R1

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada · London · 1971

Chapters

Vedic social and spiritual systems

Lunch engagement, 8th August, London. Arādhyo bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayas. And the Viṣṇu Purāṇa.

There is a statement that a person who is executing properly the rules and regulation of varṇa and āśrama according to Vedic system—there are four varṇas, yes, it can flow social order, and four spiritual orders.

Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. This is social order. And uh, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Spiritual āśrama. Brahmacarya-āśrama. Āśrama means cultivation of spiritual life in a suitable position.

One may remain a brahmacārī, or he becomes a gṛhastha, householder, living with wife, children, family, then vānaprastha, then sannyāsa. So all these processes are meant for uh, pleasing Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu.

Varṇāśramācāravatā. By executing this varṇāśrama system, one can please the Supreme Personality, Viṣṇu. Nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam—He is very much pleased, one who executes that.

And by pleasing Viṣṇu, one can immediately become liberated. There are different processes of liberation, severe austerity, penances, practice of yoga and many other processes.

But if we can please Lord Viṣṇu, then liberation can be immediately attained, even in this life. This is the śāstric injunction. Unfortunately, people do not know what is this. There is no education.

Relationship between Vishnu and living entities

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, has got many forms. Dīpārcir eva hi daśāntaram abhyupetya dīpāyate. Viṣṇu-tayā vibhāti. Viṣṇu has many forms.

Some of the forms are personal forms, and some of the forms are separated forms. So far the living entities are concerned, they are separated forms of Viṣṇu. Vibhinnāṁśa in the Varāha Purāṇa is said.

The eko bahu syām: Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu has become many. Out of those many, those who are personal expansions, they are Viṣṇu-tattva. And those who are separated expansions, they are jīva-tattva.

So jīvas, the living entities, the part and parcel of Viṣṇu,

Kṛṣṇa says—Kṛṣṇa and Viṣṇu say, Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu: rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan nānāvatāram akarod bhuva neṣu kintu kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is the original Viṣṇu.

So we have to satisfy this Viṣṇu. That is the mission of life. The human form of life is the chance.

While going down the eight million four hundred thousand species, this human form of life, by evolution, we get, we develop consciousness for understanding Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum.

Unfortunately, there is no educational system and they do not know, people do not know that their real interest of life is to approach Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. They do not know.

Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Persons, they are trying to be happy by these material civilizations. Bahir-artha. Those who are trying to get some profit out of material activity, they are called bahir-artha-māninaḥ.

They do not know that self-interest is Viṣṇu. They think my self-interest is to have some money or a nice building, a nice family, friends, like that. But this is called moha, illusion.

Janasyāmoho 'yam ahaṁ mameti. Svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are enamored by the external energy. This material world is manifestation of external energy of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu.

Whatever we are seeing in this material world, or whatever we are hearing about the spiritual world, they are all manifestations of different energies of Vishnu. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ.

That's why the sun is manifested by light and heat, or the fire is manifested by light and heat. Similarly, Lord Vishnu is manifested by His different energies, of which three are principal:

external energy, spiritual energy, and marginal energy. This material manifestation is the action of the external energy, and the spiritual world is a manifestation of the internal energy.

And we, the living entities, we are a manifestation of the marginal energy. Marginal because we are between the spiritual world and the material world.

If we like, we can live in the spiritual world, and if we like, we can remain in the material world. We have got a little independence to make our choice.

So those who have chosen to live in this material world, they are called conditioned souls. Conditioned soul means they are living under many conditions of this material nature.

And all these conditions are not very happy; they are all miserable. Actually, miserable conditions.

Material nature and the human condition

In Sanskrit it is called tri-tāpa-yantra, threefold misery.

So, the living entities, because they are part and parcel of Vishnu, so originally they are spiritual sparks, but somehow or other they have fallen down into this material world, just like a spark from the fire falls down on the ground and the brilliant, uh, I mean, the appearance of the spark becomes extinguished.

As soon as a spark falls down from the fire, it becomes extinguished. And if it falls on water, it becomes too much extinguished, very moist, very little chance of blazing.

But if it falls down on dry grass, then that spark immediately creates some fire. And if this spark falls down simply on the ground, it is via media between falling down on the water and dry grass.

So the spirit soul, when he comes down to this material world from Viṣṇu fire, then it contacts three kinds of material modes of nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa.

