Hare Krishna,
PAMHO
AGTSP!
I sometimes go into religious forums and there people from
other religion make fun of vedic stories and ask questions like.
Why hanumanji has monkey form and why not his mother, Why
lords shiv ling is worshippable? etc.
I can explain avtars of Lord krishna, he can take any form because
he is god but cant explain about the demigods. People also question
about immoral activities performed by demigods. Honestly speaking
even I dont understand our philosophy completely and cant blindly accept
what ever is told. We need proper reasoning for what all we believe. All
other religions very simple to understand but the level of maturity needed
to understand vedic scriptures is far superior to any other scripture.
Your Servant
Aakash
Replies
Teachings of Lord Caitanya Introduction
Excerpt
It is not possible to imagine how far this material manifestation extends. In the material world everything is calculated by imagination or by some imperfect method, but Vedic literatures give information of what lies beyond the material universe. Those who believe in experimental knowledge may doubt the Vedic conclusions, for they cannot even calculate how far this universe is extended, nor can they reach far into the universe itself. It is not possible to obtain information of anything beyond this material nature by experimental means. That which is beyond our power of conception is called acintya, inconceivable. It is useless to argue or speculate about what is inconceivable. If it is truly inconceivable, it is not subject to speculation or experimentation. Our energy is limited, and our sense perception is limited; therefore we must rely on the Vedic conclusions regarding that subject matter which is inconceivable. Knowledge of the superior nature must simply be accepted without argument. How is it possible to argue about something to which we have no access? The method for understanding transcendental subject matter is given by Lord Kåñëa Himself in Bhagavad-gétä, where Kåñëa tells Arjuna at the beginning of the Fourth Chapter:
imaà vivasvate yogaà
proktavän aham avyayam
vivasvän manave präha
manur ikñväkave 'bravét
"I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvän, and Vivasvän instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikñväku." (Bg. 4.1)
This is the method of paramparä, or disciplic succession. Similarly, in Çrémad-Bhägavatam Kåñëa imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahmä, the first created creature within the universe. Brahmä imparted those lessons to his disciple, Närada, and Närada imparted that knowledge to his disciple, Vyäsadeva. Vyäsadeva imparted it to Madhväcärya, and from Madhväcärya the knowledge comes down to Mädhavendra Puré, to Éçvara Puré and from him to Caitanya Mahäprabhu.
Thus there are two processes by which one may receive knowledge: One depends upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is situated as the Supersoul within the heart of all living entities, and the other depends upon the guru or spiritual master, who is an expansion of Kåñëa. Thus Kåñëa transmits information both from within and from without. We simply have to receive it. If knowledge is received in this way, it doesn't matter whether it is inconceivable or not.
In Çrémad-Bhägavatam there is a great deal of information given about the Vaikuëöha planetary systems which are beyond the material universe. Similarly, a great deal of inconceivable information is given in Caitanya-caritämåta. Any attempt to arrive at this information through experimental knowledge is not possible. The knowledge simply has to be accepted. According to the Vedic method, çabda, or transcendental sound, is regarded as evidence. Sound is very important in Vedic understanding, for, if it is pure, it is accepted as authoritative. Even in the material world we accept a great deal of information which is sent thousands of miles by telephone or radio. In this way we also accept sound as evidence in our daily lives. Although we cannot see the informant, we accept his information as valid on the basis of sound. Sound vibration then is very important in the transmission of Vedic knowledge.
The Vedas inform us that beyond this cosmic manifestation there are extensive planets and the spiritual sky. This material manifestation is regarded as only a small portion of the total creation. The material manifestation includes not only this universe but innumerable others as well, but all the material universes combined comprise only one fraction of the total creation. The majority of the creation is situated in the spiritual sky. In that sky innumerable planets float, and these are called Vaikuëöhalokas. In every Vaikuëöhaloka Näräyaëa presides in the form of His four-armed expansions: Saìkarñaëa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Väsudeva.
Teachings of Queen Kunti
2. Beyond the Senses
TEXT 19
MaaYaaJaviNak-aC^àMajaDaae+aJaMaVYaYaMa( )
Na l/+YaSae MaU!d*Xaa Na$=ae Naa$yDarae YaQaa )) 19 ))
mäyä-javanikäcchannam
ajïädhokñajam avyayam
na lakñyase müòha-dåçä
nato näöya-dharo yathä
SYNONYMS
mäyä—deluding; javanikä—curtain; äcchannam—covered by; ajïä—ignorant; adhokñajam—beyond the range of material conception (transcendental); avyayam—irreproachable; na—not; lakñyase—observed; müòha-dåçä—by the foolish observer; naöaù—artist; näöya-dharaù—dressed as a player; yathä—as.
