Prabhupäda: This

Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare
Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare

This is transcendental sound vibration. This is transcendental sound vibration, and this will help us to cleanse the dust on the mirror of our mind. On the mind we have accumulated material dust. Just like on the Second Avenue, due to the constant traffic of motor car, there is always a creation of dusting over everything, similarly, by our manipulation of materialistic activities, there are some material dusts which are accumulated on the mind, and therefore we are unable to see things in true perspective. So this process, this vibration of transcendental sound, Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare, Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare, will cleanse the dust. And, as soon as the dust is cleared, then, as you can see on the mirror the nice face of yours, similarly we can see our real, I mean to say, constitutional position, "what I am." And as soon as I understand that "I am not this body, I am spirit soul, and my symptom is consciousness," and that consciousness, as it is purified by this process, the whole material miseries will be over.

Bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëam. Ceto-darpaëa-märjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]. In Sanskrit language, it is said... Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya's picture you have seen on the showcase. He's dancing, and chanting Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare. This sound vibration of Kåñëa, Hare, Räma, as soon as the mind is cleared off, then we'll see our real position, and the immediate result is bhava-mahä-dävägni-nirväpaëam. There is a fire always blazing over this material world. Everyone is trying to extinguish it, but it is not possible to extinguish this fire of material miseries unless we are situated in our pure consciousness of spiritual life. That is the whole thing.

Now, we were discussing last meeting,

yadä yadä hi dharmasya
glänir bhavati bhärata
abhyutthänam adharmasya
tadätmänaà såjämy aham
[Bg. 4.7]

pariträëäya sädhünäà
vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm
dharma-saàsthäpanärthäya
sambhavämi yuge yuge
[Bg. 4.8]

Why the Lord comes as incarnation. This point we have been discussing last meeting. And what is dharma, what is religion? Perhaps you'll remember that the translation in the English language, dharma, is a description of certain kind of faith, but according to the Vedic literature, dharma is not a kind of faith. Faith can be changed, but dharma cannot be changed.

This point we have already explained. Just like the liquidity of water cannot be changed. If it is changed... Suppose the water becomes solid. Under certain temperature, it becomes ice. But that is not its constitutional position. It is under certain condition. Similarly, our position is, our religion, or dharma, is, that we are part and parcel of the Supreme, and with that supreme consciousness we have to dovetail our activities with the Supreme. That is our constitutional position. That service attitude, transcendental service attitude, which has to be dovetailed with the supreme consciousness, is being misused by our material contact.

The service attitude or the engagement is there. Every one of us is a servant. Nobody is a master. He must be serving somebody. This point we have discussed. Even President Johnson, he is the chief man of your state; still, he's a servant of the state. So nobody's master here. To think of oneself that "I am the master, I am the master of all I survey," this is called mäyä, illusion. I am not ser... I am not master. I am servant. So my service is now being misused under different designations. So as soon as we become free from the designations, ceto-darpaëa-märjanam... [Cc. Antya 20.12]. That means when we can see exactly the position on the mirror of our mind after dusting over, that "My position, my constitutional position is that I am eternal servant."

But we should not think that my service in the material world, and my service in the spiritual atmosphere is the same. No. It is not the same. We, we are shuddered, "Oh, after liberation, we have to become a servant. Oh." We shudder because we have no idea that what sort of servant is in the transcendental world. In the transcendental world, there is no distinction between the servant and the master. Here is distinction between the servant and the master, but in the transcendental world, in the absolute world, everything is one. Therefore there is no distinction between servant and master.

For example, we are speaking on the Bhagavad-gétä. Just see the position of Kåñëa. He has taken the position of servant, chariot driver of Arjuna. Arjuna is practically, in his constitutional position, he is the servant of Kåñëa, but in behavior we see, sometimes the Lord becomes the servant of the servant. So we should not carry the materialistic idea in the spiritual... Although anything that we materially experience is a perverted reflection only of the spiritual life...

