brahma Samhita' as Vibhuti Bhinnam . Individually however one can attempt to go into any planet he desires but this is only possible by psychological changes in the mind of a particular person. Mind is the nucleus of the material body. The gradual evolutionary process of the material body depends more or less on the psychological changes in the mind. The change of bodily construction of worm into a butterfly and in the modern advancement of medical science to convert a man's body into a woman or vice versa all these depend more or less on the psychological change of the mind. In the Bhagwat Geeta it is said that at the time of death if anybody concentrates his mind upon the Form of the Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna and thus doing relinquishes one's body—such person at once enters into the spiritual existence in the antimaterial world. This means that anybody who practises constantly for psychological changes of the mind from matter to the Spiritual From of Godhead by performances of prescribed rules in the devotional services, can easily attain to the kingdom of God in the anti-material sky and there is no doubt about it. And in the same way if any body desires to enter into any other planet of the material sky, he can go there just after quiting the present body i.e., after death and enter into the

EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS 21 by the material scientist but they have no information of the velocity of such matter as the mind and intelligence. We have some experience of the velocity of the mind because in a moment we can transfer the mind to lacs and crores of miles away. Intelligence is still finer matter. Finer than intelligence is the soul which is not matter at all but it is spirit or anti-material and is crores and crores times finer and powerful than intelligence. We can thus make an imagination of the velocity of the soul and how quickly it can travel from one planet to another by its own strength without any help of any sort of finer material vehicle. Animal's civilization of eating, sleeping, fearing and sense-gratifying has misled the modernised man and they have forgotten how powerful a soul he is. As we have already described that the soul is a spiritual spark which is many many times illuminating, dazllng and powerful than the sun, the moon or electricity. Human life is spoiled by not realising his real identity. And Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu along with Nityananda appeared to save the man from the type of misleading civilization. How the yogies can travel in all the planets of the universe is also described in the "Bhagwatam" as follows : When the vital force is thus lifted on the cerebellum there is every chance of of these force being burst out from any one of the holes like eyes, noses, ears, as they are the places which are known as the seventh orbit of the vital force. The yogies therefore can block out these holes by complete suspension of passing air and carefully the yogi concentrates the vital force in the middle position or in between the eye brows. At this position the yogi can think of in which of the planets he wants to go after leaving this body . He can decide either to go to the abode of Krishna in the Vaikunthas which are transcendental places and from where no body is required to come back again in the material world or at least if he desires not to go directly to the planets of the spiritual sky but wants to have a travel over the higher planets in the universe, he is at liberty to do so in that position. For a perfect yogi who has attained success in the system to leave this material body in perfect consciousness, the process

EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS 31 world that scientific progress can help man to live for ever. But he does not believe in the conception of a Supreme Being. Who is the Creator. We welcome this suggestion of the Russian fiction writer because we know that actual progress of scientific knowledge will certainly take the man to the spiritual sky and that advancement of knowledge will inform the scientist that the Supreme Creator is there full with all inconceivable potencies beyond the calculation of material science. As suggested herein before every living being is eternal in form but he has to change his outer coverings of gross and subtle matters and this changing process is technically known as life and death. So long a living being has to pull on the sackles of material bondage there is no relief from the above mentioned changing process which is to continue even at the highest stage of material life. The Russian fiction writer may go on with his imagination, as all fiction writers are apt to do, but the saner section of the people who studies the natural law in face will not agree with the fiction writer that man can live for ever within this material world. A naturalist will see to the action of the material nature even by studying a fruit in the tree. A small fruit developes from the flower and it continues to develop more and more. It stays for some time and then it becomes full grown and ripen. After the ripen stage it begins to dwindle day by day and on some day it falls down from the tree on the earth and begins its decomposition and at last becomes the dust leaving behind a seed of the fruit which again grows to become a tree and produces many many fruits in due course meeting the same fate as already described. Similarly a living being (the spiritual spark part and parcel of the Supreme Being) takes its organic form in the womb of the mother just after the sexual intercourse. It grows little by little within the womb and after that without the womb, gradually becoming a child, boy, youth adult, old and so on. After old age the man becomes to dwindle and at a certain period he falls down in the grip of cruel death inspite of all good wishful desires of all section of fiction writers. So by comparison there is no difference between the two organic bodies namely the man

38 EASY JOURNEY TO OTHER PLANETS almighty father. Sanatan Dharma is therefore the process of Bhaktiyoga by which one can know the Sanatan Lord and His Sanatan abode and by that process only one can go back to the Sanatan Dharm to take part of the Sanatan enjoyment prevailing there. Those who are followers of the Sanatan Dharma may from hence forward take up the principles of Sanatan Dharma in the spirit of the Bhagwat Geeta. There is no bar for any one to take up the eternal principles and persons who are less enlightened even they can also go back to Godhead. That is the version of Srimad Bhagwat as well as of the Supreme Lord Himself People should be given chance to take advantage of this opportunity. Because the Bhagwat Geeta was spoken in the land of Bharatvarsha every Indian has the responsibility to broadcast the message of real Sanatan Dharma in the other parts of the world. The misguided men of the world specially at the present moment are suffering too much in the darkness of material atmosphere and the result is that the so called advancement of learning has helped the foolishmen to discover a lethal weapon called by the name of Atomic Bomb. They are practically on the verge of ruination, Because as soon as there is a declaration of war no body knows what will happen to the human race on the earth. The Sanatan Dharma will teach them about the real aim of life and they will benefit by such propagation of Sanatan Dharma. Om Tat Sat

4 Elevation to Krṣṇa Consciousness was lost; therefore Krṣṇa re-established the teachings by giving them to Arjuna. evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa sa evāyaṁ mayā te 'dya yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam “This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore, you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Bg. 4.2,3) Thus whoever follows in the footsteps of Arjuna, approaching Krṣṇa in a spirit of devotion, can understand the purpose of Bhagavad-gītā as well as all other Vedic literatures. There are four Vedas—Sāma, R.k, Yajur and Atharva , and there are 108 Upaniṣads , including the Īśopaniṣad , Kaṭha Upaniṣad and Taittirīya Upaniṣad , as well as the Vedānta-sūtra , Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā . These literatures are not meant for any particular class of men but for the totality of

Hard Struggle for Happiness 21 Man is therefore suffering due to his insatiable desires and lusts. Not only is man suffering, but the planet on which he resides, his mother earth, represented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by mother cow, is also suffering. Once a well-known svāmī in India was asked whether God or providence is responsible for the sufferings of humanity. The svāmī replied that these sufferings were all God's pastimes or līlā . The questioner continued to ask why a living entity should be put under the dictations of the law of karma . The svāmī could not answer these questions to the satisfaction of his inquirers. The monists and impersonalists who think only in terms of the oneness of the living entities with the Supreme Lord cannot give satisfactory answers to such questions. Such an imperfect reply can hardly satisfy the heart of a living entity. The Lord is described in all scriptures as līlā-puruṣottama , or the Personality of Godhead, who is by His own nature always engaged in transcendental pastimes. In the Vedānta-sūtra He is also described as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt . The monists and impersonalists try with great difficulty to explain this sūtra in diverse ways in order to support their imperfect theory of oneness and impersonality. However, the fact remains that ānanda , pleasure, cannot be enjoyed alone. That variety is the mother of enjoyment is a well-known fact. Cities, for instance, are known to be attractive if they contain a variety of things. Living entities are naturally attracted by variety, by attractive streets, buildings, cinemas, parks, conveyances, businesses, employments, foodstuffs, etc. Despite all this variety, the English poet Cowper once

Hard Struggle for Happiness 21 Man is therefore suffering due to his insatiable desires and lusts. Not only is man suffering, but the planet on which he resides, his mother earth, represented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by mother cow, is also suffering. Once a well-known svāmī in India was asked whether God or providence is responsible for the sufferings of humanity. The svāmī replied that these sufferings were all God's pastimes or līlā . The questioner continued to ask why a living entity should be put under the dictations of the law of karma . The svāmī could not answer these questions to the satisfaction of his inquirers. The monists and impersonalists who think only in terms of the oneness of the living entities with the Supreme Lord cannot give satisfactory answers to such questions. Such an imperfect reply can hardly satisfy the heart of a living entity. The Lord is described in all scriptures as līlā-puruṣottama , or the Personality of Godhead, who is by His own nature always engaged in transcendental pastimes. In the Vedānta-sūtra He is also described as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt . The monists and impersonalists try with great difficulty to explain this sūtra in diverse ways in order to support their imperfect theory of oneness and impersonality. However, the fact remains that ānanda , pleasure, cannot be enjoyed alone. That variety is the mother of enjoyment is a well-known fact. Cities, for instance, are known to be attractive if they contain a variety of things. Living entities are naturally attracted by variety, by attractive streets, buildings, cinemas, parks, conveyances, businesses, employments, foodstuffs, etc. Despite all this variety, the English poet Cowper once

Hard Struggle for Happiness 21 Man is therefore suffering due to his insatiable desires and lusts. Not only is man suffering, but the planet on which he resides, his mother earth, represented in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by mother cow, is also suffering. Once a well-known svāmī in India was asked whether God or providence is responsible for the sufferings of humanity. The svāmī replied that these sufferings were all God's pastimes or līlā . The questioner continued to ask why a living entity should be put under the dictations of the law of karma . The svāmī could not answer these questions to the satisfaction of his inquirers. The monists and impersonalists who think only in terms of the oneness of the living entities with the Supreme Lord cannot give satisfactory answers to such questions. Such an imperfect reply can hardly satisfy the heart of a living entity. The Lord is described in all scriptures as līlā-puruṣottama , or the Personality of Godhead, who is by His own nature always engaged in transcendental pastimes. In the Vedānta-sūtra He is also described as ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt . The monists and impersonalists try with great difficulty to explain this sūtra in diverse ways in order to support their imperfect theory of oneness and impersonality. However, the fact remains that ānanda , pleasure, cannot be enjoyed alone. That variety is the mother of enjoyment is a well-known fact. Cities, for instance, are known to be attractive if they contain a variety of things. Living entities are naturally attracted by variety, by attractive streets, buildings, cinemas, parks, conveyances, businesses, employments, foodstuffs, etc. Despite all this variety, the English poet Cowper once

Hard Struggle for Happiness 25 those mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā , and we have to adopt them in our practical lives for our own benefit. The three miseries of material nature are not found in the pastimes of the Supreme Lord. As mentioned before, He is eternally joyful, and His transcendental pastimes are not different from Him. Because He is the Absolute Truth, His name, fame, form, qualities and pastimes are all identical with Him. His pastimes, therefore, cannot be equated with the sufferings of humanity as the so-called svāmī contends. The pastimes of the Supreme Lord are transcendental to the actual miseries and sufferings of human beings. The sufferings of humanity are caused by the misuse of the discriminative power or the little independence which is given to individual souls. The fraudulent svāmīs or mental speculators, in order to remain consistent with the theory of monism, must pass off the miseries of mankind as the pastimes of God, but actually these miseries are only the enforced punishments of Māyā devī inflicted upon the misguided conditioned souls. As living entities, we are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Indeed, we actually belong to His superior energy. As such, we may join His transcendental pastimes in our unconditioned state of life, but as long as we are conditioned by the laws of karma , in contact with the inferior energy, our sufferings are our own creations, born of a gross misuse of our little independence. The impersonalist monists only misguide people by contending that the threefold miseries are a part of the Lord's pas-

46 Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness controller, and everyone is controlled. Unfortunately we are forgetful of this situation, and this forgetfulness is called māyā . We refuse to accept any controller of this universe because if we accept a controller we have to account for our sinful activities, just as when we accept the government we have to account for our unlawful activities. Our position is that we want to continue in our sinful activities, and therefore we deny the existence of a controller. This is the basic principle of godlessness. The current propaganda that “God is dead” is spread because people want to continue being rascals without restriction. This is the basic principle underlying the denial of God’s existence. But however much we deny His existence, He will not die. In this regard, there is a Bengali proverb that says: śakuni śāpe gorumaraṇa . The work śakuni means vulture. Vultures enjoy dead animal carcasses, especially the carcass of the cow. Sometimes a vulture may go for days without a carcass; therefore this proverb says that the vulture curses the cow, wishing him to die. But this does not mean that the cow will die just to oblige the vulture. Similarly, these atheistic vultures want to see God dead so they can take pleasure in thinking, “Now God is dead, and I can do anything I like.” We must know then for certain that there is a controller; that is the beginning of knowledge. Why should we deny this truth? In every field of activity we find some finite controller, so how can we deny the existence of an infinite controller in this creation? It is not without reason therefore that Lord Caitanya

52 Elevation to Krṣṇa Consciousness “The living entities in this conditional world are My fragmental parts, and they are eternal. But due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” (Bg. 15.7) In the Brahma-saṁhitā Lord Brahmā explains that if we are looking for God, here is God. premāṇjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, Who is Śyāmasundara, Krṣṇa Himself, with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.” (Bs. 5.38) There are similar descriptions everywhere in Vedic literature, but rascals and demons are so obstinate that even though Krṣṇa is confirmed to be the Supreme God by the twelve standard ācāryas (Brahmā, Nārada, Śiva, Bhīṣma, the Kumāras, Kapila, Manu, etc.) and by Vyāsa, Devala and many other devotees, they still refuse to accept Him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu also confirms that Krṣṇa is the Supreme Godhead, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says, krṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gives a list of all incarnations of God, and at last concludes that the name Krṣṇa, which appears on this list, indicates the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whereas all other names represent manifestations or incarnations. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ. All other

Knowing Krṣṇa as He Is 53 names of God are either parts of God or portions of parts. The parts are called aṁśa , and the portions of parts are called kalāḥ . As living entities, we are aṁśa , but we are very fragmental aṁśa . All others are either aṁśa or kalāḥ , but Krṣṇa is bhagavān svayam —the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Our prayers should be directed to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and none else. Therefore we pray with Brahmā: cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, fulfilling all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of wish-fulfilling trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of Lakṣmīs, or gopīs .” (Bs. 5.29) Here Krṣṇa is called the original person ( ādi-puruṣam ). We are all persons. Our father is a person, and therefore we are persons. If we trace our father’s father back, we will find that he was also a person, and that his father was a person, and so on all the way back to Lord Brahmā, who was the first created person in this universe. Then we will also find that Lord Brahmā’s father, Viṣṇu, is also a person. Everyone is a person, and Krṣṇa is the supreme person. The impersonalists’ understanding of

Knowing Kṛṣṇa as He Is 55 primeval Lord, whose transcendental form is full of bliss, truth and substantiality and is thus full of the most dazzling splendor. Each of the limbs of that transcendental figure possesses, in Himself, the full-fledged functions of all the organs, and eternally sees, maintains and manifests the infinite universes, both spiritual and mundane.” (Bs. 5.30,32) This form has nothing whatsoever to do with material forms. Impersonalists say, “Oh, you say Kṛṣṇa has a form. If so, how can you say that He is the Supreme? The impersonal Brahman is the Supreme, and the impersonal Brahman is formless.” But we have information from Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is the source of the impersonal Brahman. brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham amṛtasyāvyayasya ca śāśvatasya ca dharmasya sukhasyaikāntikasya ca “And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal and imperishable, eternal, the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.” (Bg. 14.27) Kṛṣṇa certainly has form, but His form, as stated before, is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha , eternal, full of bliss, and full of knowledge. The attributes of His transcendental body are summarized by Lord Brahmā in this way: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

56 Elevation to Krṣṇa Consciousness anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam “Krṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.” (Bs. 5.1) The word Govinda means “He who gives pleasure to the senses.” We perceive pleasure through our senses, and therefore Krṣṇa, who is the reservoir of pleasure, is called Govinda. If we serve Krṣṇa with purified senses, we will begin to relish the pleasure of that supreme reservoir. How can we describe God or understand His glories? It is not possible. God is unlimited. Regardless of our finite limitations, however, we can express our own feelings and say, “My God, my Lord.” This will be accepted. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches us to pray in this way: ayi nandatanuja kiṅkaraṁ patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau krpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja- sthita-dhūtīsadrśaṁ vicintaya “O son of Mahārāja Nanda, I am Your eternal servitor, and although I am so, somehow or other I have fallen in the ocean of birth and death. Please, therefore, pick me up from this ocean of death and fix me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.” (Śikṣāṣṭakam, 5) This should be the standard of prayer; we should

