760719 - Lecture CC Madhya 20.111 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

760719CC-NEW YORK - July 19, 1976 - 17.50 Minutes

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

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti āra māyā-śakti

(CC Madhya 20.111)

Translation: (00:53) "Lord Kṛṣṇa naturally has three energetic transformations, and these are known as the spiritual potency, the living entity potency and the illusory potency."

Prabhupāda:

kṛṣṇera svābhāvika tina-śakti-pariṇati

cic-chakti jīva-śakti āra māyā-śakti

(CC Madhya 20.111)

In the previous verse we have discussed that fire is situated in one place, but it is expanding heat and light. We should always remember this comparison, that the sun is there, localized, and from millions and millions of years (child crying loudly) it is distributing heat and light. Take for . . . that is not yet reduced. The same transformation is going on. Similarly, we can understand very easily that God may be far away from us. He's not far away; He is within us, but we think like that: "God is far away." Simply we have no knowledge to understand. Just like in the morning, as soon as there is daylight we can immediately understand, "Now the darkness is finished; the sunlight is there." Gradually the sun comes out, and the whole day becomes very brilliant and warm. Immediately things are changed. Similarly, when we see that the nature's way . . . that is the heat and light of the sun, material world.

So if everything is going on nicely, so how you can say that God is dead? Things are going on. Just like the heat and light is there; therefore, even though you are within the room, you can understand the sun is there. Or even there is cloud covering the sun, that does not mean the sun is not there. So it is simply foolishness. We say sometimes that "There is no God. Can you show me? I have not seen God." These are all rascals' propositions. When we see . . . any foreign country, you see that a city is maintained very nicely—the police is there, the light is there, the green light, the red light is there—we can immediately understand that there is government. Any sane man, how he can say that government is dead? This is foolishness. There cannot be any question of "God is dead." If you say "I cannot see Him," so you cannot see even the government head man. Can you see the President always? But you have to accept that there is a system of government; therefore the head of the government is there.

So actually God is there, and His system is going on in three potencies. In the Vedas we learn, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate svābhāvikī jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (CC Madhya 13.65, purport). Para, the Supreme Absolute Truth, has many potencies, and all the potencies have been summarized into three. That is stated here: cit-śakti, jīva-śakti and māyā-śakti. Cit-śakti means spiritual potency, and jīva-śakti, living entities. We are also śakti, prakṛti; we are not puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer, and prakṛti means enjoyed. We cannot be the enjoyer; that is not possible. So śakti . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is confirmed, apareyam itas tv prakṛtim viddhi me parām (BG 7.5). When Kṛṣṇa described about the material energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4): earth, water, air, fire . . . these are material energies, gross. And there are subtle material energies: mind, intelligence and egotism. Beyond that, apareyam . . . these are inferior energies. Beyond that, there is spiritual energy. What is that spiritual energy? Jīva-bhūtaḥ. That . . . (indistinct) . . . that is spiritual energy. That spiritual energy is always different from the material energy. Unfortunately, the so-called scientists, they have no sufficient intelligence. On account of poor fund of knowledge, they are mixing up. They are thinking that there is no spiritual energy separately, but by combination of matter, chemicals, the spiritual energy comes into existence. That is wrong; that is not fact. Spiritual energy is completely different from the material energy. That is energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead also, but spiritual energy is direct, and material energy is indirect. Both of them are energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and when there is question of energy, śakti, some energy, so we have to accept the source of energy. Just like electric energy. We see there is electric energy, but there is a source of electricity, the powerhouse. How can you deny it? Those who are foolish persons, they think that a childish, that this bulb is giving light automatically. No. That is not fact. The fact is, the electric energy is coming from the background, the powerhouse, then . . . (indistinct) . . . the bulb is giving light.

So whatever intelligence we have got, that is not our intelligence; that is God's intelligence. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15), in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said. That intelligence is coming, but the intelligence, why you'll find different? So just like the bulb. There are fifteen candlepower, there is fifty candlepower, hundred candlepower—according to the bulb, the energy is exhibited. Similarly, according to our power of reception, we can exhibit our intelligence, merit. But actually it is coming from God. Anything, the same principle. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Vedānta philosophy, "Absolute Truth means the original source of everything." Everything may be of different varieties, but the original source is Kṛṣṇa.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā bhajante māṁ

budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

The devotee, he can understand. By the grace of God he can understand wherefrom the energy is coming, how it is acting. Iti.

ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo

mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate

iti matvā . . .

budhā-bhāva-samanvitāḥ

(BG 10.8)

Iti matvā bhajante māṁ budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ. This thing can be understood by the budhā. Budhā means one who is very intelligent, one who is in awareness of everything. He is called budhā. Bhāva-samanvitāḥ: "Oh, it is all coming from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then they become more and more a devotee. That is stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

siddhānta baliyā citte nā kara alasa

ihā ha-ite kṛṣṇe lāge sudṛḍha mānasa

(CC Adi 2.117)

Sentiment is no . . . sentiment is bhāva, but that is after full knowledge. When you can understand Kṛṣṇa is so great, so powerful, then your devotion increases immediately. Therefore we have to study śāstras for understanding His position, and if we understand Kṛṣṇa, then we become liberated person immediately. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti. Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). So those who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should study Kṛṣṇa scientifically, not by sentiment. After full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, when you become absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, that is called bhāva. Budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ.

So that bhāva stage does not come immediately. You have to practice gradually.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-

saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā

tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt

tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvaḥ

(CC Madhya 23.14-15)

There are stages. So this is the beginning, ādau śraddhā. Just like yesterday evening . . . they very much appreciated this Ratha-yātrā ceremony, and they wrote very frankly, "Here is the point of meeting East and West." The newspapers, they have written like that. It is actually the fact. We cannot become United Nations or United Dogs. (laughter) It is not possible. Everyone is barking. And if you practice to bark, then simply some different types of dog, some bulldogs, some greyhounds, some this, some that. (laughter) So how they will be united? No. That is not possible. Here is unity, when you accept Jagannātha. There is unity. So actually, if we take Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, scientifically, then there is unity.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

(BG 5.18)

Paṇḍitaḥ means learned. He is sama-darśinaḥ.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Actually this is the platform where we can unite. And by practical example you have shown. Everyone was engaged in dancing and chanting, never mind whether Indian, American, black, white, children, or old like me. This is wanted. This is wanted. And when we thoroughly understand what is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we understand, "Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, is the central point of attraction," then our life is successful. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Mahātmā means great soul. So great soul, one who has understood that Kṛṣṇa is the source of all energies, just like the sun is the source of all material energy . . . so then we can become perfect. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. I request you that each and every one of you just become mahātmā—not crippled-minded, but broad-minded. That is possible when we understand Kṛṣṇa is the source of all energy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda! (end)