Those who are in sattva-guṇa, they have got the brahminical qualification. «śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ kṣāntir ārjavam eva ca jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam».

And those who are in contact with the modes of passion, they are called kṣatriyas. And those who are mixed up with passion and ignorance, they are vaiśyas. And those who are in complete darkness, they are called śūdras.

And less than śūdra, they are called pañcamas or caṇḍālas. Therefore, human civilization should be conducted how to bring people on the standard of modes of goodness or on the brahminical platform.

That should be the aim of human society. Because as soon as one comes to the brahminical platform, then everything becomes manifest, perceived, just like in sunshine, you can see the whole city of London very nicely.

In darkness you cannot see the same London city. Similarly, the whole cosmic manifestation and Lord Viṣṇu, we cannot see unless we come to the platform of goodness, sattva-guṇa.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going on to bring a certain percentage of the human society to the platform of modes of goodness.

In another place, it is stated that the brāhmaṇas are those who are in the modes of goodness. When we speak of brāhmaṇa, it does not mean a person born in a brāhmaṇa family. We don't mean that.

Brāhmaṇa means by qualification. «cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ». Lord Krishna said that the whole division of social order is made by Me, how? Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, by division of quality and work.

Not that because one is born in a brāhmaṇa family, as it is going on in India. No. In the śāstra there is no such thing. Janma-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ? No. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ.

And in the Bhagavad-gītā Krishna personally says: "Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ." One must have the brahmanical quality. Truthful. Clean. Satya, śauca. Śama. Controlling the mind; dama, controlling the senses.

Satya, śauca, śama, dama, titikṣā, tolerance, ārjava, simplicity, jñānam, full knowledge, vijñānam, practical application in life, āstikyam, and full faith in Vedas. That is called āstikyam.

This is brahma-karma svabhāva-jam. So the highest perfection of human life is to attain the brahmanical qualification, then everything will be clearly understood.

What is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God, what is this world? So many questions. But they are not interested. At the present moment, people are not interested in these things.

Evolution of consciousness and spiritual purpose

Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. They are interested in animal propensities. How to eat nicely, how to sleep nicely, how to defend nicely, and how to have sex life nicely.

But this is not the occupation of the human life. This is animal life. Simply to be busy with these four principles of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna. That is animal propensity. The man has to go beyond that.

Of course, so long we have got this body, the animal propensities will remain there because the human being is defined in logic. A man is a rationalist.

I think this is not the proper definition; rationality there is in animals. The shastric definition: dharma, dharmeṇa hīna paśubhiḥ samānāḥ.

Therefore, in every human society there is a certain type of religion, faith, and the purpose of religion is to understand Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord.

So actually at the present moment—not at the present moment, this is in nature—people forget their relationship with Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa and they therefore drag on this material existence.

Dragging on material existence means repeatedly take birth and death and in different species of life. Not that after death there is any guarantee that we shall get human form of life. There is no guarantee.

Any form—there are 8,400,000 species of life, forms. We can get any form according to our work.

Then suppose this is the truth and if this life I waste and next life I become a tree standing up for seven thousand years, ten thousand years in one place. Is that a very good proposal?

But people have taken this to this life. They do not know how by nature's way we are changing our body according to our karma. And there are so many different types of bodies. We can get any one of them.

We can become god, we can become dog. «yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtāni» «yānti bhūtejyā yānti mad-yājino 'pi mām»— these are the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā.

That if you can prepare your next life, you can promote yourself to the platform of the demigods like Sun, Moon, Brahmā and others, Indra, Candra, there are many.

Their duration of life is—you cannot calculate even their one day's duration. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. «sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ»—these things are there.

So you can elevate yourself to the platform of becoming demigods. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṝn yānti pitṛ- vratāḥ. You can elevate yourself to the Pitṛloka. Or you can remain here in this planet.

There are similar other planets also. Bhūloka. This is called Bhūloka.

Then above this, there is Bhuvarloka, and above that there is Svargaloka, then above that there is Janaloka, above that there is Satyaloka, above that there is Brahmaloka. Seven upwards, seven downwards.

So these informations are there in the śāstras, in the Vedas. Unfortunately, we are not interested in the śāstric injunction.

We are simply interested how to eat nicely, how to sleep nicely, how to defend nicely, and how to have sex life nicely. This is going on. So this is a very dangerous civilization.