TRANSLATION
Being beyond the range of limited sense perception, You are the eternally irreproachable factor covered by the curtain of deluding energy. You are invisible to the foolish observer, exactly as an actor dressed as a player is not recognized.
—Çrémad-Bhägavatam 1.8.19
PURPORT
In the Bhagavad-gétä Lord Çré Kåñëa affirms that less intelligent persons mistake Him to be an ordinary man like us, and thus they deride Him. The same is confirmed herein by Queen Kunté. The less intelligent persons are those who rebel against the authority of the Lord. Such persons are known as asuras. The asuras cannot recognize the Lord's authority. When the Lord Himself appears among us, as Räma, Nåsiàha, Varäha, or in His original form as Kåñëa, He performs many wonderful acts which are humanly impossible. As we shall find in the Tenth Canto of this great literature, Lord Çré Kåñëa exhibited His humanly impossible activities even from the days of His lying on the lap of His mother. He killed the Pütanä witch, although she smeared her breast with poison just to kill the Lord. The Lord sucked her breast like a natural baby, and He sucked out her very life also. Similarly, He lifted the Govardhana Hill, just as a boy picks up a frog's umbrella, and stood several days continuously just to give protection to the residents of Våndävana. These are some of the superhuman activities of the Lord described in the authoritative Vedic literatures like the Puräëas, Itihäsas (histories), and Upaniñads. He has delivered wonderful instructions in the shape of the Bhagavad-gétä. He has shown marvelous capacities as a hero, as a householder, as a teacher, and as a renouncer. He is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead by such authoritative personalities as Vyäsa, Devala, Asita, Närada, Madhva, Çaìkara, Rämänuja, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, Jéva Gosvämé, Viçvanätha Cakravarté, Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté, and all other authorities of the line. He Himself has declared as much in many places of the authentic literatures. And yet there is a class of men with demoniac mentality who are always reluctant to accept the Lord as the Supreme Absolute Truth. This is partially due to their poor fund of knowledge and partially due to their stubborn obstinacy, which results from various misdeeds in the past and present. Such persons could not recognize Lord Çré Kåñëa even when He was present before them. Another difficulty is that those who depend more on their imperfect senses cannot realize Him as the Supreme Lord. Such persons are like the modern scientist. They want to know everything by their experimental knowledge. But it is not possible to know the Supreme Person by imperfect experimental knowledge. He is described herein as adhokñaja, or beyond the range of experimental knowledge. All our senses are imperfect. We claim to observe everything and anything, but we must admit that we can observe things under certain material conditions only, which are also beyond our control. The Lord is beyond the observation of sense perception. Queen Kunté accepts this deficiency of the conditioned soul, especially of the woman class, who are less intelligent. For the less intelligent there must be such things as temples, mosques, or churches so that they may begin to recognize the authority of the Lord and hear about Him from authorities in such holy places. For the less intelligent, this beginning of spiritual life is essential, and only foolish men decry the establishment of such places of worship, which are required to raise the standard of spiritual attributes for the mass of people. For less intelligent persons, bowing down before the authority of the Lord, as generally done in the temples, mosques, or churches, is as beneficial as it is for the advanced devotees to meditate upon Him by active service.
Elevation to Kåñëa Consciousness
EK 1: Choosing Human and Animal Lives
1. Choosing Human and Animal Lives
oà ajïäna-timirändhasya
jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena
tasmai çré-gurave namaù
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge."
It is customary with this verse to offer obeisances to the spiritual master who enlightens his disciples in the matter of transcendental knowledge. The Vedic process does not involve research work. In mundane scholarship, we have to show our academic learning by some research, but the Vedic process is different. In the Vedic process the research work is already done; it is complete, and it is simply handed down by disciplic succession from teacher to student. There is no question of research work because the instruments and the means with which one conducts such research work are blunt and imperfect.
At this stage of our material existence, we are conditioned by many laws of nature. All conditioned souls are subject to four defects due to the imperfection of their senses. One defect is that the conditioned soul is certain to commit mistakes. There is no man who does not commit mistakes. In India, for instance, Mahätmä Gandhi was supposed to be a very great personality, but he also committed mistakes. Five minutes before he came to the meeting at which he was killed, he was warned by confidential associates not to go, but he persisted. To commit mistakes is very natural in the conditioned state of life. Indeed, the popular saying has arisen: "To err is human."
