760725 - Lecture at Bury Place, partially recorded - London

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760725L3-LONDON - July 25, 1976 - 17.24 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, not only now; always. Long, long, millions of years ago there was Hiraṇyakaśipu. There was Vena Mahārāja and . . . Hiraṇyakaśipu was against his son. And Kaṁsa was against Kṛṣṇa. Śiśupāla was against Kṛṣṇa. So against Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in this age, there will be many, undoubtedly. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us instruction, tṛṇād api sunīcena. You should always expect some obstruction by the demonic party. That is not very astonishing. But still, we have to do our business and . . . (break) . . . be tolerant. Be humble. Be tolerant. Don't be agitated. Then your business will suffer. This is māyā's kingdom. The test is always there. Combating is always there, and māyā's party is very strong.

Especially at the present moment, Kali-yuga, the atheistic persons are almost everyone. They have been described as mandāḥ. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā (SB 1.1.10). By becoming manda . . . manda means bad, very bad. In Bengali there are two words, bhāga, manda: good and bad. So the manda, this word, has come from mandāḥ, Sanskrit word. So not this . . . the general people, all mandāḥ—short-living, wretched, unfortunate, misguided. So mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā. They are not fortunate. Mostly they are wretched. You'll find on the street so many wretched. So this is the position of the Kali-yuga. And they are not living also very many days. Still, they are against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They are suffering, but still . . . dog obstinate. This is the position.

So still, we have to do our business. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised that "Be humbler than the grass." The grass, we are trampling over the grass; there is no protest—"All right, go on." And tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣ . . . and trees, very tolerant. You cut the trees, it will not protest. So you take fruits, flowers from the tree. Take all advantages, and again cut. Just like they are taking last drop of milk from the cow, and after exacting everything, then send to the slaughterhouse. So the whole world is engaged in sinful activities. You cannot expect from them any concession for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is not possible. Therefore we have to become humbler, tolerant, because real Kṛṣṇa consciousness means goodbye to this material world. We are no more interested with your these big, big street, big, big buses or anything, whatever you think that is improvement, advancement.

So Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are no more interested. Why not interested? They are disgusted. Why disgusted? No, because it is full of danger. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58). Here everything appears to be very nice, but every step there is danger. So the Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows it, that although it is decorated very nicely. The New York is a big city. Twenty-four hours, "dung-dung-dung-dung-dung-dung, gug-gug-gug-gug-gug-gug"—fire, always fire. Every minute there is a fire case. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura's description of this material world as blazing fire . . . we see big, big cities in America, always in blazing fire. Still, they like this kind of life. But one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are no more interested, no more interested. They are interested back home, back to Godhead. Back to Godhead. Therefore our magazine is Back to Godhead. They are no more interested in front. They are going back. (laughter) Therefore this name was given, Back to Godhead. They are trying: "No more we are so foolish. To go forward, material civilization . . ." And where you'll go? You are packed up within this universal atmosphere. Just like they are running for the moon planet, for the Mars planet. And where the rascals running, they'll come back.

Long, long ago, when Rabindranath Tagore came here, so when he saw that people are running, so he wrote one poetry, "Where these people are running? This country is very small, all round seas, so where they will go, running? They'll fall down." So our running has no meaning. It is dog's running. But people are still busy, trying to go here, there. But we are conditioned souls, baddha-jīva, bound up by the laws of nature. We cannot surpass, but still, we are thinking we are advancing, we are going forward. So we can go forward, up to the limit of this universe, Brahmaloka. But ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16)—again you have to come back. You are not free. Those who are free, liberated, so they go beyond this universe. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20), yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So people have no information, no education, no culture. They are put into the darkness and working so hard without knowing what is going to happen next. A civilization of complete darkness, very dangerous. Next life they do not believe, because if they believe, then they are horrible. "Better not to believe. Close your eyes. Don't see what is the danger in front." It is like that.

So those who are by fortune have come in contact of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they are supposed to be intelligent. So try to understand the whole situation, the whole universal position, very minutely, that this material world is very, very, very dangerous for you. You may believe or not believe; nature's work will go on. Nature doesn't care for your belief or not belief, what you are. So don't be foolish, mūḍha, narādhama, because one who does not take care of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they have been described as duṣkṛtino mūḍhā narādhamāḥ. Not very good certificate. So be sober, stick to the principles, read the books carefully, learn more and more about the whole situation, and as far as possible, live conveniently. But if there is inconvenience, don't be discouraged. Don't be discouraged. Therefore this verse was written by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. But don't be discouraged.

So I'm sure you'll not be discouraged. Kṛṣṇa will provide another good house if they are persistent to drive away. So Kṛṣṇa is providing another good house, so there is no discouragement. But go on executing your routine work. I am very glad to see that you are taking care of the Deities very nicely. Whenever I come, I see. This is very encouraging. And the more you keep the Deity very nicely decorated, then your heart will be cleansed of all dirty things of this material world. Tṛṇād api . . . ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). That is wanted. And if we keep our core of heart cleansed from material dirty thing, then māyā will not be able to overcome us. So keep in that spirit. Never mind if sometimes, occasionally, there is some difficulty. We have got examples of devotees. Haridāsa Ṭhākura, Prahlāda Mahārāja had to face so many difficulties. They didn't care. So God consciousness means you'll have to face difficulty, but you should not be discouraged. You must go on with your business, and then success is sure. There is a verse in this connection, tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam (SB 10.14.8). When there is difficulties a devotee thinks, "It is a good fortune that Kṛṣṇa has given us some difficulties to counteract my previous bad action." So in this way, if we live, then mukti-pade sa dāya-bhāk. If one is not opposed by all these difficulties, and with determination he goes forward, then for him going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Dāya-bhāk. Dāya-bhāk means it is hereditary or herent. Eh? What is called?

Devotee: Inherited.

Prabhupāda: Inherited, yes. So just like father's property the son gets—there is no law to check it—similarly, those who are humbly, tolerantly going on with Kṛṣṇa consciousness with full determination, for them going back to home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Nobody can check. So our business is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. If there is some difficulty you should tolerate and go on with our business.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. (end)