The example is just like a blind man is leading several other blind men. So what will be the result? All of them will fall down in the ditch. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni

So many leaders are coming, they're misguiding people, and they are going away in due course of time being completely under the stringent laws of material nature. Īśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ.

Īśa-tantra, by the rope made by Īśa, the Supreme Lord. Uru-dāmni, very tightly bound. So these things we do not know, although these informations are there in the śāstras, in the Vedic literature. But we are not interested.

So it is not a very good civilization. It is a misleading civilization. Therefore there is need of this movement, Krishna consciousness.

Acquiring knowledge through the disciplic succession

There is need in order to give right enlightenment to the people. Because they do not know. Na te viduḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā. They are hoping something wonderful, which is impossible.

What is that wonderful hope? They are trying to be happy within this material world. That's all. They do not know anything more. After that what is there, they do not care to know it. This is not very good civilization.

Therefore, our... we have taken this task under superior order to enlighten people in Krishna consciousness. The method is also very simple. Unfortunately, the people are not at all interested.

They are so much under the clutches of external energy, durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. So the progress is very slow. But our duty is to go door to door and inform them that you be Krishna conscious.

Try to understand the value of your life. That is our duty. Under the order of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa. Lord Caitanya says that you become, uh, a spiritual master under my order.

And what is the business? Now, whenever you meet, you just try to inform them about Krishna. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa. It is not very difficult. So to become a spiritual master, not bogus, but genuine, is also not very difficult.

Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "Under my order." The order is there and the business is also there. What is the business? Simply speak about Krishna, simply inform about Krishna whomever you meet. So

we can speak about Krishna because there is Bhagavad-gītā. Krishna is speaking about himself: ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate, bhāva-samanvitāḥ. "I am the origin of everything."

Vedanta says that Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ. That is Absolute Truth. Wherefrom everything is coming down, there must be something already.

You are born of your father, your father is born of his father, his father, his father... one. So when you find the original father, then He is God. So there must be some original father.

Otherwise, as there is no possibility of your appearance without father, similarly, there is no possibility of appearance of your father, his father, then there must be.

And the Vedānta-sūtra clearly says janmādy asya yataḥ, the first person from whom everything is emanating. So how can you deny God? Is that a very reasonable proposal?

You may not know God, but there is God that you have to accept. The original person. So if you go on researching, "Who is that person?" You can do that. That is called ascending process, āroha-panthā. Āroha-panthā.

By just like modern science, they want to search out the absolute truth, the empiric philosophers. But there is another method. In science, this is called induction. And there is another method, deduction, avaroha.

The message coming from a higher level. Just like if we understand from in our childhood, from father, parents, from teachers, this is our knowledge, one process of knowledge; another process you search out.

But so far God is concerned or anything is concerned, inductive process, āroha-panthā is not perfect. The best process is to know from the authority. So you can know about Krishna from Krishna instead, the best authority.

Why is he to make research, "What is Krishna?" Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gītā about himself. So take it. And then you can understand Krishna. And then your human life, your interest for human life will be fulfilled.

This is Krishna consciousness movement. Simply try to understand Krishna. Then your life will be fulfilled. Otherwise it will be failure. Thank you very much.

How celibacy can be observed and what are the benefits, and how can we control the anger of mind and senses?

In śāstra it is recommended that sahiṣṇutā, tolerance, and karuṇā, mercifulness, and maitrī, friendship, and samatā, equality. There are different kinds of men in the society. Some of them are envious.

Just like we are preaching Krishna consciousness, some of them are envious. For such persons we shall be tolerant.

Then karuṇā, mercifulness: those who are actually innocent, do not know very much about Krishna consciousness, we shall try to convince them about Krishna. That is mercy.

And those who are already in Krishna consciousness, we shall keep friends with them, maitrī.

And to the general public or living entities, we shall treat them equally because a devotee should know, or knows, that every living entity is a part and parcel of God, but he is by his karma in a different form of body.

Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Therefore, those who are in knowledge of the condition of the living entities in this material world, they do not hurt them, try to elevate them.

These are four principles we should follow: tolerance, mercifulness, friendship, and equal treatment. Then we'll make advancement and Vishnu will be satisfied.

If you practice these four principles, immediately you satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you become liberated; simply have to practice this, that's all. The true principle of human

Principles of action and devotional service

life, to make success in this world, is to become Krishna conscious. That I expressed in the beginning: they do not know their real self-interest, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum.