Another imperfection of the conditioned soul is that he is sure to be illusioned. Being illusioned means accepting something which is not, phantasmagoria to be factual. Every one of us is under the impression that we are these bodies, but actually we are not. Accepting the body to be the self is called illusion, or mäyä. The third imperfection is that conditioned souls have a tendency to cheat. We have often heard a storekeeper say, "Because you are my friend, I won't make any profit off you." But in actuality we know that he is making at least 50% profit. There are so many instances of this cheating propensity. There are also many examples of teachers who actually know nothing but put forth theories in words like "perhaps" or "it may be," while in actuality they are simply cheating their students. The fourth imperfection is that the senses of the living entity are not perfect. Our vision is so limited that we cannot see very far away nor very near. The eye can see only under certain conditions, and therefore it is understood that our vision is limited. Similarly, all our other senses are also limited. It is not possible to understand the unlimited by these imperfect, limited senses. The conclusion is that the Vedic process does not encourage us to endeavor to learn the Absolute Truth by employing our present senses, which are conditioned in so many ways. If we are to have knowledge, it must come from a superior source which is not conditioned by these four imperfections. That source is Kåñëa. He is the supreme authority of Bhagavad-gétä, and He is accepted as the perfect authority by so many saints and sages.
Those who are serious students of Vedic literature accept authority. Bhagavad-gétä, for example, is not a scholarly presentation which arose out of so much research work. It is perfect knowledge that was taught by Lord Kåñëa to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukñetra, and we receive information from it that in previous ages Çré Kåñëa also taught it to the sun-god Vivasvän, and it was handed down from time immemorial from Vivasvän by disciplic succession.
imaà vivasvate yogaà
proktavän aham avyayam
vivasvän manave präha
manur ikñväkave 'bravét
"The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god Vivasvän, and Vivasvän instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikñväku." (Bg. 4.1)
If we study Bhagavad-gétä according to academic knowledge or according to our own mental speculation, we are certain to commit mistakes. It is not possible to understand Bhagavad-gétä in this way. It is necessary to follow carefully in the footsteps of Arjuna. In previous ages, due to interpretation and mental speculation, the real purport of Bhagavad-gétä was lost; therefore Kåñëa re-established the teachings by giving them to Arjuna.
evaà paramparä-präptam
imaà räjarñayo viduù
sa käleneha mahatä
yogo nañöaù parantapa
[Bg. 4.2]
sa eväyaà mayä te 'dya
yogaù proktaù purätanaù
bhakto 'si me sakhä ceti
rahasyaà hy etad uttamam
[Bg. 4.3]
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore, you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science."
Thus whoever follows in the footsteps of Arjuna, approaching Kåñëa in a spirit of devotion, can understand the purpose of Bhagavad-gétä as well as all other Vedic literatures.
Bhagavad gita 4.39-53—New York, August 24, 1966
Excerpt
çraddhäväl labhate jïänaà
tat-paraù saàyatendriyaù
jïänaà labdhvä paräà çäntim
acireëädhigacchati
[Bg. 4.39]
Now Lord Kåñëa says that faithful, those who are faithful, they can acquire transcendental knowledge. This subject matter we have discussed in the last meeting, that without faith we cannot make any progress. In any field of activities we must have faith. For example, I cited the other day, just like we go to a barber shop, and we spread our neck, and the barber has got a sharp razor in his hand. If he likes, he can at once cut my throat. He has got the weapon ready. But because I have got faith he'll not do it—he'll simply shave my beard or mustaches... So this faith is required in every activity. Without faith we cannot step forward even in our daily life. So if we have got so, so faith in ordinary dealings, don't you think that we must have very good faith when we are making progress in spiritual line?
But faith should not be blind. Blind faith is useless. Now we have already discussed that one should go to the spiritual master with surrender and question and service—three things. First of all, for acquiring knowledge we have to find out the suitable personality, and if we are fortunate enough to find out such suitable personality, then first thing is to surrender. And that, after that surrender, there are questions. One must be very intelligent to put questions to the spiritual master. Without questions you cannot make progress. So blind faith is never required, neither questions should be in a mood of challenge. That should not. Questions or answers should be just to understand. And that should be accompanied with service. This is the mood. Whole Vedic process... Nobody can deny in the Vedic process that there is no need of spiritual master. There is. So çraddhävän. Therefore the faithful, the faithful can acquire knowledge.
And tat-paraù. Tat-paraù means we have to follow the faith favorably, not unfavorably. Just like the physician gives us some prescription, and he says that "You do this, and do not do," so we have to follow the do-not's and the do's. In every field of action there are certain don't's and certain do's. So we have to follow. Tat-paraù saàyatendriyaù. And result of knowledge is that one should be restrained in the matter of sense gratification. You cannot become progressive in spiritual life if you indulge in unrestricted sense gratification because sense gratification is the cause of our bondage in this material world. And the whole treatment, progressive in spiritual life, is regulated. Of course, we have got senses, and the senses require some satisfaction. That is all right. There is no question of stopping the senses. It is not possible. If you want to stop the work of the senses, that is not possible. Simply we have to purify the senses.
