R1

Understanding the nature of God

0:12So Baha'i Faith. What is the objective of the Baha'i Faith? The objective. We're all in the universe, we're coming from all the nations. We're all clouds going down. You come here. Well,

0:45he he's been explaining to me that, um, Baha'i, uh, or Bahá'u'lláh, who is the the founder of the Baha'i Faith, he he synthesized all the teachings of, of, um, whom he the persons who he called the nine great teachers, of whom Krishna is included within those nine.

1:06And he synthesized these teachings to present, uh, to the world the, uh, the recognized way of living peacefully on the world for God-realization for the next twenty-five thousand years.

1:20And each twenty-five thousand years, presumably, a a new teaching is given for that period of time. And, uh, what is the ultimate goal? God-realization, the infinite oneness of man.

1:40He is he he is explained to us, um, he has experienced what he considers to be Brahman. But that he knows that he has experienced what he considers to be Brahman. But he he he knows that there's something beyond that.

1:58You you have realized like that Brahman? Brahman. Brahman. Yes. You what use this Brahman, this is asked what? Because a word, an experience to me is an experience. A word like an apple out there.

2:24Until you experience the apple, you never know the flavor. Until you experience an experience, it remains a word. But that means you have experienced what is God. I wouldn't like to say what I experienced was God.

2:43He says he experienced the light, the divine light. But that he knows that that is not, uh, the complete experience. He knows that he must search further.

2:54But he considers, or Bahá'u'lláh taught, that God Himself is unknowable. Unknowable. Unknowable. Then why should we try to realize it? Try to realize it. If it is unknowable, then what is the use of attempting to know it?

3:16Well, he he is not answering the question yet. Well, that should be clear. If God is unknowable, then why should we attempt to know Him?

3:32Well, at this present moment, at the juncture in my particular life, I felt God for me now. He realized God? No, he doesn't claim to realize God. But, but he... on one side he says that God cannot be realized.

3:56He said that He is unknowable. And, uh, he explained that... that Bhakti has told that... that God is unknowable. If He... if He is unknowable, then why is there an attempt to know Him? No, everyone...

4:12He said the ultimate goal of the faith was God-realization, but now His end is unknowable. I wonder if it... Now, you define. Can I define God? I can't define God. You don't define? I can't define God. Then what?

4:39God is... What is this? God is a word, you see. This is the point. From my understanding... My understanding is...

4:52Your understanding may be defective, but the thing is, if God is not knowable, then why should we attempt to know Him? Come one way. Reality. We're all going towards role-serving, trying to serve.

5:15Is there any statement by the original founder? What is the nature of God? Energy? Is there any statement driving your said faith? What is the nature of God? Is there any statement that he has made? No, who is God?

5:34Well, who... I know what was God or who is God? Well, Bahá'u'lláh, who is the founder of the Bahá'í faith, was the pen of God.

5:47And what he has written is the pure reflection, because Bahá'u'lláh — what it means was... he was the glory of God. Not God, but the glory of God, the reflection of God. That's nice.

6:01That's nice, but he is a reflection of God. Reflection means that here is a thing, and in the mirror, the exact reflection is there. So you are... if you see your face, the reflection in the mirror.

6:25So the reflection in the mirror is exactly like your face. The face is the reality. And the reflection is a shadow, but it gives the idea of the reality, is it not?

6:42Similarly, if you say that Baha'u'llah is a reflection of God, then from the reflection we can understand what is God. As we become more receptive, as we understand more, as we are thinking more or less.

7:05When the reflection is there, we can understand the reality. I just like my face, I do not see it.

7:17But when I keep a mirror before me, the reflection of the face is there, then I can see, "Oh, here is a spot, oh, here is this, here is this." So, although I cannot see my face, but when it is reflected, I can see it.

7:40And from the reflection I can describe the features of my face. Is it clear? So if Baha'i is reflection, then from him we can understand God. Yes, I accept this point, because which makes this what I mean to know God.

8:04So what the statement he has given about God? That is my point. What statement? Because if it's reflection, you have to say reflection. So reflection will give you the idea of the face.

8:21So what is the difficulty to give any definition or statement about God? Well then, does this mean then that we are all and everything is reflections of God? Yes. In that broader, infinite sense. Yeah, yeah, that's right.

8:39Reflection. In the Christian faith also they say man is made after God. We also say, just like our Krishna, God. So he, as Krishna has got two hands, we have got two hands. Krishna has got two legs, we have got two legs.

9:00Krishna has got a head, we have got head. So we can understand from the reflection; we are reflection, we can understand God is a person. Is it not? God is a person. Like me. Is it not clear?

9:24Yes, but this is true what he says from the claim he's made you. Yes. If I am a reflection of God, he is a reflection of God, say, you, me, every one of us is a person. Therefore God is personal. God is not impersonal.

9:45This is the first statement. Yeah, well, this is what's like we have been trying to clarify. Yes, it is already clarified, because if I am a reflection of God, I am a person, then God must be a person. It is already clear.

