760713 - Lecture CC Madhya 20.107 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760713CC-NEW YORK - July 13, 1976 - 22.13 Minutes

Pradyumna: (chants verse, etc.) (break)

yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite

krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte

(CC Madhya 20.107)

Translation: (00:20) "You are fit to propagate the cult of devotional service. Therefore gradually hear all the truths about it from Me. I shall tell you about them."

Prabhupāda: Yogya-pātra hao tumi. This is hao not haoḥ.

yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite

krame saba tattva śuna, kahiye tomāte

(CC Madhya 20.107)

So to propagate the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it requires the fit person. Not that one can imitate. It is not possible. One who is fit to take this responsibility, he receives proper instruction and help from higher authorities. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu selected Sanātana Gosvāmī as the fit person, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī. They were ministers, but when Caitanya Mahāprabhu first met them in Rāmakeli, in Maldah district, at that time the . . . one of the headquarters of Bengal government, so He thought . . . not only He thought, but . . . these Caitanya Mahāprabhu associates, they are eternal associates. They appear somewhere . . . just like Haridāsa Ṭhākura appeared somewhere in Muhammadan family, Sanātana Gosvāmī was found engaged in government service, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was a zamindar's son. In different places. But actually they appear to fulfill the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Therefore they are called nitya-siddhas. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna is nitya-siddha friend, eternal friend. Otherwise how Kṛṣṇa said that "Arjuna, when I spoke to sun god . . ." Arjuna inquired that "Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe? Sun god is long, long millions of years ago. How it is that You taught him?" So what Kṛṣṇa replied? Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, you were also present there, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten." So similarly, whenever Kṛṣṇa goes anywhere, His eternal associates also go with Him.

So sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. About Caitanya Mahāprabhu it is said in the Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam (SB 11.5.32). Saṅga, associates. Therefore we worship Caitanya Mahāprabhu with His associates. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. These are principal associates, and similarly other devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, just like six Gosvāmīs and many others—we have got the list in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta—so they are all nitya-siddhas, eternal. There are two kinds of living entities: nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha. Nitya-siddha means they never fall a victim of māyā. That is nitya-siddha. Even though they are within this material world, they are never victimized. That is called nitya-siddha. And one who is victimized, he is called nitya-baddha. But the actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, because God is eternal and His part and parcel, the living entities, they are also eternal. So that is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha, sādhana-siddha, kṛpā-siddha—there are different grades. They are all described in The Nectar of Devotion. So one can become sādhana-siddha. By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become again nitya-siddha.

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas again nitya-siddha, to bring them. It is a difficult task. Just I was talking in the morning, it is very difficult task to . . . just like a madman. A madman, to again bring him to the normal life is very difficult task. You have got in your country so many institutions. So the whole world, anyone who is in this material world, he's a madman.

piśācī pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīvera sei dāsa upaya

(Prema-vivarta)

When a man becomes ghostly haunted and he talks all nonsense . . . similarly, anyone who is within this material world, they are all madmen. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to cure them by this treatment. So if anyone accepts this treatment, then he can make progress very quickly. Just like any madman, if he is under proper treatment, there is hope of his being cured. But the modern education is that to keep him madman. That is the defect of modern civilization. Everyone is madman within this material world, and the modern education is to keep him madman. Therefore they cannot understand our philosophy. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is very bona fide and most essential philosophy. Madman cannot understand, but that does not mean the process of treatment should be stopped. No. It must go on. It cannot be stopped. So therefore in the previous verse it is said,

acirād eva sarvārthaḥ

sidhyaty eṣām abhīpsitaḥ

sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya

yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ

(CC Madhya 20.107)

One must at least understand that we are in a . . . everyone understands that, but māyā covers, does not allow him to understand properly. Here in this material world we are trying to become happy. Just like in your country is supposed to be most advanced in material civilization. They are trying to be happy. But we can see even in this New York City, nobody wants; still, twenty-four hours there is blazing fire: gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan-gan. Stop this. Why there is blazing fire? Nobody wants it. But there must be, because you are in the material world. However big, big skyscraper building you may have, you have to suffer. But these dull brain cannot understand, because madmen.