Mantra One 15 and ego—all belong to the inferior or material energy of the Lord, whereas the living being, the organic energy, is the superior energy, the parā prakṛti , of the Lord. Both the prakṛtis or energies are emanations from the Lord, and ultimately He is the Controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in the universe which does not belong either to the parā or the aparā prakṛti , and therefore everything is under the proprietary right of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being, the Absolute Personality of Godhead, being the complete Person, has the complete and perfect intelligence to adjust everything by His different potencies. The Supreme Being is often compared with fire, and everything—organic and inorganic—is compared with the heat and light of the fire. The fire distributes energy in the form of heat and light, and likewise the Lord displays His energy in different ways. And He remains the ultimate Controller, Sustainer and Dictator over everything. He is full of all potencies, the Knower of everything, the Benefactor of everyone, and is full of all inconceivable opulences: power, wealth, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. One should therefore be intelligent enough to know that except for the Lord no one is the proprietor of anything; one should accept only the things which are set aside by the Lord as his quota. The cow, for example, gives milk, but she does not drink the milk. Her milk is designated as food for the human being. The cow eats grass and straw but does not drink her own milk. Such is the arrangement of the Lord, and we should be satisfied with the things that have been very kindly set aside for us by Him. We should always consider to Whom the things that we possess actually belong. Take, for example, our dwelling house, which is made of earth, wood, stone, iron, cement, and so many other material things. If we think in terms of Śrī Īśopaniṣad , then we must know that we cannot produce any of the above-mentioned building materials ourselves. We can simply bring them together and trans-

82 Śrī Īśopaniṣad man, and a mystic is far superior to a philosopher. And of all the mystic yogis , one who is following bhakti-yoga , who is constantly engaged in the service of the Lord, is the highest. Śrī Īśopaniṣad directs us toward this perfection of life. MANTRA SIXTEEN पूषनेकर्षे यम मूर्य प्राजापत्य न्यूह रश्मीन् समूह । तेजो यत् ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत् ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥ १६ ॥ pūṣann ekarṣe yama sūrya prājāpatya vyūha raśmīn samūha tejaḥ yatte rūpaṁ kalyāṇatamaṁ tatte paśyāmi yo'sāvasau puruṣaḥ so'hamasmi. pūṣan —the Maintainer; ekarṣe —the primeval Philosopher; yama —the regulating principal; sūrya —the destination of the Sūris (great devotees); prājāpatya —the well-wisher of the Prajāpatis (progenitors of Mankind); vyūha —kindly arrange; raśmīn —the rays; samūha —wind up; tejaḥ —effulgence; yat —that; te —your; rūpaṁ —form; kalyāṇa-tamaṁ —auspicious; tat —that; te —your; paśyāmi —I may see; yaḥ —one who is; asau —the sun; asau —that; puruṣaḥ —Personality of Godhead; saḥ —He; aham —myself; asmi —I am. TRANSLATION O my Lord, O primeval Philosopher, Maintainer of the universe, O regulating Principle, Destination of the pure devotees, Well-wisher of the progenitors of mankind, please remove the effulgence of Your transcendental rays, so that I can see Your Form of Bliss. You are the eternal Supreme Personality of Godhead, like unto the Sun, as am I.

86 Śrī Īśopaniṣad Thus the Lord is the Origin of both Paramātman and Brahman , and therefore He is the Origin of all living entities, and all else that exists. One who knows this engages himself at once in the devotional service of the Lord. Such a pure and fully cognizant devotee of the Lord is fully attached to Him in heart and soul, and whenever such a devotee assembles with similar devotees, they have no other engagement but to glorify the Lord in terms of His transcendental activities. Those who are not as perfect as the pure devotees, those who have realized only the Brahman feature or the Paramātman feature of the Lord, cannot appreciate the activities of such perfect devotees. But the Lord always helps such pure devotees by supplying necessary knowledge within their hearts, and by His special favor He dissipates all the darkness of ignorance. This the philosophers and yogis cannot imagine, because they more or less depend on their own strength. As is stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad , the Lord can be known only to those whom He favors, and not to anyone else. And such special favors are bestowed upon His pure devotees only. Śrī Īśopaniṣad here indicates such favor of the Lord, beyond the purview of the Brahma-jyoti . MANTRA SEVENTEEN वायुरनिलममृतमथेदं मसान्तं शरीरम् । ॐ क्रतो सर कृतं सर क्रतो सर कृतं सर ॥ १७ ॥ vāyur anilam amṛtam athedaṁ bhasmāntaṁ śarīram om krato smara kṛtaṁ smara krato smara kṛtaṁ smara. vāyuḥ—air of life; anilam—total reservoir of air; amṛtam—indestructible; atha—now; idam—this; bhasmāntam—after being turned into ashes; śarīram—body; om—O Lord; krato—the Enjoyer of all sacrifices; smara—please

Preface We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness who has delivered the ‘Light of the Bhāgawata’ to the whole world. We are pleased to present for his pleasure the first fully illustrated, color publication of his sublime work ‘Light of the Bhāgawata’ in the English language. Of all His Divine Grace’s writings, this work is perhaps the most unique. It was written in Vrindāvan in 1961 in response to an invitation to attend a world conference, the Congress for Cultivating the Human Spirit, held in Japan. As most of the participants to the Conference were from the Orient, Śrīla Prabhupāda considered deeply how he could best present the timeless teachings of the Śrīmad Bhāgawatam suitable to the Oriental people. The original Bhāgavatam was written over 5,000 years ago as an extremely large book composed of 18,000 verses. Participants to the conference would not have the time to hear it all. He therefore chose the tenth canto, twentieth chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for presentation. The twentieth chapter is a description of the autumn season in Vrindāvan, the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance. Śrīla vii

Preface We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness who has delivered the ‘Light of the Bhāgawata’ to the whole world. We are pleased to present for his pleasure the first fully illustrated, color publication of his sublime work ‘Light of the Bhāgawata’ in the English language. Of all His Divine Grace’s writings, this work is perhaps the most unique. It was written in Vrindāvan in 1961 in response to an invitation to attend a world conference, the Congress for Cultivating the Human Spirit, held in Japan. As most of the participants to the Conference were from the Orient, Śrīla Prabhupāda considered deeply how he could best present the timeless teachings of the Śrīmad Bhāgawatam suitable to the Oriental people. The original Bhāgavatam was written over 5,000 years ago as an extremely large book composed of 18,000 verses. Participants to the conference would not have the time to hear it all. He therefore chose the tenth canto, twentieth chapter of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for presentation. The twentieth chapter is a description of the autumn season in Vrindāvan, the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s appearance. Śrīla vii

Prabhupāda knew that the Oriental people were very fond of hearing descriptions of nature and that the time of the autumn season is particularly auspicious to them. Presenting spiritual philosophy by examples from nature would be best for their understanding. For each seasonal phenomenon, a parallel teaching could be given. For example, the dark cloudy evening of the rainy autumn season when no stars are visible is compared to the present materialistic, godless civilization when the bright stars of the Bhāgawata's wisdom (the devotees and scriptures) are temporarily obscured. Altogether Śrīla Prabhupāda composed 48 commentaries to go along with the verses of the chapter. Śrīla Prabhupāda's plan was that the organizers of the conference should find a qualified Oriental artist to illustrate each verse, and he also wrote directions from which the artist could design each painting. He hoped that the paintings and their accompanying explanations would make an impressive display for visitors to the conference. If possible he wished that a book might also be published containing the illustrations and the texts. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Śrīla Prabhupāda was unable to attend the conference and the whole project of "Light of the Bhāgawata" was postponed. In fact, at the time of Śrīla Prabhupāda's disappearance the "Light of the Bhāgawata" still remained unpublished, and the illustrations not yet painted. Only recently has "Light of the Bhāgawata" been published in English and Chinese. The color illustrations were done by the renowned artist Madame Yun-sheng Li, whose mature creative talent and sensitive brushwork alone could properly complement viii

Prabhupāda knew that the Oriental people were very fond of hearing descriptions of nature and that the time of the autumn season is particularly auspicious to them. Presenting spiritual philosophy by examples from nature would be best for their understanding. For each seasonal phenomenon, a parallel teaching could be given. For example, the dark cloudy evening of the rainy autumn season when no stars are visible is compared to the present materialistic, godless civilization when the bright stars of the Bhāgawata's wisdom (the devotees and scriptures) are temporarily obscured. Altogether Śrīla Prabhupāda composed 48 commentaries to go along with the verses of the chapter. Śrīla Prabhupāda's plan was that the organizers of the conference should find a qualified Oriental artist to illustrate each verse, and he also wrote directions from which the artist could design each painting. He hoped that the paintings and their accompanying explanations would make an impressive display for visitors to the conference. If possible he wished that a book might also be published containing the illustrations and the texts. Due to unfortunate circumstances, Śrīla Prabhupāda was unable to attend the conference and the whole project of "Light of the Bhāgawata" was postponed. In fact, at the time of Śrīla Prabhupāda's disappearance the "Light of the Bhāgawata" still remained unpublished, and the illustrations not yet painted. Only recently has "Light of the Bhāgawata" been published in English and Chinese. The color illustrations were done by the renowned artist Madame Yun-sheng Li, whose mature creative talent and sensitive brushwork alone could properly complement viii

Prabhupāda's beautiful descriptions of the autumn season. Thus the beautifully effulgent "Light of the Bhāgawata" may now shine upon the world. This is the first English edition which contains the beautiful color reproductions of Madame Li's work, 48 paintings completed in less than a year's time, meticulous in their detail despite her advanced age and sometimes failing eyesight. Undoubtedly this collection presents the culmination of her long distinguished career as one of the great artists of modern China. Her Gongbi style of painting, together with Śrīla Prabhupāda's poetic descriptions which appear alongside, make for a unique blending of the world's two oldest cultural traditions — India and China. The "Light of the Bhāgawata" also appears in the Chinese language complete with color illustrations. We sincerely hope that readers will appreciate the simplicity and clarity with which Śrīla Prabhupāda has commented on these verses. This material world is but a reflection of the pure spiritual world from which the "Light of the Bhāgawata" emanates. Nature itself, as well as the whole cosmic creation, has its original counterpart in the spiritual world. The order and patterns which we see set about in nature are intentionally designed to illustrate spiritual truths. Indeed, the very existence of nature and its intricate balance is proof for any honest man of the existence of the Supreme Being, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. The Publishers ix

10 Just as a living being attains a transcendentally attractive form by rendering service to Lord Hari, similarly, all the inhabitants of the land and the water have assumed beautiful forms by taking advantage of the newly fallen water. 29

12 The mountains, although being struck by torrents of rain during the rainy season, are not shaken, just as those whose hearts are dedicated to the transcendental Personality of Godhead are never disturbed even when they are harassed by great misfortune. Because a person who is spiritually advanced accepts any adverse condition of life as the mercy of the Lord, he is completely eligible to enter into the spiritual kingdom. Even though a person takes to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord, he may sometimes become diseased, impoverished or disappointed by life's events. A true devotee of the Lord always considers these sufferings to be due to past sinful activities, and thus he is not disturbed, patiently awaiting the mercy of the Supreme Lord. Such devotees are compared to high mountains which are never agitated in any way even when struck by powerful torrents of rain in the rainy season. Rather, they remain humble in spiritual enlightenment. Free of pride and envy, they easily gain the mercy of the Lord and go back to home, back to Godhead. ■ 34

During the rainy season, lightning appears in one group of clouds and then immediately in another group of clouds. This phenomenon is compared to a lusty woman who does not fix her mind on one man. A cloud is compared to a qualified person because it pours rains and gives sustenance to many people; a man who is qualified similarly gives sustenance to many living creatures, such as family members or many workers in business. Unfortunately, his whole life can be disturbed by a wife who divorces him; when the husband is disturbed, the whole family is ruined, the children are dispersed or the business is closed, and everything is affected. It is therefore recommended that a woman desiring to advance in Krşna consciousness peacefully live with a husband and that the couple not separate under any condition. The husband and wife should control sex indulgence and concentrate their minds on Krşna consciousness so their life may be successful. After all, in the material world a man requires a woman, and a woman requires a man. When they are combined, they should live peacefully in Krşna consciousness and should not be restless like the lightning, flashing from one group of clouds to another.■ 38

The Sanskrit word guṇa means “quality” or “mode,” as well as “string” or “rope.” When a rainbow appears during the rainy season, it is observed to be like a bow and no guṇa , or string. Similarly, the appearance of the Personality of Godhead or His transcendental servants has nothing to do with the qualitative modes of material nature. The phenomenal appearance of the Transcendence is free from the qualities of material nature, and thus it resembles a bow with no string. The transcendental Supreme Lord is eternally the form of transcendental existence, knowledge, and bliss. The material energy works under His good will, and therefore He is never affected by the modes of material nature. When He appears before us in the midst of material interactions, He remains always unaffected, like a stringless rainbow. By His inconceivable energy, the Supreme Lord can appear and disappear like a rainbow, which appears and disappears without being affected by the roaring thunder and the cloudy sky. The Lord is eternally the biggest of the big and the smallest of the small. The living beings, who are His parts and parcels, are the smallest of the small, and He is the biggest of the big as the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.■ 40

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that when the daytime of Brahmā is over the manifested creations of the universe all vanish and after the end of Brahmā's night the creation is manifested again. bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate rātry-āgame vaśaḥ pārtha prabhavaty ahar-āgame “Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls. O Pārtha, and they are helplessly dissolved. (Bg. 8.19) Thus the cosmic creation, in its manifestation and nonmanifestation, resembles the creepers and plants that appear during the rainy season and gradually vanish when the season is over. Even when the plants and creepers are no longer to be seen, their seeds remain, and these dormant seeds fructify in contact with water. Similarly, the seedlike spiritual sparks who are dominated by the desire to lord it over the material nature exist in a dormant state after the cosmic manifestation is annihilated, and when the cosmic manifestation reappears all the silent living beings within the womb of material nature come out and engage in sense enjoyment, thereby growing luxuriously fat. To attain liberation, one must be completely purified of perverted forms of desire. A living being cannot snuff out desires, and to practice artificially erasing the actions of desire is more dangerous than the active desires themselves. All desires should be reformed and directed towards spiritual activities; otherwise those same desires will repeatedly manifest themselves in different varieties of material enjoyment, thus conditioning the living being perpetually in material bondage.■ 48

The forgetful householder life of the conditioned soul is a soul-killing dark well. This is the opinion of Śrī Prahlāda Mahārāja, the celebrated devotee of the Lord. Too much attachment for hearth and home is never recommended by a self-realized soul. Therefore the span of human life should be methodically divided. The first stage is called the brahmacārī-āśrama , or the order of life in childhood, when the man-to-be is trained in the ultimate goal of life. The next stage is the gṛhastha āśrama , in which the man is trained to enter into the Transcendence. Then comes the vānaprastha āśrama , the preliminary stage of renounced life. The last stage recommended is the sannyāsa order, or the renounced order of life. In this way one accepts a gradual process of spiritual activities for the ultimate goal of liberation. Unfortunately, for want of sufficient culture of the human spirit, no one wants to give up the householder life, even though it is full of pinpricks and mud. And those who are too attached amidst the pinpricks of muddy householder life are compared to the cranes that stand on the bank of the river for some sense enjoyment despite all the inconveniences there. We should always remember that the society, friendship, and love we are supposed to enjoy in family life are only shadowy representations of the real society, friendship, and love reciprocated in the kingdom of God. There is no reality in the conditioned life of material existence, but because of our ignorance we are attached to the mirage. The idea of society, friendship, and love is not at all false, but the place where we search for it is false. We have to give up this false position and rise to the reality. That should be the aim of life, and that is the result of cultivating the human spirit. Unfortunately, for want of sufficient culture of this spirit, the materialistic man always sticks to this false place in spite of all its turmoils. It is said that a man should give up the order of householder life at the age of fifty. But in this era of ignorance even an old man wants to rejuvenate his bodily functions, put on artificial teeth, and make a pretense of youthful life, even on the verge of death. Cranelike politicians especially are too much attached to the false prestige of position and rank, and so they always seek reelection, even at the fag end of life. These are some of the symptoms of an uncultured life.■ 50

kṣatriyas or vaiśyas , nor should they engage themselves in the occupations of the various other classes; rather, the brāhmaṇas should simply guide them in spiritual cultivation, just as the wind carries the clouds to other places to pour water. The wind itself does not take up the responsibility for pouring water. The most intelligent men in society are the saints and sages who have sacrificed everything for the service of spiritual culture. Their duty is to travel throughout human society and inspire its members to engage themselves in acts of spiritual culture by sacrificing their words, money, intelligence, and life. That should be the theme of human life in order to make it a complete success. A society with no taste for spiritual culture is a blazing fire, and everyone in that fire perpetually suffers the threefold miseries. As clouds pour water on a blazing fire in the forest and thus extinguish it, the intelligent men who work as the spiritual masters of society pour water on the blazing fire of miseries by disseminating spiritual knowledge and inspiring the richer section of the society to help in the cause. Temples of worship, for example, are constructed by the rich, and these temples are meant to impart spiritual education to people in general. The periodic spiritual ceremonies are held for inspiration, and not for exploitation. If there are flaws now because of the Age of Kali, they should be rectified but the institution must be saved.■ 56

