720720 - Lecture Arrival - Paris

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720720AR-PARIS - July 20, 1972 - 12:33 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement was started by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu five hundred years ago for mitigating the sufferings of the people of the world. He predicted that in every village, in every town on the surface of the globe, let this saṅkīrtana movement be spread out and people will be happy and they'll find Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That was His prediction. Actually, this is happening now.

So our simple method—we go everywhere, all over the world, chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and we attract people, especially younger generation, boys and girls. Sometimes the newspaper reporters they ask me, "Why these young men and young women, they are very much attracted with this movement?" And I reply, "That is the success of the movement. Because younger generation, they are the flowers, the future hope of the country, of the world. If they take this movement seriously, then the whole world will be happy." Vedic civilization desires that everyone be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu.

Vedic civilization is not animal civilization, exploiting others. Giving something to others. Sometimes the people, they think that India comes to the foreign country to take qualification for earning livelihood. Actually, they come here . . . when one of my Godbrothers, long ago, he came to England, Lady Willingdon challenged the preacher that, "In your country the people come here, they take some degree and go to the back their country and become big man. So what you have got to teach us?" Actually, from materialistic point of view we haven't got to teach to the Western country anything. That's a fact. Because your science, your machine, far advanced. But still there is a great treasure house in India, which is spiritual knowledge. You have to take from India.

Of course, this spiritual knowledge, Vedic knowledge, is not for any particular society or country. It is meant for all. People sometimes ask me "Eastern," "Western." Actually there is no Eastern and Western in spiritual platform. Spiritual platform is one. You are spirit soul; I am spirit soul. So on the spiritual platform if we see, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18) . . . those who are actually learned, they are sama-darśī. They have no distinction. The exact version of Lord Kṛṣṇa is:

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śune caiva śva-pāke ca

panditāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

A brāhmaṇa is considered . . . a brāhmaṇa generally becomes very learned, vidyā-vinaya, very gentle. So one brāhmaṇa who is qualified with gentle qualities and high learning, vidyā-vinaya-sampanne, and a cow, an animal, and an elephant, a dog, a low-born caṇḍāla, all these living entities, a learned man sees all of them on the equal level, because a learned man who is actually in the spiritual platform, he knows that "Here is a dog and here is a learned brāhmaṇa. By their karma they have got different dress only, but within the brāhmaṇa, within the dog, the same spirit soul is there."

So our material platform, we distinguish, "I am Indian," "You are Frenchman," "He's Englishman," "He's American," "He's cat," "He's dog." This is the vision of the material platform. In the spiritual platform we can see that every living entity is part and parcel of God, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: mām evāṁśa jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Every living entity. It doesn't matter what he is. There are 8,400,000 species of forms, but all of them, they're covered only by different dresses. Just like you Frenchmen, you may be differently dressed, an Englishman may be differently dressed, an Indian may be differently dressed. But dress is not very important. The man within the dress, he's important. Similarly, this body is not very important thing. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body is perishable. But the soul within the body, he's not perishable. Therefore this human form of life is meant for cultivating the knowledge of the nonperishable.

Unfortunately, our science, philosophy in school, college, university, they are simply concerned with the perishable, not with the imperishable. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for taking into account of the nonperishable. So it is the movement of the soul, not the movement as political movement, social movement or religious movement. They are pertaining to the perishable body. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is pertaining to the imperishable soul.

Therefore our this saṅkīrtana movement, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, your heart will be gradually cleansed so that you can come to the spiritual platform. Just like here in this movement we have got students from all countries of the world, all religions of the world. But they no more think of the particular type of religion or nation or creed or color. No. All of them think as part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. When we come to that platform, and when we engage ourself in that positional occupation, then we are liberated.

So this movement is very important movement. It is not of course possible to give you all details within a few minutes, but if you are interested you can kindly contact with us either by correspondence or by reading our literature or by personal contact. Any way, your life will be sublime. We have not such distinction that, "This is India," "This is England," "This is France," "This is Africa." We think every living entity, not only human being, even animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects, reptiles, all are part and parcel of God. But the lower animals—the aquatics, birds, beasts, trees, plants, insect—they are unable to receive this knowledge. The human being has developed consciousness. He can receive this knowledge of spirit soul.

So our only request is that do not take this movement as a religious movement. It is the movement of the soul. It is very scientific, based on authority. And practically we are seeing, we are getting good response all over the world. We have got over hundred branches. And even Africa also we have got many branches. Canada, Europe, America, Australia, New Zealand—everywhere. So our only request is the leaders of the nation, the scientist, the philosopher, may kindly take some interest in this movement. We can talk with them. We have got many literatures, big, big books, scientifically explained, philosophical explained. So our only request is that you come forward, try to understand this philosophy and spread for the benefit of the whole human society.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣ . . . (break) (end)