Just like when you are diseased, your senses are under certain symptoms of the disease. Just like I am feeling the tongue. Whatever I am eating, the tongue is tasting bitter. Bitter. That is the symptom of my disease. So we haven't got to cut the tongue altogether, but we have to make treatment so that we can taste properly. There is practical example. One who is suffering from jaundice, if you give him something sweet, sugar candy, he'll taste it bitter. Although sugar candy is not bitter, but due to his illness, due to his jaundice disease... You'll... You can make a practical test of it. But at the same time, that sugar candy is the medicine for jaundice. If a man is suffering from jaundice, if you simply give him water and sugar candy... You just moisten sugar candy at night, and just early in the morning you get a glass of sweet sugar candy water. Oh, within very short time you'll be cured from jaundice disease.
Similarly, this restriction, do-not... When we make spiritual life progressive, there are certain restriction, and they may seem at the present stage very bitter. Very bitter. But that is the way. We have to accept. Therefore it is called saàyatendriyaù. And if we can make progress in that way, restrained sense gratification and following the rules and regulations, then we are sure to acquire the knowledge.
Labdhvä jïänaà paräà çäntim. And when you... When you are situated in that perfectional stage of knowledge, then you get paräà çänti, perfect peacefulness, perfect peacefulness of mind. Paräà çäntim adhigacchati. Now, these are the prescriptions laid down by Kåñëa, Lord Kåñëa.
So we must have faith in Kåñëa. Kåñëa is not ordinary man like me. I am speaking not from my account. I am speaking on account of Kåñëa.
Bhagavad Gita 9.4—Melbourne, April 22, 1976
Excerpt
So if we take, accept this, that "Whatever Kåñëa is saying, it is perfect," this is called çraddadhänaù, faith. Without faith you cannot make any progress. In every action you must have faith. Just like if you go to a barber, you spread your neck like this and he is with a razor. He can immediately cut your throat. But because you have got faith—"No, this barber is honest. He'll not cut my throat. He'll cleanly shave..." So faith is required in every step. Without faith you cannot make step. Simply you have to find out the person that "He is worthy of keeping my faith." Here is Kåñëa. He is accepted worthy of accepting His instruction. So take it very seriously. The Bhagavad-gétä is there. Then your life is successful.
Easy Journey to Other Planets
Chapter 1
excerpt
The transcendentalists and the materialists are two distinct classes of men. The transcendentalist gathers knowledge from authoritative scriptures like the Vedas. Vedic literature is received from authoritative sources which are in the line of transcendental disciplic succession. This disciplic succession (paramparä) is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä. Kåñëa says in the Bhagavad-gétä that hundreds of thousands of years ago the Gétä was spoken to the presiding deity of the sun, who delivered the knowledge to his son Manu, from whom the present generation of man has descended. Manu, in his turn, delivered this transcendental knowledge to his son King Ikñväku, who is the forefather of the dynasty in which the Personality of Godhead Çré Räma appeared. This long chain of disciplic succession was broken during the advent period of Lord Kåñëa (five thousand years ago), and for this reason Kåñëa restated the Bhagavad-gétä to Arjuna, thereby making him the first disciple of this knowledge in this age. The transcendentalist of this age, therefore, is in the disciplic line that starts with Arjuna. Without troubling himself with materialistic research work, the transcendentalist acquires the truths concerning matter and antimatter in the most perfect way (through this disciplic succession) and thereby saves himself much botheration.
The gross materialists, however, do not believe in the antimaterial worlds of the Personality of Godhead. They are therefore unfortunate creatures, although sometimes very talented, educated and advanced otherwise. They are bewildered by the influence of the material manifestation and are devoid of knowledge of things antimaterial. It is a good sign, therefore, that the materialistic scientists are gradually progressing toward the region of the antimaterial world. It may even be possible for them to make sufficient progress to be able to know the details of this antimaterial world, where the Personality of Godhead resides as the predominating figure and where the living entities live with Him and serve Him. The living entities who serve the Godhead are equal in quality to Him, but at the same time they are predominated as servitors. In the antimaterial world there is no difference between the predominated and the predominator—the relationship is in perfection and without tinge of materialism.
Ädi 2.86
TEXT 86
TEXT
bhrama, pramäda, vipralipsä, karaëäpäöava
ärña-vijïa-väkye nähi doña ei saba
SYNONYMS
bhrama—mistakes; pramäda—illusion; vipralipsä—cheating; karaëa-apäöava—imperfectness of the senses; ärña—of the authoritative sages; vijïa-väkye—in the wise speech; nähi—not; doña—faults; ei—these; saba—all.