Therefore the Absolute Personality of Godhead, out of His limitless and causeless mercy, descends from the spiritual kingdom and displays His personal pastimes at Vṛndāvana, the replica of the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky. Vṛndāvana is the most sacred place within this cosmic universe, and people seeking to achieve spiritual emancipation by entering the kingdom of God may make a home at Vṛndāvana and become serious students of the six Gosvāmīs who were instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The six Gosvāmīs were headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī who was followed by Śrīla Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Ragunātha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopala Bhaṭṭa, and Srila Ragunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. They were all seriously engaged in research and excavation of the mystery of Vṛndāvana dhāma. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared at Vṛndāvana about five thousand years ago, and the relics of His appearance at Vṛndāvana were lost from view. But Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the very same Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of a great devotee, appeared at Navadvīpa, a district in West Bengal, and excavated the holy places of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes. He instructed the above-mentioned six Gosvāmīs to compose authorized literature on the cult of Vṛndāvana, and any serious student anxious to know about the Supreme Lord may take advantage of this invaluable literature and the guidance of authorized scholars and thus know about the Lord of Vṛndāvana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.■ 58

Therefore the Absolute Personality of Godhead, out of His limitless and causeless mercy, descends from the spiritual kingdom and displays His personal pastimes at Vṛndāvana, the replica of the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky. Vṛndāvana is the most sacred place within this cosmic universe, and people seeking to achieve spiritual emancipation by entering the kingdom of God may make a home at Vṛndāvana and become serious students of the six Gosvāmīs who were instructed by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The six Gosvāmīs were headed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī who was followed by Śrīla Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Ragunātha, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Gopala Bhaṭṭa, and Srila Ragunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. They were all seriously engaged in research and excavation of the mystery of Vṛndāvana dhāma. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared at Vṛndāvana about five thousand years ago, and the relics of His appearance at Vṛndāvana were lost from view. But Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the very same Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the form of a great devotee, appeared at Navadvīpa, a district in West Bengal, and excavated the holy places of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes. He instructed the above-mentioned six Gosvāmīs to compose authorized literature on the cult of Vṛndāvana, and any serious student anxious to know about the Supreme Lord may take advantage of this invaluable literature and the guidance of authorized scholars and thus know about the Lord of Vṛndāvana, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead.■ 58

All of us living beings are differentiated expansions of the Lord. But our affection for the Lord is submerged within us, artificially covered by the material quality of ignorance. Spiritual culture is meant to revive this natural affection of the living being for the Lord. The ingredients of fire are already present in safety matches, and only mild friction is needed to ignite a fire. Similarly, our natural affection for the Lord has to be revived by a little culture. Specifically, we have to receive the messages of the Lord with a purified heart. For spiritual realization one has to purify the heart and know things in their true perspective. As soon as one does this, the flow of one's natural affection begins to glide towards the Lord, and with the progress of this flow one becomes more and more self-realized in various relations with the Lord. The Lord is the center of all the affection of all living beings, who are all His parts and parcels. When the flow of natural affection for the Lord is clogged by desires to imitate His lordship, one is said to be in māyā , or illusion. Māyā has no substantial existence, but as long as its hallucinations go on, their reactions are felt. The Lord, by His causeless mercy, displays the reality of life so that our hallucinations may be completely dissipated. ■ 24 When the Lord entered the forest of Vṃdāvana, all the inhabitants of the forest, both animate and inanimate, were eager to receive Him. He saw that the flowers of the forest, all fully blossoming, were weeping in ecstasy, honey flowing down their petals. The waterfalls on the hilly rocks were gladly flowing, and one could hear sweet sounds from the caves nearby. 65

Becoming one with God does not always indicate that a living being merges into the existence of the Lord. To become one with God means to attain one's original spiritual quality. Unless one attains one's spiritual quality one cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The members of the impersonalist school explain their idea of oneness by the example of mixing of river water with the sea water. But we should know that within the water of the sea there are living beings, who do not merge into the existence of water but keep their separate identities and enjoy life within the water. They are one with the water in the sense that they have attained the quality of living within the water. Similarly, the spiritual world is not without its separate paraphernalia. A living being can keep his separate spiritual identity in the spiritual kingdom and enjoy life with the supreme spiritual being, the Personality of Godhead. In Vṃdāvana all the spiritual entities — the cowboys, the cow maids, the forest, the trees, the hills, the water, the fruits, the cows, and all others — enjoy life spiritually in association with the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. They are simultaneously one with and different from the Lord. But ultimately they are one in different varieties. ■ 70

In the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord has expressed His willingness to accept fruits, flowers, leaves, and water from His devotee when they have been offered to Him in devotional affection. The Lord can eat anything and everything, because everything is but a transformation of His own energy. But when there is a question of offering Him something, the offerings must be within the range of the eatables the Lord has ordered. We cannot offer the Lord that which He has not ordered. The Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, cannot be offered anything beyond the range of good foodstuffs like rice, dahl, wheat, vegetables, milk and milk preparations, and sugar. At Jagannāth Purī the Lord is offered such foodstuffs, and in all scriptures the very same foodstuffs are mentioned everywhere. The Lord is never hungry, nor does He require any food to fill His empty stomach. He is complete in Himself. Yet He always mercifully eats the foods offered by His devotees in sincere affection. The cowherd boys brought simple foodstuffs from home, and the Lord, who is constantly served by hundreds and thousands of goddesses of fortune, is always glad to accept such simple foodstuffs from His devotee friends. All the relatives of the Lord are His devotees only, and they are situated in different transcendental mellows as friends, parents, and lovers. The Lord derives transcendental pleasure by accepting services from His various grades of devotees, who are situated in various grades of rasas . These transcendental rasas are pervertedly reflected in the material atmosphere, and thus the spiritual living being, out of ignorance only, vainly seeks the same bliss in matter.■ 72

Protection and grazing ground for the cows are among the essential needs for society and the welfare of people in general. The animal fat required for the human body can be well derived from cow's milk. Cow's milk is very important for human energy, and the economic development of society depends on sufficient food grains, sufficient milk, and sufficient transportation and distribution of these products. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, by His personal example, taught us the importance of cow protection, which is meant not only for the Indian climate but for all human beings all over the universe. Less intelligent people underestimate the value of cow's milk. Cow's milk is also called gorasa , or the juice from the body of the cow. Milk is the most valuable form of gorasa , and from milk we can prepare many important and valuable foodstuffs for the upkeep of the human body. The killing of cows by human society is one of the grossest suicidal policies, and those who are anxious to cultivate the human spirit must turn their first attention toward the question of cow protection. If we really want to cultivate the human spirit in society we must have first-class intelligent men to guide the society, and to develop the finer tissues of our brains we must assimilate vitamin values from milk. Devotees worship Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa by addressing Him as the well-wisher of the brāhmaṇas and the cows. The most intelligent class of men, who have perfectly attained knowledge in spiritual values, are called the brāhmaṇas . No society can improve in transcendental knowledge without the guidance of such first-class men, and no brain can assimilate the subtle form of knowledge without fine brain tissues. For such important brain tissues we require a sufficient quantity of milk and milk preparations. Ultimately, we need to protect the cow to derive the highest benefit from this important animal. The protection of cows, therefore, is not merely a religious sentiment but a means to secure the highest benefit for human society. ■ 74

31 The four prominent features of autumn are that there is no water in the sky, the weeds that grew here and there in the rainy season all wither away, the muddy roads and fields dry up, and the ponds of water become crystal clear. These four features of the autumn atmosphere are compared to the four orders of life. In the varṇāśrama system the student goes to the āśrama of the master to take lessons from him and serve him, even as a menial servant. These troubles of the student are at once mitigated when he attains transcendental knowledge in terms of his relation with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. As the white clouds no longer bear the burden of water in the autumn sky, the student finds that the troubles of drawing water for the master becomes a burdenless job if the student, by the grace of his master, attains to spiritual knowledge. Householders who beget children without restriction, like weeds in the rainy season, become solitary as soon as they attain to the stage of devotional service. The family planning of a godless civilization cannot check weedlike unwanted population. People should learn to check sex life by voluntary restraint. This voluntary restraint is possible when one is dovetailed with the service of the Lord. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā . viṣayā vinivartante nirāhārasya dehinaḥ rasa-varjaṁ raso'py asya paraṁ dṛṣtvā nivartate “The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness. (Bg. 2.59) 84

Well situated devotees of the Lord refrain from materialistic sense enjoyment, for they are attracted by the beauty of Transcendence. Forcible restraint by regulative family planning or similar artificial means cannot work very long; one must be attracted by the Transcendence. One can give up the inferior quality of enjoyment as soon as one receives the superior quality of spiritual enjoyment. So family planning is successful when one is engaged in the culture of the human spirit. The vānaprasthas , who voluntarily avoid cleaning themselves and who allow their beards and nails to grow, no longer feel the discomforts of these burdens when they engage in the service of the Lord. And above all, the mendicants who take a vow to refrain from sex life no longer feel sexual urges when fixed in the transcendental service of the Lord. Therefore, in all four of the spiritual orders and the four grades of social life, devotional service to the Lord is essential. Without this relationship, all the regulative principles of varṇa and āśrama become burdensome duties, as they have in the Age of Kali. When the regulative principles have no aim, the varṇas become a caste system, and the āśramas become the business of various shopkeepers. All these anomolies of the present social system can be reformed only by cultivation of the human spirit in the devotional service of the Lord. ■ 32 The beautiful white clouds, freed from all burdens of water distribution, floated in midair, like mendicants freed from all family responsibilities. 85

33 There are waterfalls flowing from the hills of the forest, but sometimes water does not flow from them. So the waterfalls are not like ordinary rainfall. They are compared to great reformers, who speak or do not speak, as the time requires. There are two different kinds of religious preachers. One of them is called the professional preacher, and the other is called the ācārya . The professional preachers are like the rainfall from the sky, but the ācāryas are like waterfalls. The professional traders in Bhāgavatam and Rāmāyana will speak from the portion of the scripture that will appeal to the mundane senses of the audience. For example, the professional Bhāgavatam reciter will generally speak on the subject of rāsa-līlā , which appears to the layman to be something like the dealings of ordinary men and women. Thus the professional reciters earn money from their so-called admirers. But an ācārya will never speak on 91

rāsa-līla to the general mass of peole. The rāsa-līla chapters of the Bhāgavatam are the most confidential part of the scripture, and they are meant for advanced students of spiritual realization. In the Bhāgavatam there are twelve cantos, and the rāsa-līlā is in the tenth. So before one comes to the Tenth Canto, the Bhāgavatam tries to convince one of the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth: Unless one has grasped the spiritual status of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is sure to accept Him as an ordinary man and thereby commit offenses at His lotus feet by so many unwanted activities. The ācārya is he who knows the scriptures well and teaches his disciple in terms of the disciple's capacity to understand and advance in spiritual realization. Therefore he sometimes does not speak and sometimes speaks. The holy messages of Godhead have to be received from the realized soul, and not from the professional man. Although rain water and the waterfalls are the same, the water from the waterfalls has a different effect than ordinary rain water. One should not accept messages from the professional men, as one should not accept milk touched by the tongue of a serpent. Milk is good, but as soon as it is touched by the snake it becomes poisonous. The ācārya , therefore, is not a mercenary order-supplier like the professional reciter of scriptures. ■ 92

rāsa-līla to the general mass of peole. The rāsa-līla chapters of the Bhāgavatam are the most confidential part of the scripture, and they are meant for advanced students of spiritual realization. In the Bhāgavatam there are twelve cantos, and the rāsa-līlā is in the tenth. So before one comes to the Tenth Canto, the Bhāgavatam tries to convince one of the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth: Unless one has grasped the spiritual status of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is sure to accept Him as an ordinary man and thereby commit offenses at His lotus feet by so many unwanted activities. The ācārya is he who knows the scriptures well and teaches his disciple in terms of the disciple's capacity to understand and advance in spiritual realization. Therefore he sometimes does not speak and sometimes speaks. The holy messages of Godhead have to be received from the realized soul, and not from the professional man. Although rain water and the waterfalls are the same, the water from the waterfalls has a different effect than ordinary rain water. One should not accept messages from the professional men, as one should not accept milk touched by the tongue of a serpent. Milk is good, but as soon as it is touched by the snake it becomes poisonous. The ācārya , therefore, is not a mercenary order-supplier like the professional reciter of scriptures. ■ 92

The result of self-realization is cessation of the storms of desire and lust, which are products of the modes of ignorance and passion. This cessation of the storm does not mean that the sea becomes inactive. When the storm subsides, the work of navigation can take place smoothly. According to the Indian system of navigation, there is a ceremony on the seashore known as the coconut day. On the coconut day the sea is offered a coconut because she has become peaceful, and from that day on the seagoing vessels sail to foreign countries. The three modes of nature divide human activities into two different spheres, one external and the other introspective. As long as a man is dominated by the modes of ignorance and passion, he is active externally in desire and lust. Men absorbed in desire and lust are called asuras , and they are always chasing after women and money. For the sake of women and money the asuras exploit every source of economic development. As a result of this asuric civilization, the entire human society becomes like a stormy sea, with no trace of peace and prosperity. Too much of an external view of the world gives rise to an overly large-scale and difficult type of industry and trade, known as ugrakarma . The word ugra means "hard" or "difficult," and karma means "task." The development of hard and difficult industrial undertakings always hinders the progressive cultivation of the human spirit. Asuric leaders of society never retire from such lustful undertakings unless killed by the laws of nature. For them there is no question of retirement or of cultivating the human spirit. But men in the mode of goodness have an introspective mind, and after a regulative struggle for existence they retire at a ripe old age and engage their time to cultivate the human spirit. 100

According to the varṇāśrama principle, it is compulsory that one retire after the age of fifty, without considering other circumstances. Business offices close at a fixed hour no matter what balance of work remains. Similarly, after the age of fifty one must retire from the active, external life and devote oneself to the introspective cultivation of the human spirit. This retirement must be compulsory so that foolish old men will no longer disturb the peaceful progress of spiritual culture. In the modern democratic government, no one should be elected after the age of fifty. Otherwise the storm of the ocean of nescience cannot be stopped to allow the ships and boats to sail back to Godhead. The greatest enemies to progressive spiritual culture in human society are the old fossils of political parties who are blind themselves and who try to lead other blind men. They bring about disaster in a peaceful human society. The members of the younger generation are not as stupid as the old politicians, and therefore by state law the foolish politicians must retire from active life at the age of fifty. ■ 101

1 / Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , Third Canto, 29th Chapter, 10th verse, Śrīla Kapiladeva, while instructing His mother, has given the following characteristics of pure devotional service: “My dear Mother, those who are My pure devotees, and who have no desire for material benefit or philosophical speculation, have their minds so much engaged in My service that they are never interested in asking Me for anything—except to be engaged in that service. They do not even beg to live in My abode with Me.” There are five kinds of liberation, namely to become one with the Lord, to live with the Supreme Lord on the same planet, to have the same features as the Lord, to enjoy the same opulences as the Lord, and to live as a companion of the Lord. A devotee, not to speak of rejecting material sense gratification, does not even want any of the five kinds of liberation. He is satisfied simply by discharging loving service to the Lord. That is the characteristic of pure devotion. In the above statement by Kapiladeva from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , the actual position of a pure devotee is described, and the primary characteristics of devotional service are also defined. Further characteristics of devotional service are described by Rūpa Gosvāmī with evidences from different scriptures. He states that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service, which are as follows: 1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. 2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness. 3) Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure. 1

2 The Nectar of Devotion 4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved. 5) Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation. 6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is all-attractive, but pure devotional service attracts even Him. This means that pure devotional service is even transcendentally stronger than Kṛṣṇa Himself, because it is Kṛṣṇa's internal potency. Relief from Material Distress In the Bhagavad-gītā , the Lord says that one should surrender unto Him, giving up all other engagements. The Lord also gives His word there that He will protect such surrendered souls from the reactions of all sinful activities. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī says that the distresses from sinful activities are due both to the sins themselves and to sins committed in our past lives. Generally, one commits sinful activities due to ignorance. But ignorance is no excuse for evading the reaction—sinful activities. Sinful activities are of two kinds: those which are mature and those which are not mature. The sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment are called mature. The many sinful activities stored within us for which we have not yet suffered are considered immature. For example, a man may have committed criminal acts but is not yet arrested for them. Now, as soon as he is detected, arrest is awaiting him. Similarly, for some of our sinful activities we are awaiting distresses in the future, and for others, which are mature, we are suffering at the present moment. In this way there is a chain of sinful activities and their concomitant distresses, and the conditioned soul is suffering life after life due to these sins. He is suffering in the present life the results of sinful activities from his past life, and he is meanwhile creating further sufferings for his future life. Mature sinful activities are exhibited if one is suffering from some chronic disease, if one is suffering from some legal implication, if one is born in a low and degraded family, or if one is uneducated or very ugly.

Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service 3 There are many results of past sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment, and we may be suffering in the future due to our present sinful activities. But all of these reactions to sinful deeds can immediately be stopped if we take to Krṣṇa consciousness. As evidence for this, Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , Eleventh Canto, 14th Chapter, 18th verse. This verse is in connection with Lord Krṣṇa's instruction to Uddhava, where He says, "My dear Uddhava, devotional service unto Me is just like a blazing fire which can burn into ashes unlimited fuel supplied to it." The purport is that as the blazing fire can burn any amount of fuel to ashes, so devotional service to the Lord in Krṣṇa consciousness can burn up all the fuel of sinful activities. For example, in the Gūtā Arjuna thought that fighting was a sinful activity, but Krṣṇa engaged him on the battlefield under His order, and so the fighting became devotional service. Therefore, Arjuna was not subjected to any sinful reaction. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes another verse from the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , 33rd Chapter, 6th verse, in which Devahūti addresses her son, Kapiladeva and says, "My dear Lord, there are nine different kinds of devotional service, beginning from hearing and chanting. Anyone who hears about Your pastimes, who chants about Your glories, who offers You obeisances, who thinks of You and, in this way, executes any of the nine kinds of devotional service—even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters [the lowest grade of mankind]—becomes immediately qualified to perform sacrifices." As such, for anyone who is actually engaged in devotional service in full Krṣṇa consciousness, how is it possible that he has not become purified? It is not possible. One who is engaged in Krṣṇa consciousness and devotional service has without doubt become freed from all contaminations of material sinful activities. Devotional service therefore has the power to actually nullify all kinds of reactions to sinful deeds. A devotee is nevertheless always alert not to commit any sinful activities; this is his specific qualification as a devotee. Thus the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by performing devotional service a person who was born even in a family of dog-eaters may become eligible to take part in the performance of the ritualistic ceremonies

Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service 3 There are many results of past sinful activities for which we are suffering at the present moment, and we may be suffering in the future due to our present sinful activities. But all of these reactions to sinful deeds can immediately be stopped if we take to Krṣṇa consciousness. As evidence for this, Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , Eleventh Canto, 14th Chapter, 18th verse. This verse is in connection with Lord Krṣṇa's instruction to Uddhava, where He says, "My dear Uddhava, devotional service unto Me is just like a blazing fire which can burn into ashes unlimited fuel supplied to it." The purport is that as the blazing fire can burn any amount of fuel to ashes, so devotional service to the Lord in Krṣṇa consciousness can burn up all the fuel of sinful activities. For example, in the Gūtā Arjuna thought that fighting was a sinful activity, but Krṣṇa engaged him on the battlefield under His order, and so the fighting became devotional service. Therefore, Arjuna was not subjected to any sinful reaction. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī quotes another verse from the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , 33rd Chapter, 6th verse, in which Devahūti addresses her son, Kapiladeva and says, "My dear Lord, there are nine different kinds of devotional service, beginning from hearing and chanting. Anyone who hears about Your pastimes, who chants about Your glories, who offers You obeisances, who thinks of You and, in this way, executes any of the nine kinds of devotional service—even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters [the lowest grade of mankind]—becomes immediately qualified to perform sacrifices." As such, for anyone who is actually engaged in devotional service in full Krṣṇa consciousness, how is it possible that he has not become purified? It is not possible. One who is engaged in Krṣṇa consciousness and devotional service has without doubt become freed from all contaminations of material sinful activities. Devotional service therefore has the power to actually nullify all kinds of reactions to sinful deeds. A devotee is nevertheless always alert not to commit any sinful activities; this is his specific qualification as a devotee. Thus the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by performing devotional service a person who was born even in a family of dog-eaters may become eligible to take part in the performance of the ritualistic ceremonies

Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service 5 vent the growing of contamination, similarly, the practical injection to stop all the fructifications of the seeds of our sinful activities is simply engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In this connection, Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks in the Sixth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , 2nd Chapter, 17th verse, about the story of Ajāmila, who began life as a fine and dutiful brāhmaṇa but in his young manhood became wholly corrupted by a prostitute. At the end of his wicked life, just by calling the name of “Nārāyaṇa [Kṛṣṇa],” he was saved despite so much sin. Śukadeva points out that austerity, charity and the performance of ritualistic ceremonies for counteracting sinful activities are recommended processes, but that by performing them one cannot remove the sinful desire-seed from the heart, as was the case with Ajāmila in his youth. This sinful desire-seed can be removed only by achieving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this can be accomplished very easily by chanting the mahāmantra , or Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra , as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. In other words, unless one adopts the path of devotional service, he cannot be one hundred percent clean from all the reactions of sinful activities. By performing Vedic ritualistic activities, by giving money in charity and by undergoing austerity, one can temporarily become free from the reactions of sinful activities, but at the next moment he must again become engaged in sinful activities. For example, a person suffering from venereal disease on account of excessive indulgence in sex life has to undergo some severe pain in medical treatment, and he is then cured for the time being. But because he has not been able to remove the sex desire from his heart, he must again indulge in the same thing and become a victim of the same disease. So medical treatment may give temporary relief from the distress of such venereal disease, but unless one is trained to understand that sex life is abominable, it is impossible to be saved from such repeated distress. Similarly, the ritualistic performances, charity and austerity which are recommended in the Vedas may temporarily stop one from acting in sinful ways, but as long as the heart is not clear, one will have to repeat sinful activities again and again. Another example is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam of the ele-

Preface The Krṣṇa consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. The Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavas, or Bengali Vaiṣṇavas, are mostly followers of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, of whom the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana are direct disciples. Therefore Śrīla Narottama dāsa Thākura has sung: rūpa-raghunātha-pade ha-ibe ākuti kabe hāma bujhaba se yugala-pīriti “When I am eager to understand the literature given by the Gosvāmīs, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental loving affairs of Rādhā and Krṣṇa.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in order to bestow upon human society the benediction of the science of Krṣṇa. The most exalted of all the activities of Lord Krṣṇa are His pastimes of conjugal love with the gopīs . Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the best of the gopīs . Therefore, to understand the mission of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and follow in His footsteps, one must very seriously follow in the footsteps of the six Gosvāmīs— vii

viii The Nectar of Instruction Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Dāsa Raghunātha. Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī was the leader of all the Gosvāmīs, and to guide our activities he gave us this Upadeśāmṛta ( The Nectar of Instruction ) to follow. As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left behind Him the eight verses known as Śikṣāṣṭaka , Rūpa Gosvāmī gave us Upadeśāmṛta so that we may become pure Vaiṣṇavas. In all spiritual affairs, one's first duty is to control his mind and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa , by following the instructions of Rūpa Gosvāmī, and then everything concerning how to make further progress will be revealed. Advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness depends on the attitude of the follower. A follower of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should become a perfect gosvāmī . Vaiṣṇavas are generally known as gosvāmīs . In Vṛndāvana, this is the title by which the director of each temple is known. One who wants to become a perfect devotee of Kṛṣṇa must become a gosvāmī . Go means "the senses," and svāmī means "the master." Unless one controls his senses and mind, one cannot become a gosvāmī . To achieve the highest success in life by becoming a gosvāmī and then a pure devotee of the Lord, one must follow the instructions known as Upadeśāmṛta , which have been given by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has given many other books, such as Bhaktirasāmṛta-sindhu , Vidagdha-mādhava and Lalita-mādhava ,

Text One 5 losophers think. Silence may appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a failure. The meaning of controlled speech conveyed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī advocates the positive process of kṛṣṇa-kathā , engaging the speaking process in glorifying the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The tongue can thus glorify the name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. The preacher of kṛṣṇa-kathā is always beyond the clutches of death. This is the significance of controlling the urge to speak. The restlessness or fickleness of the mind ( mano-vega ) is controlled when one can fix his mind on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 22.31) says: kṛṣṇa — sūrya-sama ; māyā haya andhakāra yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra Kṛṣṇa is just like the sun, and māyā is just like darkness. If the sun is present, there is no question of darkness. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is present in the mind, there is no possibility of the mind's being agitated by māyā 's influence. The yogic process of negating all material thoughts will not help. To try to create a vacuum in the mind is artificial. The vacuum will not remain. However, if one always thinks of Kṛṣṇa and how to serve Kṛṣṇa best, one's mind will naturally be controlled. Similarly, anger can be controlled. We cannot stop anger altogether, but if we simply become angry with those who blaspheme the Lord or the devotees of the Lord, we control our anger in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu became angry with the miscreant brothers

14 The Nectar of Instruction adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām “For those who have decided to continue their existence in this material world for the gratification of their senses, there is no chance of becoming Krṣṇa conscious, not by personal endeavor, by instruction from others or by joint conferences. They are dragged by the unbridled senses into the darkest region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage in what is called ‘chewing the chewed.’” TEXT TWO अत्याहारः प्रयासश्च प्रजल्पो नियमाग्रहः । जनसङ्गश्च लौब्यञ्च षड्भिर्भक्तिर्विनश्यति ॥ २ ॥ atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ jana-saṅgaś ca laulyaṁ ca ṣaḍbhir bhaktir vinaśyati ati-āhāraḥ—overeating or too much collecting; prayāsaḥ—overendeavoring; ca—and; prajalpaḥ—idle talking; niyama—rules and regulations; āgrahaḥ—too much attachment to (or agrahaḥ—too much neglect of); jana-saṅgaḥ—association with worldly-minded persons; ca—and; laulyam—ardent longing or greed; ca—and; ṣaḍbhiḥ—by these six; bhaktiḥ—devotional service; vinaśyati—is destroyed.

18 The Nectar of Instruction According to nature's arrangement, living entities lower on the evolutionary scale do not eat or collect more than necessary. Consequently in the animal kingdom there is generally no economic problem or scarcity of necessities. If a bag of rice is placed in a public place, birds will come to eat a few grains and go away. A human being, however, will take away the whole bag. He will eat all his stomach can hold and then try to keep the rest in storage. According to scriptures, this collecting of more than necessary ( atyāhāra ) is prohibited. Now the entire world is suffering because of it. Collecting and eating more than necessary also causes prayāsa , or unnecessary endeavor. By God's arrangement, anyone in any part of the world can live very peacefully if he has some land and a milk cow. There is no need for man to move from one place to another to earn a livelihood, for one can produce food grains locally and get milk from cows. That can solve all economic problems. Fortunately, man has been given higher intelligence for the cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or the understanding of God, one's relationship with Him, and the ultimate goal of life, love of God. Unfortunately, so-called civilized man, not caring for God realization, utilizes his intelligence to get more than necessary and simply eat to satisfy the tongue. By God's arrangement there is sufficient scope for the production of milk and grains for human beings all over the world, but instead of using their higher intelligence to cultivate God consciousness, so-called intelligent men misuse their intelligence to produce many unnecessary and unwanted things. Thus factories, slaughterhouses, brothels and liquor shops are opened. If

Text Two 23 cept,” and agraha means “failure to accept.” By the addition of either of these two words to the word niyama (“rules and regulations”), the word niyamāgraha is formed. Thus niyamāgraha has a twofold meaning that is understood according to the particular combination of words. Those interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not be eager to accept rules and regulations for economic advancement, yet they should very faithfully accept scriptural rules and regulations for the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They should strictly follow the regulative principles by avoiding illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication. One should also avoid association with Māyāvādīs, who simply blaspheme Vaiṣṇavas (devotees). Bhukti-kāmīs , who are interested in material happiness, mukti-kāmīs , who desire liberation by merging in the existence of the formless Absolute (Brahman), and siddhi-kāmīs , who desire the perfection of mystic yoga practice, are classified as atyāhārīs . To associate with such persons is not at all desirable. Desires to expand the mind by perfecting mystic yoga , merging in the existence of Brahman, or attaining whimsical material prosperity are all included within the category of greed ( laulya ). All attempts to acquire such material benefits or so-called spiritual advancement are impediments on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Modern warfare waged between capitalists and communists is due to their avoiding the advice of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī regarding atyāhāra . Modern capitalists accumulate more wealth than necessary, and the communists, envious of their prosperity, want to nationalize all wealth and property. Unfortunately the communists do not know how to solve the

Text Six 61 pure bhakti-yoga . Bhakti-yoga is the proper activity of the soul, and when one actually engages in unalloyed, uncontaminated devotional service, he is already liberated ( sa guṇān samatītyaitān ). Kṛṣṇa's devotee is not subjected to material condition, even though his bodily features may appear materially conditioned. One should therefore not see a pure devotee from a materialistic point of view. Unless one is actually a devotee, he cannot see another devotee perfectly. As explained in the previous verse, there are three types of devotees— kaniṣṭha-adhikārī , madhyama-adhikārī and uttama-adhikārī . The kaniṣṭha-adhikārī cannot distinguish between a devotee and nondevotee. He is simply concerned with worshiping the Deity in the temple. A madhyama-adhikārī , however, can distinguish between the devotee and nondevotee, as well as between the devotee and the Lord. Thus he treats the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee and the nondevotee in different ways. No one should criticize the bodily defects of a pure devotee. If there are such defects, they should be overlooked. What should be taken into account is the spiritual master's main business, which is devotional service, pure service to the Supreme Lord. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.30): api cet sudurācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ samyag vyavasito hi saḥ Even if a devotee sometimes seems to engage in abominable activities, he should be considered a sādhu , a saintly person,

62 The Nectar of Instruction because his actual identity is that of one engaged in the loving service of the Lord. In other words, he is not to be considered an ordinary human being. Even though a pure devotee may not be born in a brāhmaṇa or gosvāmī family, if he is engaged in the service of the Lord he should not be neglected. In actuality there cannot be a family of gosvāmīs based on material considerations, caste or heredity. The gosvāmī title is actually the monopoly of the pure devotees; thus we speak of the six Gosvāmīs, headed by Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī had practically become Mohammedaus and had therefore changed their names to Dabira Khāsa and Sākara Mallika, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself made them gosvāmīs . Therefore the gosvāmī title is not hereditary. The word gosvāmī refers to one who can control his senses, who is master of the senses. A devotee is not controlled by the senses, but is the controller of the senses. Consequently he should be called svāmī or gosvāmī , even though he may not be born in a gosvāmī family. According to this formula, the gosvāmīs who are descendants of Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu are certainly devotees, but devotees coming from other families should not be discriminated against; indeed, whether the devotees come from a family of previous ācāryas or from an ordinary family, they should be treated equally. One should not think, “Oh, here is an American gosvāmī ,” and discriminate against him. Nor should one think, “Here is a nityānanda-vaṁśa-gosvāmī .” There is an undercurrent of protest against our awarding the title gosvāmī to the

Text Seven 65 When one thus criticizes a pure devotee, he commits an offense ( vaiṣṇava-aparādha ) that is very obstructive and dangerous for those who desire to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A person cannot derive any spiritual benefit when he offends the lotus feet of a Vaiṣṇava. Everyone should therefore be very careful not to be jealous of an empowered Vaiṣṇava, or a śuddha-vaiṣṇava . It is also an offense to consider an empowered Vaiṣṇava an object of disciplinary action. It is offensive to try to give him advice or to correct him. One can distinguish between a neophyte Vaiṣṇava and an advanced Vaiṣṇava by their activities. The advanced Vaiṣṇava is always situated as the spiritual master, and the neophyte is always considered his disciple. The spiritual master must not be subjected to the advice of a disciple, nor should a spiritual master be obliged to take instructions from those who are not his disciples. This is the sum and substance of Śrila Rūpa Gosvāmī's advice in the sixth verse. TEXT SEVEN स्यात्कृष्णनामचरितादिसिताप्यविद्या- पित्तोपतप्तरसनस्य न रोचिका नु । किन्वादरादनुदिनं खलु सैव जुष्टा स्वाद्वी क्रमाद्भवति तद्वदमूलहंत्री ॥ ७ ॥ syāt kṛṣṇa-nāma-caritādi-sitāpy avidyā- pittopatapta-rasanasya na rocikā nu

