690907 - Lecture SB 07.09.19 - Hamburg

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

690907SB-HAMBURG - September 07, 1969 - 36:43 Minutes

(translated throughout by German devotee)

Prabhupāda:

. . . majjato nauḥ

taptasya tat-pratividhir ya ihāñjaseṣṭas

tāvad tanu-bhrtāṁ tvad-upekṣitānām

(SB 7.9.19)

Prahlāda Mahārāja says . . . he's praying to Lord Nṛsiṁha. He says, bālasya neha śaraṇaṁ pitarau nṛsiṁha: "My dear Lord, it is not that the parents can give all protection to the children." Nārtasya cāgadam: "Neither the physician and the medicine can give protection to a patient." Nārtasya cāgadam udanvati majjato nauḥ: "Neither a nice ship or boat can give protection to the drowning man." Taptasya yat pratividhir: "There are many devices for giving protection to different kinds of dangerous position. But they will be useless if, my dear Lord, You neglect him."

For example, there are many children who have got their parents, but they are suffering. There are many patients who are being treated by first-class medical assistants and physician, but he is dying. Similarly, there are various means invented by modern science to give protection to the people, but they become useless without the attention of the Supreme Lord. For example, in our country, in India, we thought that by independence we shall be very, very happy. But actually, when we have got independence, our position has become more precarious.

So we may make various plans to become happy in this material world, but without God's grace we can never be happy. Therefore the Bhāgavata says that the best kind of plan or best kind of occupational duties is that which leads one to the devotional service of the Supreme Lord. The exact Sanskrit verse is:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā

yayātmā suprasīdati

(SB 1.2.6)

If you actually want peace and prosperity, then you must execute such kind of occupational duties which will lead you to the devotional service of the Lord. If he does not do so . . . that is also stated:

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viśvaksena kathāsu yaḥ

notpādayed ratiṁ yadi

śrama eva hi kevalam

(SB 1.2.8)

You are doing your duties very nicely. You are performing your social, national or family obligations very nicely. But after all these discharges of duty, if your destination does not reach to the devotional service of the Lord, they are simply waste of time.

Therefore in every civilized form of human society there is some kind of religious activities. Unfortunately, religious activities have been misinterpreted. Just like any religious sect, either Hindu or Muslim or Christian or anyone, they go to temple or church to pray to God for some solution of problems. People generally think that, "If I become religious person, then my economic condition must be very nice."

In the Vedic way of thinking, in the material world, there are four stages of development. They are called dharma-artha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41, CC Adi 1.90), namely following the religious principles, economic development, sense gratification and liberation. Just like in the Christian church, people go there to ask, "God, give us our daily bread." So dharma. People generally think that "If I become religious, then my economic condition must be very nice." And when one's economic condition becomes very nice . . . he wants to make economic condition very nice, he wants some monetary, financial adjustment.

This financial adjustment, or financial improvement, people generally want for sense gratification. Dharma-artha-kāma. Dharma means religion, artha means financial facilities and kāma means sense gratification. And then, when one is baffled in sense gratification, he wants liberation. These four principles are generally followed by the materialistic men. Liberation . . . when one is baffled in adjusting things to his satisfaction, he wants to become one with the Supreme or with the void.

But Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is above these four principles of materialistic way of thinking. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to inquire the value of life and the destination of life. We advocate that human form of life is meant neither for religious ritualistic performances or economic development or for sense gratification or for so-called searching after liberation.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that jīvasya tattva-jijñāsaḥ. We have to accept economic development so far as we keep our body and soul together, fit for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not recommend that unnecessarily you should give trouble to the body. We do not recommend any man to go to the forest for spiritual realization. We simply recommend that you try to understand what is your constitutional position.

If you actually think or meditate very cool-headed what is your actual position, first of all you shall realize that you are not this body. If you meditate in a solitary place . . . meditation means to keep yourself alone and in a solitary place. So in the beginning, if you meditate as to "What I am? Am I this body? Am I this mind? Am I this intelligence?" in this way, if you search out, you will find that you are neither of these. Ultimately, you'll search out that you are consciousness.