10:06Is it not? God is a person as we accept, uh, bhakti person. Now it is to be understood what kind of person he is, what is the difference between his personality and my personality. That is to be understood.

10:36If I have the reflection, then I am a person. So God must be a person. If I am a reflection of God. Now it is to be understood what kind of person he is. Is it exactly like me or he is different from me? Different? Yes.

11:08In what way? Degree of refinement? Degree of refinement. Thank you. That is, he is unlimited, we are limited. That is the difference. He is a person, I am also a person, that's fact. But he is the Supreme Person.

11:32Nobody can excel him. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: «mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat». He is a person, just like I'm a person, my disciples, they are also persons, but my disciples consider me as a greater person.

11:59Similarly, I consider my spiritual master as a greater person. So greater, greater, greater, greater, greater. When you have come to the person where there is no more greater than him, then he is God. Then he is God.

12:22Here I am greater than him. But my spiritual master is greater than me, his spiritual master is greater than him, God, God, God.

12:30When you come to the ultimate person and when he sees that there is no more other greater than him, then he is God. Yeah. I can realize it to a point because I might be completely wrong. And this is philosophy.

13:00This is philosophy. This philosophy. Ah, think about it. The Supreme Person above whom there is no more greater person. Is there no, uh, degree of refinement?

13:12Is there a few? Yes, that I said there is, just like I am a little more advanced. Therefore they accept me, my spirit, that spiritual master. Similarly, I accept guru. Guru. Guru means heavy. Heavy. Heavy. You don't understand?

13:31Heavy. Heavy. Yes. Weight. So guru means heavy. So I am heavier than my disciple. My guru is heavier. In this way, when you go to the Supreme Guru, no more heavier than him, he is the heaviest of all, is God.

13:56That is our īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. We get information from Vedas that parama, the Supreme īśvara, controller, is Kṛṣṇa. His name is Kṛṣṇa. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Īśvara means controller. I am controlling my disciples.

14:26My Guru Mahārāja is controlling me. His Guru Mahārāja is controlling this way. We are controller and controlled. Both. I am controlling somebody, but I am controlled by somebody else. This is my position.

14:44In this way, when we find a person who is simply a controller, not controlled by anyone else, He is God. He is God. Very simple definition. He's simply a controller. He's not controlled. Nobody controls Him.

15:06Then this is a simple understanding of God. Therefore it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Parama means supreme. He has no controller. He is not controlled by anyone. Therefore, He is God. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ.

15:33So He is a person. sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Vigraha means person. So that is clear. Because we are a reflection of God. So I am a person, God must be a person. That is clear.

Spiritual identity and eternal variety

15:48But His personality and my personality are different. At least at the present moment, so long as I am in the material world, my personality is there, but my body is not exactly like Kṛṣṇa's. Kṛṣṇa's body is sac-cid-ānanda.

16:18Sat means eternal. Cit means full of knowledge. And ānanda means full of bliss. My body, it is not sac-cid-ānanda. It is not eternal. It is temporary. Therefore it is different from God's body.

16:43My body is not full of knowledge because I do not know even what is going on within my body. But it is going on, but I do not know. Therefore, my body is full of ignorance.

17:02So it is not... it is temporary, it is full of ignorance, and it is not full of bliss, it is full of miserable conditions. I have got disease, I get old age, I get death,

17:21I birth, I take my birth, I have got mental anxieties, I have got bodily pains and pleasure, I am afflicted by others, so many. See, it is there is no ananda, there is no bliss.

17:37Therefore my body is different from God Krishna's body. He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Although He is person, I am person, that's our life. But at the present moment, my body is different from Him. Then what is my position?

18:01My position is, if I have real reflection, then now I am covered by something by which I've got a body which is not permanent, not blissful, not full of knowledge. So that covering is called māyā.

18:24Just like you are covered by your coat. This coat is not your identity. You and Mr. Satsvarūpa, I ask you, Mr. Satsvarūpa. I don't ask you, Mr. Black Coat or Blue Coat. No. So this body is just like that, or I think dress.

18:50Within this body, my reality is there, that is soul. The soul is as good in quality as the Lord, because I am part and parcel of God.

19:05Therefore, my attempt should be how to get out of this temporary body, miserable condition without any bliss, and get back my original body, which is as good in quality as that of God.

19:26This should be the attempt of human life. Develop consciousness. In the animal life, they cannot do it because they have no developed consciousness. In the human life, we have got developed consciousness.

19:44Therefore, our attempts should be made how to get back or revive our original consciousness, our original body. That is perfection of life. That original consciousness is Krishna consciousness.

20:02That I am part and parcel of Krishna, God. I am fallen in this my condition of life. So let me revive my original position and go back to home, back to Godhead.

20:21Could you explain what that experience I experienced, I was pointing out earlier on, back in 1914, due to an accident they gave me anesthetic? The experience was the sense of the great boundary. You experience? Yeah.

20:42So he described, he described that he experienced dazzling light. Yeah, a pinpoint that this light eventually grew and grew and grew until it burst into a thousand million lights.