8 On the Way to Kṛṣṇa So how can we, as sons of God, assert our personality and individuality and at the same time deny them to our Father, the Supreme Lord? Atīndriyam means that we have to transcend these material senses before we can appreciate real happiness. Ramante yogino 'nante satyānanda-cidātmani : the yogīs who are aspiring after spiritual life are also tasting enjoyment by focusing on the Supersoul within. If there is no pleasure, if there is no enjoyment, then what is the point of going to so much trouble to control the senses? What kind of pleasure are the yogīs relishing if they are taking so much trouble? That pleasure is ananta —endless. How is this? The spirit soul is eternal, and the Supreme Lord is eternal; therefore reciprocation of their loving exchanges is eternal. One who is actually intelligent will refrain from the flickering sensual enjoyment of this material body and fix his enjoyment in spiritual life. His participation in spiritual life with the Supreme Lord is called rāsa-līlā . We have often heard of Kṛṣṇa's rāsa-līlā with the cowherd girls in Vṛndāvana. That is not like ordinary exchanges that take place between these material bodies. Rather it is an exchange of feelings through spiritual bodies. One has to be somewhat intelligent to understand this, for a foolish man, who cannot understand what real happiness is, seeks happiness in this material world. In India there is the story of a man who did not know what sugarcane was and was told that it was very sweet to chew. “Oh, what does it look like?” he asked. “It looks just like a bamboo rod,” someone said. So the foolish man began to

14 On the Way to Krṣṇa The mind is always concocting objects for happiness. I am always thinking, “This will make me happy,” or “That will make me happy. Happiness is here. Happiness is there.” In this way the mind is taking us anywhere and everywhere. It is as though we are riding on a chariot behind an unbridled horse. We have no power over where we are going but can only sit in horror and watch helplessly. As soon as the mind is engaged in the Krṣṇa consciousness process—specifically by chanting Hare Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa Krṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—then the wild horses of the mind will gradually come under our control. We must engage in Krṣṇa’s service every moment of our lives in order to keep the restless and turbulent mind from dragging us from one object to another in a vain search for happiness in the temporary material world. yuñjann evaṁ sadātmānaṁ yogī vigata-kalmaṣaḥ sukhena brahma-saṁsparśam atyantaṁ sukham aśnute “Steady in the Self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogī achieves the highest perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the supreme consciousness.” (Bg. 6.28) Krṣṇa serves as a patron for one who is devoted to Him. When one is in difficulty, his patron saves him. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā , Krṣṇa is the real friend of every living entity, and we have to revive our friendship with Him. The method for reviving this friendship is the process of Krṣṇa consciousness. By prac-

The Way of Chanting and Knowing Kṛṣṇa 19 perienced is but a perverted reflection of things in spiritual life. When our constitutional position or dharma is deteriorated due to the contaminations of matter, the Lord Himself comes as an incarnation or sends some of His confidential servitors. Lord Jesus Christ called himself the “son of God,” and so is a representative of the Supreme. Similarly, Mohammed identified himself as a servant of the Supreme Lord. Thus whenever there is a discrepancy in our constitutional position, the Supreme Lord either comes Himself or sends His representative to inform us of the real position of the living entity. Therefore, one should not make the mistake of thinking that dharma is a created faith. In its proper sense, dharma cannot be divorced from the living entity at all. It is to the living entity what sweetness is to sugar, or saltiness is to salt, or solidity is to stone. In no case can it be cut off. The dharma of the living entity is to serve, and we can easily see that every living entity has the tendency to serve himself or others. How to serve Kṛṣṇa, how to disentangle ourselves from materialistic service, how to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness and become free from material designations is all taught as a science by Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā . The word sādhu in the verse quoted above, beginning paritrāṇāya sādhūnām refers to a holy man or a saintly person. A saintly person is tolerant, very kind to everyone, is a friend to all living entities, is no one’s enemy and is always peaceful. There are twenty-six basic qualifications for a holy man, and in the

10 THE PATH OF PERFECTION with my wife.” Thus people are going to so much trouble to acquire a little pleasure. Pleasure is the ultimate goal, but unfortunately, under illusion, people do not know where real pleasure is to be found. Real pleasure exists eternally in the transcendental form of Kṛṣṇa. Perhaps you have seen pictures of Kṛṣṇa, and if so, you have noticed that Kṛṣṇa is always jolly. If you join His society, you will also become jolly. Have you ever seen pictures of Kṛṣṇa working with a machine? Have you ever seen pictures of Kṛṣṇa smoking? No, He is by nature full of pleasure, and if you unfold yourself in that way, you will also find pleasure. Pleasure cannot be found artificially. ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣam tam aham bhajāmi “I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, residing in His own realm, Goloka, with Rādhā, resembling His own spiritual figure, the embodiment of the ecstatic potency possessed of the sixty-four artistic activities, in the company of Her confidantes ( sahkhīs ), embodiments of the extensions of Her bodily form, permeated and vitalized by His ever-blissful spiritual rasa .” ( Brahma-samhitā 5.37) The word rasa means “taste,” or “mellow.” We enjoy sweets or candy because of their taste. Everyone is trying to enjoy some taste, and we want to enjoy sex because there is some taste there. That is called ādi taste. Material tastes are different because they are tasted and quickly finished. Material tastes last only a few minutes. You may take a piece of candy, taste it, and say, “Oh, that is very nice,” but you have to taste another in order to continue the enjoyment. Material taste is not unlimited, but real taste is without end. Spiritual taste cannot be forgotten; it goes on increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam . Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, “This taste is always increasing.” Spiritual taste is like the ocean in the sense that it is very great. The Pacific Ocean is always toss- Yoga as Action 11 ing, but it is not increasing. By God’s order, the ocean does not extend beyond its limit, and if it extends, there is havoc. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that there is another ocean, an ocean of transcendental bliss, an ocean that is always increasing. Ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam pratipadam pūrnāmṛtāsvādanaṁ sarvātma-snapanam param vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam . By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, our pleasure potency increases more and more. One who has realized Śrī Kṛṣṇa is always living in Vṛndāvana, Vaikuṇṭha. Although a devotee may seem to be living in some place far from Vṛndāvana, he is always living in Vṛndāvana, because he knows that Kṛṣṇa is present everywhere, even within the atom. The Supreme Lord is bigger than the biggest and smaller than the smallest. Once we are fully realized and established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we never lose sight of Kṛṣṇa, and our bliss is always increasing. This is the true yoga system, bhakti-

THE PATH OF PERFECTION This is a book about yoga. It's not about what waste people think yoga is. For most of us, the term conjures in the mind an image of sore skinny, half-naked fellow contorted into a human pretzel, or perhaps a room full of corpulent matrons in black leotards, struggling to stand on their heads in hopes of improving their health, losing weight, or increasing their waning sexual powers. The Path of Perfection offers a brilliant exposition on the path of bhakti-yoga, a simple but all-inclusive form of yoga for the modern age. Even those who are entangled in the complexity and chaos of modern materialistic life can begin a simple practice that purifies the mind and elevates the consciousness. In The Path of Perfection , the world's most distinguished teacher of Vedic culture and philosophy, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, frees us from the meaninglessness that threatens our individual and collective sanity.

THREE The Real Goal of Life February 28, 1972 (continued) ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: This movement is especially meant to enable a human being to reach the real goal of life. BOB: The real goal . . . ? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: The real goal of life. BOB: Is the real goal of life to know God? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. To go back home, back to Godhead. That is the real goal of life. The water that comes from the sea forms clouds, the clouds fall down as rain, and the actual goal is to flow down the river and again enter the sea. So, we have come from God, and now we are embarrassed by material life. Therefore, our aim should be to get out of this embarrassing situation and go back home, back to Godhead. This is the real goal of life. mām upetya punar janma duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ [“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogīs in devotion, never return to this temporary world; which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.”] That is the version of Bhagavad-gītā . If anyone comes to Me— mām upetya : he does not come back again. Where? 21

The Real Goal of Life 23 ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: That's all right. But how the energy is working in the future—that science does not know. How is the energy diverted? How, by different manipulations, is the energy working differently? For instance, electrical energy. By different handling it is operating the heater, and it is operating the refrigerator. They are just the opposite, but the electrical energy is the same. Similarly, this energy—living energy—how is it being directed? Which way is it going? How is it fructifying in the next life? That they do not know. But in Bhagavad-gītā it is very simply stated. vāsāṁsi jīṃāni yathā vihāya You are covered by a dress, by a shirt. When this shirt is unusable, you change it. Similarly, this body is just like a shirt and coat. When it is no longer workable, we have to change it. BOB: What is the “we” that has to change? What is constant? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: That is the soul. BOB: From one life to the next? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: That is the soul—I. What “you” is speaking? You! What “I” is speaking? Identity: ātmā , or soul. BOB: My soul is different from your soul? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. You are an individual soul, I am an individual soul. BOB: You have removed yourself from karmic influences. If I was to remove myself from karmic influences, would our souls be the same or different? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: The soul is of the same quality in all. You are under a certain conception of life at the present moment, and these countrymen of yours [the Kṛṣṇa

The Real Goal of Life 29 tvāṁ prapannam. Arjuna told the Lord, “I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.” So unless He is a spiritual master, how does Arjuna become His disciple? He is the original guru. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye: “It is He only who first imparted Vedic knowledge unto the heart of Brahmā, the first created being.” Therefore He is the original guru. BOB: Kṛṣṇa. ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. He is the original guru. Then His disciple Brahmā is a guru , then his disciple Nārada is a guru , then his disciple Vyāsa is a guru —in this way there is a guru-paramparā [disciplic succession of gurus ]. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: the transcendental knowledge is received through the disciplic succession. BOB: So a guru receives his knowledge through the disciplic succession, not directly from Kṛṣṇa? Do you receive some knowledge directly from Kṛṣṇa? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: Yes. Kṛṣṇa’s direct instruction is there: Bhagavad-gītā. BOB: I see, but . . . ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: But you have to learn it through the disciplic succession, otherwise you will misunderstand it. BOB: But presently you do not receive information directly from Kṛṣṇa? It comes through the disciplic succession from the books? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: There is no difference. Suppose I say that this is a pencil. If you say to him, “There is a pencil,” and if he says to another man, “This is a pencil,” then what is the difference between his instruction and my instructions? BOB: Kṛṣṇa’s mercy allows you to know this now? ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA: You can take Kṛṣṇa’s mercy also,

2 Yoga As Work In Devotion We have heard the names of so many different yogas and yogīs , but in Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says that he is the actual yogī who has surrendered himself “fully unto Me.” Kṛṣṇa proclaims that there is no difference between renunciation ( sannyāsa ) and yoga . yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo yogī bhavati kaścana “What is called renunciation is the same as yoga , or linking oneself with the Supreme; for no one can become a yogī unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.” (Bg. 6.2) In Bhagavad-gītā there are three basic types of yoga delineated— karma-yoga , jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga . The systems of yoga may be likened unto a staircase. Someone may be on the first step, someone may be halfway up, or someone may be on the top step. When one is elevated to certain levels, he is known as a karma-yogī , jñāna-yogī , etc. In all cases, the service to the Supreme Lord is the same. It is a difference in elevation only. Thus Srī Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that he must understand that renunciation ( sannyāsa ) and yoga are the same because without being freed from desire and sense gratification one can become neither a yogī nor a sannyāsī . 12

Yoga as Meditation on Kṛṣṇa 19 and one executes this system properly, then he can control his mind. After one has met all the requirements for meditation, he must transfer his whole thought to Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. It is not that one is to transfer his thought to vacancy. Thus Kṛṣṇa says that one absorbed in the meditational yoga system is “always thinking of Me.” The yogī obviously has to go through a great deal of difficulty to purify the ātmā (mind, body and soul), but it is a fact that this can be done most effectively in this age simply by the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Why is this? Because this transcendental sound vibration is nondifferent from Him. When we chant His name with devotion, then Kṛṣṇa is with us, and when Kṛṣṇa is with us, then what is the possibility of remaining impure? Consequently, one absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in chanting the names of Kṛṣṇa and serving Him always, receives the benefit of the highest form of yoga . The advantage is that he doesn't have to take all the trouble of the meditational process. That is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In yoga it is necessary to control all of the senses, and when all the senses are controlled, the mind must be engaged in thinking of Viṣṇu. One becomes peaceful after thus conquering material life. jitātmanaḥ praśāntasya paramātmā samāhitaḥ śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkheṣu tathā mānāpamānayoḥ

Knowledge of Krṣṇa's Energies 23 “This factory was started by me,” in no case should it be concluded that I am lost or in any way not present. Although a manufacturer may refer to his products as being “manufactured by me,” it does not mean that he personally created or constructed his product, but that the product was produced by his energy. Similarly, if Krṣṇa says, “Whatever you see in the world was created by Me,” we are not to suppose that He is no longer existing. It is not very difficult to see God everywhere in the creation, for He is everywhere present. Just as in the Ford factory the workers see Mr. Ford in every corner, those who are conversant with the science of Krṣṇa can see Him in every atom of the creation. Everything is resting on Krṣṇa ( mat-sthāni sarva bhūtāni ), but Krṣṇa is not there ( na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ ). Krṣṇa and His energy are non-different, yet the energy is not Krṣṇa. The sun and the sunshine are not different, but the sunshine is not the sun. The sunshine may come through our window and enter our room, but this is not to say that the sun is in our room. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa states: parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ : parasya means supreme, brahmaṇaḥ means Absolute Truth, and śaktiḥ means energy. The energy of the Supreme Absolute is everything, but in that energy Krṣṇa is not to be found. There are two kinds of energy—material and spiritual. Jīvas , or individual souls, belong to the superior energy of Krṣṇa, but because they are prone to be attracted to the material energy, they are called marginal energy. But actually there are only two energies. All of the planetary systems and universes are resting on the energies of Krṣṇa. Just as all the

40 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION who cursed him was only a boy, yet he was very powerful, and because he did not know the importance of the great king, the boy foolishly cursed him to meet death within seven days. This was later lamented by the boy's father, whom the king had offended. When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges, which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death. Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and learned scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior to leaving his mortal body. At last, Śukadeva Goswami, the youngest contemporary saint, also arrived there, and he was unanimously accepted to preside at that meeting, although his great father was also present. The king respectfully offered Śukadeva Goswami the principal seat of esteem and asked him relevant questions regarding his passing from the mortal world, which was to take place on the seventh day thenceforward. The great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pāṇḍavas, who were all great devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries before the great sage Śukadeva. "My dear sir, you are the greatest of the great transcendentalists, and therefore I submitted to ask you about my duties at this moment. I am just on the verge of my death. Therefore, what should I do at this critical hour? Please tell me, my lord—what should I hear, what should I worship, or whom should I remember now? A great sage like you does not stay at the home of a householder more than necessary, and therefore it is my good fortune that you have kindly come here at the time of my death. Please, therefore, give me your directions at this critical hour." The great sage, having thus been pleasingly requested by the king, answered his questions authoritatively, for the sage was a great transcendental scholar and was also well equipped with godly qualities, since he was the worthy son of Bādarāyaṇa, or Vyāsadeva, the original compiler of the Vedic literature. Śukadeva Goswami said, "My dear king, your inquiry is very much relevant, and it is also beneficial for all people of all times. Such inquiries, which are the highest of all, are relevant because they are confirmed by the teachings of the vedānta-darśana , the conclusion of the Vedic knowledge, and are ātmavit-sammatāḥ ; in other words, liberated souls, who have full knowledge of their spiritual identity, put forward such relevant inquiries in order to elucidate further information about the Transcendence." The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary upon the great Ve-

40 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION who cursed him was only a boy, yet he was very powerful, and because he did not know the importance of the great king, the boy foolishly cursed him to meet death within seven days. This was later lamented by the boy's father, whom the king had offended. When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges, which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death. Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and learned scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior to leaving his mortal body. At last, Śukadeva Goswami, the youngest contemporary saint, also arrived there, and he was unanimously accepted to preside at that meeting, although his great father was also present. The king respectfully offered Śukadeva Goswami the principal seat of esteem and asked him relevant questions regarding his passing from the mortal world, which was to take place on the seventh day thenceforward. The great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pāṇḍavas, who were all great devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries before the great sage Śukadeva. "My dear sir, you are the greatest of the great transcendentalists, and therefore I submitted to ask you about my duties at this moment. I am just on the verge of my death. Therefore, what should I do at this critical hour? Please tell me, my lord—what should I hear, what should I worship, or whom should I remember now? A great sage like you does not stay at the home of a householder more than necessary, and therefore it is my good fortune that you have kindly come here at the time of my death. Please, therefore, give me your directions at this critical hour." The great sage, having thus been pleasingly requested by the king, answered his questions authoritatively, for the sage was a great transcendental scholar and was also well equipped with godly qualities, since he was the worthy son of Bādarāyaṇa, or Vyāsadeva, the original compiler of the Vedic literature. Śukadeva Goswami said, "My dear king, your inquiry is very much relevant, and it is also beneficial for all people of all times. Such inquiries, which are the highest of all, are relevant because they are confirmed by the teachings of the vedānta-darśana , the conclusion of the Vedic knowledge, and are ātmavit-sammatāḥ ; in other words, liberated souls, who have full knowledge of their spiritual identity, put forward such relevant inquiries in order to elucidate further information about the Transcendence." The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary upon the great Ve-

