680317 - Lecture BG 07.01 - San Francisco

Lectures by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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680317BG-SAN FRANCISCO - March 17, 1968 - 51:17 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (kīrtana) (prema-dhvani) Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

Mayy āsakta. Mayy means "unto Me." Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says: "Unto Me, Kṛṣṇa." We cannot interpret in a different way. When I say that "Give me a glass of water," it means that I am the person who is in want of a glass of water.

And if you supply me, not to others, then it is right. So when Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me," that means Kṛṣṇa. But sometimes rascal interpreters, they say something else. Why? Even grammatically this is wrong. Kṛṣṇa says "unto Me"; therefore the action should be unto Kṛṣṇa, not of any other else.

So Kṛṣṇa says mayi, "unto Me"; āsakta, "attachment." One who has developed attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if you have got attachment for your lover, you always think of him. That is . . . is lover consciousness. There is a very—this is natural—a Sanskrit verse in which it is stated that a woman who has got another lover besides her husband, she shows very attentive for her household duties, but she is always thinking when she will meet at night her lover.

(aside) Please sit properly.

So as it is possible that in spite of our all engagements, if I love somebody I think of him always, materially it is possible, why not spiritually? That is the whole teaching of Bhagavad-gītā.

Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7), "As a fighter, you have to fight. You cannot go away from fighting. It is not your duty." Nowadays—I have got experience, practical experience—that the drafting board of your country, calling some boy that "You join military," but he is not willing. Why? Because he is not trained as a kṣatriya. He is trained as a śūdra.

Therefore the caste system is very scientific. A section of people should be trained as brāhmins. Those who are intelligent enough in the society, they should be picked up for being trained in higher philosophical science. Those who are less intelligent than the brāhmins, they should be given military training.

We require everything—not that everyone is military man. This is nonsense. How everyone can be military man? Because they are sending śūdras to Vietnam, they are unnaturally being killed. So any country who is very proud of scientific advancement, if he does not know how to organize society, he is a fool. He's a fool.

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find Kṛṣṇa says that the four division of society: brāhmins, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. That is natural. Somebody is inclined for spiritual advancement, oh, they should be picked up as brāhmins. Now, we are training boys who are spiritually inclined, and now unnecessarily they are being called for military service. Just see how discrepancy. The foolish person has no knowledge that "This boy is being trained up in higher science. Why he should be disturbed?" But they have no idea. Therefore imperfect.

The intellectual persons, those who have got brahminical qualification . . . these boys are being restrained for being trained up as brāhmins, brahmacārī. They don't take, I mean to say, meat-eating; they don't take part in intoxication; they don't take part in gambling; they don't take part in illicit sex life. So they are being trained as complete brāhmin, the highest intellectual person, purified person in the society. If there is one brāhmin in a family, or one society, the whole family, whole society becomes sanctified.

So these rascals, they have no knowledge how to train as brāhmin, how to train as kṣatriya, how to train as vaiśya. Just like, of course, in other field of action, in the śūdras and vaiśyas, there is nice training in your country. If anyone wants to become a businessman, oh, there is training, colleges and schools, technological. That's nice, very nice. But why everyone should be dragged for technology? This is foolishness.

Just like in your body, for maintenance, proper maintenance of the body you require the head, you require the arms, you require the belly, you require the legs. So all these four divisions of the body required. You cannot say: "Oh, we don't require this head." Oh, it is nonsense. You require everything. You require the head, you require the arms, you require the belly and you require the leg. This is fit body.

Suppose if there is a body without head—oh, it is dead body. It is body undoubtedly, but if there is no head, simply the trunk is there, it is called dead body. The head is considered to be the intellectual part of the body. Similarly, if there is no brāhmin in the society, that is a dead body. If there is no spiritual man in the society, that is a dead society. This is very nice, natural division.

Therefore Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13), "I have created the four divisions of society according to quality and work." If somebody is working just like a brahmacārī, brāhmin, and he has acquired the quality . . . what is that quality? To understand Kṛṣṇa or the Supreme Lord. So he's a brāhmin. Why he should be called for the action of the arms? The arms for defending, that is kṣatriya.

Of course, that is required. To protect the country, to protect the society, military arrangement should be there. Nobody disapproves. But not the brāhmins. It is putting the horse before a cart. Horse is required for different purpose. Another beast of those, asses, mules and bulls, they are required for towing cart.

So there is derangement of the social order in the present-day world. Why? There is no head. They are all rascals. I frankly say it. Anybody may come. Any society where there is no intellectual persons or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is a rascal society, because there is no head. Either it is madman or a headless man or dead body. If there is no brain, there is no head.

