670109 - Lecture CC Madhya 22.11-15 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1967

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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670109CC-NEW YORK - January 09, 1967 - 22:33 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

nitya-mukta'-nitya kṛṣṇa-caraṇe unmukha

kṛṣṇa-pāriṣada' nāma, bhuñje sevā-sukha

(CC Madhya 22.11)

Yesterday we have been discussing two kinds of living entities. One class, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, they never come to this material world. They are eternally liberated. And another class, just like we are, conditioned. We are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned means we do not know when we have been conditioned like this. It is not possible to trace out the history.

Because living entity, by nature, he is not conditioned. But actually we see that we are conditioned, and there is no possibility to trace out the history. Many, many Brahmā's life . . . not only one Brahmā's—there are so many Brahmās changed, and we are conditioned. So therefore we are called eternally conditioned.

Now this . . . what is the difference between the two? Those who are eternally free, liberated, they are godly. They are always ready to render transcendental loving service to the Lord. They are satisfied in that way. Just like mother is satisfied simply by loving child, or friend is satisfied simply by loving. Of course, that sort of love is not possible in this material world, but there are some rare instances. At least we can get an idea that . . . similarly, the eternal liberated souls, they are satisfied simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. That is their satisfaction.

Everyone wants to love. That is natural propensity. Everyone. When there is no loving object, then in this material world we sometimes love cats and dogs. You see? Because I must love somebody. If I don't find any suitable person lovable, then I turn my love to some hobby, to some animal, like that, because love is there. So this is dormant. Our love for Kṛṣṇa is dormant. It is within us, but because we have no information of Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are reposing our love to something which is frustration. That is not the object of love. Therefore we are frustrated.

So many instances we have got, we did not describe. But here in this material world, love is 99.9% all frustration, because the love is not reposed to the proper place. The proper place is Kṛṣṇa. If we love Kṛṣṇa, then we can love everyone. Just like if we pour water on the root of the tree, then the other parts of the tree—leaves and flowers and fruits and branches—automatically . . . so if we learn to love Kṛṣṇa, then we can perfectly love others.

So those who are eternally liberated, they love Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are perfect in the spiritual world. 'Nitya-mukta'-nitya kṛṣṇa-caraṇe unmukha, 'kṛṣṇa-pāriṣada nāma (CC Madhya 22.11). They are all associates. The Supreme Lord is person, and His innumerable lovers, living entities, they are also individual person. Love means there is person, individual. Without individual person, there is no question of love. When I . . . when the word "love" is used, there must be two lovers. Then the word is applicable, love. If there is no person, love is not with the air. There must be person.

So the Supreme Lord is person, and the lovers, the living entities, they are also persons. They forget who is God, who is not God, but the central focus is in Kṛṣṇa. Everyone loves Kṛṣṇa. Without seeing Kṛṣṇa they are mad. This is the position in the spiritual world. Simply love Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Bhuñje sevā-sukha. And by loving, as we have got a little perverted experience of love affairs, so just imagine when that love is pure and true, how much pleasure there is.

So that thing is there in the spiritual world: pure love. And object is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are so much in bliss . . . that is bliss. That is bliss, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Eternal love with knowledge that "Here is Kṛṣṇa," and ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). That is perfect stage, lovable object eternal, lover eternal, with knowledge, with eternal life. That is there. In the spiritual world this is going on. They're all in bliss.

Now, so far we are concerned, the conditioned soul, 'nitya-bandha'-kṛṣṇa haite nitya-bahirmukha: our business is to hate Kṛṣṇa, that's all. "What is God? Huh! God. The foolish people are assembled, speaking of God." Nitya. They are . . . naturally, they are haters of God in this conditioned life. Just the opposite. In the spiritual world, they are by nature . . . by nature, we are lover of God, but here, being illusioned, we think God as our enemy and we don't like God. We, we would like this māyā. So:

'nitya-bandha'—kṛṣṇa haite nitya-bahirmukha

'nitya-saṁsāra', bhuñje narakādi duḥkha

(CC Madhya 22.12)

Therefore, because they have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and they are averse to Kṛṣṇa, therefore the result is that perpetually they are entangled in this material world, in the pangs . . . material world means threefold miseries. Plus, so long . . . what is word? Principally we have got fourfolds changing: birth, death, old age and disease.

And these fourfold changes are always mixed with threefold miseries. So it is sevenfold miserable condition, and those who are in ignorance, they do not understand this miserable condition. They think, "We are all right." And when the sense comes that, "We are not all right, we are in miserable condition," that is the, I mean to say, state of inquiries about Brahman. That is called brahma-jijñāsā.

So generally, people are so much ignorant that they cannot understand their miserable condition. This is called saṁsāra. Saṁsāra means entanglement in these miserable conditions of material existence. And bhuñje narakādi duḥkha. By miserable condition we want to compensate this miserable condition.

But due to our ignorance we become more and more miserable and, narakādi-duḥkha, the hellish life. Nānā yoni brahman kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, tāra janma adho pāte yāya (Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura). We are circumambulating various types of species of life and eating all sorts of nasty things, and this is the condition of material existence . . . narakādi-duḥkha. Narakādi-duḥkha means hellish condition. But we do not understand. This is our ignorance. Hellish condition.

sei doṣe māyā-piśāci daṇḍa kare tāre

ādhyātmikādi tāpa-traya tāre jāri' māre

(CC Madhya 22.13)

So on account of this ignorance we are under the control of this material nature. Actually, due to our forgetfulness, due to our averseness to Kṛṣṇa, we are under the condition of this material nature. This is the sum and substance, due to our averseness. We don't like. Sei doṣe māyā-piśāci daṇḍa kare tāre. Daṇḍa kare tāre means "give him punishment."

