# Krishna Consciousness the Direct Path
А. Ч. Бхактиведанта Свами Прабхупада
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Limitations of impersonalism and mayavada
Because they had no shelter. Anādṛta. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. You will go very, very high, but if it down, there is no shelter in the end for you.
Simply flying very high in the sky is not success. Just like this, just like very high, then lower. Anyway, where you are coming back? Why are you coming back?
If there is no shelter there, then what is the use of spending money then? Serious business. Now let's do they do not stop up in your shelter.
Similarly, those organisms, they perform severe austerities and go up and they are to the impersonal Brahman effulgence. But again, fall down. Because, uh, impersonal Brahman effulgence is devoid of Krishna's personality.
Very easy. The śāstra says, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they do not take shelter at the lotus feet of Krishna. They think that Krishna is māyā, Krishna is body is māyā.
He's a man. He's dead. He's gone. Now I am Krishna. I'm alive. So therefore, anādṛta. Anādṛta. Anādṛta means does not very much appreciate this authority of Krishna.
When Krishna says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, these rascals say this is too much, it is too much clear. So Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has plainly said that māyāvādī-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa.
Anyone who becomes an impersonalist by the association of the Māyāvādīs, the progress towards devotional service becomes finished. He will never be able to come to the standard of devotional service. Sarva-nāśa. Sarva-nāśa.
Māyāvāda is asat-saṅga. One should be very, very careful to hear the philosophical discussion from the Māyāvādīs. It is why we hold this.
So you see, if we actually want detachment from this material world, then take directly to Krishna consciousness and it is very soon to affect the heart. Other mechanisms will not work.
Chanting and spiritual practices across ages
And this you say especially in these days, na śānta, harer nāma, harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva, nāsty eva, nāsty eva gatir anyathā. The three times "nāsty eva" means this: only one, the three emphasize the point.
We say three times, you must, you must, you must. This is one point. Another point is that na śānta, that you cannot be perfect by following the procedure or fruitive at least. This is one na śānta.
Another na śānta, we cannot get perfection by following the principles or mental siddhis. Vṛndāvana śānta, we cannot realize the Absolute Truth by practicing yoga. Therefore three times, na śānta, na śānta, na śānta.
And na śānta as it is stated in the śāstra. Today is a different situation. By meditation, it was possible to realize the truth in the Satya-yuga. When everyone was very quiet, everyone was pure.
At that time meditation was possible. But that is not possible now. Tretāyāṁ... tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ. During Satya-yuga, people used to perform big, big sacrifices. That means huge amount of money required to perform.
That is not possible. People in this day, they have no, uh, even food for the next. Everything is store, every day partake and eat. And sometimes that is also not found. Because manda-matayaḥ, manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ.
Material degradation and the nature of suffering
For ordinarily for maintaining this body, one requires eating, some shelter, some living, some wife, sex, and some protection from danger. These four things: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithuna.
Uh, apart from the animals, because they are not so degraded, this human society is so degraded that there is no guarantee even for this basic duty.
There is no guarantee whether he has got anything to eat. Whether he has got any shelter to live. Not to speak of India. I am sitting and with a rich nation like America. I've seen first night.
There are many persons, bums, they have no shelter, they have no food arrangement, there is no... I will be such that is not... I will simply...
helplessly they made their position. Not that the government is lacking, but they don't want to take advantage of the facility. They're so unfortunate, but they are clear to their own position in this.
That's like a rich man's son. His father has got money, but he won't take that father's protection; he'll go to hell. What can we do? That is unfortunate.
Even if you have got the facility to take advantage of these four principles of life—eating, sleeping—you will not use it and be doomed. Because it's unfortunate.
That is... that's... that is a story, very instructive, that one day Lord Śiva and Pārvatī were walking and one poor man... Śiva said... Lord Śiva... timely given... just like there are many poor devas, sometimes chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for bhajana-pātra.
Similarly, you have a Lord standing in me, something... "I'm very poor." Yes. So Pārvatī and Lord Śiva... Pārvatī said, "Oh, he is a poor man. He's asking, so you should give him something."
Lord Śiva said that he is so unfortunate and even if I do it, he will not be able to enjoy. He's giving. So Lord Śiva in a watermelon, giving million dollars. "Take this watermelon."