40 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION who cursed him was only a boy, yet he was very powerful, and because he did not know the importance of the great king, the boy foolishly cursed him to meet death within seven days. This was later lamented by the boy's father, whom the king had offended. When the king was informed of the unfortunate curse, he at once left his palatial home and went to the bank of the Ganges, which was near his capital, to prepare for his impending death. Because he was a great king, almost all the great sages and learned scholars assembled at the place where the king was fasting prior to leaving his mortal body. At last, Śukadeva Goswami, the youngest contemporary saint, also arrived there, and he was unanimously accepted to preside at that meeting, although his great father was also present. The king respectfully offered Śukadeva Goswami the principal seat of esteem and asked him relevant questions regarding his passing from the mortal world, which was to take place on the seventh day thenceforward. The great king, as a worthy descendant of the Pāṇḍavas, who were all great devotees, placed the following relevant inquiries before the great sage Śukadeva. "My dear sir, you are the greatest of the great transcendentalists, and therefore I submitted to ask you about my duties at this moment. I am just on the verge of my death. Therefore, what should I do at this critical hour? Please tell me, my lord—what should I hear, what should I worship, or whom should I remember now? A great sage like you does not stay at the home of a householder more than necessary, and therefore it is my good fortune that you have kindly come here at the time of my death. Please, therefore, give me your directions at this critical hour." The great sage, having thus been pleasingly requested by the king, answered his questions authoritatively, for the sage was a great transcendental scholar and was also well equipped with godly qualities, since he was the worthy son of Bādarāyaṇa, or Vyāsadeva, the original compiler of the Vedic literature. Śukadeva Goswami said, "My dear king, your inquiry is very much relevant, and it is also beneficial for all people of all times. Such inquiries, which are the highest of all, are relevant because they are confirmed by the teachings of the vedānta-darśana , the conclusion of the Vedic knowledge, and are ātmavit-sammatāḥ ; in other words, liberated souls, who have full knowledge of their spiritual identity, put forward such relevant inquiries in order to elucidate further information about the Transcendence." The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the natural commentary upon the great Ve-

Learning the Science of the Soul 43 who live under conditions of passion remain stationed in the same place in the material world where they are now, but those who live under conditions of ignorance are sure to be degraded to the lower species. The modern setup of human civilization is a risky one because it offers no education about relevant inquiries into the essential principles of life. Like animals, people do not know that they are going to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. They are satisfied with a bunch of green grass, or a so-called jolly life, like the waiting goat in a slaughterhouse. Considering such a condition of human life, we are just trying to make a humble attempt to save the human being by the message of Back to Godhead . This method is not fictitious. If there is at all to be an era of reality, this message of Back to Godhead is the beginning of that era. According to Śrī Śukadeva Goswami, the real fact is that a gṛhamedhī , or a person who has tied himself, like the goat meant for slaughter, in the business of family, society, community, nation, or humanity at large in regard to the problems and necessities of animal life—namely eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating—and who has no knowledge of the Transcendence is no better than an animal. He may have inquired about physical, political, economic, cultural, educational, or similar other matters of temporary, material concern, but if he has not inquired about the principles of transcendental life, he should be regarded as a blind man driven ahead by uncontrolled senses and about to fall into a ditch. That is the description of the gṛhamedhī . The opposite of the gṛha-medhī , however, is the gṛha-stha . The gṛhastha-ashram , or the shelter of spiritual family life, is as good as the life of a sannyāsī , a member of the renounced order. Regardless of whether one is a householder or a renunciant, the important point is that of relevant inquiries. A sannyāsī is bogus if not interested in relevant inquiries, and a gṛhastha , or householder, is bona fide if he is inclined to put forward such inquiries. The gṛhamedhī , however, is simply interested in the animal necessities of life. By the laws of nature, the gṛhamedhī 's life is full of calamities, whereas the life of the gṛhastha is full of happiness. But in the modern human civilization, the gṛhamedhī s are posing as the gṛhasthas . We should therefore know who is what. A gṛhamedhī 's life is full of vices because he does not know how to live a family life. He does not know that beyond his control is a power who supervises and controls his activities, and he has no conception of his future life. The gṛhamedhī is blind to his future and has no aptitude for making relevant inquiries. His only qualification is that he is bound by the shackles of attachment to the false things he has contacted in his temporary existence.

Learning the Science of the Soul 45 himself with any relevant inquiries. He has no knowledge as to where he has to go after his death. He works very hard for the temporary arrangements of his family, society, or nation, but he never makes any future arrangement either for himself or for others who will pass away from this present phase of life. In a public vehicle like a railway carriage, we meet and sit down together with some unknown friends and become members of the same vehicle for a short time, but in due course we separate, never to meet again. Similarly, in a long sojourn of life, we get a temporary sitting accommodation in a so-called family, country, or society, but when the time is up, we are unwillingly separated from one another, never to meet again. There are so many questions relevant to our temporary arrangements in life and our friends in these temporary arrangements, but a man who is a gṛhamedhī never inquires about things of a permanent nature. We are all busy making permanent plans in various degrees of leadership, without knowing the permanent nature of things as they are. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, who especially strove to remove this ignorance in society and who advocated the cult of spiritual knowledge in regard to the all-pervading impersonal Brahman, said in despair, “Children are engaged in playing, young boys are engaged in so-called love affairs with young girls, and the old are seriously thoughtful about adjusting a baffled life of struggle. But, alas, no one is prepared to inquire relevantly into the science of Brahman, the Absolute Truth.” Śrī Śukadeva Goswami, who was asked for direction by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, responded to the king’s relevant inquiries by advising him as follows: tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaś cecchatābhayam “ O descendant of Bharata, it is the duty of mortal men to inquire about, hear about, glorify, and meditate upon the Personality of Godhead, who is the most attractive person because of His fullness in opulence. He is called Hari because He alone can undo the conditional existence of a living being. If we at all want to be freed from conditional existence, we must make relevant inquiries about the Absolute Truth so that He may be pleased to bestow upon us perfect freedom in life.” [ Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.1.5 ] Śrī Śukadeva Goswami has particularly used four words in regard to

“With All the Humility at My Command” It is February 1936, in Bombay. The pure devotee who three decades later will become the world-renowned spiritual master of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement glorifies his own spiritual master. Here we learn the time-honored meaning of the spiritual master, the disciple, and their relationship. . . . sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam “In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should be worshiped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master.” Gentlemen, on behalf of the members of the Bombay branch of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, let me welcome you all because you have so kindly joined us tonight in our congregational offerings of homage to the lotus feet of the world teacher, Ācāryadeva, who is the founder of this Gauḍīya Mission and is the president- ācārya of Śrī Śrī Viśva-vaiṣṇava Rāja-sabhā—I mean my eternal divine master, Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja. Sixty-two years ago, on this auspicious day, the Ācāryadeva made his appearance by the call of Thākura Bhaktivinoda at Śrī-kṣetra Jagannāthadhāma at Purī. Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the Ācāryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva , or ācāryadeva , we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else’s. There is only 70

72 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION necessities, but to deliver the fallen, conditioned souls—the souls, or entities, who have come here to the material world with a motive of enjoyment by the mind and the five organs of sense perception. He appears before us to reveal the light of the Vedas and to bestow upon us the blessings of full-fledged freedom, after which we should hanker at every step of our life's journey. The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was first uttered by God to Brahmā, the creator of this particular universe. From Brahmā the knowledge descended to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsadeva, from Vyāsadeva to Madhva, and in this process of discipline succession the transcendental knowledge was transmitted by one disciple to another till it reached Lord Gaurāṅga, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who posed as the disciple and successor of Śrī Īśvara Purī. The present Ācāryadeva is the tenth discipline representative from Śrī Rūpa Goswami, the original representative of Lord Caitanya who preached this transcendental tradition in its fullness. The knowledge that we receive from our Gurudeva is not different from that imparted by God Himself and the succession of the ācāryas in the preceptorial line of Brahmā. We adore this auspicious day as Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā-tithi because the Ācārya is the living representative of Vyāsadeva, the divine compiler of the Vedas , the Purāṇas , the Bhagavad-gītā , the Mahābhārata , and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . One who interprets the divine sound, or śabda-brahma , by his imperfect sense perception cannot be a real spiritual guru, because, in the absence of proper disciplinary training under the bona fide ācārya , the interpreter is sure to differ from Vyāsadeva (as the Māyāvādīs do). Śrīla Vyāsadeva is the prime authority of Vedic revelation, and therefore such an irrelevant interpreter cannot be accepted as the guru, or ācārya , however equipped he may be with all the acquirements of material knowledge. As it is said in the Padma Purāṇa : sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ “Unless you are initiated by a bona fide spiritual master in the discipline succession, the mantra that you might have received is without any effect.” On the other hand, one who has received the transcendental knowledge by aural reception from the bona fide preceptor in the discipline chain, and who has sincere regard for the real ācārya , must needs be enlightened with the revealed knowledge of the Vedas . But this knowl-

Choosing a Spiritual Master 75 better judgment, chosen to completely identify ourselves with this present material existence, our sufferings have multiplied according to the mexorable law of birth and death, with its consequent diseases and anxieties. These sufferings cannot be really mitigated by any provision of material happiness, because matter and spirit are completely different elements. It is just as if you took an aquatic animal out of water and put it on the land, supplying all manner of happiness possible on land. The deadly sufferings of the animal are not capable of being relieved at all until it is taken out of its foreign environment. Spirit and matter are completely contradictory things. All of us are spiritual entities. We cannot have perfect happiness, which is our birthright, however much we may meddle with the affairs of mundane things. Perfect happiness can be ours only when we are restored to our natural state of spiritual existence. This is the distinctive message of our ancient Indian civilization, this is the message of the Gūtā , this is the message of the Vedas and the Purāṇas , and this is the message of all the real ācāryas , including our present Ācāryadeva , in the line of Lord Caitanya. Gentlemen, although it is imperfectly that we have been enabled by his grace to understand the sublime messages of our Ācāryadeva , Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Srasvatī Goswami Mahārāja , we must admit that we have realized definitely that the divine message from his holy lips is the congenial thing for suffering humanity. All of us should hear him patiently. If we listen to the transcendental sound without unnecessary opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. The Ācārya 's message is to take us back to our original home, back to God. Let me repeat, therefore, that we should hear him patiently, follow him in the measure of our conviction, and bow down at his lotus feet for releasing us from our present causeless unwillingness for serving the Absolute and all souls. From the Gūtā we learn that even after the destruction of the body, the āmā , or the soul, is not destroyed; he is always the same, always new and fresh. Fire cannot burn him, water cannot dissolve him, the air cannot dry him up, and the sword cannot kill him. He is everlasting and eternal, and this is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.84.13]: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

Choosing a Spiritual Master 75 better judgment, chosen to completely identify ourselves with this present material existence, our sufferings have multiplied according to the mexorable law of birth and death, with its consequent diseases and anxieties. These sufferings cannot be really mitigated by any provision of material happiness, because matter and spirit are completely different elements. It is just as if you took an aquatic animal out of water and put it on the land, supplying all manner of happiness possible on land. The deadly sufferings of the animal are not capable of being relieved at all until it is taken out of its foreign environment. Spirit and matter are completely contradictory things. All of us are spiritual entities. We cannot have perfect happiness, which is our birthright, however much we may meddle with the affairs of mundane things. Perfect happiness can be ours only when we are restored to our natural state of spiritual existence. This is the distinctive message of our ancient Indian civilization, this is the message of the Gūtā , this is the message of the Vedas and the Purāṇas , and this is the message of all the real ācāryas , including our present Ācāryadeva , in the line of Lord Caitanya. Gentlemen, although it is imperfectly that we have been enabled by his grace to understand the sublime messages of our Ācāryadeva , Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Srasvatī Goswami Mahārāja , we must admit that we have realized definitely that the divine message from his holy lips is the congenial thing for suffering humanity. All of us should hear him patiently. If we listen to the transcendental sound without unnecessary opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. The Ācārya 's message is to take us back to our original home, back to God. Let me repeat, therefore, that we should hear him patiently, follow him in the measure of our conviction, and bow down at his lotus feet for releasing us from our present causeless unwillingness for serving the Absolute and all souls. From the Gūtā we learn that even after the destruction of the body, the āmā , or the soul, is not destroyed; he is always the same, always new and fresh. Fire cannot burn him, water cannot dissolve him, the air cannot dry him up, and the sword cannot kill him. He is everlasting and eternal, and this is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.84.13]: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

148 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma mean “the supreme pleasure,” and Harā is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord. The material energy, called māyā , is also one of the multienergies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, Harā , it is established in its happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Hare , Kṛṣṇa , and Rāma , are the transcendental seeds of the mahā-mantra . The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother’s presence. Mother Harā helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father’s grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the mahā-mantra : Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

148 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma mean “the supreme pleasure,” and Harā is the supreme pleasure energy of the Lord, changed to Hare in the vocative. The supreme pleasure energy of the Lord helps us to reach the Lord. The material energy, called māyā , is also one of the multienergies of the Lord. And we, the living entities, are also the energy, marginal energy, of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior to material energy. When the superior energy is in contact with the inferior energy, an incompatible situation arises; but when the superior marginal energy is in contact with the superior energy, Harā , it is established in its happy, normal condition. These three words, namely Hare , Kṛṣṇa , and Rāma , are the transcendental seeds of the mahā-mantra . The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His energy, to give protection to the conditioned soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its mother’s presence. Mother Harā helps the devotee achieve the Lord Father’s grace, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who chants this mantra sincerely. No other means of spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy as the chanting of the mahā-mantra : Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

150 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION dāsa Goswami. There are three meanings of go . Go means “land,” go means “cow,” and go means “senses.” And swami means “master.” So goswami means that they were masters of the senses. When one becomes master of the senses, or goswami , he can make progress in spiritual life. That is the real meaning of swami . Swami means that one is not servant of the senses, but master of them. One of these six Goswamis, Rūpa Goswami, was the head, and he compiled a nice verse in honor of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says: anarpita-carīm cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ [Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 1.4] Kalau means this age, this age of Kali, the Iron Age, which is very much contaminated, an age of quarrel and disagreement. Rūpa Goswami says that in this age of Kali, when everything is disagreement and quarrel, “You have descended to offer the highest love of God.” Samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām : and not only the topmost, but a very brilliant rasa , or transcendental humor. Puraṭa-sundara-dyuti : Your complexion is just like gold, like the luster of gold. “You are so kind that I bless everyone [the Goswamis can bless because they are masters of the senses] that this form of the Lord, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, may always remain dancing in everyone’s heart.” When Rūpa Goswami first met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Prayāga, Lord Caitanya was chanting and dancing in the street, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” At that time also Rūpa Goswami offered one prayer. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te : “Oh, You are the most munificent of all incarnations because You are distributing love of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya tel kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ : “You are Kṛṣṇa Himself because if You were not Kṛṣṇa You could not distribute kṛṣṇa-prema , or love of God, for love of Kṛṣṇa is not so easily acquired. But You are distributing this love freely to everyone.” In this way the saṅkīrtana movement was inaugurated in Bengal, India, in Navadvīpa. In this sense, the Bengalis are very fortunate that in their country this movement was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya, who predicted: pṛthivīte ache yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

150 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION dāsa Goswami. There are three meanings of go . Go means “land,” go means “cow,” and go means “senses.” And swami means “master.” So goswami means that they were masters of the senses. When one becomes master of the senses, or goswami , he can make progress in spiritual life. That is the real meaning of swami . Swami means that one is not servant of the senses, but master of them. One of these six Goswamis, Rūpa Goswami, was the head, and he compiled a nice verse in honor of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says: anarpita-carīm cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ [Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 1.4] Kalau means this age, this age of Kali, the Iron Age, which is very much contaminated, an age of quarrel and disagreement. Rūpa Goswami says that in this age of Kali, when everything is disagreement and quarrel, “You have descended to offer the highest love of God.” Samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām : and not only the topmost, but a very brilliant rasa , or transcendental humor. Puraṭa-sundara-dyuti : Your complexion is just like gold, like the luster of gold. “You are so kind that I bless everyone [the Goswamis can bless because they are masters of the senses] that this form of the Lord, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, may always remain dancing in everyone’s heart.” When Rūpa Goswami first met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Prayāga, Lord Caitanya was chanting and dancing in the street, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” At that time also Rūpa Goswami offered one prayer. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te : “Oh, You are the most munificent of all incarnations because You are distributing love of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya tel kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ : “You are Kṛṣṇa Himself because if You were not Kṛṣṇa You could not distribute kṛṣṇa-prema , or love of God, for love of Kṛṣṇa is not so easily acquired. But You are distributing this love freely to everyone.” In this way the saṅkīrtana movement was inaugurated in Bengal, India, in Navadvīpa. In this sense, the Bengalis are very fortunate that in their country this movement was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya, who predicted: pṛthivīte ache yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