So this dull brain has to be cured. All rascals, mūḍha. It is a fact. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Duṣkṛtina means simply unnecessary wasting time adjusting things materially. This is miscreants. They do not know that "For one type of advantage, I have to create hundred times disadvantage." This is the fact. We are coming from New Vrindavan. They are living very comfortably in open space. There is no such disturbance, twenty-four hours, dung-dung-dung-dung-kah-kah-kah-kah. No. (laughter) No disturbance. But you have created some advantages to live in the skyscraper building; there are so many other disadvantages also. So therefore sometimes the Indians are accused that "Believe in destiny." But that is actual fact. You cannot improve a single inch than you are destined. That is not possible. That is not possible. If you want to increase your so-called happiness, then you simply waste your time. That is Prahlāda Mahārāja's instruction. Na tat prayāsaṁ kartavyam. "I am not in a good position economically. Let me try to improve it." That you cannot. Otherwise in New York City, so opulent, so materially advanced, why we see so many men in the Central Park lying on the bench? Why? They do not belong to the poor nation or poor city. Still, because he's destined, he must lie down there. Maybe he is rich man's son or born in rich nation, but because he's destined to suffer, he must lie down there. Because he's destined to suffer, he must become a hippie.

So you cannot stop it. You cannot stop it. That is not possible. Therefore those who are advanced in knowledge, they do not try for all these nonsense, improving material condition. It will not make happy; it will increase problems. The so-called happiness will increase problems, and you have to deal with that problem, then again another problem, another problem. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Just like they are trying to control over the laws of material nature. That is impossible. It will never be possible. If you solve one question, then you will have to meet with thousands of other questions. It is not possible. So . . . therefore Vedic literature says that "Do not waste your time in that way. Better you utilize your valuable time to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then your life is successful." Yasmin vijñāte sarvam eva vijñātaṁ bhavanti (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3). If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you'll understand everything very nicely.

Just like we sometimes challenge the big, big scientists, philosophers, psychologists, but we are not psychologist or scientist. Ten years before, in my Easy Journey to Other Planet, I have written that "This moon-going attempt is childish and waste of time." And still we are challenging that "Mars-going, so-called, it will also fail." Write it: It will fail. Not that process. So how we are saying? How we are challenging these big, big scientists? Because we know from the Vedic literature that it is not possible to go to the moon planet or Mars in that way. It is not possible. You have to qualify yourself. Just like to come to America one has to qualify himself for the proper visa, passport and so many other things, bank balance, this, that. How you can go to the other? They are higher planetary system. So this is all childish. But if you want to go at all, then it is possible if you follow the proper process. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

yānti deva-vratā devān

pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ

bhūtejya yānti bhūtāni

mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām

(BG 9.25)

So the intelligent person, they will try to attempt for this, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "Let me become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa so that next life I go directly to Kṛṣṇaloka."

mām upetya kaunteya

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

(BG 8.15)

That is the highest perfection of life.

So if we accept . . . if we little understand this philosophy, that "There is another life, which is eternal, blissful life of knowledge," if we simply become serious to go to that life, then the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only method. But if we want to live in this rotten life of material existence, then we can continue. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Whatever you like, you can do. But if you have got little inclination, then there is process. Therefore in the previous verse we have read, sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ (CC Madhya 20.106). Sad-dharma means eternal life. Dharma means occupational duty. Here we are engaged in temporary occupational duty. That this dull brain cannot understand. Now I have got Indian body or American body, I am engaged in American consciousness, but as soon as the body is changed, I get the dog's body, then dog's consciousness. Whole thing changed. So therefore it is temporary. This consciousness is temporary, say for fifty years or a hundred years utmost. But this dull brain cannot understand that there is a life of eternity, blissful knowledge. The dull . . . so to . . . just like a madman cannot understand. So our task is very difficult. We have to cure so many. It is not possible to cure all of them, but as far as possible we are trying to cure, and simply one has to accept this philosophy seriously, then he'll get knowledge. Sad-dharmasyāvabodhāya yeṣāṁ nirbandhinī matiḥ.

So it is the duty of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's representative to take instruction from Caitanya Mahāprabhu and spread it. That is here said, yogya-pātra hao tumi bhakti pravartāite: "You are the fit person." Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives you instruction. If you are unfit, then there will be no instruction. And what is the fitness? Fitness is he must be very eager to serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī approached: "My Lord, You have released me from this material occupation. Now order me what shall I do." This is wanted. One must be ready, very eager to carry out the orders of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then He will give you instruction. And as soon as you get the favor, mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu . . . it is very simple. Simply we must be serious. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,

āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tara ei deśa

yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa

(CC Madhya 7.128)

This is the sum and substance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction. And the details are there, but this is the platform. You must be ready to become a guru simply by repeating the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we have taken Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are preaching to our best capacity. This is required, that you must be ready, you must be serious. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu will give you proper instruction, and then you'll be very nice preacher for the benefit of the whole world.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)