If the brain is not working properly, then he's a madman. And if there is no head at all, then he's a dead man. So do you think in a dead society or in a mad society there can be any peace? No. What is peace? If the dead . . . society is already dead; what do you mean by peace? And if the society is all full of madmen, then where is the question of peace?

Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the most important subject of the present-day society. The responsible men who are leading the society, the president, or the secretaries, or the mayor, they should have intelligence to understand. But if we approach . . . the other day when I was coming to your country, I met in Japan, Tokyo, one chief secretary of the governor. I wanted to explain to him that "You just cooperate with this movement."

He said: "Oh, we are secular. We cannot cooperate with any religious movement." Just see. He's one of the chief secretaries of the governor, and he's such a fool. He is taking this movement as religious movement. Just like they have got so many sentimental religions. Oh, it is not sentimental. It is the necessity of the society that a class of men should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise the society is doomed. It is going to hell. They have no brain.

So brainless persons, rascals, are on the head of government, how there can be peace? How you can expect peace in the dog's society? The dogs are by nature howling—"how, how, how"—as soon as he sees another dog. So do you mean to say there can be peace? So if you turn human society into dog society, into cat society, into tiger society . . .

Tiger is very powerful. He can kill many other animals. Does it mean it is very important animal? No. It has no use in the society. Undoubtedly it is very powerful. It has got the good weapons to fight, and it can kill many. These are not qualifications for good men or good society. Why you are afraid of a tiger? Why you are afraid of a monkey?

So we are not meant to manufacture a society of monkeys or tigers or asses and mules. The asses, they work very hard. Do you mean to say a society of ass will derive any benefit? No. We want human society. Human society. Otherwise, what is the use of becoming human being?

So the situation is so difficult that . . . it is very difficult to push on this movement, but still we have to do it. And this is the highest yoga. If you push on this movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you'll be performing the highest type of yoga. Don't be misled by so-called yogas. This is yoga. Yoga means that cooperation, cooperation with the Supreme.

Just like the head. Head, if the head . . . the head means head, chief. Why this part of the body is called head? Because it is chief. The brain is working. It orders the hand, "Come here," it comes. Oh. Therefore it is head. It at once orders the leg, "Go on," "Oh, I must walk." Therefore it is head.

So a section of person must be head of the society. They must order, and others will work. Then there will be peace. Then there will be peace. But if the leg takes the part of working like head, how it can work? Leg is accustomed to carry order to walk. It cannot work as the brain. Therefore, when the śūdras or the leg take the part of the head, working like head, it is all disorder. It is all disorder. Therefore this yoga system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system, should be popularized. It is essential in order to stop all nonsense propaganda.

So Kṛṣṇa says mayya, mayy āsakta-manāḥ (BG 7.1): "Those who have developed attachment for Me . . ." Kṛṣṇa attachment can be developed. Just like before my coming here, there was no movement like this, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but you are developing. You had no . . . Kṛṣṇa was not born in your country. You do not accept Kṛṣṇa as your religious God. But Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that although you are foreigners . . . you are not foreigners. To Kṛṣṇa you are not a foreigner. He claims everybody as His son. We make Him foreigner. This is our foolishness.

Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4), "My dear Arjuna, there are many different forms in different species of life, undoubtedly, but I am their father." Just see how Kṛṣṇa is universal. He is claiming not only the human society, but even animal society, even the bird society, beast society, aquatic society, botany society, everyone. Everyone He says that, "I am the father." So how Kṛṣṇa can be foreign to you? No.

It is mental concoction that, "Kṛṣṇa is Indian" or "Kṛṣṇa is worshiped by the Hindus; therefore He is one of the Hindu gods." He never said that "I am Hindu god, I am Indian." Just like the sun. If you say: "It is American sun," is it possible, American? Sun is sun. Why American sun or Indian sun? Nothing is American, Indian. It is all artificial. This planet, this planet also, it belongs to the human society, that's all. This is real communism. This is real communism. These Communists also, they are defective because . . . just like the Russians. They say . . .

(break) . . . Russians or the Chinese. They are speaking that "China is for the Chinese." Why not for others? Then what sort of communism it is?

Just think in terms of the human community. Human community. So this . . . why human community? Living being community. If you make this world as belonging to the human society, that is defective. It belongs to everyone. It belongs to the trees community, it belongs to the beast community. They have got right to live. Why should you cut the trees? Why should you send the bulls to the slaughterhouse? This is injustice.

And how you can meet justice by doing yourself injustice? Because you have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You do not know that Kṛṣṇa is our original father and we are all sons. The tree is my brother, the ant is my brother, the bull is my brother, the American is my brother, the Indian is my brother, the Chinese my brother. This is universal.