So that constitutional position, which cannot be changed, which is called dharma, in order to pre..., when that is deteriorated by contamination of matter, at that time, the Lord Himself comes as incarnation or He sends some of His confidential servitors. Just like Lord Jesus Christ, he said that "I am son of God." So he's representative of the Supreme. And similarly, Hajrat Muhammad, he also identified himself as a servant. Padat hi bandhaù., a servant of the Lord. So this is the position that whenever there is discrepancies in the natural law of our constitutional position, the master, the Supreme Lord, either He Himself comes in incarnation or He sends some representative to inform us what is actually the position of the living entity. So this is explained here by Lord Kåñëa, yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati [Bg. 4.7].

So this position, this dharma, is not exactly a kind of created faith. It is the constitutional position. Dharma means the constitutional position. Just like sugar. Sugar's constitutional position is to become sweet. Salt-constitutional position is to become salty, alkaline taste. And water is liquid. Stone is solid. These specifical, specific qualification is called dharma. Similarly, we living entities, we have got a specific qualification: the eternal attitude to serve others. So that, how to serve Kåñëa, how to attain Kåñëa consciousness, how to give up our material engagement in different designations-this science and this truth is described in the Bhagavad-gétä. Yadä yadä hi dharmasya glänir bhavati [Bg. 4.7]. Pariträëäya sädhünäm.

The sädhu... In the Bhagavad-gétä, in the last meeting, I have described to some extent what is the qualification of a sädhu. Sädhu means saintly person. Titikñavaù käruëikäù suhådaù sarva-dehinäm. He's tolerant, he's very kind to everyone, and he's friend to all living entities. He has no enemy, or he is nobody's enemy. And he's peaceful. These are some of the qualification. There are twenty-six qualification in detail. But these are some of the qualification. And in the Bhagavad-gétä you'll find the description of a sädhu, saintly person, is given by the Lord Himself.

And what is that? He says,

api cet su-duräcäro
bhajate mäm ananya-bhäk
sädhur eva sa mantavyaù
samyag vyavasito hi saù
[Bg. 9.30]

He says, "Arjuna, a person who is cent-percent engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, he might be externally, ephemerally seen to be addicted to some bad habits. Still, you should consider him to be a saint. You should consider him to be saint."

What is that? Now, suppose we have contaminated so many things in our material life. There are, in the material calculation, there are so many things which are the list. One list is for morality, and another list is for immorality. I do not wish to discuss this list because in, for a person which is immorality, for another person, it is not immorality; it is morality. Just like according to our conception, Hindu conception, drinking of wine is immoral, whereas in your country drinking of wine is not immoral. It is common thing. Of course, so according to time, class, place, the conception of morality and immorality are different. But there is a, a sense of immorality and morality in everywhere. That is a fact.

So Kåñëa says that "Even if you see a person immoral, but he is completely engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, then it should be concluded that he is a saint." He's a saintly person. That is the description given by Kåñëa of sädhu. Api cet su-duräcäro bhajate mäm ananya-bhäk, sädhur eva sa mantavyaù [Bg. 9.30]. So in other words, He says, "Any person who is engaged in Kåñëa consciousness... Never mind, he might have something externally immoral habits due to his past association. It doesn't matter." So some way or other, one should be Kåñëa conscious. And then, gradually, he will become a saintly person; as he goes on executing this process of Kåñëa consciousness, then, with his advancement, he becomes a perfect saint. That you'll find in the Bhagavad-gétä. And how Kåñëa says that even if he's externally a little immoral... Of course, a devotee or a person who is Kåñëa conscious, he's never immoral. But it may be that due to his past association he may appear to be immoral or he may fall down, fall down. Due to habits, we may sometimes fall down.