20:55And then the sounds of the bells, it went completely. What is that? Sound of bells, ringing bells. Yeah, then these large deep bells' vibration. They gradually tinkled after the night. That's nice. He experienced it. Yes. Yes.

21:23That there was a place where bells are ringing. Well, he experienced merging into sort of big bells ringing first, yeah, bong, big deep dong.

21:34And then it was a gradual tinkling off to a very mere tinkle, then it just went into a breeze. So there is breeze, there is sea, there is air, so there are varieties.

21:56So you have to accept that our spiritual world is full of varieties. It is not impersonal. That's nice. As soon as we say that there was breeze, there was sand, beach, the bells, these are varieties.

22:22So we also say the spiritual world is full of spiritual varieties. «Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu...» Govinda, the Supreme Lord, is very fond of tending cows, surabhi cows, as cowherd boys.

23:03And he is always surrounded by many thousands of goddesses of fortune. They are called gopis. And the house in that spiritual world is made of touchstone, cintāmaṇi-prakara.

23:24There are trees, but they are desire trees, not like this tree. You can ask anything from that tree. It will supply. So these are the descriptions of the spiritual world.

23:40The spiritual world, or the abode of God, the kingdom of God, is not void or impersonal. There are varieties, as exactly we experience varieties in this world. But that variety is of spirit, not of matter.

24:07Spirit means having knowledge; that is spirit. Just like here, this table, this is material, it has no knowledge. Suppose I want to move this table a little this way and that way. So I don't require to move it.

24:31As soon as we breathe, I ask the table, "Please move like this," it won't move. Just like I ask my disciple, "Please move," he will move. This is spirit.

24:44So the spiritual world means there are varieties exactly like this, but they are all full of knowledge. Knowledge. Which is infinite. The expanding? Yes. Expanding. Knowledge means whatever he desires, he does.

25:13That is knowledge. Will this predate then to the eternal progress which is open to every soul? Progress, there is no question of progress or evolution. There is varieties. Varieties. Varieties.

25:30Just like this flower is a variety. The table is a variety. So progress from here, from matter we make progress to the spiritual world. That is progress.

25:51But here all the varieties, because they are material, they are temporal. There the varieties are not temporary, they are eternal. Here this flower, it will either dry, because it is material, made of material energy.

26:09But there the flower is ever fresh. Ever fresh. It will never wither. The trees are ever fresh. The trees are always full with fruits. Not only one kind of fruit, but whatever fruit you like, you can get from that tree.

26:36These are the descriptions of the spiritual world. And there the Supreme Person is surabhīr abhipālayantam. He is tending cows. He is acting like a cowherd boy. Veṇuṁ kvaṇantam, he is blowing on his flute.

26:56Barhāvataṁsam, he has got a peacock feather on his head. Araṇya-cin-maya-rasa. Here we taste everything because there is some mellow. I take a fruit because there is some taste. But that taste is temporary.

27:26You will have a taste, a nice fruit, the fruit will be finished, or if there are many fruits, my taste will be finished. It will come to an end. Therefore it is material.

27:43Suppose you give me a mango, I can eat the mango, very nice taste. Then the mango is finished. There was one mango. But if there are many mangoes, then I cannot eat.

27:59After eating one mango, two mangoes, my capacity to taste finishes. So here there is taste, mellow, that is temporary, finished. But there is taste that never finishes. Neither the tasting object is finishing.

28:25That is spiritual. This we call spiritual breath? Spiritual world. There is a spiritual world. Just like this is the material world. There is a similar world beyond the sky. Spiritual world.

28:52There also, in the spiritual world, there are also planets. And there are spiritual planets. So as in the planet, in this planet, or any other planet, there are varieties, there are also varieties.

29:06The only difference is, they are not temporary, they are eternal. Here in this material world, everything is temporary, it will be finished. Your body is temporary because it will be finished. It will not stay.

29:30But there, the body is never finished. Once you enter, you get an eternal body, eternal bliss, eternal knowledge, everything eternal. Then where does the point of reincarnation come in if one has this?

Divine incarnations and universal preaching

29:50Incarnation means when somebody comes from there, that is avatāra. Just like I come from India. Similarly, the Supreme Lord Krishna sometimes comes from there to teach us when we forget Krishna.

30:13He comes and He says, "yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir..." He comes personally, or He sends His representative, just like Baha'u'llah. He also spoke about God.

30:32So sometimes He comes personally, sometimes He sends His representative, just to revive our God consciousness. Is this right? Yeah. So here we have forgotten God. There God is personally present.

30:55So therefore sometimes He comes, sometimes He sends His representative. So the representative, according to the time, atmosphere, and people, he speaks about God as far as they can understand.

31:18But here also we have got different varieties of people who can understand more than the other. Therefore, we find these representatives sometimes speak differently because they are addressing different persons.

31:39Jesus Christ said, "Thou shalt not kill." This means he was speaking to a group of people who were number one killers. Their business was to kill. Not very first-class men.

32:00If in a society the members simply kill, that means they are not very civilized men. In a civilized society, killing is not allowed. But they were killing.

