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661130 - Lecture CC Madhya 20.100-118 - New York

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada



661130CC.NY - November 30, 1966



Prabhupāda: No, no.

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner
jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā
parasya brahmaṇaḥśaktis
tathedam akhilaṁ jagat
(CC Madhya 20.110)

Akhilaṁ jagat. All universal manifestation that you are seeing. They are all expansion of the energy. The example is just like the fire expands by his heat, fire expands by his light. Similarly, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8) the Supreme Lord has various multi-energies and they are displaying. So, one should understand the existence of the Supreme Lord by experience of the expansion of His energy. And His energy and He is not different. Therefore, a self-realised person can see God everywhere. Because everywhere His energy is expanded so whenever he sees the energy or experiences the energy, he sees God. So, this point we have tried to explain yesterday. Now Lord Caitanya says:

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati
cit-śakti, jīva-śakti, āra māyā-śakti
(CC Madhya 20.111)

Now there are innumerable energies but all of them have been simplified into three divisions. And what are they? Cit-śakti—spiritual energy that's His first energy. Of which you have simply a little experience—the living entity. The living entity is a sample of the spiritual energy. And cit-śakti, jīva-śaktis, jīva-śakti these living entities they are also energy. And māyā-śakti, māyā-śakti means this material energy. So, and he is giving evidence from the same Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā
kṣetrajñākhyā tathā parā
avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā
tṛtīyāśaktir iṣyate
(CC Madhya 20.112)

Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā. The spiritual energy and the marginal energy of the same quality but this material energy is avidyā. Avidyā means ignorance, full of ignorance. Avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā, karma-saṁjñānyā means when you put into this material energy always remember that jīva-śakti or the living entities they are marginal potency. So sometimes they fall in the material energy. Not sometimes fall it has got the tendency, it is prone to fall down.

There are innumerable living entities in the spiritual energy they never fall down. Never fall down. Just like in the ocean, ocean there are innumerable aquatics, so they never come to the rivers. River cannot provide them, they are so big the aquatics in the ocean there are so big fishes that a river cannot provide them. There is no place in the river. So, there is no need of coming here. So similarly, in the spiritual energy exactly.

Just ah, take the comparison. Just in this material energy we are innumerable living entities here we are living. Similarly, they are only fragments on the total of the living entities. The living entities which we see in this material world they are only a simple fragments. There are millions of times more than, liberated soul in the spiritual world.

So, they never come here, they never come here. So, they are so much experienced. They are so much full of knowledge by association of the Supreme Lord that they never come here. But when there is order, a special, of the Lord to come here they come. Just like incarnations or śaktyāveśa-avatāra. There are many different types of incarnations we shall discuss in this discussion between Lord Caitanya and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Lord Caitanya He will explain how many different kinds of incarnations are there.

So, some of the living entities there they come down here in this material world as śaktyāveśa-avatāra. Śaktyāveśa-avatāra means empowered with chart, with chartered by the power, empowered by the Supreme Lord they come here. Why they come here? To execute the mission of the Lord, to reclaim these fallen souls.

Sometimes God Himself also comes, sometimes His incarnation comes. So, there are innumerable universes so according to the will, according to the desire, according to the plan of the Supreme Lord they come. But generally, so far on their own account they never come. That jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti. This māyā-śakti, so māyā-śakti is the described here avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā. Here in the material energy you have to struggle for existence. Therefore, it is called karma-saṁjñānyā nobody can live here peacefully without working.

This is the sign of material energy. In the spiritual energy there is no such thing. That you have to work and then eat. There is no question of eating and there is no question of working. Everything is complete there. So, we have no imagination just now we can understand from the description of the śāstra that there is no influence of time or there is no influence of these planets and there is no need of sunshine. There is no need of moonshine, they are not hungry, they are not passionate, they don't beget children.

So many things there are. But now we are now we cannot imagine because just the opposite, this is only perverted reflection. So, we cannot imagine but we have to understand from authoritative scriptures about the description of the spiritual world. There, there is no such struggle. There is no birth death, old age and struggle.

So, this, this material energy, there is struggle, karma-saṁjñānyā. Karma-saṁjñānyā, and here everyone has to work. Beginning from the first-class highest creature Brahmā down to the ant, a small germ. Everyone is working struggling hard for existence. This is the sign of the material world. Even one in the highest planet, oh you have to work.

Even you are president you have to work and even you are ant you have to work. The elephant has to work for securing a 100 pounds of foodstuff each time and the ant he has to work for securing a grain of sugar. Not that, oh I required only a grain of sugar, it may come. There is a nice example in the Hitopadeśa from which Aesop's Fable is translated. So that Hitopadeśa Sanskrit there is a story of lion. So, the lion began to sleep, that "I am the king of the forest everyone will come," so he stopped.

nahi suptasya siṁhasya
praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ
(Hitopadeśa 36)

Even if you are lion, if you are as powerful as lion still it is not possible that you can eat without work. That is the law here, material energy. The spiritual energy just the opposite. There is no question of working.