Ah, next moment... now Śrīla Prabhupāda was saying, next moment that poor man called some man, "Sir, what shall I do with this watermelon? If you give me four annas, you can take it." So that means our life is for all.
So that means what I mean, in which million dollars were there, it was taken by somebody else. This is of course a story. The actual fact is that you cannot enjoy even very specific... there are many, many instances.
It is useless to try to satisfy a needy man because he has been forced. He has done, he has associated with such qualities of the material nature that he has to suffer.
It's like, for example, if a man is condemned to death by law, there is no power in any, in the hands of any good citizen or any of his relatives. He must be.
Even as that was the case, uh, a son of a member of Parliament in England. He was condemned to death. So even he was a very prominent member, he could not save. But that's a bit unfortunate.
So in these days, especially all these processes recommended in the Vedas: jñāna, yoga, karma. Nothing is reflected. Nothing is accepted. That's what Lord Caitanya has said.
And this process has become contacted by Lord Caitanya: harer nāma, harer nāma, harer nāmaiva kevalam.
Uh, it can be accepted, it can be satisfied by anyone, without any fortunate, unfortunate, we can do it anyway, and he probably, basically, and as he makes progress, uh, then he becomes an adept and don't see.
Principles of simple living and high thinking
It is not that, uh, because you have got some money, because you have got some cars, because you have got very nice apartments, you live peacefully, you know. But it's not possible. So many.
Think of that, say that, this, that, so many will bother you. We try to stay there, again the same thing. Those who have got very good income, they're trying to stay, they're making for the town, so many things.
But it, that means it will go out, money. That does not mean what happiness is guaranteed. This is the place like that. So you never buy what says vṛjinābha. Vṛjina means danger. It is full of danger.
It is, platform is valuable.
But anyone who sets to Kṛṣṇa needs to be seen that, uh, the svac-chanda-pradhānam, uh, simply we satisfy, uh, quite the bare necessities of the life, and that was the basic interest of our Indian case.
Indian Prime Minister, Cāṇakya, he's so well known all over the world and his political diplomacy appreciated, and, and see politics and judging any class. He used to live in a cottage, he has family.
This can't support us to you in the pocket. And he would not accept a single farthing as salary. He is a brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa cannot become a servant. Then he becomes a dog. That is, um, said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
But if a brāhmaṇa, he is in difficulty, he should not accept, uh, the profession of a shudra, just like a dog.
So he is not... even sometimes the brāhmaṇa should accept some political position in rare circumstances. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita was a planner-in-chief. And he was prime minister.
But even when such a thing is serving as far as and you are living in a cottage. And when you come for some political reasoning, uh, Mahārāja Nanda, uh, asked some explanation, immediately resigned.
If you ask explanation, some other... That was the civilization. So this civilization was based on plain living and high thinking. This is perfect.
Vedic literature and the disciplic succession
There is Vyāsadeva. There is no comparison of his authority. Nobody can imagine how one man can write so many books and so perfect.
This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, uh, is this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, every śloka so profound, philosophical, it is unimaginable that how a man can write this.
But it is possible for him because he is Bhagavān actually. But if you get from humanity point of view, it is not possible. But such a great personality, the guru of all sections of the sampradāya, Vyāsa-guru.
Therefore, Guru-pūjā. The spiritual master's birth is as Vyāsa-pūjā. Because the spiritual master is accepted as the representative of Vyāsadeva. The asana on which he sits is called Vyāsāsana.
That's... yeah, that it belongs to Vyāsa. That place is not for him. Because the spiritual master is speaking as a representative of Vyāsa. Not anyone else.
Such an exalted personality, he was living in Badarikāśrama in the cave. Yes. How simple it is to be. In a cottage. That was only if the royal class, the king class, they had big buildings. Because they have to maintain them.
They must have some exalted position, otherwise people will not respect. But ordinary men, they never struggle for these things, big motor cars, uh, house and this. No. Anywhere. Whatever produce is there, that's our land.
There is no rent. Anyone will live anywhere. Simply by keeping cows and tilling the ground, that's all. Economic process is all.
Economic independence and overcoming material greed
So that's like we are trying in our New Vrindaban. There's no economic problem. We can feed thousands of men through production. Sometimes the overproduction there is not.