32:19Therefore, to stop that killing, those sinful activities, that was the main preaching. So Lord Jesus Christ spoke only that thing, that if they can stop killing, someday they will be able to understand what is what.

32:37Let them first of all stop this sinful activity. Lord Buddha said, "ahiṁsā." He did not say anything more, because they would not be able to understand.

32:56Because such sinful men, what will they understand about God, those who are busy in killing? Then what will they understand of God? Therefore, the preaching is, "Thou shalt not kill." Let them stop that.

33:14Then there will be opportunity for understanding God. So as soon as this statement is here, that "Thou shalt not kill," that means you are preaching not amongst very high-class men.

33:35Any class of men, they should be given some idea. But as far as they can understand, therefore, we sometimes find different types of preaching by different representatives of God.

33:54But anyone preaching, he says about the glories of the God, that is the sign of God's sincerity. If he speaks about the glories of the God, he does not call himself as God, then he is the representative of God.

34:20He is the confidential servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda, priya-bhāva. Such spiritual master is very dear. He speaks according to the time, circumstances, people, differently. But he speaks about God.

34:41That is the sign of becoming representative of God.

35:08Um, one thing which he could not properly understand was, uh, what distinguishes Krishna consciousness from the teachings of the other representatives of Krishna, what distinguishes their teachings from Krishna?

35:24The distinction is, others they preach the same Krishna consciousness according to the circumstances, from the time in which where he is speaking. In Krishna consciousness, there are many things to be understood.

Stages of realization and love

35:46The first understanding is: God is great and I am God's subordinate. God is predominator, I am predominated. This is basic principle of God's concept. Now, what is my relationship with God?

36:10How I can serve Him, what are the varieties of serving? There are so many things, unlimited. God is unlimited. So to know about Him is also unlimited. The first knowledge is that I am maintained or predominated by God.

36:32God is the supreme predominator, controller, maintainer of all others. This is the preliminary knowledge. Then I am part and parcel of God. Therefore, I am qualitatively one with God.

36:59But He is unlimitedly powerful, I am limited. This is second stage. And then the third stage, when one realizes that I am eternal servant of God, it begins service, that is devotional.

37:19That is the beginning of self-realization and realization of God. So as one advances in devotional service, he understands God, he understands himself, he understands the whole thing. Is that clear?

37:47So regardless of name, God has got tons and tons of names. But He has got one chief name. And that name is Krishna. Otherwise He has got thousands and thousands of names. Well, this is the point, you see. Yes.

38:11And this is the great stumbling block of humanity? No. It is in a lot of respects. No. God, God has got many names. Many names. But it's a great split side that the chief name is Krishna. Krishna means all-attractions. Yeah.

38:34But the state of awareness that God has said is the name, God is manifest within the whole flower. Yes, God is manifest, yes.

38:45God is manifest in you, God is manifest in him, God is manifest in this flower, God is manifest in this table because God is manifest.

38:56We know this table, material, is made of material things, but these material things are energy of God. Therefore it has got relationship with God. Spiritual being, which is also another energy of God.

39:21So material energy is called external energy and spiritual energy, as we are living entities, marginal. So there is material world. God has got connection. God is manifest in the material world. But not very distinct.

39:43One who can't understand, just like the... there is no... we cannot see the sun in the sky, but one who has got knowledge, he knows the sun is not yet set. He can understand the sun is there.

40:02By the sunlight, similarly, by seeing the energy of Krishna, we can understand what is Krishna. The more you understand about the energy, the more you understand clearly Krishna.

40:20But the only thing I see and I experience is the great confusion going on in the world around us in this level, this plane of existence, where you see this beautiful... okay, which is unified into a beautiful creation.

40:38Yeah. Which we all are. There's so many diversions and divergences of the individual consciousness, whether not harmonizing, whether not really getting together in this great universal knowledge and understanding.

40:54Yeah, they they can be harmonized when they come to God consciousness. Now, because one hasn't or one has forgotten God, he is seeing simply this matter, material, just like the scientists. They have no experience of God.

41:17They are simply dealing with the matter. They are thinking matter is all in all. They are unaware of the fact that matter is an energy of God. That is imperfectness of knowledge.

41:37So the God is realized by perfection of knowledge. Those who are imperfect, they cannot realize God. God is there, even to the imperfect person, just like this flower.

41:57This flower is present, both to the perfect person and the imperfect person. So God's energy is present. The perfect person can understand that it is made of God's energy.

42:14And imperfect person, they do not see God behind it, they see that it is the nature is working. There is a difference. The eyes of the perfect person is different from the eyes of the imperfect person.

42:32Just like if there is an electric fan, there just like in our childhood you used to think that there is a ghost within this fan.

42:48But one who knows, he does not find any ghost, he knows that it is running by the electric energy which is coming from the electric power.

43:01So the ignorant also seeing the fan and the man in knowledge also seeing the fan, but their seeing is different. The perfect man is seeing in a different way than the imperfect man.

