Los Angeles Interview on Krishna Consciousness

0:00[Distorted audio]

0:00Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa

Invocation prayers and mantra recitation

4:01[leads devotees in chanting] [leads devotees in chanting mantras 1–15] ISO 0.2ईशोपनिषद्ॐ पूर्णं अदः पूर्णं इदंपूर्णात् पूर्णं उदच्यतेपूर्णस्य पूर्णं आदायपूर्णं एव अवशिष्यतेoṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁpūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyatepūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāyapūrṇam evāvaśiṣyateThe Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.[Īśo, Invocation] ISO 1ईशावास्यं इदं सर्वंयत् किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथामा गृधः कस्य स्वित् धनम् || 1 ||īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁyat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagattena tyaktena bhuñjīthāmā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanamEverything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.

4:09ISO 2कुर्वन्न् एव इह कर्माणिजिजीविषेत् शतं समाःएवं त्वयि न अन्यथा इतो अस्तिन कर्म लिप्यते नरे || 2 ||kurvann eveha karmāṇijijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥevaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'stina karma lipyate nareOne may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.ISO 3असुर्या नाम ते लोकाअन्धेन तमसा आवृताःताम् ते प्रेत्य अभिगच्छन्तिये के च आत्म हनो जनाः || 3 ||asuryā nāma te lokāandhena tamasāvṛtāḥtāṁs te pretyābhigacchantiye ke cātma-hano janāḥThe killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.

4:12ISO 4अनेजत् एकं मनसो जवीयोन एनत् देवा आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्षत्तत् धावतो अन्यन् अत्येति तिष्ठत्तस्मिन् अपो मातरिश्वा दधाति || 4 ||anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyonainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣattad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhattasminn apo mātariśvā dadhātiAlthough fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.ISO 5तत् एजति तत् न एजतितत् दूरे तत् व अन्तिकेतत् अन्तर अस्य सर्वस्यतत् उ सर्वस्य अस्य बाह्यतः || 5 ||tad ejati tan naijatitad dūre tad v antiketad antar asya sarvasyatad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥThe Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.

4:15ISO 6यः तु सर्वाणि भूतानिआत्मनि एव अनुपश्यतिसर्व भूतेषु च आत्मनंततो न विजुगुप्सते || 6 ||yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtānyātmany evānupaśyatisarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁtato na vijugupsateHe who sees systematically everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.ISO 7यस्मिन् सर्वाणि भूतानिआत्म एव अभूत् विजानतःतत्र को मोहः कः शोकःएकत्वं अनुपष्यतः || 7 ||yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtānyātmaivābhūd vijānataḥtatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śokaekatvam anupaśyataḥOne who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?

4:18ISO 8स पर्यगात् शुक्रम् अकायम् अव्रणम्अस्नाविरं शुद्दं अपाप विद्धंकविः मानिसी परिभूः स्वयंभूःयथा तथ्यतो अर्थान् व्यदधात् शाश्वतीभ्यः समाभ्यः || 8 ||sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇamasnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddhamkavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūryāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥSuch a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial.

4:19ISO 9अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्तिये अविद्याम् उपासतेततो भूय इव ते तमोय उ विद्यायां रताः || 9 ||andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśantiye 'vidyām upāsatetato bhūya iva te tamoya u vidyāyām ratāḥThose who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.ISO 10अन्यत् एव आहुः विद्ययाअन्यत् आहुः अविद्ययाइति शुश्रुम धीराणांये नः तत् विचचक्षिरे || 10 ||anyad evāhur vidyayā-nyad āhur avidyayāiti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁye nas tad vicacakṣireThe wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.

4:22ISO 10अन्यत् एव आहुः विद्ययाअन्यत् आहुः अविद्ययाइति शुश्रुम धीराणांये नः तत् विचचक्षिरे || 10 ||anyad evāhur vidyayā-nyad āhur avidyayāiti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁye nas tad vicacakṣireThe wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.ISO 11विद्यां च अविद्याम् च यत्तत् वेद उभयं सहअविद्यया मृत्युं तीर्त्वाविद्यया अमृतं अश्नुते || 11 ||vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yastad vedobhayaṁ sahaavidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvāvidyayāmṛtam aśnuteOnly one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.

