720223 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - Calcutta

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720223SB-CALCUTTA - February 23, 1972 - 19:08 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

. . . sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje . . .

(SB 1.2.6)

Kisi tarah se. (Some way or another.) Oh I can speak . . . (indistinct)

Somehow or other we have to turn to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the aim of life. This human form of life is meant for this purpose, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje and . . .

Man: Nandini fan chalu karo. (Nandini, switch on the fan.)

Prabhupāda: (break) . . . religion you may profess, it does not matter. It must teach you how to render loving service to the Lord. That is required. (break) . . . pravṛtti and nivṛtti. So there are two kinds of dharma. Dharma means occupational duties. Rehne dijiye. Baithiye. (Leave it. Sit down.) (break)

Devotee: It doesn't work.

Prabhupāda: In this material world, we come here to enjoy. Not enjoy, but to satisfy our senses. This is material life. But that is not the right process, to develop the sense enjoyment process. The modern civilization, they are increasing the sense enjoyment process, making life more and more complicated, because the real motive of human life is to develop devotional service to the Lord. Or in other words, instead of gratifying our senses we should gratify the senses of the Lord. That is required.

We cannot independently gratify our senses. The Īśopaniṣad therefore says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1). Directly you cannot. The best example is you give me nice a foodstuff, rasagullā. The fingers catches it, but it cannot enjoy directly. That is not possible. It must give to the stomach, and when it is given to the stomach, the energy produced by eating that foodstuff is distributed not only in this finger but in other fingers and other parts of the body.

This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are making center Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa said, yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad aśnāsi tapasyasi yat tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27): "You work. Whatever you like, you work, but ultimately you give Me the result of it." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We do not want to stop anything. People may not misunderstand that we want to stop business, we have to stop industries, our . . . our general modes of life. You be engaged in your occupational duties, but resultant action of that duty you offer to Kṛṣṇa. Don't take it. Karmaṇy evādhikāras te mā phaleṣu kadācana (BG 2.47). Don't take the result. Then it will be . . .

The same example: just like this hand picks up a very nice rasagullā, but it does not take; it gives to the stomach. Then it enjoys. That is the process. This spirit of giving to Kṛṣṇa is now forgotten. Therefore people are suffering, because they are not trying to enjoin the process, that this is the process. You take a rasagullā, give it to the stomach. This is the process. Similarly, whatever you possess, you give it to Kṛṣṇa and take prasādam. Then you will be happy. Otherwise it will not bring happiness, because that is not the process.

But people are following a wrong process, to enjoy directly. That is implication. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, yajñate karma: you work, but yajñate. Yajña means Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu. You work for Kṛṣṇa, yajñate karma. Anyatra karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). Otherwise you'll be entangled. Either the result will be good or bad, so you have to accept it. Generally we like that—there are good, bad. The śāstric process is that whatever you're destined to get, you'll get it.

Prahlāda Mahārāja said, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām (SB 7.6.3). You . . . you are destined to a certain standard of sukha, happiness, according to your body. Just like a man is born in a millionaire's family, family. He has got a type of body so the enjoyment is there, and it is . . . and at the same time a man is born in a cobbler's family, he cannot expect the enjoyment of the millionaire's family. That is not possible, because he has got a different type of body and he has got a different type of body. So śāstra says as you have got body, so your happiness, let us take the happiness portion. Distress also is there. There cannot be any unalloyed happiness. There must be distress. But you take only the good portion, happiness portion.

So śāstra says that your happiness is destined according to your body. That is already made up, set up. You cannot change it. So śāstra says that don't try to increase your so-called happiness by laboring so hard. Whatever body you have got, a certain type of . . . certain type of happiness you will get. Just like a hog. A hog has got a certain type of body, he feels pleasure by eating stool. He cannot improve it, because he has got the body like that. So according to our body, we get our happiness.

So our time should be saved for improving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the law of nature. Don't try to improve your material condition. The material happiness, whatever is destined according to your body, which is already given to you, and you'll have it, without any endeavor. Yathā dukham ajajñātaḥ. Just like you have to enjoy or suffer also, that is also according to the body, ajajñātaḥ. You don't endeavor for the distress, but you get it. Similarly, you don't endeavor for happiness—you'll get it.

