The Responsibility of Human Life

0:00Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Chanting and human responsibility

4:45ISO 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.

4:48ISO 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.

4:49ISO 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.

4:49ISO 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?

4:50ISO 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.

4:50ISO 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.

4:56ISO 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.ISO 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.

4:56ISO 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 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.

4:56Repeat it again. 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.All right. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Congregation: Hare Kṛṣṇa. So you can read?

4:56Gargamuni: So we are on page 16, the last sentence of the second paragraph. It says, “Therefore in order to save themselves, both must follow the instruction of Śrī Īśopaniṣad and thus bring peace to the world.”

5:08Next paragraph: “Human beings are not meant for quarreling like cats and dogs. They must be intelligent enough to realize the importance of human life and to realize the aims of human life.

5:22The Vedic literature is meant for humanity and not for the cats and dogs.

5:27Cats and dogs can kill other animals for food, and for that there is no question of sin on their part, but if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste buds, he is responsible for breaking the laws of nature, and therefore he must be punished.”

5:47Yes, this is the responsibility of human life. The responsibility of human life, ordinarily you can understand. Several times I have explained also that even the state laws, they are meant for the human citizens.

6:17If a cat or a dog transgresses the law, there is no punishment or no arrest. Just like on the road, the direction is that when there is red light, you must stop your car.

6:38But if your dog passes in spite of the red light, he is not punishable, because it is animal. Therefore human life has got a very great responsibility.

6:55So if you do not execute that responsibility, then by the laws of nature again you are put into the cycle of cats and dogs. You cannot say that “No, sir, I am not going to be cat again.” No. The law is very strict.

Laws of nature and self realization

7:18BG 7.14दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया ।मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते ॥१४॥daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayīmama māyā duratyayāmām eva ye prapadyantemāyām etāṁ taranti teThis divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.

7:22You cannot surpass the laws of material nature; Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā. You cannot transgress any law.

7:34You know that even for your personal, if you little…, eat more, little, then immediately you are diseased; you will be sick. You cannot transgress.

7:52Very nice thing, if you want to eat more, then next day you will have to starve; you will be sick. So you have to accept exactly the same thing as it is allotted to you by the Lord. You cannot transgress.

8:12Therefore you have got very great... The only responsibility is that this human form of life is offered to us, to a living entity, for understanding self-realization.

8:25Athāto brahma jijñāsā—this is the Vedānta-sūtra—“Now this is the time for self-realization.” Brahma, brahma is the Supreme Spirit, or the part-and-parcel spirit.

Supreme leadership of Krishna

8:41Brahma…, God is called also brahma, but He is Parabrahma. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they cannot distinguish that why this word is there, Parabrahma. Parabrahma means the supreme brahma, and brahma, spirit.

9:03So we are also brahma. Kṛṣṇa is also brahma, but He is Parabrahma.* Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām* [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13].

9:11He is the chief brahma. Just like in our ordinary life, everywhere we have got some chief man, a leader, just like you have accepted me as your leader.

9:25Similarly, the leaders of the leader, leaders of the leader, go on, go on, go on searching out; when you come to Kṛṣṇa, He is the leader of everyone. That is Kṛṣṇa. That’s all. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1].

9:42Everyone is brahma, god, whatever you say*, īśvaraḥ—*but nobody is paramaḥ. Paramaḥ means “supreme.” I can be controller of this institution; the president can be controller of this country; but nobody can claim that “I am the supreme controller.” That is not possible.

10:08That is only for Kṛṣṇa. That post is for Kṛṣṇa. BS 5.1ईश्वरः परमः कृष्णःसत् चित् आनंद विग्रहः ।अनादिः आदिः गोविन्दःसर्व कारण कारणम् ॥ १ ॥īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥsac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥanādir ādir govindaḥsarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇamKṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.So He is controlling everything.

10:22It is stated in the śāstra, just like the bull or the horse is controlled by the ropes. It is bound up in the mouth or in the nose. The driver, pushing little this way, immediately he has to turn this way.

10:45He is so powerful, he is so stronger than the driver, but in spite of the strength, he is managed to be kept in such a way as soon as the driver pushes like this, immediately he has to go.

11:04He cannot say, the animal cannot say, “No, I shall go this way.” No: immediately. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, by the reins of the laws of nature, He is keeping everyone under the control.

11:20The laws of nature, as soon as push this way, you have to go this way; this way, you have to go this way. You cannot say, “I cannot go.” This is the understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Purification through Krishna consciousness

11:33Foolish people, rascal people, who are claiming to be independent—nobody is independent. Nobody can be independent.