4:24ISO 12अन्धं तमः प्रविशन्तिये असंभूतिम् उपासतेततो भूय इव ते तमोय उ संभूत्यां रताः || 12 ||andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśantiye 'sambhūtim upāsatetato bhūya iva te tamoya u sambhūtyām ratāḥThose who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute.ISO 13अन्यत् एव आहुः सम्भवात्अन्यत् आहुः असम्भवात्इति शुश्रुम धीराणांये नः तत् विचचक्षिरे || 13 ||anyad evāhuḥ sambhavādanyad āhur asambhavātiti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁye nas tad vicacakṣireIt is said that one result is obtained by worshiping the supreme cause of all causes and that another result is obtained by worshiping what is not supreme. All this is heard from the undisturbed authorities, who clearly explained it.

4:27ISO 14संभूतिं च विनाशं चयः तत् वेद उभयं सहविनाशेन मृत्युं तीर्त्वासम्भूत्या अमृतम् अश्नुते || 14 ||sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ cayas tad vedobhayaṁ sahavināśena mṛtyuṁ tīrtvāsambhūtyāmṛtam aśnuteOne should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge.ISO 15हिरण्मयेन पात्रेणसत्यस्य अपिहितं मुखम्तत् त्वं पूषन् अपावृणुसत्य धर्माय दृष्टये || 15 ||hiraṇmayena pātreṇasatyasyāpihitaṁ mukhamtat tvaṁ pūṣann apāvṛṇusatya-dharmāya dṛṣṭayeO my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.

Natural laws and material attachment

4:30Open the page. Read.

4:33Gargamuni: Page eighteen.

4:35Prabhupāda: Read.

4:41Gargamuni: Page eighteen.

4:43"The root of sin is deliberate disobedience to the laws of nature through not recognizing the proprietorship of the Lord; disobedience to the laws of nature, or disobedience to the order of the Lord, brings ruin to the human being.

5:02On the other hand, if one is sober and knows the laws of nature, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence, he is sure to be recognized again by the Lord and thus become eligible for going back to Godhead, back to the eternal home."

5:19[Īśo mantra 1] [Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]

5:19Prabhupāda: Hmm. So the natural law, without being influenced by unnecessary attachment or abhorrence. There is no need of attachment for this material world, neither there is need of abhorrence.

5:47That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Suppose we are sitting in this temple. So, of course, for temple we should have attachment. Ordinary home, or ordinary house... Temple...

Transcendental nature of sacred space

6:15We must explain. The temple is transcendental. According to Vedic civilization, to live in the forest is residential quarter in goodness, to live in the forest.

6:32Therefore, formerly, great sages and saintly persons, they used to go to the forest and live there. And the government would give them protection. The king's duty was to supply them food. What sort of food?

6:57The king used to give them in charity cows, nice cows. So they would take little milk, and whatever fruits are available in the forest, that was sufficient for them.

7:13And the king would sometimes hunt ferocious animals so that they may not disturb. But actually, they do not disturb saintly persons still.

7:29So to live in the forest is in the mode of goodness, and to live in the city, or town, is..., is in the mode of passion, and to live in slaughterhouse and brothel and drunkards, these are the residential quarter in ignorance.

7:56And to live in the temple is transcendental, above goodness: pure goodness.

Pure goodness and first class bhakti

8:05In the material world goodness is sometimes mixed up with ignorance and passion, but in the spiritual world there is pure goodness—no contamination or tinges of passion and ignorance.

8:26Therefore it is called śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva. Śabdam, sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam SB 4.3.23*:*

8:31"That pure goodness is called vasudeva, and in that pure goodness one can realize God." Therefore God's name is Vāsudeva, "produced from Vasudeva." Vasudeva is the father of Vāsudeva.