There is a story how habit is the second nature. There was a thief, and he went to pilgrimage with some other friends. So at night, when other friends were sleeping... Because his habit was to steal at night, he, so he got up at night and he was taking one body's baggage and tried to pickpocket or take something. But he was thinking, "Oh, I have come to this holy place of pilgrimage. Still, shall I do that, committing theft, my habit? No, no. I shall not do it." So he was taking the bag of one person and was keeping in another place. So in the whole night the poor fellow did like that. But due to his conscience that, "I have come to this holy place. At least, during my stay here I shall not do this stealing business." So in the morning, when all other friends got up, everyone said, "Oh, where is my bag? I don't see!" Another man says, "I don't see my bag." Then somebody says, "Oh, here is your bag!" So there was some row. So they, they thought, "What is the matter? How it so happened?" Then the thief rose up and told all friends, "My dear gentlemen, I am a thief by occupation, but because I have that habit to steal at night, so I wanted to steal something from your bag, but I thought that 'I have come to this holy place. I shall not do it.' So I placed, I might have placed one man's bag in another man's place. So excuse me." So this is the habit. This is the habit. He does not want. He does not want to commit theft. But he has got the habit of doing that. So similarly, here he has decided not to commit theft anymore, but because he's habituated, sometimes he does.

So therefore Kåñëa says, "In that condition, one who has decided to stop all bad or immoral habits and just to make his progress in Kåñëa consciousness, even by chance, if he does something which is immoral in the face of the society, that should not be taken account of." Of course, that is by chance. And in the next verse, you'll find, kñipraà bhavati dharmätmä: "Because he has dovetailed himself in Kåñëa consciousness, it is sure that he will become a saintly, I mean to say, a pure saint very soon. Very soon."

The example is... Just like the electric fan is going on, and if you put off the switch, you'll see the fan is still going on. But that going on will stop because the switch is already off. Similarly, if one dovetails himself in Kåñëa consciousness, then automatically he'll become a saintly person, automatically. Because his switch is made off. Just like the fan, when the switch is made off, the current supply is stopped. Now... There was a force of running. You may see that it is running for few minutes. But it will stop. Similarly, anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, if he puts himself, dovetails himself in Kåñëa consciousness, then he, all his material contamination will be washed off, washed off.

This is the easiest process. There was many examples. Of course, there are, in scriptures, there are many, many good examples. But it is a fact that anyone who takes to Kåñëa consciousness, he doesn't require to endeavor for becoming a good man, I mean to say, separately. That Kåñëa consciousness will help him to be the best man in the world. Api cet su-duräcäraù. And there are other confirmation in the Bhägavata, that yasyästi bhaktir bhagavaty akiïcanä sarvair guëais tatra samäsate suräù: "Anyone who has attained the Kåñëa consciousness, he attains all good qualities automatically." And haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëäù: "Anyone who is not in Kåñëa consciousness, or God consciousness..." When I speak of Kåñëa, you can take it as God.

So in... So a person who is devoid of God consciousness, however he may be qualified from the material point of view, the scripture says that his qualification will not help him in doing things which are not desirable. He'll, he'll, he'll not be prohibited to do things which are not desirable. Haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëä manorathenäsati dhävato bahiù: [SB 5.18.12] "Because he's devoid of Kåñëa consciousness, then he's sure to commit mischief in this material world."

Now, the next verse is

janma karma ca me divyam
evaà yo vetti tattvataù
tyaktvä dehaà punar janma
naiti mäm eti so 'rjuna
[Bg. 4.9]

"My dear Arjuna, the reason, the mission for which I appear is now explained, that I come here to establish the real constitutional position of the living entity. That is My mission. Now, when I come with some mission there are some activities. There are some activities." So there are some philosophers. They do not agree to accept that God comes as incarnation. They do not believe in this theory. They say that "Why God shall come to this rotten world?" That is their vision.

But here, from the Bhagavad-gétä, we understand that God comes. We shall always remember that we are reading Bhagavad-gétä, and whatever is spoken in the Bhagavad-gétä, we have to, at least, we have to accept that. Otherwise, there is no question of reading this Bhagavad-gétä. Here the Lord says that "I am, I am present here as incarnation, and this is My mission." And as He comes with a mission, there are some activities.

Just like Lord Kåñëa is taking part with Arjuna, and He's taking part in the battlefield of the Kurukñetra. Just like ordinary man. When there is war between two parties, somebody takes part with this party, or somebody takes part, or some nation takes part with one party or another nation takes part with another nation. So here also, we see that Kåñëa is taking part with Arjuna. Partiality. It appears that Kåñëa is partial. So Kåñëa is not partial. But it, externally, it appears that "He is partial. How He can be God?"