These people, ordinarily, they do not know that their target is Vishnu. They have taken something else as the target of life. That is called durāśayā. So, success of life means to understand Vishnu or Krishna.

That is success. Anything else is failure. Therefore, we are preaching also, to make them successful in the human form of life.

All others simply, śrama eva hi kevalam, simply waste of time and labor without understanding Krishna, anything. Dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ / notpādayed yadi ratiṁ śrama eva hi kevalam.

You can execute a particular type of dharma. But if you do not develop your Krishna consciousness by executing sa-dharma, then śrama eva hi kevalam. Simply waste of time.

Life is wasted, means that for we are giving the best contribution and the most efficient welfare activities: the Krishna consciousness movement. Try to understand. Could you explain karma philosophy? Karma philosophy.

If you touch fire, your hand will burn. If you eat poison, you will die. What is the difficulty to understand? That is karma. No, according to Lord Krishna in Gītā. Yes, karma means as you work, so you get the result.

That is karma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. These are explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Karma means that śāstra gives you guidance, that you act in this way.

Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ — if you don't take the direction of these śāstras, and if we go on working according to the whims, na siddhim avāpnoti, you will never get success. Na sukham.

Neither happiness. Na siddhiṁ sa-siddhim, na sukhaṁ na parāṁ gatim. And not to speak of going back to Godhead. The karma means, just like a good citizen means he is acting according to the law of the state.

And a bad citizen, criminal, who is violating the law. Similarly, karma means, real karma means that — I began my lecture — varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān. For regulating the karma,

these four divisions of this: you are a brāhmaṇa, your karma is like this. You are a kṣatriya, your karma is like this. You are a vaiśya, your karma is like this. You are a śūdra, your karma is like this.

You are a brahmacārī, your karma is like this. So this is very scientifically divided. You can put yourself in any division. Uh-huh. And if you execute it perfectly, sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya.

And if by your karma you worship Vishnu, then you're successful. In another place it is stated that ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

The karma is divided according to varṇa: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Or brahmacārī, gṛhastha. So varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Everyone, either brahmacārī, gṛhastha, or brāhmaṇa, or śūdra, svanuṣṭhitasya.

Following the regulatory principles in each and every status of life. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam. Whether by your karma you have satisfied Krishna.

Never mind you are a śūdra or a vaiśya or a brāhmaṇa or a brahmacārī, it doesn't matter. Everyone can do. Everyone by his karma can satisfy the Supreme. So the test is, you may be engaged in any karma, it doesn't matter.

But the success of that karma is tested where? By such karma, Krishna, saṁsiddhir hari- toṣaṇam, satisfied Hari, the Supreme Personality, that's all. That's like in an office.

You may be engaged in any, uh, type of work, but by your work if you satisfy the head boss, then you see your success. It doesn't matter whether you are a peon or a clerk or a, uh, salesman, it doesn't matter.

The only point is whether by your karma you have satisfied the boss. That is success. So you can be engaged in any karma, it doesn't matter. Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was a military man.

So he satisfied Krishna by his military work. That is very successful. That is the test. There are so many divisions of karmas. Of dharmas. Karma and dharma are the same thing. Dharma means prescribed duty.

And duty means working. That is karma. So you can be situated in any position of different grades of karma. But if you are able to satisfy by your karma the Supreme, then you are premā. Otherwise you are, uh, bound up.

Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ — you'll be entangled. It will never be liberated. It will be entirely... simply entirely.

If you do not try to work to satisfy Yajña or Viṣṇu, then it will be karma-bandhana. Is that clear? What do you mean? Second week. Will you be able to see the next second week? Yes, we are sure. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare...

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita Gadādhara Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Gopa-svāmī, Kuṇḍa, Rādhā-kuṇḍa, Śyāma-kuṇḍa, Giri-govardhana kī jaya! Vṛndāvana-dhāma kī jaya!

Navadvīpa-dhāma kī jaya! Gaṅgā-mayī kī jaya! Yamunā-mayī kī jaya! Prasāda kī jaya! Bhakti-devī kī jaya! Sammelita bhakta-vṛnda kī jaya! All glories to the assembled devotees! All glories to the assembled devotees!

All glories to the assembled devotees! Thank you very much.