680720 - Lecture BG Excerpt - Montreal

Lectures by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

680720BG-MONTREAL - July 20, 1968 - 20:57 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . simply troublesome, kleśa. Kleśa means troublesome. Because they cannot concentrate. Avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ dehavadbhir avāpyate (BG 12.5). So those who have accepted this body, for them, to think of something impersonal is simply artificial, simply artificial. Therefore the impersonalists or the void philosopher, their process of so-called yoga is simply troublesome, and may be some profit there, but the ultimate profit they cannot have. It is not possible.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that yoginām api sarveṣāṁ (BG 6.47): "Of all the yogīs, the one who is thinking of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu . . ." Because that is the ultimate goal. One has to come to the point. That point, of course, one has to come ultimately, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19), after many, many births.

It is simply obstinacy. One who does not take to the meditation of God, or they want to meditate in something other, void or impersonal—that is not possible; that is simply troublesome—so simply they are wasting time, because ultimately they have come to this point of personal conception of the Supreme Lord.

Bahūnāṁ janmanām, after many, many births, if they are fortunate enough to meet some real devotee, then he becomes enlightened. And vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), he then accepts Vasudeva, Kṛṣṇa, as everything. Sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: "Such kind of great soul is very rare."

So here is an opportunity to get directly that post of great soul by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So it is very scientific. We can present this formula to any person who wants to understand this movement scientifically, philosophically, logically. There is no dearth of all these things in this movement. We are not sentimental at all. Of course, there must be sentiment. Without sentiment, nobody can come to the stage of ecstasy. But that sentiment is transcendental sentiment. This is not ordinary sentiment.

Sentiment, when religion or any faith is devoid of philosophy and logic, then it is material sentiment. And philosophy and logic without understanding of God is simply waste of time, mental . . .

(break) So both should be combined—religion plus philosophy. One should understand the principles of religion with philosophy and logic.

We are claiming college students, university students, because we are presenting religion on the basis of philosophy and logic. We are not blindly following. We have no dogmatism. We have got reason, philosophy and everything, science. If you want to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on the basis of philosophy, logic and science, we are prepared to present to you. But the ultimate goal is to surrender unto the Supreme.

So although you will find some of the students joining us, they are not very great philosopher or great scientist or greatest educationist, but they have accepted the reality, Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are the highest yogī. They are highest yogī. Just like if somebody is offering one million dollars, one may understand it or may not understand it, what is the value of one million dollars. But if one has got that one million of dollars, then he is rich man undoubtedly.

Similarly, the boys and the disciples and the followers of this movement, who are accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, oh, they have already got that millions of dollars. They are richest. They may not understand it, that what is the value of Kṛṣṇa, but because . . . just like fire. If you touch knowingly or unknowingly, it is fire, and it is burn your body. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then one who has taken Him, then he will derive the highest benefit undoubtedly.

Thank you very much. Any questions? (break)

Devotee: . . . "The conqueror of sleep" is one of his names. How and what relation can develop greater love for Kṛṣṇa through conquering sleep?

Prabhupāda: Sleep?

Devotee: Resting.

Pradyumna: He said Arjuna's another name was Guḍākeśa.

Prabhupāda: Guḍākeśa. Guḍākeśa. Guḍākeśa means one who has conquered sleep. Sleeping means māyā, or darkness. Just like in sleeping you do not know where you are, similarly, a person who is in the darkness . . . everyone is, in this material conditional life, everyone is in darkness. He does not know wherefrom he has come, what for he has come, what he has to do and where he is going next. All these questions are darkness for him. So anyone who has conquered over this darkness, he is called guḍākeśa.

So Arjuna did it. He knew, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa; therefore his another name is Guḍākeśa. Everyone is in darkness. Ask him, "What you were in your past life? What you are going to become in your next life? Why you have come here?" "Why you have become American?" "Why you have become Indian?" "Why you are white?" "Why you are black?" "Why you are suffering?" "Why you are enjoying?" So many "whys." Ask them. They will not be able to answer. Therefore they are in darkness. So anyone who knows all these things, he is out of darkness.

So try to be like Arjuna, to become out of darkness. That is the Vedic injunction. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28): "Don't remain in darkness. Just try to go to the light." This is light. Just like it is very commonsense affair that I, the soul, is eternal. I am changing my body from the very inception in the womb of my mother. And and because I am changing this body, therefore I am nowhere? I am gone forever? Ask the greatest scientist. He will say like that. It is a commonsense affair. Just like a child. Because he cannot see the sun at night, he may say: "Oh, sun is gone, dead and gone." But no scientist, no intelligent man will say. "My dear child, the sun is not gone, sun is there. I cannot see now." That is the fact.

Similarly, these foolish persons, because they cannot see the soul and because the body is left here and it is destroyed, he says that there is no soul. Just see how childish and how much darkness is there. It is commonsense affair. How this body . . .? I am taking this body so important, the body of such-and-such professor, such-and-such scientist, such-and-such philosopher. But as soon as I, the soul, go away, where is the importance? If the body is important, why it becomes nonsense immediately after the departure of the soul?

Therefore the soul is important. One who does not know the soul, his all activities are defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jato yāvan na jijṣāsata ātma-tattvam (SB 5.5.5). Anyone who has not inquired about the soul . . . because he is born ignorant, born in darkness, he does not know what is soul, what is this body, what is this world. Therefore born in darkness. So if in that darkness and ignorance he is acting so many things, what is the profit? It is simply defeat. So a person who does not inquire into the existence of soul, his real identity, all his so-called improvement is simply waste of time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Simply laboring, that's all.