TRANSLATION
“Mistakes, illusions, cheating and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of the authoritative sages.
PURPORT
Çrémad-Bhägavatam has listed the avatäras, the plenary expansions of the puruña, and Lord Kåñëa appears among them. But the Bhägavatam further explains Lord Kåñëa’s specific position as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Since Lord Kåñëa is the original Personality of Godhead, reason and argument establish that His position is always supreme.
Had Kåñëa been a plenary expansion of Näräyaëa, the original verse would have been differently composed; indeed, its order would have been reversed. But there cannot be mistakes, illusion, cheating or imperfect perception in the words of liberated sages. Therefore there is no mistake in this statement that Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Sanskrit statements of Çrémad-Bhägavatam are all transcendental sounds. Çréla Vyäsadeva revealed these statements after perfect realization, and therefore they are perfect, for liberated sages like Vyäsadeva never commit errors in their rhetorical arrangements. Unless one accepts this fact, there is no use in trying to obtain help from the revealed scriptures.
Bhrama refers to false knowledge or mistakes, such as accepting a rope as a snake or an oyster shell as gold. Pramäda refers to inattention or misunderstanding of reality, and vipralipsä is the cheating propensity. Karaëäpäöava refers to imperfectness of the material senses. There are many examples of such imperfection. The eyes cannot see that which is very distant or very small. One cannot even see his own eyelid, which is the closest thing to his eye, and if one is disturbed by a disease like jaundice, he sees everything to be yellow. Similarly, the ears cannot hear distant sounds. Since the Personality of Godhead and His plenary portions and self-realized devotees are all transcendentally situated, they cannot be misled by such deficiencies.
Raja Vidya
Chapter 5
Excerpt
There are two processes for attaining knowledge—one is inductive and the other is deductive. The deductive method is considered to be more perfect. We may take a premise such as, "All men are mortal," and no one need discuss how man is mortal. It is generally accepted that this is the case. The deductive conclusion is: "Mr. Johnson is a man; therefore Mr. Johnson is mortal." But how is the premise that all men are mortal arrived at? Followers of the inductive method wish to arrive at this premise through experiment and observations. We may thus study that this man died and that man died, etc., and after seeing that so many men have died we may conclude or generalize that all men are mortal, but there is a major defect in this inductive method, and that is that our experience is limited. We may never have seen a man who is not mortal, but we are judging this on our personal experience, which is finite. Our senses have limited power, and there are so many defects in our conditional state. The inductive process consequently is not always perfect, whereas the deductive process from a source of perfect knowledge is perfect. The Vedic process is such a process.
Although the authority is acknowledged, there are many passages in Bhagavad-gétä which appear to be dogmatic. For instance, in the Seventh Chapter Çré Kåñëa says:
mattaù parataraà nänyat
kiïcid asti dhanaïjaya
mayi sarvam idaà protaà
sütre maëi-gaëä iva
"O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread." (Bg. 7.7)
Çré Kåñëa is saying that there is no authority greater than Him, and this appears to be very dogmatic. If I say, "There is no one greater than me," people would think, "Oh, Swäméjé is very proud." If a man who is conditioned by so many imperfections says that he is the greatest of all, he blasphemes. But Kåñëa can say this, for we can understand from the histories that even while He was on this earth, He was considered the greatest personality of His time. Indeed, He was the greatest in all fields of activity.
According to the Vedic system, knowledge which is achieved from the greatest authority is to be considered perfect. According to the Vedas, there are three kinds of proof: pratyakña, anumäna and çabda. One is by direct visual perception. If a person is sitting in front of me, I can see him sitting there, and my knowledge of his sitting there is received through my eyes. The second method, anumäna, is auricular: we may hear children playing outside, and by hearing we can conjecture that they are there. And the third method is the method of taking truths from a higher authority. Such a saying as "Man is mortal" is accepted from higher authorities. Everyone accepts this, but no one has experienced that all men are mortal. By tradition, we have to accept this. If someone asks, "Who found this truth first? Did you discover it?" it is very difficult to say. All we can say is that the knowledge is coming down and that we accept it. Out of the three methods of acquiring knowledge, the Vedas say that the third method, that of receiving knowledge from higher authorities, is the most perfect. Direct perception is always imperfect, especially in the conditional stage of life. By direct perception we can see that the sun is just like a disc, no larger than the plate we eat on. From scientists, however, we come to understand that the sun is many thousands of times larger than the earth. So what are we to accept? Are we to accept the scientific proclamation, the proclamation of authorities, or our own experience? Although we cannot ourselves prove how large the sun is, we accept the verdict of astronomers. In this way we are accepting the statements of authorities in every field of our activities. From newspapers and radio we also understand that such and such events are taking place in China and India and other places all around the earth. We're not experiencing these events directly, and we don't know that such events are actually taking place, but we accept the authority of the newspapers and radio. We have no choice but to believe authorities in order to get knowledge. And when the authority is perfect, our knowledge is perfect.