8:57So unless we come to the standard of pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance, it is not possible, God realization.

9:14Therefore bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam. Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167, Brs. 1.1.11].

9:27Jñāna is the platform of goodness, and karma is the platform of passion and ignorance.

9:36So bhakti means anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ, without any material desire, devoid of, freed from all kinds of material desire and uncovered by ignorance, passion and goodness. Goodness also.

10:02To become very good man in this world, that does not mean that he is freed from this material contamination. He's contaminated by the goodness quality. Just like Arjuna. He wanted to be very good man.

10:25Kṛṣṇa said, "Now fight." He said, "Oh, how can I fight? Oh, they are my brothers, they are my grandfathers. No, no. Better I shall beg. I don't want this kingdom." So this is material goodness.

10:47People appreciate very much: "Oh, just see. Arjuna is giving up claim on the kingdom." But what Kṛṣṇa replied?

11:02Kṛṣṇa said, "Wherefrom you got this foolish idea?" Kutas te kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam, anārya-juṣṭam Bg. 2.2: "This is for non-Āryans, not for Āryan."

11:18So this so-called goodness, so-called gentlemanliness, has no value in the spiritual world.

Overcoming mental concoctions and attachment

11:31Spiritual world—complete love of God, without any attachment for this... So Arjuna, this goodness means attachment for his family. That's all. He was becoming a good man. Why?

11:48Because there is attachment for his family, for his grandfather, for his brother, nephews.

11:57So, so long there is attachment for this material world, either in the form of goodness or passion or ignorance, they're all the same. In the transcendental platform...

12:16Therefore Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that in this material world, the divisions that "This is good" and "This is bad," they are simply mental concoction.

12:29The same example: the stool dried up is good, and the wet is not good. Stool is stool. That's all. For a devotee, this is stool. Either it may be dried up or moist, it doesn't matter.

12:49So those who are in ignorance and passion, they're little moist, and those who are in goodness, they're dried up. But after all, it is stool.

13:04Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja Bg. 18.66*.* There is no consideration of this goodness or badness. You have to give up all material attachment.

Steadfastness in preaching and devotion

13:19And abhorrence. Abhorrence is also another negative attachment. "I don't like this," that means I have attachment for this "don't like." You see?

13:38So a devotee is simply attached to the service of the Lord, and whatever condition comes, favorable or unfavorable, any circumstances he is steady, dṛḍha-vratāḥ, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ Bg. 7.28.

13:59Dṛḍha-vratāḥ means fixed up, without being tilting, tottering in any circumstances. Ahaituky apratihatā... SB 1.2.6 So we should not have abhorrence or attachment. Suppose we have got this microphone.

14:20But sometimes there is no microphone; we have to say, lecture, in some jungle, where there is nothing available, neither like this seat. So whatever is available, that's all right.

14:40But that does not mean because there is no microphone, there is no nice seat, there is no nice building, we shall stop our chanting. No. Chanting will go on at any circumstance, either in this nice building or in the hell.

14:56We have no consideration, hell or heaven. Whatever..., wherever Krsna is there, that we want. That's all. So here it is said that without being influenced by unnecessary attachment.

15:18These karmīs, they are unnecessarily attached to this world. They know that everything will be finished; I will be finished, this body will be finished. Still they are attached. These are karmīs.

15:32And jñānīs, they are abhorring: brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. Jagan mithyā: "This world is false." Why it is false? It is... There are..., so many nice things there are which can be engaged in the service of the Lord.

15:55Why it is false? We don't say that "false," "abhorrent," or "This is made of material... You don't like." No, it can be used. When you speak, glorifying Lord, oh, it can help you. Why abhorrence?

16:12So there is no unnecessary abhorrence, unnecessary attachment. Simply whatever is favorable for my service to the Lord we shall accept. That is īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam [Īśo mantra 1]. Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [end]