Therefore you have to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness before you talk of this nonsense universal brotherhood and this United Nations and all this nonsense. These are useless talks if you have no idea how to think of universal brotherhood or United Nations. Useless. Therefore they are talking for years, years. Still, they are the same fools. Don't you see? The United Nation, they have got their headquarter here. Simply talking nonsense. That's all. That is their business.

So unless there is full-fledged Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there cannot be any improvement of the world situation. You have to learn it. So how to do that? Kṛṣṇa says, mayy āsakta-manāḥ (BG 7.1). You have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Begin it. Now, begin . . . not begin it, that is a very difficult job. But you can do it. It is not difficult. Just as we have got a few students here, sincere students, both boys and . . . they are developing. If not complete, but they are developing, Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, why they shall waste their time in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? They are developing.

And it can be developed. You can develop love for anything if you try for it. But Kṛṣṇa development, Kṛṣṇa conscious development, is very natural, because Kṛṣṇa is not a thing belonging to a particular type of religion or sect or society. Kṛṣṇa claims that, "I belong to everyone." Therefore, originally, you are all connected with Kṛṣṇa. Simply you have forgotten.

So this process of chanting is to invoke your remembrance for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is not that we are implementing something artificially in you. No. Kṛṣṇa is already connected with you. You have forgotten, and we are trying to give you the process how you can revive your original consciousness. So mayy āsakta-manāḥ (BG 7.1). So when you come to this place, temple, this is the beginning. This (is) the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If you see Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, if you chant "Kṛṣṇa . . ." Kṛṣṇa is not different from the name, because He's absolute. He is not different. The word "Kṛṣṇa" and the person Kṛṣṇa, or God Kṛṣṇa, is not different, because everything is Kṛṣṇa. The oneness, the philosophy of monism or pantheism, is perfect. When that oneness comes in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth from whom everything is emanating, then everything is Kṛṣṇa.

Just like you have a gold mine and you are preparing so many golden utensils, ornaments and many other things, but they are all gold, because the origin is gold. Similarly, you may name it as "earring," but you have to add "gold" earring. You may name it as "necklace," but "gold." Because originally it is coming from the gold mine. Similarly, originally, everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Because if He is Supreme, He is Absolute Truth, then nothing is different from Him.

Just like either you say earrings or necklace or bangle or wristwatch, if they are all made of gold, they are gold. But you cannot say at the same time, "This is gold, this is gold." "This is gold necklace." If you say that "Why necklace? It is gold . . ." The Māyāvādī philosophers say: "Everything is gold. Everything is Brahman." No. "Everything is Brahman" is all right, but it is this, but the Brahman.

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is very nicely explained in the Thirteenth Chapter, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4), "I am expanded all over." Sarvam. Sarva means all over. Avyakta-mūrtinā: "That is My impersonal feature." Kṛṣṇa is everywhere in His impersonal, but still He is person. The Māyāvāda philosophy thinks that "If Kṛṣṇa has become everything, then where is the necessity of Kṛṣṇa again, person?" This is rascaldom, because he is thinking in material way. He has no spiritual knowledge.

Material way . . . suppose if you take a piece of paper and you may make it in particles and throw it all over; the original paper has no existence. This is material. But we get information from the Vedas that pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). The Absolute Truth is so perfect that if you take the whole perfect, still, the perfect remains. One minus one equal to one, not zero. The material way of thinking is "One minus one equal to zero," but spiritual way is not like that. Spiritual way is "One minus one equal to one. One plus one equal to one." Oneness. This is the conception of oneness.

So Kṛṣṇa is everything. The atheist will say: "Oh, they have installed some wooden forms and they are worshiping as gods." Atheistic. And one who knows the Kṛṣṇa science, he'll understand that "Kṛṣṇa is everything, therefore He can appear in everything." If electricity current is everywhere, so wherever you touch current, you'll feel, "Here is current." Similarly, the Kṛṣṇa current in impersonal form is everywhere. It is the technician who knows how to use that current. That's all.

So . . . just like we get telephonic connection. We simply inform the person, deposit our money. They come immediately. They find out where the connection can be done, and he does his work. We do not know. He knows the technique, how to join telephone wire. Within a few seconds he joins and he, oh, "kling, kling," you are ready.

So one must know how to connect Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. This is Kṛṣṇa conscious movement. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must know how we can derive from these features of Kṛṣṇa's forms in wood or iron or metal . . . that doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. But you have to learn how to contact Kṛṣṇa with everything. That will be explained in this system of yoga. You'll learn it.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a yoga, the perfect yoga, the highest of all yogic systems. Anyone, any yogī may come, and we can challenge and we can say that this is the A-1 yoga system. This is A-1, and it is very simple at the same time. You haven't got to exercise your body. Suppose if you are weak or you feel some tiredness, but in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you won't feel.