43:19So the whole thing is present before the perfect and the imperfect. One who is imperfect, he is seeing in a different way and the perfect is seeing in another way. That is the difference.

43:34But the object of seeing is the same. What is that? Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra. Sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati, find out. Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati.

44:35For one who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to me. That is, that is permanent relationship with God. The devotee is seeing everywhere God.

44:50God is everywhere and everything is in God. Therefore God is never missed by you. He is seeing this flower, but he is seeing this flower in God, and God is in the flower. God is in the flower means God's energy is there.

45:12And it is resting in God. It has no separate existence. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. It is not independent. It is dependent on the existence of God. Therefore, when we see in that way, he is never missing God.

45:31He is always with God. God concept. That is Krishna concept. He is never missing God.

45:40There is a similar verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā: «premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti», «yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi».

45:57A devotee who has developed love of God and his eyes are filled with God consciousness, therefore he is always seeing Śyāmasundara, Krishna. He's not for a moment seeing anything except Śyāmasundara, except Dhāma.

46:20«premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva». Sadaiva means always. Constant. «santaḥ sadaiva». «hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti». He is seeing. Actually, he wants to see God within his heart; immediately, he sees Krishna.

46:39Immediately. This is the position of perfect devotion. He's always seeing God, nothing but God. God is there. But one who has not developed that sense, he sees this temple, this flower, as different.

47:02But in everything, a devotee sees God. There is a crude example. You have got a lovable child; he is out of your sight.

47:17But as soon as you see some toy, oh, this toy belongs to my child, immediately you see your child with the toy. As soon as I see the little shoe of your child, immediately I see the child, is it not? Mm-hmm.

47:37So it is a question of loving. If you have developed the loving sense, then you can see God everywhere. That is the criteria. So therefore our business is to develop the dormant love of God.

48:02And any religious system which helps in developing that loving attitude, that is first class. That is first class really.

48:17Not the rituals, but the training, how one is developing that attitude of love of God. That is the test. It doesn't matter whether this is Hindu religion, Muslim religion, this religion.

48:36But if it is actually helping the follower to develop love of God, eh? Then it's fine. Otherwise it is simply waste of time. That is the test: how much one is developing his love of God. Otherwise, śrama eva hi kevalam.

49:07If he does not develop love of God by following the principles of religion, then it is simply waste of labor. That's all. So in action in love, devotion. Action without love and devotion is non-action.

49:28Would you say then that action without love and devotion is non-action? No.

Symptoms and methods of purification

49:32Devotion is action. If I love you, then I shall give you to eat. True. So that is action. That is action. It is not inaction. But if I love you, then whatever you are giving me, I shall accept. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I can accept it.

49:54I will open my mind to you. I am feeling like this. What is your advice? Because I love you, therefore I disclose my mind to you. So love means not inaction.

50:11Dadāti pratigṛhṇāti bhuṅkte bhojayate caiva guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati, ṣaḍ-vidhaṁ prīti-lakṣaṇam. These are the six symptoms of love: that you give and take, eat and give him to eat, and open your mind and hear from him.

50:34These are the six exchange of activities when there is love. Love is not inactive. Mm-hmm. No, true. Then actually it can be, um, smothered with personal things which doesn't stem from love, then it becomes annulled.

51:00And that he... he was asking, his original question was if there is activity without love. Is that so? No, there is activity without love. And there is activity with love.

51:15But the activity with love is different from activity without love. When I do not love, I simply act for taking my necessities from God. “Oh, God, give us our daily bread.” Finish.

51:35He does not think, “Then I have to also... I have to give something to God.” That is not... There is no love. He wants to take from God. If God gives him, satisfies his senses, then he accepts God.

51:54But he does not want to satisfy the senses of God. There is no love. There is simply approach to God, but there is no love. Love, the extreme love is that I shall give everything to God, I shall not accept anything. Kāma.

52:13That is... gopīs. They said, “Gopī...” They wanted to give everything to Krishna. But they never pray to Krishna for their personal benefit. Never. That is the highest, topmost love. Complete surrender. Huh? Complete surrender?

52:42Yeah. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati. That is pure satisfaction of our ātmā. Giving the two percent from you, can give. Thank you. You can't take, you can give your money. Those are busy text. No, they take visitors.

53:42You take business. Okay. Yes. Tanto and the hippie area of London where all the hippies have completely been degraded to the lowest stages of life. They are so degraded that they go out. In our temple?

55:07Yes, in a small temple which we have, not at the very place. Yeah, they have dummy? Yes. Every evening, every evening. They're chanting. Sometimes. Not all of them. No.

55:17To try to induce them to chant, then everything will come out okay. Simply induce them to chant. And don't attempt anything more. They like the prasāda very much. Yeah, give them prasāda and let them chant.

55:37That is, that will make barriers. So prasāda you can distribute, you can have Pañca-tattva pictures and now have Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu Nityānanda

55:56and give them prasāda and chant the Pañca-tattva: Śrī Caitanya Nityānanda and Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Two sounds, lessons. Simple mental. Then gradually everything will be all right.