In the land, the so-called overpopulation is a bonus for land. There's enough land. But they're not. You see in the morning they're going to the factory. Running to the factory.
They're not taking that business, tilling the ground and protecting the cows. Dhānyena dhanavān, gobhir dhanavān. That principle is lost.
One is considered, one was considered in those days, dhaninātama, how much grain you have got in stock, then you are rich. How many cows you have got? Then you are rich. But at the present moment, this is called māyā.
And if you have that, you are some... Oh, I have some balance. As soon as the value of war is there, it dies before he could lose anyway and big bank too. So therefore, in this case, the circumstances are so different.
But you cannot perform yoga system, you cannot execute on the mental speculation and know the Truth. It's not possible. In what the Puruṣa just try to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma, and be happy, otherwise no.
That very simple process is very released to higher spiritual understanding. And as soon as you are able to higher spiritual understanding, automatically we can be detached to all these material things.
Unless those are not devoted, those are not śrī-mat-ata, they are tamas-hata, they are defeated by their lust. Greedy, lusty, tamas-hata, this is the world. Hata, hata means in your defeat.
Tamas and weariness is so strong that heart-fulfilling, that lusty desires and willingness will have to work very, very hard just like that, and dark and home.
And if we are in giving a case, uh, they try to protect themselves similarly when because karma, though those who are defeated by lust, that in this concept in life, and they must, uh, promise things to achieve.
Sometimes we see that a big man, he teaches in charity. Some percentage of income they are still in charity because we know that we make so many things to actually get gifts and charity, but that is karma-kāṇḍī-vick.
Sound adapting the sin by karma. The, the example is given just like if you are, uh, filled for a car, if you are tricked by a thorn, you take another thorn and get out the thorn.
That is the karma-kāṇḍī-yodic, uh, there if you have done something wrong, then you do something good and it will become right;
this is called karma-kāṇḍī, uh, but there they will never take to, uh, do a sali, the karma-kāṇḍa, the life, big judge, uh, the life. But, uh, Bhāgavata says karmahata.
They again try to, uh, accept some treaty actions, but by doing that, he again becomes entangled into you. That is also explaining the Sītā. The dhyasatarma on natratama.
If you do not act only for Krishna, then whatever you act, part or in part, you'll be bound up by the result of that.
And that's a rajapramatum, e heatha karma, jataiva, rajapunas, jataiva, because you are engaged in crucial activities, it'll be a green chance.
The power of devotion and Vedic purpose
It sounds howabhati sabati gaditan bhagavan mahityamita bhishmit navasita nati san comand. Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī explained that after hearing the statement of Yamarāja.
Since then the Yamadūtas, the assistants of Yamarāja, pavhat gauditang bhagavan mahitta.
The master, Yamarāja is authority and master, after hearing from the master, the glory of devotees and Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Sa-vismitaṁ vismita-jātavedasā, they become surprised uh by thinking on this, so how the devotees are fortunate that they become so easily free from all things in the actions.
And may you ask it, after Janan-pati, they do not even doubt uh of the devotees that they are thinking.
That means they never go, never try to approach that immediately as you see, as you see, that very devotees, that they are like actually the decision. Vaikalī is a devotee. Vaikalī has got this tilaka.
Vikas has got this kaṇṭhī. That's all right. We don't bother. It's so advantageous. This tilaka, this love and this kaṇṭhī, what do you signify? Oh yes, that is a Krishna. That's the way the dog is there.
And it still does fire in you. Okay. So these times of criticize. Why this is necessary? This is necessary. From the gurus. Just like a boy, he really falls. Everyone has a pleasure. This is the craft. Oh, here he is.
May you ask the pray along. This time, or he has certain things that his manas are telling that time. They will offer them arghya. Oh, you are sitting.
So the whole process, just like the government, what is the whole process? The process is let the citizens be good citizens, law-abiding, that is also government. Good government means that.
The good government means that the citizens must be uh uh I mean good uh followers of the laws and lead with honesty. For that matter there are so many education and universities and so many arrangements.
Just to make good citizens. Similarly, the whole material world works.
All the living entities within this material world, their only purpose is that "we don't care for God, we must enjoy this material world with best capacity." That is the point later. But for all of the machines...
And the whole idea of Vedic literature is to convert them again to understand that he is a servant of his maker.