11:41His constitutional position is to be dependent, but if he keeps himself dependent under Kṛṣṇa, then he is happy. Otherwise he will have to be dependent on māyā and suffer*.* [aside: All right, thank you.]

12:04He is responsible for breaking the laws of nature, and therefore he must be punished. That's all. Thank you. [devotees offer obeisances] Begin. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare, Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.

12:47I think, er, today we shall…, kīrtana will be performed at the end of the func… yes. Now there is time, you can begin your... Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [japa] [explains about chanting mantras—indistinct] [chants verse word-by-word with devotees in response]

13:29oṁ apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vāyaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥśrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu śrī-viṣṇu[break]

16:09Dayānanda: ...deliverance. We are attempting a deliverance from this mental concept of life—mundane consciousness of life and the mental concoctions.

16:28So this..., the purport of this mantra, the mantra enjoins, “Whether contaminated or uncontaminated, in any condition of life, if one simply remembers the lotus eyed one, Śrī Viṣṇu, one becomes purified, śuciḥ.” Śuciḥ means to become purified.

16:49So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process is a purification process. Simply by remembering the Lord, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, one becomes purified. So this is all understood by us initially.

17:09Upon taking up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process, by becoming in the association of the devotees, we accept, “Yes, I am impure. Therefore I will give up meat-eating, intoxication, gambling, and, ah…”

17:24Prabhupāda: Illicit sex.

17:24Dayānanda: “…illicit sexual connections.

17:30Therefore I will give these things up, these impure activities, and I will engage myself in a purifying process, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness process.” So this association of the devotees is a very important element.

Initiation and serving the spiritual master

17:41As soon as I come into the association of devotees, it becomes clear: “Here are some young people…, here are some people engaged in purification activities. I am so impure.”

17:55This modern society is developing a lower class of individual, a fifth-class man, and this Kṛṣṇa consciousness society is developing first-class men.

18:11So simply by engaging in this purificatory process, simply by associating with the devotees, simply by remembering the lotus-eyed one, simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and giving up these impure activities, one becomes purified.

18:24So initiation means to begin this purification process. It is a gradual process, not that one becomes immediately purified. Of course, this is the chanting, or the amount of surrender.

18:36If one can surrender 100%, then immediately one is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So this is generally a gradual process, that gradually one surrenders to the lotus-eyed one, Viṣṇu.

18:51One surrenders one’s words, by money, by life, by intelligence—everything one surrenders to the Lord. So as much as possible, everyone should try to surrender. But initiation, at this point we are surrendering our lives... [aside: Let it finish.]

19:16So this initiation is very important.

19:21It means that..., that you are agreeing to serve faithfully the spiritual master, carry out the orders of the spiritual master, to worship the spiritual master—not only to worship by bowing down but to worship in service, that we are dedicating our lives to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness process, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world, building up so many centers to improve this [indistinct] Kṛṣṇa consciousness organization...

19:59Prabhupāda: Ah, every one of you, just, ah, Dayānanda said that we are producing first-class men.

Developing character for global peace

20:09So are you all, I mean to say, agreeing to this? Do you think that we are producing first-class men?

20:20Devotee: Jaya!

20:22Prabhupāda: Do you agree to this proposal?

20:24Devotees: Jaya!

20:25Prabhupāda: Or if anyone has got any objection, that this is dogmatic? [laughter] Is there anyone who…, anyone who protests against this, that we are producing first-class men?

20:44People may say that we…, you are dogmatic, but practically one can see. Eh? These boys and these girls, previously what was their life? And what is their life now? The practical proof, eh?

21:07Most of you coming from Christian group, so before this, you were not even going to church. And since you are in contact with this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you are twenty-four hours engaged in this temple.

21:30You are all young men; you have got so many propensities. You don't go to cinema, you don't go to restaurant, you don’t go to club—you don't go to any nonsense place.

21:46And let anyone come and compare whether we are not producing first-class men. Everyone will give his history of life. So this is not dogmatic. This is a fact that we are producing first-class men, our boys and girls.

22:06That is the way of making... If you produce cats and dogs, how you can expect peace in the world? You must produce first-class men, first-class woman. Then you can expect peace. Peace is not so cheap thing.

22:24If you want peace in the jungle, same of the societies of the animals, cats and dogs—oh, that cannot be. However you may train a dog nicely, as soon as he will see another dog, oh, immediately he’ll attack.

22:40That is the animal propensity. So unless there is first-class men, there cannot be. So there is necessity of producing a number of first-class men at the present moment.

22:57Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very important movement. You should all know it, certainly. [aside: So this* arāti.* Let it finish; who'll take care? Yes.] [congregational japa] [kīrtana] [end]