56:15So are you bringing that? Yes. Those of them who do chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, they enjoy very much to let them hear, then they gradually they will chant. And that will make them all right. Don't talk amongst them about philosophy.

56:40They will not understand. Yes, I found that. Huh? I find it very difficult to explain. No, there is no need of talking to them. Simply chant. And let them. Well, I ask, what is your, um, mode of chanting?

57:11Is it to raise the vibrations? The spiritual image. By this vibration, he'll be purified. Mm-hmm. His heart will be cleansed. Yeah. It is a cleansing method. Just like before coming in this, we cleanse this room nicely.

57:38That is first business. So the material is contaminated, living entity. They've got heaps of garbages within the mind. By this vibration, everything will be clear, gradually. And when the mind is clear, they will understand.

57:59Then at that time, if you speak something about God, they will understand. And before being clean, they will not understand. So first cleansing. Stay to that for a moment. Go on cleansing. We have to do this personally too.

58:22It will be quite bad. Once, twice equally. Is it also beneficial for them to hear the stories of Krishna—it is also beneficial for them to hear the stories of Krishna from the Krishna books? Yeah.

58:50But chanting will be more enthusiastically accepted. The reciting, the narration of Krishna, that is also as good as chanting. But for them, this chanting will be more effective. Therefore, this chanting is recommended.

59:22Kīrtana, keep them. Go on with kīrtana as many, as much time as you can. Do you, uh, introduce music in your music? Yes, we chant in music, in this rhythm. Not very much. Mm-hmm. Not much harmonic music, you know.

59:52Harmonic music, you know, which means it brings them in the ecstasy immediately, simply by... powerful.

1:00:08Any aid which would, um, raise the vibration to bring them in within the chanting loudly: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna... That vibration will chant loudly and it will change the whole atmosphere by śabda- Brahman.

1:01:07He's supposed to help redecorate the new temple. He's living in a new apartment there across the street. Yes. And I think some... Can you see the ultimate goal? And

1:01:53I said the ultimate goal, when the whole of humanity will be united.

Spiritual unity and social service

1:02:03This is imagination. Then learn. And to attend for such things is simply waste of time.

1:02:20Then you feel the Golden Age, and you come to the Golden Age, and the thing will go, you know, it might come to this great spiritual high. Golden Age means the people are not bad, but there is no question of unity.

1:02:43You don't show there be everyone... No, that is not possible in this material world. Because the material world is being conducted by the three modes of material nature: sattva, rajas, tamas.

1:02:59So there will be varieties of men and living entities always. So, there cannot be unity. There can be unity on this platform of God consciousness. But not that everyone will be interested. That is not possible.

1:03:27But if they... but that is "if" on condition. And that "if" will never come into it. True. It's a degree of their own elevation. Mm-hmm. It's a degree of elevation, regulation. Yes. So not everyone will be elevated.

1:03:52So you must continue virtually, keep serving and stimulate and stimulate and stimulate. Yeah, just like, uh, this body, the body, the tendency is to become old and then, uh, finished. Apakṣaya.

1:04:18The things are going on towards the end. So when the time will be, it will not vanquish. So that is the nature of the material existence. It deteriorates gradually. But this improvement means the improvement of the soul.

1:04:44The soul is covered now, but it can be improved by spiritual consciousness. Therefore, that is required. If one has to work for improvement, he has to work on the spiritual platform, Krishna.

1:05:06Materially if you are, that is very... No, I don't mean on material level. I mean material level, just like the—yes, that Monday, Monday, on Sunday, he is attempting to cure lepers.

1:05:26He is spending his energy for this purpose. So I say this is simply waste of time. We cannot cure the lepers. The leprosy is one. Even if you cure one or two men, what is there? So your attempt is simply futile.

1:05:52So anyone is attempting on this material platform, just like these rascals, United Nations, they are trying to be united. This is rascaldom. It is not useful, because they want to make a show.

1:06:14Just like Vivekananda, then the daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. There is another aspect. For 100 years they are attempting for daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā; the daridras are there.

1:06:26And they are becoming rich by raising subscription in the name. Similarly, this man also will raise subscription for curing leprosy, but he eats himself.

1:06:40No leper will be cured, and not a farthing will be expended for the leprosy. This is the... Well, if this is the case, then we'd accept the situation which we're in: people are being born into the world,

1:06:59they're growing away from the light. And then eventually they either grow away from the light that far that it brings this great division from humanity.

1:07:15And depending upon the influence of the parent or the influence of the society that they're born into, this has a possibility of teaching the child towards spirituality or Krishna consciousness. That, that is possible.

1:07:32You can teach. But you cannot expect that everyone will be able to take that teaching. That we know. Your attempt should be to teach. And that is a good attempt, to teach about God consciousness.

1:07:56But other material platforms, it is not possible. Material platform will be never in light. That is not...

1:08:14No, true, but what I was trying to express was, if in the hope that eventually somewhere out there in time you can hold, but that is a foregone conclusion. That they won't become aware of spiritual consciousness?