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā
tṛtīyāśaktir iṣyate
(CC Madhya 20.112)
śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām
acintya-jñāna-gocarāḥ
(CC Madhya 20.113)

So similarly, there are many energies in the Supreme Lord which are not conceivable by our limited speculative power. Śaktayaḥ sarva-bhāvānām acintya śakti. Acintya śakti, acintya means you cannot conceive how many varieties of energies are there.

yato 'to brahmaṇas tās tu
sargādyā bhāva-śaktayaḥ
bhavanti tapatāṁśreṣṭha
pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā
(CC Madhya 20.113)

So, because He has got inconceivable energy therefore, we cannot calculate how things are happening. Take, take for example how this planets are floating in the air. We haven't calculated law of gravitation and so many things, that's somehow have adjusted. But is it not wonderful that such huge lump of water and earth so many planets they are floating in the air just like cotton swabs? How can we adjust, we can pull some theory, but you cannot create? You cannot float even a needle in the air. It will at once fall down. Or it can go up, it cannot go up. That is not in your power, so how you can conceive. You can see daily even in this material world so many wonderful things and still you think that you're God. For only which you cannot touch even.

So here it is stated that brahmaṇas tās tu, bhavanti tapatāṁśreṣṭha pāvakasya yathoṣṇatā. Again, the same example, just like you do not know, what is the amount of temperature in the sun. Now it is 90 millions of miles away from this earth. Still when the sun is too hot you cannot bear the temperature.

So, you cannot understand what is the amount of temperature in the sun disc. Actually, there is. You can simply think, that so many miles away if somebody goes, he will be at once burned. But actually, there are living entities also because you cannot say that there cannot live living entities. Because in the Bhagavad-gītāyou have understood that the living entities, spiritual sparks they are never burned. adaḥ ājyam, adaḥ ājyam the material fire cannot burn so there is no. And the reason to disbelieve that there are no living entities.

Now how the living entities are there in the sun planet that is not conceivable by us. So, every power, every wonderful things in this material world only. There are many other wonderful things in the spiritual world. They are all being carried out by the superior energy, inconceivable energy of the Supreme Lord.

yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā
veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā
saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān
avāpnoty atra santatān
(CC Madhya 20.114)
tayā tirohitatvāc ca
śaktiḥ kṣetra-jña-saṁjñitā
sarva-bhūteṣu bhū-pāla
tāratamyena vartate
(CC Madhya 20.115)

So, Lord Caitanya said in the beginning that a living entity is constitutionally eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. That is the fact. Now he is entrapped by this material energy and struggling hard for existence. Because material energy is meant for that.

yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā
veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā
(CC Madhya 20.114)

So, these living entities they are spread all over this material energy. Saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān avāpnoty . . . (CC Madhya 20.114). And they, being entangled by this material energy. They are suffering, tapaḥ— different kinds of miseries. Different kinds of miseries. Hm, but they have become so dull that they. They do not think that they are under miseries. They think that we are advanced in happiness. Although factually they are suffering this is called illusion.

That there are so many sufferings, just as so many times we have discussed this point. Sufferings due to natural disturbance, suffering due to treatment with other entities, suffering due to this body. Suffering due to this mind, suffering of death, suffering of birth, suffering of old age, suffering of diseases. We are surrounded by all sufferings and still we are silent, that we are very happy. This is called illusion.

So, this illusion will be, I mean, clear. With a proportionately as you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise there is no other way. Otherwise you will be kept in that illusion for millions and millions of births, he will not understand that he is suffering. He will think, in the suffering he will think, "Yeah I am happy." Foolishness. Just like the hog if you ask him, "Oh why you are living in a filthy place? Why you are eating stool? You come I shall give you nice place." It will say, "No, I am very happy, I am very happy."

So nowhere, this is, this is called the illusion. Nobody will say that I am unhappy. If you go to the Bowery street and ask the drunkard's lying on the footpath, "Oh why you are suffering?" " Oh, I am not suffering, I am enjoying." Similarly, "I am enjoying this intoxication, that intoxication," they will never accept.

The other day one girl came, she was talking, still she did not agree that we are suffering. LSD girl.This is illusion, illusion. They are suffering in every step, every step. There is suffering full up. When you, when you get on a motor car, oh you, you, you are in a suffering car, you do not know when it will. There will be an accident. You do not know when there will be an accident in the aeroplane, in the train. There is no guarantee.