Now, therefore this verse is spoken by Lord Kåñëa. So janma karma me divyam: "My activities and My coming down to this material world is transcendental." Divyam means transcendental. It is not ordinary thing. Just like Kåñëa, we observe in India the Kåñëa's birthday. This month of August, by the end of August, there will be Kåñëa's birthday, and every Indian home, especially the Hindus, never mind in whatever sect or division they belong, they observe Kåñëa's birthday. As here in the Christian world you observe the birthday of Lord Jesus Christ, similarly... So janma... Now, here Kåñëa says that "My janma, My birth..." And because there is birth, so there are some activities. Just like we have taken our birth and there are some activities. So this Kåñëa's birth and Kåñëa's activities are transcendental. Transcendental means they are not these material activities.

Now, people will be surprised, "How Kåñëa's activities are transcendental? He's taking part with Arjuna. He's taking part in the battlefield of Kurukñetra. Oh, He's born of a father whose name is Vasudeva. And He has got a family. And so on, so on. So just like us." But He says it is transcendental. Transcendental. And again He says, divyam evaà yo vetti tattvataù. Tattvataù means "in truth." Simply by knowing, "Oh, Kåñëa is born here at Mathurä, and He was brought up by His foster father at Våndävana. Then, when He was grown up, He went back to His father at Dvärakä. And when He was old, He married so many wives and He had children, and there was a battle of Kurukñetra, and He took part." These things are there in the history or in the scriptures, but one has to understand this tattvataù, tattvataù, in truth.

And the one who understands this Kåñëa's birth and activities and His presence tattvataù, in truth, then what the result is? The result is tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti mäm eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. The result is that any person who understands this Kåñëa's activities, His birth and His pastimes, His paraphernalia, everything, the result will..., simply by understanding it, the result will be that after leaving this material body, he goes directly to Kåñëa. He goes directly to Kåñëa. That means he becomes a liberated soul, and he goes to the eternal world, and he becomes in his constitutional position of blissful and knowledge and eternal life. Simply by knowing this. Simply by knowing in truth the transcendental nature of Kåñëa's birth and activities, one is at once promoted to the, I mean, the transcendental world. This is clearly stated here. Tyaktvä deham.

Just like when... Ordinarily, when we give up these bodies, we quit this body, we have to accept another body. Väsäàsi jérëäni yathä vihäya [Bg. 2.22]. We have discussed this point that we living entities, our life is going on simply by changing dresses from one body to another, transmigration of the soul according to our work. So this, this body is dress. Therefore I have got an actual body. Just like at the present moment we think, "This material body is my actual body and there is dress, shirt and coat. The shirt and coat is superficial to this actual body." But here in the Bhagavad-gétä you'll find that we have got our real, spiritual body, separate from the material covering. And as we give up old garments, old dress, and take up another, new dress, another new garment, similarly, we give up this body, material body when it is old enough, when it cannot be used or... Then we give it up, and we take another body. And this change of body is going on every moment and every second. This point also we have discussed.

That, that particular verse,

dehino 'smin yathä dehe
kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä
tathä dehäntara-präptir
dhéras tatra na muhyati
[Bg. 2.13]

Just like the, the entity, living entity is in the body... Just like a child. The living entity's there. The body is very small. But that small body is growing, growing. That is changing. And growing, growing, that small child becomes a boy, grown up boy. And that grown up boy gradually becomes a youth. And then that youth becomes an old man, old man. And then, after, at the end, when the body's no more useful, he changes to another body. So this death means the ultimate change of the present body. So this body's changing. Now, Kåñëa says that as the body is changing, still, the person whose body is this, he's there. He's there. The child is grown up to a boyhood. That does not mean the living entity who came out as a baby is gone. No, he's still there. But his body has changed. Now, you cannot find the small body which came out of the mother's womb when the grown up boy. And you cannot find in a youth that grown, grown up boyhood photograph, or the body. That is gone.