1:08:34The spiritual consciousness or yet... Hmm, that's what I mean. I'm speaking on the material plane. Ah, I beg your pardon. Spiritual consciousness there.

1:08:46In any condition of life, if one is eager to take up spiritual consciousness, that is possible. That is possible. Because there's a, you know, point in your life. Ahaitukī, this very word, ahaitukī, of that.

1:09:02Spiritual consciousness can advance without any check. That is what. Yeah.

1:09:10Well, won't that condition eventually come when it will be a greater majority than it is at the moment in the world, when people are aware of spiritual consciousness? Yes, let us hope like that.

1:09:24And this is all we're hoping to hope. Majority of the people will be spiritual conscious. Then this whole world will be spiritual world. Well, won't this then bring humanity closer together?

1:09:36And eventually bring... Why humanity? All living in... Well, all living, yeah. But it really means all living.

1:09:44Yeah, but the great problem as I see it is that great agony of the world is caused by man upon earth through the lack of spiritual consciousness. Yes. Therefore we are persuading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1:09:59That is spiritual consciousness. If you're going toward the goal, which is to bring about enlightenment and peace. Yes, as soon as one becomes spiritually conscious, he becomes peaceful. Otherwise there is no peace.

1:10:15There is no question of peace. So this is the goal, God. The goal is to understand what is God, what is my relationship with God. Not in a selfish way, surely. But knowing the self.

1:10:44Well, when one comes to God, he's no more selfish. He's broad-minded. Mahātmā. He's called Mahātmā. If one becomes a God-conscious man, he is never selfish, he is broad-minded.

1:11:24So it's how much we work now and how much we work to pull together now is the foundation. Another point is, unless the person is free from sinful activities, he cannot understand. What does one do to, uh, be a follower?

1:12:28What does one do to be with you, working with you? What does one do to become a śiṣya? Suffering is due to sinful activity. His question is, um, to work with you, with the movement, what, what does one have to do?

1:12:49Well, we welcome everyone. You see, because I'm already working and disposed to Bahula and followers of Bahula. Bahula is passed on. First of all, you have to understand our philosophy.

1:13:01Now I'm trying to sort out a situation in my mind. If you are interested, then you come to us, you live with us. Try to understand the philosophy. Then there is proposal to work with us.

1:13:17You are welcome, you can live here, attend our class, ask, and try to understand the philosophy in this way. When you understand the philosophy, then there is question of working. So

1:13:34you are welcome, you can live, we have a sufficient place, you can live here. You can attend the class. Read our books. The points where you do not understand, in this way. That is working with us.

1:13:59And then you, when you are competent, then we want you, can go, open a center. Or you can remain here. We give our freedom.

1:14:24But there is difficulty here that you cannot smoke, you cannot drink, even tea, coffee, these are prohibited. Here there is no meat-eating. So outsiders sometimes they feel inconvenient.

1:14:44Those who are addicted to drink tea, coffee, smoke, meat-eating, they find it difficult. We don't allow this. You have a set, uh, covenant, you know, which is a moral code. We have a moral code, our rules and regulations.

1:15:17We have four principles there. No gambling, no intoxication, no illicit sex, and no animal killing, no meat-eating. Isn't that right? But I'm wrong, but I'll just ask our friend a question, our brother.

1:15:55How can one serve God without serving humanity? How can one serve God without serving humanity? If you serve God, humanity is automatically served.

1:16:07Just like if you water the root of the tree, the leaves of the tree are automatically served. It don't require to make separate endeavor.

1:16:21Just like we are preaching Krishna, is it not service to the humanity? All over the world. Exactly. They're happening in their Krishna consciousness. Exactly. Giving them prasāda. Giving them saṅkīrtana.

1:16:33Is it not service to the human? Exactly. So this is automatic arcanā. You don't require to make a separate idea. Everything is done, complete. If one takes to Krishna-panthā. Can one lose sight of the Krishna?

1:17:01Sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Sarvārhaṇam. Arhaṇam. Arhaṇam means worship. So everything becomes worshiped. Acyutejyā. By worshiping Acyuta, Krishna. Prāṇopahārāc ca yathā sarvārhaṇam acyutejyā. Acyutejyā.

1:17:35Just like if you supply foodstuff to the stomach, all the parts of the body become invigorated. Similarly, if you serve God, then everything is God's part and parcel. So everything becomes served.

1:18:05There must always be an object of devotion and the objects of devotion are infinite. So there must be the object of devotion and the objects of devotion are infinite.

1:18:45Man's position as an infinitesimal part and parcel of Krishna's energy is to render service to Krishna. The part should render service to the whole.

1:18:57But if the individual part is trying to satisfy himself independently of the whole, independently of Krishna, then he can never find satisfaction. Agree, but if he's never enlightened, how can he ever find satisfaction?

1:19:15The enlightenment can come because Krishna sends His representative to provide that enlightenment.

1:19:26Then not in a single situation, but in a, uh, a manifold situation, uh, the American situation, Great Britain, French civilization, where you get the two great surges of power one against the other.