You have not seen . . . perhaps you had been in India, you have seen the Devī picture, picture of Goddess Durgā. She has got a . . . what is called? Trishul, like this. Trident? Yes. This trident, she has got in her hand a trident. And an asura, a demonic person, is struggling with lion, and the goddess is piercing that trident on the chest of that demon. This figure is there. That is called Durgā.

Have you seen that picture? That one lion has attacked that demon, and the lion is the carrier of Devī, Goddess Durgā. She rides on lion. Just like we ride on horse, Devī, she rides on lion. And the lion has attacked that demon. And demon is also very strong, fighting with the lion, and the mother, Goddess Durgā, she has caught the demon by the hair and piercing the trident on the chest, and the lion has attacked. So this is our position. We are thinking like the demon.

Now, this lion is the symbol of rajo-guṇa. Rajo-guṇa. Kāma eṣa krodha eṣa rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ (BG 3.37). Rajo-guṇa means we are full of lust and anger. When there is excess of rajo-guṇa, then we are full of lust and anger. And when there is sattva-guṇa, then there is knowledge. And when there is tamo-guṇa, neither anger nor, I mean to say, lust nor knowledge, simply just like the Bowery Road. You see? Lying down on the street. This is the sign of ignorance, tamo-guṇa. Yes. So this is going on.

So the demons . . . demons means that characteristic to challenge the existence of God. And therefore this prakṛti, nature, is piercing, the trident. The trident means threefold miseries: miseries pertaining to the body, pertaining to the mind . . . just like yesterday night you had some trouble due to the body. So sometimes mind, "Oh, today I am not very good mood. There is something wrong." The body is all right, but the mind is not all right. This is called ādhyātmika. Then adhibhautika.

Adhibhautika means miseries offered by other living entities. Just like at night, bedbugs. (laughter) (laughs) So, very nice situation, whole night there is no sleep. Why? Now there is adhibhautika. Adhibhautika. Or some enemy. This is . . . there are . . . these are all miseries, but we forget. And adhidaivika. Adhidaivika. Just like heavy snowfall, severe cold, severe heat, earthquake, famine, war. These are adhidaivika, forced by you by superior power. Nobody wants war, but it is forced. These are called adhidaivika miseries. So three kinds.

Here it is stated, ādhyātmikādi tapa-traya tāre. So we are under the control of this material nature, and that trident is pierced on my chest. How can I understand? Now this trident I am experiencing every moment. These three kinds of miseries are there. Either this or that or three or two or one—must be there. Must be there. So those who are, I mean to say, enlightened, they can understand that we are miserable. We are in a miserable condition. And those who are not enlightened, in ignorance, they think, "Oh, this is all right. Don't care for it." But actually we are in miserable condition.

kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya

bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-vaidya pāya

(CC Madhya 22.14-15)

Very nice. In this way we are being kicked up. The freedom of football. The football is kicked from this party and thrown to the other party. The other party kicks and it comes. The football thinks . . . if the football thinks that, "I am in freedom movement," so what is that freedom? Kicked from this party to that party and that . . . so here the same thing is said, kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya.

Just like the football players—the football is under the kicking method of two parties—similarly, we are under the kicking method of two things, lust and anger. We are lusty, and when our lust is not fulfilled, then we become kicked by anger. Two things. Just like the football is kicked by this party and that party, similarly, our position is we are being kicked sometimes by lust and sometimes by anger. So we are going on leading our life in this way.

kāma-krodhera dāsa hañā tāra lāthi khāya

bhramite bhramite yadi sādhu-saṅga pāya

(CC Madhya 22.14)

Now, in this way we are passing our life, but if by chance we get association of a saintly person . . .

tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya

kṛṣṇa-bhakti pāya, tabe kṛṣṇa-nikaṭa yāya

(CC Madhya 22.15)

If by chance we get association of a pure devotee, then by his mercy this illusion becomes over. Tāṅra upadeśa: by his instruction. Sādhu-saṅga means tasmād satsu sajjeta buddhimān. Therefore it is advised that everyone should seek association of saintly person. And by saintly person's instruction, this ghost of ignorance will be removed. Tāṅra mantre. Just like you have seen ghostly haunted persons? In India there are so many cases. So there are chanter also. What is called, enchanter or . . .? Those who are . . . who can make treatment a ghostly . . .

Devotees: Magician? Medium?

Prabhupāda: Not magician.

Devotee: Medium.

Prabhupāda: Not medium. Enchanter, I think you call.

Devotee: A sorcerer.

Prabhupāda: A sorcerer, yes. So they chant some hymns and the ghosts go away. Similarly, if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, then the ghost of māyā by which we are being kicked from this side to that side, that will be over. Tāṅra mantre. If the instruction is received from a saintly person, sādhu, then this illusion of being kicked up from this side to that side by lust and anger under the spell of this material energy will be over. Tāṅra upadeśa-mantre piśāci palāya (CC Madhya 22.14-15).

Then? What is next? Kṛṣṇa-bhakti pāya, tabe kṛṣṇa-nikaṭa yāya. Then his beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness begins from there. If by chance, in this way . . . just like the football is being kicked. Some way or other, if he goes out of the line the kicking is stopped. Similarly, we also, if we get the shelter and association of a bona fide saintly person, then this business of being kicked by lust and anger is stopped by his instruction, by his advice.

Santa chindanti asya mano-vyāsaṅgam ukti (SB 11.26.26). The whole trouble is in the mind. Mind. Just like there is a knot. So knot is to be cut or it is to be opened. So this mental knot with this material attraction is cut by the instruction of saintly person. The cutting weapon is instruction. Therefore one should take advantage of the instruction of saintly persons so that the knot of material attachment may be cut and the Kṛṣṇa consciousness may begin, so that his path of liberation is open.

Thank you very much. Any question? (end)