According to the Vedic sources, of all authorities Kåñëa is the greatest and most perfect (mattaù parataraà nänyat kiïcid asti dhanaïjaya [Bg. 7.7]). Not only does Kåñëa proclaim Himself to be the highest authority, but this is also accepted by great sages and scholars of Bhagavad-gétä. If we do not accept Kåñëa as authority and take His words as they are, we cannot derive any benefit from Bhagavad-gétä. It is not dogmatic; it is a fact. If we study scrutinizingly what Kåñëa says, we will find that it is right. Even scholars like Çaìkaräcärya, who have different opinions from the Personality of Godhead, admit that Kåñëa is svayaà bhagavän—Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord.
Vedic knowledge is not a recent discovery. It is all old revealed knowledge. Kåñëa refers to it as purätanaù, which means ancient. Kåñëa says that millions of years before He spoke this yoga to the sun-god, and we do not know how many millions of years before that He spoke it to someone else. This knowledge is always being repeated, just as summer, autumn, winter and spring are repeated every year. Our fund of knowledge is very poor; we do not even know the history of this planet more than 5,000 years back, but the Vedic literatures give us histories extending millions of years ago. Just because we have no knowledge of what happened 3,000 years ago on this planet, we cannot conclude that there was no history then. Of course one can disclaim the historical validity of Kåñëa. One may say that Kåñëa, according to Mahäbhärata, lived 5,000 years ago, and this being the case, there is no possibility of His having spoken Bhagavad-gétä to the sun god so many millions of years before. If I said that I gave a speech on the sun some millions of years ago to the sun-god, people would say, "Swäméjé is speaking some nonsense." But this is not the case with Kåñëa, for He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether we believe that Kåñëa spoke Bhagavad-gétä to the sun-god or not, this fact is being accepted by Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord, and therefore he knew that it was quite possible for Kåñëa to have spoken to someone millions of years before. Although Arjuna personally accepts the statements of Çré Kåñëa, in order to clarify the situation for people who would come after him, he asks:
aparaà bhavato janma
paraà janma vivasvataù
katham etad vijänéyäà
tvam ädau proktavän iti
"The sun-god Vivasvän is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?" (Bg. 4.4)
Actually this is a very intelligent question, and Kåñëa answers it in this way:
bahüni me vyatétäni
janmäni tava cärjuna
täny ahaà veda sarväëi
na tvaà vettha parantapa
"Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!" (Bg. 4.5)
730221BG.AUC
Excerpt
So perfect knowledge, how it can come? The perfect knowledge can come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the process of acquiring knowledge, so far we are concerned. Evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. The knowledge, perfect knowledge, is coming from Kåñëa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and if we receive that knowledge in cool head and assimilate, then our knowledge is perfect. Just like we are preaching this Kåñëa consciousness movement. This is perfect knowledge. If you inquire whether I am perfect or my disciples who are preaching this Kåñëa conscious movement, they are perfect, we may be imperfect. We are imperfect. We accept we are imperfect. But we are distributing the perfect knowledge. Kindly try to understand. We may be imperfect, but perfection means one who assimilates the perfect knowledge, he is perfect. I shall give you one example. Just like a post peon delivers you one hundred dollars. The post peon is not rich man. He cannot deliver you the hundred dollars. But he... The money is sent by some, your friend. He is honestly carrying that money and delivering you. That is the post peon's business. Similarly, our duty to receive perfect knowledge from Kåñëa and distribute it. Then it is perfect. This knowledge, what we are distributing, it is not that we have created this knowledge by research work or by so many other ways, by inductive process. No. Our knowledge is from the deductive process. Kåñëa said, "This is this." We accept. That is our movement, Kåñëa consciousness. We may be imperfect, but Kåñëa is perfect. Therefore, whatever Kåñëa says, if we accept it and if we.... Not accept blindly, but you can employ your logic and argument and try to understand, then your knowledge is perfect.
SCience of Self-Realization
Chapter 6
Excerpt
Çréla Prabhupäda: No, no, that is the difficulty. At the present moment, no one actually knows the meaning of religion. Religion means to abide by the laws of God, just as good citizenship means to abide by the laws of the government. Because no one has any understanding of God, no one knows the laws of God or the meaning of religion. This is the present status of people in today's society. They are forgetting religion, taking it to be a kind of faith. Faith may be blind faith. Faith is not the real description of religion. Religion means the laws given by God, and anyone who follows those laws is religious, whether a Christian, a Hindu, or a Muslim.