So every moment we are having a new body. And that is a medical science truth. Medical science, it is... We are having new body at every moment. Similarly, when we take another body, oh, a person who knows things as they are, they are not bewildered. Dhéras tatra na muhyati. Dhéra means who is conscious of this bodily change, who knows things as they are, he's not, I mean to, bewildered. He's not, he's, he's steady, "Oh, he has changed his body. That's all." A person who does not know, he's crying. He..., "Oh, my son is gone. My son is gone. My son is gone." But if he's, I mean to say, in the consciousness, he knows, "Oh, my son has simply changed body." That's all. Just immediately, exactly, "My son, when he was little baby... Now he has grown up to be a boy." So the father and the parents do not lament, "Oh, where my, that son gone, that small baby gone?"

Similarly, that change of body... So our body is like that. We are changing. In the material condition. In the material condition we are simply changing our body. That is our disease. This conditional life of changing the bodies, one after another, one after... Not only human body. We may have to change to animal's body, or to another demigod's body. There are different species of life. I have several times spoken before you, that there are 8,400,000's of species of life. So our body's being changed in this circle of these 8,400,000's of different species of life. This is called our material bondage.

Now, here Kåñëa says that one who knows the Kåñëa's transcendental birth and activities in truth, he gets free from this entanglement. He at once gets free from this entanglement. Now, here the word tattvataù is very important. This tattvataù is the science of Kåñëa. Tattvataù, "in truth." Simply by knowing by historical facts that Kåñëa is born in such and such date in such and such place in such and such family... He did such and such activities. No. One has to learn them in tattvataù, in truth. Then he becomes free from this bodily entanglement. (door slams) How it is closed?

Now, how that tattvataù, in truth, the Kåñëa science, how one can understand? Kåñëa science, that is explained in the Eighteenth Chapter, how Kåñëa science can be understood. Kåñëa science can be understood by this devotional service. You'll find this verse, that bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù [Bg. 18.55]. Yävän yaç cäsmi tattvataù. The truth of Kåñëa science can be understood by become, by becoming a devotee, or a person of Kåñëa consciousness. One who is Kåñëa conscious, the process of Kåñëa consciousness, he can simply understand what is this science of Kåñëa; others cannot. Now, it is very clearly stated, bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti. Bhaktyä means Kåñëa consciousness, the science of Kåñëa consciousness. Bhaktyä mäm abhijänäti: "One can understand Me very clearly by the process of that devotional service, or Kåñëa consciousness."

And in the Fourth, beginning of the Fourth Chapter, we have also discussed that Kåñëa said to Arjuna that "I am speaking to you the old process of yoga system, this bhakti-yoga system of Kåñëa consciousness in the Bhagavad-gétä unto you, because you are My devotee." This point also we have discussed, that without becoming a Kåñëa conscious person, nobody can understand the mystery of Bhagavad-gétä. Bhagavad-gétä is not a book that you can purchase from the market, and simply by your scholarship you can understand it. No. It is not possible. That, that point we have discussed. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si: "You are, because you are My devotee..." Kåñëa, Arjuna was ordinary family man. He was a military man. And Kåñëa said that "I am speaking to you." He was not a Vedic Vedantist or a very good scholar in Vedänta philosophy, or he was not a brähmaëa, or he was not a renouncer, nothing of the sort. He was a military man. Kåñëa, Arjuna was a military man, and he was a family man. He was to look after the interest of his family. Still, Kåñëa selected him to be the authority of Bhagavad-gétä. Why? Now, bhakto 'si: "Because you are My devotee." So that is the qualification.

So to become Kåñëa conscious is the qualification to understand Bhagavad-gétä as well as to understand Kåñëa as He is. Therefore we have to become Kåñëa conscious. And what is that Kåñëa consciousness? Now, this process which you have adopted, which you have adopted. Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare, Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare. Now, this chanting and this hearing of Bhagavad-gétä. Bhagavad-gétä hearing as it is, from persons who are engaged in this business. That will help us to become Kåñëa conscious. And as soon as we become Kåñëa conscious, Kåñëa also help us to understand.