The whole world is doing that, beating the bush, laboring for nothing. He does not know that how long he will remain. Suppose you are in America. You are now Mr. Ford. You have constructed a very skyscraper building. But how long you shall remain in this skyscraper building? How long you shall remain American or Mr. Ford? Next life, as soon as your body is changed, then you are Mr. Dog or Mr. Cat or Mr. this or Mr. Chinaman, Mr. Indian.

That means if, in my next life, I become Mr. Such-and-such instead of Mr. Ford, then all the activities that I have done as Mr. Ford is simply waste of time. That he does not know. This is ignorance. And one who has conquered this ignorance, he is Arjuna. Is it clear?

Devotee: Thank you, Prabhupāda.

Guest: Is Kṛṣṇa consciousness the knowing, or the awareness, of the Absolute?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. Otherwise, why you are laboring so hard? To know yourself, know the Absolute. Three . . . five things. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to know perfectly well five things. What are those? God, living entities, and this material nature, the time factor and the activities. God, the supreme controller.

However you may declare there is no God, there is a supreme controller. That we have to admit. There are so many things that which does not depend on our so-called scientific advancement of knowledge. It depends completely something else. Supreme controller. So that is God. They may call it nature, but they do not know nature, what is nature.

So God, and we are living entities. We are godly. We have got the same activity. As God is the creator of the whole universe, we are also creator of some skyscraper building or a city like Montreal or New York. We may do that. But in comparison to the God's creation and my creation, there is no comparison. It is very insignificant. If you go high up on the sky, you will see this globe is just like a point. And there are millions and trillions of globes and planets like this.

They are full of all opulences as you find here. So that is God's creation. In comparison to that creation, suppose if you have created a city or a skyscraper building. What is there? That is called living entity, minute; and the Lord: greatest. God is great; you are minute. Understanding of God, understanding of the living entities.

Then try to understand this material nature. What is this material nature? The material nature is exactly like your body. This body is working so nicely because you, the soul, is present within this body. That is a fact. You do not know how your hairs are growing, how your nails are growing. You are claiming, "It is my hair it is my nail" but can you explain how it is growing? No.

Similarly, the nature's work is going on wonderfully. Just like my . . . that is . . . so many things are going on wonderfully due to the presence of the spirit soul. Similarly, all this nature's work is going on so wonderfully due to the presence of God, the Supersoul. This is understanding of the material nature.

Then God, living entity, material nature, and then time. Time is eternal. There is no past, present and future. It is my calculation, according to . . . that is relativity. That is the modern scientific proposition by Professor Einstein. Your time and my time . . . he has also stated that the time factor in the higher planets are different. In the higher planet the time factor—our six months makes their one day. Just like our so many yugas makes twelve hours of Brahmā. So time is according to the different object. But time is eternal. Actually, there is no past, present, future or limitation. This is understanding of time.

So God, living entity, material nature, time and the activities. What are these activities? The activities are not eternal; they are temporary. You have got this temporary American body. You are thinking "American." You are busy twenty-four hours as American. I am Indian. Or these boys . . . the boy's activities are different, the woman's activities are different, man's activities are different, the Russian's activities are different, and American's activities, different. All different activities. So therefore activities are temporary. Temporary, according to the time, according to the atmosphere, according to the body, the activities are . . .

Just like the dog, unnecessarily running this side, this side. He thinks that, "I am very busy." He is very busy. He is businessman. But you are calling, "A nonsense dog is running here and there." Similarly, all these activities by your motorcar, they may think it is very important, but those who are in the higher status, they are thinking like dog is going this side, that side, this side, that side. So the activities are temporary.

So we have to find out our eternal life, our eternal activities, our eternal place and eternal bliss. Those things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā and further explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And that is, we are moving as Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . .

(break) A sane man should take very serious view of this movement, and it should be pushed all over the world. Otherwise you remain in darkness. You never become guḍākeśa. You remain in guḍāka. Never īśa. Guḍāka-īśa, guḍākeśa. Guḍāka means darkness, and īśa means master. So you remain in guḍāka, but not guḍākeśa. So you want to become guḍākeśa, master of this ignorance, then surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You'll get it.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī

mama māyā duratyayā

mām eva ye prapadante

māyām etāṁ taranti te

(BG 7.14)

"It is very difficult to surmount this darkness of ignorance, but anyone who surrenders unto Me, he immediately does."

So this is the greatest service to the human society, to get out them from the darkness of ignorance. That is the greatest gift. If you put him into the darkness . . . suppose a man is suffering from disease and he is asking, "Sir, I am very hungry. Give me some food." If you give him some rasagullā or some very nice foodstuff, he neither he cannot eat, neither he can enjoy. And by supplying such things you are making him more and more diseased. You have to cure the disease, then give him. That's right.

So there is no curing process. Simply sense gratification. I want to satisfy my senses, and if somebody talks about my sense gratification, oh, I receive him very nicely. You see? And as soon as one says that, "You are diseased. You cannot satisfy your senses without restriction. Then you will continue your disease," "Oh, this is not good. This doctor is not good." This is going on. You want to be cheated; therefore there are . . . so many cheaters are coming.

Just like this Maharishi came. "Yes, enjoy your senses. Enjoy. Simply pay me thirty-five dollars, I give you some mantra." People gave him thousand, millions of dollars, and at the end both of them became dissatisfied. He said: "It is failure," and who were followers, they left him. So what is the use of? Don't try to be cheated. If you want to be cheated, then Kṛṣṇa will send you some cheater. And if you want to be really profited, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa . . . (break) (end)