All our students, they are simply anxious to be overloaded with work, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Swāmījī, what shall I do? What can I do?" They are actually doing, nicely. Very nice. They don't feel tired. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the material world, if you work for some time, then you'll feel tired. You'll require rest.

Of course, I am not, I mean to say, exaggerating myself. I am an old man of seventy-two years. Oh, I was ill. I went back to India. I have come again. I want to work. I want to work. Naturally, I would have retired from all these activities, but I don't feel . . . so far I can do, I want work. I want to . . . day and night. At night I work with Dictaphone.

So I am sorry . . . I become sorry if I cannot work. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One must be very much anxious to work. It is not that it is an idle society. No. We have got sufficient engagement. They are editing papers, they are selling papers. Just simply find out how Kṛṣṇa conscious can be spread, these boys. This is practical.

So if you want really peace, if you want to be happy, take to this philosophy, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the beginning is how to develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa. So the process which we have prescribed, this chanting before the Deities and offering prasādam, this will make you gradually advanced. So we shall talk later on further on this subject. If there is any question, you can inquire.

Devotee (1): Swāmījī? Is it possible for us to worship Kṛṣṇa purely in this lifetime?

Prabhupāda: Why not? Do you think we are simply wasting our time with this process? Why lifetime? Within a second you can do. It is spiritual process. It is not material process, that you require so much time. No. It requires simply the spiritual technique, to know how you can develop Kṛṣṇa attachment. As soon as you are cent per cent attached with Kṛṣṇa, your business is finished. Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim (Nārada-pañcarātra 1.2.6). The whole formula is that you have to develop your attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

So if you have developed such attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then your business is finished. No more. That's all right. And nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. And if you cannot develop fully Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then all your labor is waste of time. There is no need of advertising yourself that "I am religious, I am philosopher, I am yogī." All is nonsense if at the end there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So if Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there, so all these things end. And if there is no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these are all useless labor.

ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim

nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim

(Nārada Pañcarātra 1.2.6)

The whole business is how to develop attachment for Kṛṣṇa. If you have developed that attachment within a second, oh, then the business is finished within a second. And if you cannot develop that attachment for years, then it is very difficult. The only test is how you have developed your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. If you are serious about it, it can be done within a second.

If you are not serious about it, it cannot be done in many lives. So that depends on your serious nature. Kṛṣṇa is not a material thing that it requires some particular time or . . . no. The only thing is mayy āsakta-manāḥ (BG 7.1). You have to develop your full attachment for Kṛṣṇa. That you can test, whether you have full attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Then it is . . . the business is finished.

Devotee (2): How does Kṛṣṇa consciousness differ from samādhi? Or is it . . .

Prabhupāda: It is samādhi itself. Samādhi means to be absorbed in some particular type of thought. That is called samādhi. So if you are fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, that is samādhi. Twenty-four hours samādhi. Not that a periodical samādhi. The ordinary yogīs, they . . . of course, samādhi is not, I mean to say, ordinary term.

Suppose if he can remain in samādhi, say, for a little period, say, one hour, two hours, but Kṛṣṇa conscious person is in samādhi twenty-four hours, cent per cent, because he is always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. That is being explained. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ (BG 7.1). If one performs yoga, taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and always thinks of Kṛṣṇa, then he is in samādhi.

Devotee (3): How do you know when . . . how do you know when he's attained to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: When he develops attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Nobody can certify him. He will certify himself. If you have got attachment for any other thing, then you are not in samādhi. If you have only attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then you are in samādhi. You don't require certificate from others. You know yourself. Just like while eating you can understand whether you are satisfied or not.

While eating, if you are hungry man, if you are eating, you'll know, "Oh, I have eaten something. I am feeling now strength." You don't require to inquire from your friend, "Oh, am I feeling strength?" "Oh," he'll say, "what nonsense. You know yourself." Similarly, if you have . . . you can test yourself whether you have got full attachment for Kṛṣṇa. If not, you are not in samādhi. The test is in your hand.

And that is being explained. Mayy āsakta-manāḥ (BG 7.1): in full attachment for Kṛṣṇa. And you can understand what is the meaning of attachment. You have got attachment for sex. You have got attachment for so many things. So similarly, if you have developed attachment only for Kṛṣṇa and you have no more any other attachment, then you are in samādhi. It is not artificial, it is practical.

(pause) Śrī Rāma.

(kīrtana) (Prabhupāda leads Śrī Rāma, Jaya Rāma kirtan) (break) (end)