In the Bhägavata, there is a verse:

çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëaù
puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù
hådy antaù-stho hy abhadräëi
vidhunoti suhåt satäm
[SB 1.2.17]

Kåñëa is always present in your heart. Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäm, éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäm arjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61]. You'll find in Bhagavad-gétä: "The Lord is present in everyone's heart as Supersoul." We are both, the soul, living entity, and the Supersoul, both are in the, sitting in this tree of body. One is eating the fruit. Another is witness. That is also described in the Vedas. The Lord is there. So as soon as you begin the process of devotional service and gradually develop your Kåñëa consciousness, then Lord, who is sitting within your heart, He will help you.

Çåëvatäm... How He'll help you? He'll help you in the same process, dusting over, I mean to say, dust out, to take out all the dirty things which have accumulated within our mind. Çåëvatäà sva-kathäù kåñëaù puëya-çravaëa-kértanaù, hådy antaù-stho hy abhadräëi. Abhadräëi means the dirty things, the dirty things which we have accumulated by our material association, Kåñëa will help us to remove that dirt. Hådy antaù-stho hy abhadräëi vidhunoti suhåt satäm. Because He is a friend of all saintly persons. He's a friend. So our endeavor to become Kåñëa conscious is a saintly endeavor, and so He also cooperates.

And this is the process, çravaëaà kértanam, çravaëaà kértanam, chanting and hearing of this Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam with aural reception, submissive aural reception. That very process will teach us the truth of the Kåñëa science, and when we understand the Kåñëa science, automatically we understand what is Kåñëa, and as soon as we understand Kåñëa, the next result is that after leaving this material, this present material body, we go at once to the kingdom of Kåñëa. This is the whole process. Tyaktvä deham, tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti mäm eti kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]. Then he does not come again to this miserable world. He goes back to Godhead, back to home.

And what is that home? That you'll find. Yad gatvä na nivartante tad dhäma paramaà mama [Bg. 15.6]. Such description is there also in the Bhagavad-gétä, what is the position of that transcendental world. Na tad bhäsayate süryaù. There is no, there is no need of the sun. There is no need of the moon. There is no need of electricity. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä.

So this is this world. This material world is dark, is always dark. Therefore here we require the sun and the moon and the electric light. Otherwise, it is dark. As soon as the electricity will fail, then whole city will be in darkness. So the nature of this... And the Vedic mantra also says that "Don't remain in this darkness." Tamaso mä jyotir gamaya: "Just try to transfer yourself in that illuminated world." Jyotir gamaya. Jyoti means illumination. So this world, this material world, is full of darkness. Darkness, one meaning of darkness is ignorance. And another darkness, you know, without, absence of light. So this nature of this material world is darkness. So if we understand the Kåñëa science, and the activities of Kåñëa, how He comes, how He works, what is the mission of His activity...

Because as the Supreme Lord, He has nothing to do. But why He comes? In the Vedic literature you'll find, na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate. The description of the Supreme Brahman is described there, that, Upaniñad... Na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate: "The Supreme, the Absolute, He has nothing to do." He has nothing to do. Just like if we want to do, have something, we have to do. But there, the Absolute, He has nothing to do.

Na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate. Na tat-samaç cäbhyadhikaç ca dåçyate. And there is nobody who is equal to Him, and nobody who is above Him. That means everyone is below Him. Nobody equal to Him and nobody above Him; that means everybody is below. Na tasya käryaà karaëaà ca vidyate na tat-samaç cäbhyadhikaç ca dåçyate, paräsya çaktir vividhaiva çrüyate: "The Supreme has got many, manifold energies." Therefore everything is done, sväbhäviké jïäna-bala-kriyä ca.

And His knowledge and His activities are sväbhäviké, natural, natural. Just like we have to acquire knowledge from a greater personality, but He has got all the natural, all knowledge. Just like Kåñëa is speaking the Bhagavad-gétä to Arjuna, but He was never taught of Bhagavad-gétä. I am speaking to you Bhagavad-gétä, just learning from my spiritual master. So I have to learn it, but when Kåñëa spoke, He hadn't, had not to learn it. He had no business to learn it. Because sväbhäviké jïäna-bala-kriyä ca. His knowledge is natural.