1:19:43And this is the material. You find that vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekeha... bhogaiśvarya... buddhi... a bhag... Will you stand in this situation? You either accept that situation or you don't accept that

1:20:08situation. You either join forces with the thing you are against or for. Vyavasāyāt- mikā buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana, bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca buddhayo 'vyavasāyinām.

1:20:30Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many- branched.

1:20:47A strong faith in Krishna consciousness that one should be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence.

1:20:57Caitanya-caritāmṛta states: 'śraddhā'-śabde — viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya, kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya. Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime.

1:21:12When one is engaged in the duties of Krishna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world, with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality.

1:21:23Fruitive activities are the engagements of one's reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krishna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities.

1:21:36When one is situated in Krishna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad.

1:21:45The highest perfection of Krishna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Krishna consciousness.

Guidance toward real spiritual enjoyment

1:21:56The resolute purpose of a person in Krishna consciousness is based on knowledge — vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ — by which one comes to know perfectly that Vāsudeva or Krishna is the root of all manifested causes.

1:22:13As water on the root of a tree is automatically distributed to the leaves and branches, in Krishna consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone, namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc.

1:22:27If Krishna is satisfied by one's actions, then everyone will be satisfied.

1:22:32Service in Krishna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krishna, who knows the nature of the student, and who can guide him to act in Krishna consciousness.

1:22:47As such, to be well versed in Krishna consciousness, one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Krishna, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one's mission in life.

1:23:02Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura instructs us in his famous prayers for the spiritual master as follows: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi, dhyāyaṁs tuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam.

1:23:24By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krishna consciousness.

1:23:37I should therefore meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

1:23:48The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body, not theoretically, but practically. When there is no longer chance for

1:23:59sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities, one who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts. To serve. Yes.

1:24:28That is our... That is our eternal... That is our choice, that either we can serve māyā, Krishna's material energy, in order to try to gain satisfaction for ourselves, or else we can serve Krishna directly.

1:24:42And in this way we can automatically gain satisfaction because Krishna, the root of the tree, is being watered. So automatically we find satisfaction.

1:24:52But if we wish to serve ourselves, to serve our own interest, then we can come again and again. We can be born in different species of life to enjoy according to our desires. Not being... vyavasāyātmikā. What is enjoyment?

1:25:18Real enjoyment comes from serving Krishna. The illusion of enjoyment is that the foolish manas thinks that he is enjoying, just like the pig. He is tasting stool, mm-hmm, but he is thinking that this is enjoyment. Yeah.

1:25:37Exactly. So, and in this society, very few people can understand that "I am suffering." That is actually the beginning of intelligent life, of civilized human life. Māyā is being accepted. Suffering as...

1:26:00A man is working day and night hard and eating a small piece of bread, a cup of tea, and he sees... he's thinking he's enjoying. I've seen it in one part in New York.

1:26:19He is working so hard that he has no time, and you are eating a cup of tea and one sandwich, that's... but he's thinking that he's enjoying. This is māyā. This is māyā. He's working hard, but he's thinking he's enjoying.

1:26:53He does not think, "If I am enjoying, then why have I to work so hard?" It's the thing which drives you to work, isn't it? It's the thing, or thing called love for wife, mean? What you're devoted to.

1:27:13It can be either money, goal, or God, or infinite, or the wife, or family. Infinite varieties of devotion. No, to work for Krishna is natural. Pardon? That is natural.

1:27:28Just like your hand, part and parcel of your body, it is working; you are putting your hand in pocket, you are getting your handkerchief, if you so— it is working. So that is natural.

1:27:43But if your hand is engaged for polishing my shoes, is that natural? It can be done in both ways because of the love for you. Your hand is meant for working for you. That is natural.

1:28:00But if your hand is engaged for working for others without working for you, is that natural devotion for you? Huh? What is it? You're using your own hand, it is engaged for other purpose, not for your own purpose.

1:28:22Is that natural? So you do it for the love of the person, or the love of the—what is it? Love it may be. But that is how long you can do? You are putting your hand in the pocket, taking the hand, and that is natural.

1:28:38But if your hand is engaged for some other purpose, not for your bodily purpose, how long it can engage? It will die. It is a simple thing.

1:28:52Your hand cannot be engaged for any other. Your hand can be engaged for your purpose. Therefore, if we are part and parcel of Krishna, we can be perpetually engaged in Krishna's service, not in māyā. That is trouble.

1:29:30So whatever you lay your hands to, if it turns to love, you're showing Krishna. Then you cannot love anyone else except Krishna. That's what I mean. Yeah. To love anyone else, that is unnecessary.

1:29:46But if you love Krishna, then all others you shall love. There is another... These things are understood when you are actually engaged in the service of Krishna. These are revelation. Um, recording? Do you want?

1:30:26Well, it may be published. Mm-hmm. Which is good. But then do you need fuel for the fire? Before the fire can burn, we should be devoted to the fire, to come away from the cold to the heat of the fire.