150 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION dāsa Goswami. There are three meanings of go . Go means “land,” go means “cow,” and go means “senses.” And swami means “master.” So goswami means that they were masters of the senses. When one becomes master of the senses, or goswami , he can make progress in spiritual life. That is the real meaning of swami . Swami means that one is not servant of the senses, but master of them. One of these six Goswamis, Rūpa Goswami, was the head, and he compiled a nice verse in honor of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He says: anarpita-carīm cirāt karuṇayāvatīrṇaḥ kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām sva-bhakti-śriyam hariḥ puraṭa-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandīpitaḥ sadā hṛdaya-kandare sphuratu vaḥ śacī-nandanaḥ [Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 1.4] Kalau means this age, this age of Kali, the Iron Age, which is very much contaminated, an age of quarrel and disagreement. Rūpa Goswami says that in this age of Kali, when everything is disagreement and quarrel, “You have descended to offer the highest love of God.” Samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasām : and not only the topmost, but a very brilliant rasa , or transcendental humor. Puraṭa-sundara-dyuti : Your complexion is just like gold, like the luster of gold. “You are so kind that I bless everyone [the Goswamis can bless because they are masters of the senses] that this form of the Lord, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, may always remain dancing in everyone’s heart.” When Rūpa Goswami first met Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu at Prayāga, Lord Caitanya was chanting and dancing in the street, “Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.” At that time also Rūpa Goswami offered one prayer. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te : “Oh, You are the most munificent of all incarnations because You are distributing love of Godhead.” Kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya tel kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ : “You are Kṛṣṇa Himself because if You were not Kṛṣṇa You could not distribute kṛṣṇa-prema , or love of God, for love of Kṛṣṇa is not so easily acquired. But You are distributing this love freely to everyone.” In this way the saṅkīrtana movement was inaugurated in Bengal, India, in Navadvīpa. In this sense, the Bengalis are very fortunate that in their country this movement was inaugurated by Lord Caitanya, who predicted: pṛthivīte ache yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Practicing Yoga in the Age of Quarrel 155 kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā “In this age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way.” This verse appears in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa . Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam . Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no other alternative. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā . In this age, Kali, there is no other alternative for self-realization. So we have to accept it. There is another similar verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . In the Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was informed by Śukadeva Goswami of the faults of this age, and now all the symptoms of the age of Kali are apparent. In the conclusive portion, however, Śukadeva Goswami said, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ : “My dear king, this age, Kali, is full of faulty things, but there is one good opportunity.” What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet : “Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become liberated and go back to Godhead.” This is practical and authorized, and one can also test himself to see how he is advancing simply by chanting. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not something new, something that we have introduced or manufactured. It is authorized on the Vedic principles, authorized by ācāryas like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and others. And the method is very simple; there is no loss. We are not charging anything, we are not asking for fees and giving the people some secret mantra and promising them that within six months they will become God. No. This is open for everyone—children, women, girls, boys, old people—everyone can chant and see the results. To further this end we not only are establishing New Vṛndāvana, our farm project in West Virginia, but are establishing other spiritual communities, such as New Navadvīpa and New Jagannātha Purī. We have already started New Jagannātha Purī in San Francisco, and the Ratha-yātrā festival is going on. This year there will be a great ceremony of Ratha-yātrā in London also. There will be three cars, for Jagannātha, Subhadrā, and Balarāma, and they will be taken to the River Thames. And America has imported New England and New York, so why not New Vṛndāvana? We should especially establish this New Vṛndāvana because Lord Caitanya recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas

Practicing Yoga in the Age of Quarrel 155 kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā “In this age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way.” This verse appears in the Bṛhan-nāradīya Purāṇa . Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam . Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no other alternative. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā . In this age, Kali, there is no other alternative for self-realization. So we have to accept it. There is another similar verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . In the Twelfth Canto, Third Chapter, Parīkṣit Mahārāja was informed by Śukadeva Goswami of the faults of this age, and now all the symptoms of the age of Kali are apparent. In the conclusive portion, however, Śukadeva Goswami said, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ : “My dear king, this age, Kali, is full of faulty things, but there is one good opportunity.” What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet : “Simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become liberated and go back to Godhead.” This is practical and authorized, and one can also test himself to see how he is advancing simply by chanting. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not something new, something that we have introduced or manufactured. It is authorized on the Vedic principles, authorized by ācāryas like Caitanya Mahāprabhu and others. And the method is very simple; there is no loss. We are not charging anything, we are not asking for fees and giving the people some secret mantra and promising them that within six months they will become God. No. This is open for everyone—children, women, girls, boys, old people—everyone can chant and see the results. To further this end we not only are establishing New Vṛndāvana, our farm project in West Virginia, but are establishing other spiritual communities, such as New Navadvīpa and New Jagannātha Purī. We have already started New Jagannātha Purī in San Francisco, and the Ratha-yātrā festival is going on. This year there will be a great ceremony of Ratha-yātrā in London also. There will be three cars, for Jagannātha, Subhadrā, and Balarāma, and they will be taken to the River Thames. And America has imported New England and New York, so why not New Vṛndāvana? We should especially establish this New Vṛndāvana because Lord Caitanya recommended, ārādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas

“A Devotee Always Feels Compassion for Others’ Distress” “When Lord Jesus Christ presented himself, for instance, he was greatly afflicted by the miserable conditions of the people. Regardless of which country or sect they belong to, all Vaiṣṇavas, or devotees—any people who are God conscious, or Kṛṣṇa conscious—are thus compassionate. . . .” Today I shall speak to you about the glorification of the holy name of God. This was discussed between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Goswami in connection with a brāhmaṇa who was very fallen and addicted to all kinds of sinful activities but was saved simply by chanting the holy name. This is found in the Sixth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . The universal planetary systems are very nicely explained in the Fifth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . Within the universe there are some planets which are hellish. Actually, not only the Bhāgavatam but all religious scriptures contain descriptions of hell and heaven. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you can find out where those hellish planets are and how distant they are from this planet, just as you can obtain information from modern astronomy. Astronomers have calculated how far the moon is from here and what the distance is between this planet and the sun; similarly, the Bhāgavatam contains descriptions of the hellish planets. We have experience of different atmospheric conditions even on this planet. In the Western countries near the North Pole, the climate is different than in India, which is near the equator. Just as there are differences in atmosphere and living conditions on this planet, similarly there are many planets which have different atmospheres and conditions of life. After hearing a description of the hellish planets from Śukadeva Goswami, Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, 243

“A Devotee Always Feels Compassion for Others’ Distress” “When Lord Jesus Christ presented himself, for instance, he was greatly afflicted by the miserable conditions of the people. Regardless of which country or sect they belong to, all Vaiṣṇavas, or devotees—any people who are God conscious, or Kṛṣṇa conscious—are thus compassionate. . . .” Today I shall speak to you about the glorification of the holy name of God. This was discussed between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Goswami in connection with a brāhmaṇa who was very fallen and addicted to all kinds of sinful activities but was saved simply by chanting the holy name. This is found in the Sixth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . The universal planetary systems are very nicely explained in the Fifth Canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . Within the universe there are some planets which are hellish. Actually, not only the Bhāgavatam but all religious scriptures contain descriptions of hell and heaven. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you can find out where those hellish planets are and how distant they are from this planet, just as you can obtain information from modern astronomy. Astronomers have calculated how far the moon is from here and what the distance is between this planet and the sun; similarly, the Bhāgavatam contains descriptions of the hellish planets. We have experience of different atmospheric conditions even on this planet. In the Western countries near the North Pole, the climate is different than in India, which is near the equator. Just as there are differences in atmosphere and living conditions on this planet, similarly there are many planets which have different atmospheres and conditions of life. After hearing a description of the hellish planets from Śukadeva Goswami, Parīkṣit Mahārāja said, 243

246 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION aren't they Kṛṣṇa conscious? Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān . These rascals have created a humbug civilization for temporary happiness. Māyā-sukhāya . Actually this is a fact. We have a humbug civilization. So many cars are being manufactured every year, and for that purpose so many roads have to be excavated and prepared. This creates problem after problem. Therefore it is māyā-sukhāya , illusory happiness, and yet we are trying to be happy in this way. We are trying to manufacture some way to be happy, but this only creates other problems. In your country you have the greatest number of cars, but that does not solve any problems. You have manufactured cars to help solve the problems of life, but I have experienced that this also creates more problems. When my disciple Dayānanda wanted to take me to a doctor in Los Angeles, I had to take the trouble to travel thirty miles before I could even consult the doctor. Once you create cars, then you must travel thirty or forty miles to meet your friends. You can fly from New York to Boston in one hour, but it takes even longer than that just to get to the airport. This situation is called māyā-sukhāya . Māyā means "false," "illusory." We are trying to create some very comfortable situation, but we have created another uncomfortable situation. This is the way of the material world; if we are not satisfied by the natural comforts offered by God and nature and we want to create artificial comforts, then we have to create some discomfort also. Most people do not know that. They think that they are creating a very comfortable situation, but actually they are traveling fifty miles to go to the office to earn a livelihood and fifty miles to come back. Because of such conditions, Prahlāda Mahārāja says that these vimūḍhāns —these materialistic persons, these rascals—have created an unnecessary burden on themselves simply for temporary happiness. Vimūḍhān, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato . Therefore, in Vedic civilization, it is recommended that one free himself from material life, take sannyāsa , the renounced order of life, and prosecute spiritual life with absolutely no anxiety. If one can execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness in family life, that is very good. Bhaktivinoda Thākura was a family man, a magistrate, and still he executed devotional service so nicely. Dhruva Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja were gṛhasthas , householders, but they trained themselves in such a way that even as householders they were faced with no interruption in their service. Therefore, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "I have learned the art of always remaining in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." What is that art? Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ . Simply glorifying the vic-

248 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION This is a simple method. All you have to do is bow down before Kṛṣṇa with faith and say, “My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I was forgetful of You for so long, for so many lives. Now I have come to consciousness; please accept me.” That’s all. If one simply learns this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open. These are the philosophical thoughts of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is always thinking about how the fallen conditioned souls can be delivered. He is always involved in making plans in that way, just like the Goswamis. What was the business of the six Goswamis of Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples? That is stated by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya: nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kārinau tribhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau “The six Goswamis, namely, Śrī Sanātana Goswami, Śrī Rūpa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Goswami, Śrī Jīva Goswami, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswami, are very expert in scrutinizingly studying the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. They are always absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” [ Śaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2 ] With similar Vaiṣṇava compassion, Parīkṣit Mahārāja says to Śukadeva Goswami: “You have described the different types of hellish conditions of life. Now, tell me how those who are suffering can be delivered. Kindly explain this to me.” adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me vyākhyātum arhasi Nara means human beings, those who are fallen. Narakān naraḥ/nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me: “How can they be delivered from their fierce miseries and horrible pains?” That is a Vaiṣṇava heart. Mahārāja Parīkṣit says, “Somehow or other they have fallen down to this hellish life. But that does not mean that they should remain in that condition. There must be some means by which they can be delivered, so kindly explain that.” Śukadeva Goswami replied:

248 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION This is a simple method. All you have to do is bow down before Kṛṣṇa with faith and say, “My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I was forgetful of You for so long, for so many lives. Now I have come to consciousness; please accept me.” That’s all. If one simply learns this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open. These are the philosophical thoughts of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is always thinking about how the fallen conditioned souls can be delivered. He is always involved in making plans in that way, just like the Goswamis. What was the business of the six Goswamis of Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples? That is stated by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya: nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kārinau tribhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau “The six Goswamis, namely, Śrī Sanātana Goswami, Śrī Rūpa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Goswami, Śrī Jīva Goswami, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswami, are very expert in scrutinizingly studying the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. They are always absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” [ Śaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2 ] With similar Vaiṣṇava compassion, Parīkṣit Mahārāja says to Śukadeva Goswami: “You have described the different types of hellish conditions of life. Now, tell me how those who are suffering can be delivered. Kindly explain this to me.” adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me vyākhyātum arhasi Nara means human beings, those who are fallen. Narakān naraḥ/nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me: “How can they be delivered from their fierce miseries and horrible pains?” That is a Vaiṣṇava heart. Mahārāja Parīkṣit says, “Somehow or other they have fallen down to this hellish life. But that does not mean that they should remain in that condition. There must be some means by which they can be delivered, so kindly explain that.” Śukadeva Goswami replied:

248 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION This is a simple method. All you have to do is bow down before Kṛṣṇa with faith and say, “My Lord Kṛṣṇa, I was forgetful of You for so long, for so many lives. Now I have come to consciousness; please accept me.” That’s all. If one simply learns this technique and sincerely surrenders himself to the Lord, his path is immediately open. These are the philosophical thoughts of a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava is always thinking about how the fallen conditioned souls can be delivered. He is always involved in making plans in that way, just like the Goswamis. What was the business of the six Goswamis of Vṛndāvana, Lord Caitanya’s direct disciples? That is stated by Śrīnivāsa Ācārya: nānā-śāstra-vicāraṇaika-nipuṇau sad-dharma-saṁsthāpakau lokānāṁ hita-kārinau tribhuvane mānyau śaraṇyākarau rādhā-kṛṣṇa-padāravinda-bhajanānandena mattālikau vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau “The six Goswamis, namely, Śrī Sanātana Goswami, Śrī Rūpa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Goswami, Śrī Raghunātha dāsa Goswami, Śrī Jīva Goswami, and Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Goswami, are very expert in scrutinizingly studying the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. They are always absorbed in the mood of the gopīs and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.” [ Śaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka 2 ] With similar Vaiṣṇava compassion, Parīkṣit Mahārāja says to Śukadeva Goswami: “You have described the different types of hellish conditions of life. Now, tell me how those who are suffering can be delivered. Kindly explain this to me.” adhuneha mahā-bhāga yathaiva narakān naraḥ nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me vyākhyātum arhasi Nara means human beings, those who are fallen. Narakān naraḥ/nānogra-yātanān neyāt tan me: “How can they be delivered from their fierce miseries and horrible pains?” That is a Vaiṣṇava heart. Mahārāja Parīkṣit says, “Somehow or other they have fallen down to this hellish life. But that does not mean that they should remain in that condition. There must be some means by which they can be delivered, so kindly explain that.” Śukadeva Goswami replied:

Returning to the Eternal Religion 251 There are two kinds of activities—good and bad. If you act nicely and perform pious activities, then you get good fortune, and if you act sinfully, then you have to suffer. Therefore Śukadeva Goswami says: tasmāt puraivāśv iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit [ Bhāg. 6.1.8 ] There are different kinds of atonement. If you commit some sin and counteract it by something else, that is atonement. There are examples of this in the Christian Bible. Śukadeva Goswami says, “You should know that you are responsible, and according to the gravity of sinful life, you should accept some type of atonement as described in the śāstras , the scriptures.” Actually, just as when one is diseased he must go to a doctor and pay doctor bills as a form of atonement, according to the Vedic way of life there is a class of brāhmaṇas to whom one should go for the prescribed atonement according to the sins one commits. Śukadeva Goswami says that one has to execute the prescribed atonement according to the gravity of one’s sinful life. He continues the example: doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit . When you consult a physician, he prescribes an inexpensive medicine or a costly medicine according to the gravity of the disease. If you simply have a headache, he may prescribe an aspirin, but if you have something very severe, he immediately prescribes a surgical operation which will cost a thousand dollars. Similarly, sinful life is a diseased condition, so one must follow the prescribed cure to become healthy. Acceptance of the chain of birth and death is a diseased condition of the soul. The soul has no birth and death and no disease because it is spirit. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā [2.20]: na jāyate , the soul has no birth, and mrīyate , it has no death. Nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṁ purāṇol na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre . The soul is eternal and everlasting. It is not lost with the dissolution of this body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre . Na hanyate means that it is not killed or destroyed, even after the destruction of this body. The missing point of modern civilization is that there is no educational system to instruct people on what happens after death. Thus we have the most defective education because without this knowledge of what

