740129 - Arrival - Tokyo

Conversations by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740129AR-TOKYO - January 29, 1974 - 50:47 Minutes

Prabhupāda: The government export then import. (Hindi conversation with Indian man)

Have kīrtana. (kīrtana) (chants prema-dhvani)

(12:45)

The child is responsive. The child is responsive.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) He was seeing this playing of mṛdaṅga. How old?

Devotee: He's five months, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Five months. So these Japanese boys, they cannot understand English?

Devotee: No, but if you would like to say something, either Mahā-guṇa or Vana can translate. They would like to hear you speak.

Prabhupāda: (devotee translating into Japanese throughout) When I was coming to this temple, I saw Japanese people are very industrialist. Industrialism means karma, and karma means to work hard for the comfort of this body. But we are not this body; we are spirit soul within this body, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). The real owner of the body is within this.

So, so long our mind will be absorbed in the bodily concept of life, we have to accept another body after death. And to accept another body means great trouble. Just like this child, when he was within the womb of the mother for ten months, packed up… Of course, by nature's arrangement one can live, but actually it is very troublesome. Then after coming out of the body, the child is helpless. He cannot express these troubles—sometimes cry. If mother is careful, takes care; otherwise he is in great trouble. Suppose some ant is biting, he cannot express; he cries simply, and mother also cannot detect why the child is crying. This is the position. In this way, again growing up, no child wants to go to the school—he is forced to go to the school. Then when he is grown up, again family man to take responsibility of family.

So the whole life is struggle for existence, then old age, so many disease, frustration, and again death. Again death means again enter into the mother's womb, again packed up, again come out, and that is also not sure what kind of body he is going to get next. There are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we can get any one of them. So this change of body is not very good job, but people do not know the science. They are ignorant of this transmigration of the soul, and they are working hard, dying, again taking birth—not as human being; maybe human being or more than human being, or cats and dogs, trees, there's so many. So this is our real problem. In ignorance we accept one kind of body and stay for some time; again we are kicked out—no permanent situation. In this way we are under threefold miserable conditions offered by the material nature.

So people are not concerned about the solution of this problem, they are so foolish rascal. There is no education, there is no enlightenment about this transmigration of the soul from one body to another, and suffering, and they are thinking they are very happy. But from Bhagavad-gītāwe understand we can get relief from this repetition of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Kṛṣṇa says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9): anyone who can understand Kṛṣṇa, the result will be tyaktvā dehaṁ, "Giving up this body,"punar janma naiti, "no more taking birth in the material world,"mām eti, "he comes back to Me."

So this is the solution. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to make a solution of this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead. So why people are reluctant to take this movement very seriously? Any question? Hmm. You don’t want to make a solution of this problem? Yes, they are..., have become so dull, just like animals; they do not know what is the solution of the problem. (indistinct Sanskrit)

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

If a person, human being, does not take very seriously this problems of life, he is just like animal, go-kharaḥ. Go means "cow," and kharaḥ means "ass." So those who are not interested to make a solution of the problems of life, he is no better than an animal, go-kharaḥ.

So this is a civilization of animal education—whole day working like an ass. Ass is called mūḍhā. Mūḍhā, he works very hard, a big load of washerman's cloth is laden on his back, and he works, and the washerman gives little grass. He thinks, "He is giving me grass; therefore I must bear this load." He is such a fool that he does not know the grass is available anywhere, free of charges, but he thinks that "This washerman is giving me grass," therefore he must have this load. Therefore ass is the most foolish animal. Amongst the animals, the most foolish animal.

So we are trying to enlighten people to get them out from this foolish way of life, but it is very difficult. Māyāis very strong. But still we have to try, because Kṛṣṇa Himself comes to enlighten people on this point, and we are supposed to be servant of Kṛṣṇa, so it is our duty to try to enlighten people. But people also should know the responsibility of human life; but they want to live like animals. So you want to live like this, or wish to go back to home, back to Godhead? Like animal, ass. (laughs) (Hindi)

So the Japanese boys, they have understood? Eh? You have understood? The difficulty is they cannot speak English; I cannot speak Japanese. (laughs) The difficulty is there. Anyway, you are supplying them prasādam. Go on doing that; one day they will also come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (Hindi) Sunday. Today is…?

Devotee: Today is Tuesday.

Prabhupāda: Tuesday. (Hindi) Osaka.

Devotee: Osaka is another city.

Prabhupāda: Osaka. Oh. Osaka. (Hindi with Indian man and lady about Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya) So have kīrtana once more. (Hindi)

(39:38) (kīrtana) (chants prema-dhvani) (Hindi) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: (devotees offer obeisances) So there is prasādam for everyone.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)