So this is the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should save our time to develop our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). We should simply endeavor for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then, yayātmā samprasīdati, then you'll be happy. Otherwise you'll never be happy. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, sum and substance. Now you can ask me question, if you have got any doubt.

(break) . . . ahaṅkāra vimūdhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). The whole summary is that this human form of life is very, very important, and it is meant for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you neglect this business and simply engage for sense gratification, that is spoiling time. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8).

Guest (1): Another point also, the Jainism and Buddhism, they . . . (indistinct) . . . the body . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . with the body? The body's already in trouble.

Guest (1): It's not useless.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (1): This body is not useless.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): Why do you . . . (indistinct) . . .?

Prabhupāda: No, we don't require. Of course, there is a process which is called tapasya. That is another thing. Tapasya, according to our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we also undergo tapasya. Just like we say that "Don't have illicit sex life."

Guest (1): If you follow yama, niyama, then . . .

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (1): If you follow yama and niyama then . . .

Prabhupāda: This is yama and niyama that, "You don't have illicit sex life, don't eat meat, don't take intoxication, don't engage yourself in gambling, and observe ekādaśī fasting, janmaṣṭamī, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So our method is very simple. Everyone can follow. (break)

Devotee: . . . issue of duty.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Material prosperity is not dependent upon duty.

Prabhupāda: What is that duty?

Devotee: Dharma.

Prabhupāda: Your duty is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This duty—artificial. A man doing his duty, suppose a businessman, he starts business with a small amount, he becomes very rich. Another man starts business with big amount, he loses everything. I know one big family . . .

Guest (2): That is karma?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest (2): That is karma.

Prabhupāda: "That is karma" means that whatever happiness he has to enjoy, that will come automatically. Otherwise, he is destined to have something—that will come. Yathā dukham ajajñātaḥ. So our only point is that human life is very valuable. We should not waste it for nothing. Modern . . . modern method of civilization is to develop economic development, to live very comfortably. That's all right. Do it.

Everyone do his own business. But you don't forget Kṛṣṇa. That is not good. The point is, our real business is to understand Kṛṣṇa. But people do not try to understand Kṛṣṇa; they simply try for economic development. Their first business should be to understand Kṛṣṇa. Other business should be secondary. So at the present moment, it is very difficult task.

Śyāmasundara: Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Śyāmasundara: Wasn't it true when . . . when they developed Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that they, at that time even had better economic development, higher economic development, when they were Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) But we don't take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness for developing higher economic position.

Śyāmasundara: No.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not . . . (laughing)

Śyāmasundara: No, but I mean it goes to show that even though no matter how much we try to develop . . .

Prabhupāda: But that is, that is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, they are never put into distress. Kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati (BG 9.31). Kṛṣṇa's devotee is never vanquished. Even they are artificially put into distresses . . .

Just like Pāṇḍavas, they were put into distresses, artificially. Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into distresses by his father even, but ultimately he came out victorious. So one . . . we should not be disturbed, even superficially we see that a devotee is in distress. Devotee, real devotee, he does not take anything as distress. He takes everything as Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo (SB 10.14.8). Otherwise, that is not pure devotion.

Actually devotee's never in distress. People may see that he is in distress. Just like there is a very good example—you are going to Māyāpur, you'll find—his name was Śrīdhara, Kolaveca Śrīdhara. His income was very poor. At night he would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly: "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa . . ." His neighboring friends would say, "This man has no income, and because he is hungry now he is chanting 'Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa.' He's hungry." So one day Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . . Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to take away his possession, flowers. He was selling, making business, making some donā, donā. What is called, donā?

Devotee: Cups.

Prabhupāda: Cup, yes, that was his business. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu take away some of his fruits and donā, as a friend. So one day Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that, "Śrīdhara, you take benediction from Me." So he said, "What benediction, Sir?" "Well, you are so poor that your house is not even properly repaired. There are so many holes in the roof." He, "Still, I have got a nice house, because it is better than the bird's nest. They have no roof. (laughter) They have no roof, and they live on the tree. I have got a shelter. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty." In this way Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to offer him so many thing, and he said that, "No, I have no trouble for this. If You want to benedict me, please give me pure devotion on Your lotus feet."

Guest: Bhakti.

Prabhupāda: Bhakti. So that is pure devotion. That we should hanker after, how to fix up our mind always in the service of the Lord. That we are trying to teach, that's all. (end)