Returning to the Eternal Religion 251 There are two kinds of activities—good and bad. If you act nicely and perform pious activities, then you get good fortune, and if you act sinfully, then you have to suffer. Therefore Śukadeva Goswami says: tasmāt puraivāśv iha pāpa-niṣkṛtau yateta mṛtyor avipadyatātmanā doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit [ Bhāg. 6.1.8 ] There are different kinds of atonement. If you commit some sin and counteract it by something else, that is atonement. There are examples of this in the Christian Bible. Śukadeva Goswami says, “You should know that you are responsible, and according to the gravity of sinful life, you should accept some type of atonement as described in the śāstras , the scriptures.” Actually, just as when one is diseased he must go to a doctor and pay doctor bills as a form of atonement, according to the Vedic way of life there is a class of brāhmaṇas to whom one should go for the prescribed atonement according to the sins one commits. Śukadeva Goswami says that one has to execute the prescribed atonement according to the gravity of one’s sinful life. He continues the example: doṣasya dṛṣṭvā guru-lāghavaṁ yathā bhiṣak cikitseta rujāṁ nidānavit . When you consult a physician, he prescribes an inexpensive medicine or a costly medicine according to the gravity of the disease. If you simply have a headache, he may prescribe an aspirin, but if you have something very severe, he immediately prescribes a surgical operation which will cost a thousand dollars. Similarly, sinful life is a diseased condition, so one must follow the prescribed cure to become healthy. Acceptance of the chain of birth and death is a diseased condition of the soul. The soul has no birth and death and no disease because it is spirit. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā [2.20]: na jāyate , the soul has no birth, and mrīyate , it has no death. Nityaḥ śāśvato ‘yaṁ purāṇol na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre . The soul is eternal and everlasting. It is not lost with the dissolution of this body. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre . Na hanyate means that it is not killed or destroyed, even after the destruction of this body. The missing point of modern civilization is that there is no educational system to instruct people on what happens after death. Thus we have the most defective education because without this knowledge of what

Reaching Life's Perfection 281 religious. They say, "I am a Hindu," "I am a Christian," "I am a Jew," "I am Muhammadan," "I am this, I am that, and therefore I cannot change my religion. I cannot accept Kṛṣṇa." This is called religiosity, dharma . With such a materialistic, sectarian idea of religion, they will rot in this material world, stuck to rituals and faith. They are under the impression that if they follow their religious principles, they will get material prosperity. Of course, if one sticks to any kind of religious faith, he will get facilities for material life. Why do people want this material prosperity? For sense gratification. They are thinking, "I shall have a very nice wife. I shall have very good children. I shall have a very good post. I shall become president. I shall become prime minister." This is sense gratification. And when one is frustrated and has seen that to be rich or to attain the presidency cannot give him happiness, after squeezing out all the taste of sex life, when he is completely frustrated, then perhaps he takes to LSD and tries to become one with the void. But this nonsense cannot give happiness. Here is happiness: one must approach Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it will end in LSD-confusion and roaming in impersonal void concepts. People are frustrated. They must be frustrated if they do not have genuine spiritual life, because a person is spiritual by nature. How can anyone be happy without Kṛṣṇa? Suppose one is thrown into the ocean. How can he be happy there? That is not for us. One may be a very good swimmer, but how long will he be able to swim? He eventually becomes tired and drowns. Similarly, we are spiritual by nature. How can we be happy in this material world? It is not possible. But men are trying to remain here, making so many temporary adjustments for survival. This patchwork is not happiness. If one really wants happiness, here is the process: one must attain love of Godhead. Unless one can love Kṛṣṇa, unless one finishes with love for cats, dogs, country, nation, and society and instead concentrates his love on Kṛṣṇa, there is no question of happiness. Rūpa Goswami has given a very nice example in this regard: there are many drugs which saturate one with ideas or hallucinations. But Rūpa Goswami says that unless one tastes that final drug of love of Godhead, kṛṣṇa-prema , he will have to be captivated by meditation, impersonal monism, and so many other distractions. Caitanya Mahāprabhu describes that to attain unalloyed love of Kṛṣṇa, one has to execute devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One has to engage oneself exclusively in serving Kṛṣṇa. The highest perfectional stage of unalloyed devotion is to be free from all material desires, all mental speculation, and all fruitive activities. The basic principle of

Reaching Life's Perfection 289 There are different kinds of salvation. There is sālokya liberation, to live on the same planet as the Supreme Lord. The residents of the Vaikuṇṭha planets live on the same planet as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Sārṣṭi liberation means to have almost the same opulence as Nārāyaṇa. The liberated individual soul can appear just like Nārāyaṇa, with four hands, the four emblems, almost the same bodily features, the same opulence, the same ornaments, the same buildings, everything. Sārūpya means to have the same form or features. Sāmīpya means never to be far away but always to be associated with the Supreme Lord. For example, just as we are sitting together, so one can associate with the Lord. This is called sāmīpya-mukti , the liberation of being nearer. Pure devotees, however, do not accept these various forms of liberation. They only want to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. They are not concerned with any kind of liberation. Those who are actually Kṛṣṇa conscious achieve the association of the Supreme Lord, but they do not desire it; their only ambition is to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. The highest perfection of devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is exhibited when a devotee refuses to accept any benediction or profit from the Supreme Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja was offered whatever he liked, he had only to ask for it, but he said, "My Lord, I am Your eternal servant. It is my duty to serve You, so how can I accept any benefit from it? Then I would not be Your servant; I would be a merchant." He replied in that way, and that is the sign of a pure person. Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He fulfills all the desires of a devotee, even if he wants material benedictions. If at the bottom of the devotee's heart there is some desire, He also fulfills that. He is so kind. But the sublime position of bhakti-yoga , or devotional service, is that a pure devotee refuses to accept the various kinds of liberation, even if offered by the Supreme Lord. If one has material desires or motives within himself, and for fulfillment of such desires he engages himself in devotional service, the result will be that he will never get pure love of God. If one is thinking, "I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa's devotional service, because I want such and such an opulence," that desire may be fulfilled, but he will never get such unalloyed love of Kṛṣṇa as the gopīs had. If one has a motive, even though he discharges his devotional duty, he still will not be able to reach the stage of pure love of Godhead. In a verse from the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu , Rūpa Goswami says, "As long as one desires some material benefit [ bhukti ], or even if he wants salvation [ mukti ], then he must take those ghostly representations." As long as that māyā exists within one's heart, how can one enjoy the spiritual bliss derived

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

290 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION from pure love of Godhead? In other words, if one has material desires, or even a desire for salvation, he cannot attain pure love of Godhead. Pure devotion is devoid of all desires—it is simply to render loving service for its own sake. There is a nice example in the life of Rūpa Goswami. Rūpa Goswami and his brother Sanātana Goswami were living separately in Vṛndāvana and going on with their bhajana , devotional service. Rūpa was living in the forest, and there was no facility for cooking nice food or begging from the village for a capātī to eat. Rūpa Goswami was the younger brother, and he thought, “If I could get some foodstuffs, then I could prepare nice dishes and offer them to Kṛṣṇa and invite my elder brother.” He had that desire. The next moment, a nice girl about twelve years old came and delivered an abundance of foodstuffs—milk, flour, ghee, etc. That is the Vedic system; sometimes householders present foodstuffs to mendicants and sages in the renounced order of life. Rūpa Goswami was very glad that Kṛṣṇa had sent so many things and that he could now prepare a feast. He prepared a feast and then invited his elder brother. When Sanātana Goswami came, he was astonished. “How have you secured such things? You have prepared such a nice feast in this forest. How is it possible?” So Rūpa Goswami explained, “In the morning I desired for it, and by chance Kṛṣṇa sent me all these things. A nice girl came, and she offered it to me.” He was describing the girl: “A very nice girl.” Then Sanātana said, “This nice girl is Rādhārāṇī. You have taken service from Rādhārāṇī, the Lord’s eternal consort. It is a great blunder.” That is their philosophy. They would not accept service from the Lord. They simply wanted to render service. But Kṛṣṇa is so clever that He also wants to serve His devotee. He looks for an opportunity to serve His devotee. This is spiritual competition. A pure devotee does not want anything from Kṛṣṇa; he simply wants to serve Him. And Kṛṣṇa also looks for the opportunity to serve His devotee. Kṛṣṇa is always as anxious to please His devotee as the devotee is to please Him. This is the transcendental world. On the absolute plane, there is no exploitation. Everyone wants to serve; no one wants to take service. In the transcendental world, everyone wants to give service. You want to give service to me, and I want to give service to you. This is such a nice attitude. This material world means that I want to pickpocket you, and you want to pickpocket me. That’s all. This is the material world. We should try to understand it. In the material world, everyone wants to exploit his friend, his father, his mother, everyone. But in the transcendental world,

296 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION instance, did not enter the Jagannātha temple at Purī, for he was born in a Muhammadan family, and the Hindus opposed the Muhammadans' entering the temple. Haridāsa Thākura did not let this disturb him, however. He thought, "Oh, why should I go and disturb them? I shall chant here." Consequently Lord Caitanya, who is Lord Jagannātha Himself, came daily to see Haridāsa. This is the power of a pure devotee: he doesn't have to go to Jagannātha; Jagannātha comes to him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go see Haridāsa Thākura daily when the Lord was going to bathe in the sea. The Lord would enter Haridāsa's cottage and ask, "Haridāsa, what are you doing?" and Haridāsa would reply, "Please come in, my Lord." This then is the actual position of a devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that worship of His devotee is even more valuable than worship of Himself. The devotee is actually able to deliver Kṛṣṇa, for he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the science of hearing Kṛṣṇa's words, eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda , and enjoying Kṛṣṇa. The impersonalists and voidists may preach dry philosophical treatises on aham brahmāsmi —"I am spirit"—but ultimately who will be attracted? What is the difference between someone who thinks, "I am a stone," and someone who thinks, "I am void"? Why should we become stone, wood, or void? Our actual position should be in reciprocating loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. The spark of love for Kṛṣṇa is struck by the spiritual master, the pure devotee. As for myself, my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda, ordered me to take up the responsibility of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western world. His Divine Grace had a great desire to preach Lord Caitanya's message in the West, and my success is both his grace and pleasure. When I first met my spiritual master, I was a very young man in India, a nationalist, engaged in a very responsible office. But although I did not want to go, one of my friends, who is still living in Calcutta, forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see him because in our home our father used to receive many sannyāsīs and I was not very satisfied with their dealings. I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja might be a similar man, and if he were, what business would I have in seeing him? But my friend took me forcibly. "Why not see him?" he asked. I finally relented and went with him, and I profited. On my first visit, His Divine Grace said that it was necessary for educated boys like me to go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I replied that India was a foreign-dominated nation and that no one would hear our message. Actually at the time for-

296 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION instance, did not enter the Jagannātha temple at Purī, for he was born in a Muhammadan family, and the Hindus opposed the Muhammadans' entering the temple. Haridāsa Thākura did not let this disturb him, however. He thought, "Oh, why should I go and disturb them? I shall chant here." Consequently Lord Caitanya, who is Lord Jagannātha Himself, came daily to see Haridāsa. This is the power of a pure devotee: he doesn't have to go to Jagannātha; Jagannātha comes to him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go see Haridāsa Thākura daily when the Lord was going to bathe in the sea. The Lord would enter Haridāsa's cottage and ask, "Haridāsa, what are you doing?" and Haridāsa would reply, "Please come in, my Lord." This then is the actual position of a devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that worship of His devotee is even more valuable than worship of Himself. The devotee is actually able to deliver Kṛṣṇa, for he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the science of hearing Kṛṣṇa's words, eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda , and enjoying Kṛṣṇa. The impersonalists and voidists may preach dry philosophical treatises on aham brahmāsmi —"I am spirit"—but ultimately who will be attracted? What is the difference between someone who thinks, "I am a stone," and someone who thinks, "I am void"? Why should we become stone, wood, or void? Our actual position should be in reciprocating loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. The spark of love for Kṛṣṇa is struck by the spiritual master, the pure devotee. As for myself, my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda, ordered me to take up the responsibility of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western world. His Divine Grace had a great desire to preach Lord Caitanya's message in the West, and my success is both his grace and pleasure. When I first met my spiritual master, I was a very young man in India, a nationalist, engaged in a very responsible office. But although I did not want to go, one of my friends, who is still living in Calcutta, forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see him because in our home our father used to receive many sannyāsīs and I was not very satisfied with their dealings. I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja might be a similar man, and if he were, what business would I have in seeing him? But my friend took me forcibly. "Why not see him?" he asked. I finally relented and went with him, and I profited. On my first visit, His Divine Grace said that it was necessary for educated boys like me to go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I replied that India was a foreign-dominated nation and that no one would hear our message. Actually at the time for-

296 THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION instance, did not enter the Jagannātha temple at Purī, for he was born in a Muhammadan family, and the Hindus opposed the Muhammadans' entering the temple. Haridāsa Thākura did not let this disturb him, however. He thought, "Oh, why should I go and disturb them? I shall chant here." Consequently Lord Caitanya, who is Lord Jagannātha Himself, came daily to see Haridāsa. This is the power of a pure devotee: he doesn't have to go to Jagannātha; Jagannātha comes to him. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to go see Haridāsa Thākura daily when the Lord was going to bathe in the sea. The Lord would enter Haridāsa's cottage and ask, "Haridāsa, what are you doing?" and Haridāsa would reply, "Please come in, my Lord." This then is the actual position of a devotee. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that worship of His devotee is even more valuable than worship of Himself. The devotee is actually able to deliver Kṛṣṇa, for he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the science of hearing Kṛṣṇa's words, eating Kṛṣṇa prasāda , and enjoying Kṛṣṇa. The impersonalists and voidists may preach dry philosophical treatises on aham brahmāsmi —"I am spirit"—but ultimately who will be attracted? What is the difference between someone who thinks, "I am a stone," and someone who thinks, "I am void"? Why should we become stone, wood, or void? Our actual position should be in reciprocating loving affairs with Kṛṣṇa. The spark of love for Kṛṣṇa is struck by the spiritual master, the pure devotee. As for myself, my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Prabhupāda, ordered me to take up the responsibility of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western world. His Divine Grace had a great desire to preach Lord Caitanya's message in the West, and my success is both his grace and pleasure. When I first met my spiritual master, I was a very young man in India, a nationalist, engaged in a very responsible office. But although I did not want to go, one of my friends, who is still living in Calcutta, forcibly took me to His Divine Grace. I was reluctant to see him because in our home our father used to receive many sannyāsīs and I was not very satisfied with their dealings. I thought that Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami Mahārāja might be a similar man, and if he were, what business would I have in seeing him? But my friend took me forcibly. "Why not see him?" he asked. I finally relented and went with him, and I profited. On my first visit, His Divine Grace said that it was necessary for educated boys like me to go to foreign countries and preach the gospel of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I replied that India was a foreign-dominated nation and that no one would hear our message. Actually at the time for-

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Sources of Absolute Knowledge 47 of understanding Krṣṇa, after many, many births. But the Bhāgavatam is called the essence of life, the ripened fruit of the Vedas , because the Bhāgavatam gives you directly what is needed in your life. The Vedas are divided into four: Sāma Veda , Rk , Atharva and Yajus . Then these are explained by the Purāṇas , of which there are eighteen. Then these are still further explained by the Upaniṣads , of which there are 108. The Upaniṣads are summarized in the Vedānta-sūtra , and the Vedānta-sūtra is still again explained by the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam , by the same author. This is the process. So the Bhāgavatam is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. Naimiṣāraṇya is a very famous and sacred forest in northern India, where all the ṛṣis , the sages, generally go to aid their spiritual advancement of life. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was first discussed in this age in that forest. When it was discussed, the great saint Sūta Gosvāmī was asked by his audience: Now that Krṣṇa has gone back to His abode, with whom is transcendental knowledge now resting? This question was raised. The Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by Krṣṇa Himself, and it contains all descriptions of jñāna-yoga , karma-yoga , dhyāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga . Now this inquiry was made: Where can you get spiritual knowledge, now that Krṣṇa is gone? The answer was that Krṣṇa, having departed, has left us the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam . It is the representation, the sound representation, of Krṣṇa. The Bhāgavatam is not different from Krṣṇa, as the Gītā is not different from Krṣṇa. They are absolute. Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's sound vibration are not different. Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's name are also not different. And Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's form, again, are not different. This is absolute. It requires realization. This Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are sound incarnations of Krṣṇa. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also the literary incarnation of Krṣṇa, and it is the fruit of Vedic knowledge. You may have experience that there is a bird which is called a