Lieutenant Mozee: With all due respect, isn't it true that in India, where religious customs have been followed for centuries upon centuries, we are seeing not a return to but a drawing away from spiritual life?
Çréla Prabhupäda: Yes, but it is due only to bad leadership. Otherwise, the vast majority of the Indian people are fully conscious of God, and they try to follow the laws of God. Here in the West, even big college professors do not believe in God or in life after death. But in India, even the poorest man believes in God and in a next life. He knows that if he commits sins he will suffer and if he acts piously he will enjoy. To this day, if there is a disagreement between two villagers, they will go to the temple to settle it, because everyone knows that the opposite parties will hesitate to speak lies before the Deities. So in most respects, India is still eighty-percent religious. That is the special privilege of taking birth in India, and the special responsibility also.
Dr. Singh: There is a scientific journal called Nature. It contains articles concerning natural products like plants and animals, but it does not mention God-only nature.
Çréla Prabhupäda: We may correctly observe that plants are being produced by nature, but we must ask, "What has produced nature?" To ask this question is intelligence.
Dr. Singh: The scientists don't think about that.
Çréla Prabhupäda: So they are fools. As soon as we speak of nature, the next question should be, "Whose nature?" For instance, I speak of my nature, and you speak of your nature. Therefore, as soon as nature is mentioned, the next inquiry should be, "Whose nature?"
Nature means energy, and as soon as you speak of energy, you must accept that there is a source of that energy. For example, the source of electric energy is the electric powerhouse. Electricity is not produced automatically. We must install a powerhouse and a generator. Similarly, in the Vedas it is said that material nature is working under Kåñëa's direction.
Dr. Singh: So do you mean to say that science has started from an intermediate point—not from the original point?
Çréla Prabhupäda: Yes, that is it exactly. They are ignorant of the origin. The scientists start from one point—but where does that point come from? That they do not know, in spite of vast research. One has to accept that the original source is God, who is full of all mystic powers and from whom everything emanates. He Himself says in the Bhagavad-gétä (10.8): ahaà sarvasya prabhavo mattaù sarvaà pravartate, "I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me." Our conclusions are not based on blind faith; they are most scientific. Matter comes from life. In life—in the origin—there are unlimited material resources; that is the great mystery of creation.
Modern scientific research is just like Säìkhya philosophy, which analyzes material elements. Säìkhya means "to count." We are also Säìkhya philosophers to some extent, because we count and analyze the material elements; this is land, this is water, this is air, this is sunshine, this is fire. Furthermore, I can count my mind, my intelligence, and my ego. Beyond my ego, however, I cannot count. But Kåñëa says that there is existence beyond the ego, and that existence is the living force—the spirit soul. This is what the scientists do not know. They think that life is merely a combination of material elements, but Kåñëa denies this in the Bhagavad-gétä (7.5). Apareyam itas tv anyäà prakåtià viddhi me paräm: "Besides this inferior nature there is a superior energy of Mine." The inferior energy is the material elements, and the superior energy is the living entity.
bhümir äpo 'nalo väyuù
khaà mano buddhir eva ca
ahaìkära itéyaà me
bhinnä prakåtir añöadhä
"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and false ego—all together these eight comprise My separated material energies." (Bg. 7.4) Kåñëa explains here in the Bhagavad-gétä that väyu (gas) comes from Him, and that finer than the gases is kham (ether). Finer than ether is the mind, finer than the mind is intelligence, and finer than the intelligence is the soul. But the scientists do not know this. They can perceive only gross things. They mention väyu, but where does the väyu come from? Where does the gas come from?
Dr. Singh: That they cannot answer.
Çréla Prabhupäda: But we can answer. We have the knowledge that gas comes from kham, or ether, and ether comes from mind, mind comes from intelligence, and intelligence comes from Kåñëa's superior energy, the spirit soul.
Science: Truth and Fiction
Once upon a time (as in a fairy tale), most of us believed that the food we ate was basically wholesome, nutritious and free from dangerous chemicals, that advertising may have been believable, and that product labels truly described the qualities and contents of what we fed ourselves and our families. Once upon a time, most of the world believed in the integrity of our heads of state, high-ranking political officials and local leaders. Once upon a time, we thought our children were getting a solid education in the public school system. Once upon a time, many of us believed atomic energy had "peacetime uses" that were perfectly safe and completely congruous with a happy and healthy society.