So these things are to be understand. Then one who understands the science of Kåñëa in truth, then the benefit is, the result is that he, he no more comes back to this world of darkness. Tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. Neither he has to undergo the repeated birth and death. We are just now undergoing the term of repeated birth and death under different species of life. So that thing will be stopped.

So human, human mission, human life should be utilized for this purpose. This is the dharma. This is real, our engagement. We have diverted our engagement for satisfying our material needs. Oh, that is not the mission of human being. That is the mission of lower animals.

ähära-nidrä-bhaya-maithunaà ca
sämänyam etat paçubhiù naräëäm
dharmo hi teñäm adhiko viçeño
dharmeëa héna paçubhiù samänäù

This is the mission, that ähära-nidrä-bhaya-maithuna. These are our material needs. The problem of eating, the problem of sleeping, or shelter, the problem of defense, and the problem of sense gratification. These four problems are common to the human being and to the animals. The animals have also got these problems, eating, sleeping, defending and, what is called? Sense gratification. We have got also those problems. So they are also trying to solve these problems and if we are also engaged in simply solving these problems, then what is the difference between the animals and the human being? The human being... The next line says dharmo hi teñäm adhiko viçeñaù. The human being has got a special qualification by which he can develop the transcendental Kåñëa consciousness, and if he does not do that, then he's in the category of the animals.

So the defect of modern civilization is that we are giving too much stress for simply for solving these problems: eating, sleeping, defending and sense gratification. But as spiritual beings, as spiritual living entities, we have got the necessity of getting out of this entanglement of repeated birth and death, and if we do not care for it, then we shall be missing the opportunity. And Lord Kåñëa comes to teach us how you can utilize your human form of life for the ultimate goal of your life. This material, whole material creation is there just to give you a chance to have your things done nicely. Bhütvä bhütvä praléyate. This material creation is giving a chance. But even after getting the chance, and even after getting the supreme body of human life, we do not develop this Kåñëa consciousness and just to get rid of this material entanglement, then we shall be missing the opportunity.

So everyone's duty is that he should take to this Kåñëa consciousness by engaging himself in this process of çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù [SB 7.5.23], chanting and hearing, the simple process. You have nothing to do. Simply if you give aural reception, that will clear everything within your mind, and you, you'll get enlightenment because Kåñëa will help you. He's present within. You have simply to, I mean to say, spare a little time. You, you'll see actually. If you kindly spare a little time in this process which you have adopted here, you'll feel yourself... Nobody has to canvass you that oh, whether you are making your progress? No. You'll understand it. Because it is actual, you'll understand it.

Just like a hungry man. If he's given foodstuff, he knows how far he's satisfied. Nobody has to certify that "You are certified." He will say, "Yes, I am satisfied. I have had very good foodstuff." Similarly, this is the thing. If you kindly spare a little time, you'll feel yourself how much you are making progress in Kåñëa consciousness and how much making progress in your human mission of life. So I shall request you that we are just trying to, just endeavor, our poor endeavor... It is, still our duty to do it. If you kindly take advantage of this opportunity, both, we shall be benefited. Then that is the process we have adopted here, the Society for Kåñëa Consciousness, and I invite you all to come and take part in it and make your life successful.

Thank you very much. Any questions? [break]

You have to associate yourself with persons who are in that business. Then gradually you'll also develop the sense and you'll also become... So there is no cause of disappointment that because you have no taste for such things. So this is the chance. It is our duty to give chance everybody to have this opportunity because we have dedicated our life for this service. So we are ready. You take advantage of our humble service, and then you'll understand and you'll know. There will be no difficulty. Yes?

Guest: Swamiji, you mentioned about Kåñëa consciousness...

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Guest: Are you referring to self-realization when you mentioned that Kåñëa consciousness?

Prabhupäda: What is that?

Guest: Are you referring to self-realization, cosmic consciousness?

Prabhupäda: Yes. Kåñëa, Kåñëa consciousness means cosmic consciousness. Kåñëa... When we speak of Kåñëa, you don't take any personal view. Kåñëa means all-attractive. So all-attraction is there in the cosmic. Cosmic consciousness is Kåñëa consciousness.

Guest: Well, I believe that most of the westerners do not know the meaning of Kåñëa consciousness.