In the Bhagavad-gītā this is explained from the very beginning. It is said there, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That thing is immortal which is spread all over your body. That thing which is spread all over your body, that is consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you'll be conscious that there is some pain. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā is aiming at this consciousness. And what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the illumination of the soul, just like the sunshine is the illumination, light, of the sun globe.

The sun globe is situated in one of the corners of this universe, but its illumination is distributed all over the universe. Similarly you, as spark of the Supreme Soul . . . here the dimension is also mentioned: it is ten-thousandth portion of the tip of your hair. One ten-thousandth portion. That small particle is your identification. The medical science or the material science cannot find out that small particle of soul by any means. Therefore they decline to accept the existence of soul. But from authoritative Vedic literature we get this information that the soul is there.

Now about the soul, the Bhagavad-gītā says:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

The soul is there in the body; therefore the body is changing, or developing. From a small body in the womb of mother, we have developed so big. So it is developing on account of the presence of the soul. This change of body is within the experience of everyone. You can very easily remember that you had a childhood body, very small, and now you have got a bigger body. Therefore, although the body is changing, you are the same. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says when ultimately we change this body and accept another body, so there is no question of being, how to say, struck with wonder.

So if you study yourself that, "I am spirit soul, and this body is external expansion only," then you can understand that within this external expansion of cosmic manifestation there is the Supersoul. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). The Lord says that "By My one portion I enter into this cosmic manifestation, and thus I maintain it."

Similarly, as we are maintaining this body by entering into this body, similarly God is maintaining this cosmic manifestation by entering into it. Therefore we are qualitatively one. As I enter into this material body and expand it and maintain it, similarly, the Supersoul enters into this cosmic manifestation and maintains it and develops it.

(sound in background) (aside) That's all right. Don't disturb us.

So as you have got consciousness, a small consciousness or limited consciousness, similarly the Supersoul has got unlimited consciousness. You are conscious of your bodily existence, I am conscious of my bodily existence, but I am not conscious of your bodily existence, neither you are conscious of my bodily existence. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And the Supersoul is conscious of your bodily existence and my bodily existence.

Therefore God is present everywhere—in your heart, in my heart, in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). It is specifically mentioned that Supersoul is everywhere, within the heart of every living entity. The exact Sanskrit word used in this connection is called kṣetrajñāḥ.

(to translator) Yes, explain. Kṣetra, kṣetra means field, and jñāḥ, jñāḥ means knower. Kṣetrajñāḥ.

So you are knower of the field of your existence. That means this body. The body is the field of your existence. Just like a cultivator has got a tract of land, a small land which he cultivates in his own way, similarly, we have got this small body, and we are called kṣetrajñāḥ, knower of this body. Just like if you study each and every part of your body, you will understand that "It is mine." You will claim this finger as your finger, but you'll not claim other's finger as your finger. But God can claim your finger and my finger as His finger. Kṣetra-jñāṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. It is said: "My dear Arjuna, as individual soul is the proprietor of that individual body, I am also proprietor not of that individual body, but all bodies." Everything.

Now, as I have already explained to you, that being qualitatively one, as we have got consciousness, God has also got . . . He is also conscious. He has got consciousness. So when this individual consciousness is in agreement with the Superconsciousness, it is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that our consciousness at the present moment is misguided. We have to dovetail it with Kṛṣṇa's consciousness. This is called oneness, or agreeing with the Superconsciousness. That is oneness.

For example, just like you are citizens of this German state. If you are in agreement with the state laws, your life is secure and safe. But if you are in disagreement with the state laws, your life is not safe. Similarly, when we are in agreement with the Supreme Consciousness, then we become immediately peaceful and happy. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.

The Bhagavad-gītā says at the ultimate end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66) "My dear Arjuna . . ." He is teaching to Arjuna—not only Arjuna, but all human society—that "you give up your all manufactured occupational duties. You simply agree to My proposal, and I shall give you all protection." It does not mean that we lose our individuality. Just like Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "You do it," but He does not force him, "You do it." "If you like, you do it." Kṛṣṇa does not touch your independence. He simply requests you, "You do it."

So we can become happy and peaceful by keeping our individuality if we dovetail our consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19).

This surrendering process, this voluntarily surrendering oneself to dovetail his consciousness with Kṛṣṇa, is possible after many, many births.

(break) (end)