So, you are always in this suffering, but we are under the illusion of this material energy. We are happy. So, this illusion can be moved gradually in the proportionate. This sufferings are also. There are degrees. My sufferings may be greater than your suffering. Your suffering may be greater than somebody else. So anyway, there are the whole material world will see there are sufferings but there are degrees, degrees. But that degrees:

saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān
avāpnoty atra santatān
tayā tirohitatvāc ca
(CC Madhya 20.114)

So as, as much as you will be out of this material entanglement. Sarva-bhūteṣu, so similarly you will be free from this sufferings. And as soon as you are fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are fully engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord then you are free.

daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
(BG 7.14)

There is prapadyante—the surrender. The surrender to the Lord, the proportionate surrender to the Lord. Will make you away from these degrees of sufferings. Otherwise there is no . . . so again, Lord Caitanya quotes one verse from Bhagavad-gītā:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ
prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām
(BG 7.5)

As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says that above this material energy there is another superior energy. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho, there they are living entities, superior. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat, those who are carrying on the activities of the material world. Therefore they are superior beings.

kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha
ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha
(CC Madhya 20.117)

Now the question is why these material energies created or there is, so that it is meant for giving trouble and miseries to the living entities. The question is answered by Lord Caitanya that kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha. When the living entity forgets his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa then the suffering begins. Kṛṣṇa does not create the sufferings of these living entities but when he forgets Kṛṣṇa. When he forgets God, the suffering begins. That is the law of nature.

Just like when a person commits theft, he at once becomes under the custody of police. If that foolish person enquires, "Oh why this police force has been created?" A police force is there, for you it is created. Because God knows that there will be misuse of independence, misuse of consciousness therefore He has very kindly created this. "All right you can enjoy your misuse of independence." The suffering we have created, as soon as we forget. Kṛṣṇa bhuliya, there is another verse:

kṛṣṇa bhuliya jīva bhoga vāñchā kare
pāśate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
(Prema-vivarta 6.2)

The māyā the material energy is there because God is there. Therefore, his energy is there. So, if you want to imitate. To become an imitation God, "I will be Lord, I will be the Lord of all I survey." Then this imitation material energy is given to you. Just like the child, the child. The example I have given several times. Is disturbing mother, "I shall cook." The mother gives him some false cooking materials. "All right you do it, yes."

So similarly, as soon as we want to be imitation God. That imitation God consciousness still goes on even after many, many years. Many, many births, philosophical speculation. He still thinks that I am God. That is the power of illusion. So as soon as we forget our constitutional position and relationship with God the māyā is there.

Here Lord Caitanya says, kṛṣṇa bhuli' sei jīva anādi-bahirmukha (CC Madhya 20.117). Bahirmukha—is averse, so long he is averse to God, so long he has to suffer. There is no other way out. Ataeva māyā tāre deya saṁsāra-duḥkha, because he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God therefore the material sufferings are imposed upon him. And how is that suffering? Now it is said:

kabhu svarge uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya
daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya
(CC Madhya 20.118)

Now these sufferings, within this suffering sometimes we are going to the higher planet. Svarge—heaven, heavenly planet. And because in the material world people have got conception that heaven is very happy place. Just like that now trying to go to the moon planet. Moon planet is considered one of the heavenly planets according to Vedic literature.

So, tendency. Why they are travelling? The tendency. Because we want improvement, so they are thinking that going to the moon planet we shall improve. This is dictation of nature, "All right you come to the moon planet you will be more happy."

So, they are suffering, that is also another suffering. That foolishness that he is trying to go to the moon planet that is another suffering. They prepare a sputnik and unnecessarily create some machinery and spoil time and waste time and go hither and there and come back again. Come back again. Simply wasting time.

So, this is another suffering. But foolish creature they do not know they are thinking still that they are improving. He is suffering but he is thinking that I am improving. It is going on. So, by that suffering he sometimes goes up. It is said clearly kabhu svarge uṭhāya. He sometimes goes to the heavenly planets and kabhu narake ḍubāya. And sometimes goes to the hell. There is hellish planet also. So:

kabhu svarge uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya
daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya
(CC Madhya 20.118)

This is just like a culprit is drowned into the river, it is something like that. And this example is very nice. Perhaps you have no information formerly in India there was crude and sufferings for the culprit. The culprit would be taken on a boat in the mid-water of the river and he will be drowned. By catching his hair, he will be drowned. He will be not let go simply he will be drowned. And when he will be suffocated, too much suffocated then it will be raised little more and then he will breathe, and he will feel something relief. "Oh please sir, please do not drown me, I will never do in this life." Then when he is a little strong then again drown, again drown. In this way putting down, putting down, putting down.

So, we are in that way, we are thinking now I am relieved, relieved. Now I am in the moon planet, oh I am relieved, again come to the hell. Yes, this is going on. So, all these planets do not say they are vacant. Just like we are travelling, sometimes in America, sometimes in India, sometimes in Honolulu. Something else. Czechoslovakia. Similarly, we are travelling in other planets also, sarva-ga. We are travelling different planets and we are thinking we are happy, happy. Travelling and suffering but still we are thinking happy. So:

kabhu svarge uṭhāya, kabhu narake ḍubāya
daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya
(CC Madhya 20.118)

So, these are our happiness is just like that. A man who is drowned and again taken up, drowned and taken up, drowned and taken up.

Thank you very much. This is our civilisation.

Any question? (end)

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