Prabhupäda: That we are explaining here.

Guest: You have yet to explain that it's cosmic consciousness, self-realization.

Prabhupäda: Yes. So we are explaining Kåñëa consciousness here. And as you say, that most of the westerners, they do not know the meaning. So we are present here to explain the meaning. So that is our humble service. Because Kåñëa and Bhagavad-gétä is very well known in the western countries, and there are so many editions and publication of Bhagavad-gétä, both in Europe and America and other parts of Asia. Kåñëa is more or less well known. But actually, the science of Kåñëa is not so well known. Therefore we have put up this association, International Association of Society for Kåñëa Consciousness.

Guest: I believe that most of the westerners read the Bhagavad-gétä, Upaniñads...

Prabhupäda: Yes. Yes.

Guest: The Vedas.

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Guest: I believe that would have been a greater understanding of Kåñëa consciousness.

Prabhupäda: Yes. Therefore I say Kåñëa in conn... Because most of them are acquainted with the Bhagavad-gétä and the speaker of Bhagavad-gétä is Kåñëa. So Kåñëa is also well known to them. But actually what is Kåñëa, the science of Kåñëa, they do not know. So this humble attempt is to just to present the science of Kåñëa to them. And I wish that they may take advantage of this opportunity. So any other questions?

Guest: Swamiji, may I ask you a question?

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Guest: Do you teach self-realization?

Prabhupäda: Eh?

Guest: Do you teach self-realization?

Prabhupäda: Yes, this is self-realization.

Guest: Do you initiate?

Prabhupäda: Eh?

Guest: Do you initiate?

Prabhupäda: Yes. I initiate also. Well, this is the process of self-realization, to know...

Guest: Then you are an authority on initiation?

Prabhupäda: Yes, and, of course, I do not know whether I am authority, but my spiritual master has authorized me to do this.

Guest: That's, that's all right. That's sufficient. That's sufficient.

Prabhupäda: I, I, I do not think myself an authority. I am just to serve the order of my spiritual master. That's all.

Guest: Yes. Very good. But I suppose you know that in the western countries lots have been initiated and have never had the, the chance to be initiated by the master in order to initiate others. Quite a few, they have been.

Prabhupäda: Yes. Of course the, we, if we...

Guest: That's a responsibility in itself.

Prabhupäda: Yes, yes. Yes.

Guest: (indistinct)

Prabhupäda: Yes. So any other question? That, that, that, I mean to say, authority, is very simple. It is not very difficult. Just like you'll find in the Bhagavad-gétä that self-realization, as far Bhagavad-gétä, was taught to Arjuna. Now, how Arjuna understood it, that is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä. Simply if you try to understand Bhagavad-gétä as Arjuna understood it, then you also become self-realized. So it is not a very difficult job. Unfortunately, people apply their own scholastic ideas in a different way and they murder the whole thing. You see? The simple thing is that if we understand it as it is, then it is as simple as anything. But if you want to...

Just like in our Bengal there is proverb, ghuriye nag nag naki.(?) Now, now, you are asking me... Just like sometimes we ask small child, "Where is your nose?" He says, "It is nose." "Where is your eye?" "It is eye." So that is a simple thing. But one child... Not child. One man is asked, "Where is your nose?" He says, "Oh, here is my nose." (laughter) "Here is my nose," this is simple thing. But one should show, "Oh, here is my nose." So Bhagavad-gétä is interpreted like that, "Here is my nose." Nobody shows that "Here is my nose." You see? So that is the difficulty. They have created difficult, create a situation of this Bhagavad-gétä under, I mean to say, catastrophe. So if you, any sincere student who will take Bhagavad-gétä as it is, this self-realization is as cheap as anything.

Guest: Swamiji, I suppose (indistinct) of people realize.

Prabhupäda: No. It, simply, simply we have to hear it as it is. Don't try to interpret in a different way. The, the whole mischief is that everyone has got his own theosophy. And Bhagavad-gétä is a popular book, and he wants to prove his own philosophy through Bhagavad-gétä. Because he wants to be important man and he wants to show that "Here is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä," and they present some jugglery of words and mislead the people.