Yet in recent times our illusions have been shattered. Repeated exposes of widespread consumer fraud and grand political collusion and bribery have all but destroyed our former innocence. We now know that through mass marketing and the media, a veil of fantasy and deception can be created with such unprecedented expertise that it can become impossible for us to distinguish between substance and simulation, reality and illusion.
Today many scientists are propagating the doctrine that life originates from matter. However, they cannot provide proof, either experimentally or theoretically. In fact, they hold their stance essentially on faith, in the face of all sorts of scientific objections. Çréla Prabhupäda points out that this groundless dogma has done great damage to moral and spiritual standards worldwide and has thus caused incalculable suffering.
Though beset by internal doubt and division, modern scientists have somehow managed to present a united front to the nonscientific public. Their behavior brings to mind the worst in political and corporate trickery. For instance, despite the recent outcry over their masking the difficulties of maintaining safety standards at nuclear power plants, the scientists and the government remain committed to nuclear power and even make light of the fact that there is no safe way of dealing with radioactive waste.
In popular works and in textbooks scientists present their account of the material origin of life as the only possible scientific conclusion. They claim that no other theory can be scientifically acceptable. And so everyone is taught that life gradually arose from chemicals, a "primordial soup" consisting of amino acids, proteins and other essential ingredients. Yet in their journals and private discussions, the same scientists acknowledge that their theory has grave, sometimes insuperable difficulties. For example, certain features of the DNA coding mechanism cast serious doubt upon the substance of evolutionary thought. The noted biologist W. H. Thorpe writes, "Thus we may be faced with a possibility that the origin of life, like the origin of the universe, becomes an impenetrable barrier to science and a block which resists all attempts to reduce biology to chemistry and physics." The highly committed evolutionist Jacques Monod has pointed out these same difficulties. Theodisius Dobzhansky, another prominent advocate of evolution, can only agree: "Our scientific knowledge is, of course, quite insufficient to give anything like satisfactory accounts of these transitions [from no life to life, from no mind to mind]. Biologists as basically different in their... views as W. H. Thorpe and Jacques Monod agree that the origin of life is a difficult and thus far intractable and unsolved problem. I concur." Dobzhansky goes on to call the origin of life "miraculous." These admissions by Dobzhansky, Monod and Thorpe are by no means unique. Yet in popular presentations and textbooks one finds little hint of such widespread doubt.
Nobel prize-winning physicist Eugene Wigner has shown that the probability of the existence of a self-duplicating unit is zero. Since the ability to reproduce is one of the fundamental characteristics of all living organisms, Wigner concludes that our present understanding of physics and chemistry does not enable us to explain the phenomenon of life. Herbert Yockey has demonstrated by information theory that even a single informational molecule such as cytochrome c (what to speak of complex organisms) could not have arisen by chance in the estimated lifetime of the earth: "One must conclude that, contrary to the established and current wisdom, a scenario describing the genesis of life on earth by chance and natural causes which can be accepted on the basis of fact and not faith has not yet been written."
As we can see, on the one hand many scientists have a deep personal commitment to the concept that life comes from matter. On the other hand they admit that they do not have the evidence to corroborate their conviction, and that their theory is beset with intractable problems. They are convinced that life arose from matter and is reducible to matter, yet at the same time they must confess to having scant scientific grounds for their conviction. Thus their theory is a priori: it supersedes the scientific method and science itself. Their fervent, almost messianic hope is that someday, somehow, someone may be able to validate it, and in the meantime their faith is unshakable.
Dazzling technological achievements have given modern scientists an aura of infallibility, and so when the scientists present untested or unprovable theories about life's origin, people tend to accept with blind faith. In Passages About Earth William Irwin Thompson writes, "Just as once there was no appeal from the power of the churches without risking damnation, so now there is no appeal from the power of science without risking a charge of irrationality or insanity." And as botanist Garrett Hardin notes, anyone who questions the status of Darwin "inevitably attracts the speculative psychiatric eye to himself."
The dialogues in Life Comes From Life may seem revolutionary, but then were not Newton, Pasteur and Einstein scientific revolutionaries? Life Comes From Life does not simply criticize those who support the theory that matter is the origin of life. Rather, this book encourages them to rededicate themselves to a more genuine and intense quest for truth and knowledge, and to thereby redirect their valuable intelligence, resources and work toward the true benefit of the world.
Life Comes from Life
Chapter 15
Excerpt
Dr. Singh. The difficulty is that in a group of atheists, you can't prove the existence of God.
Çréla Prabhupäda. The atheists are rascals. Let us teach the others—those who are reasonable. Everything has been made by someone: the sand has been made by someone, the water has been made by someone, and the sky has been made by someone. Kåñëa consciousness means learning who that someone is.
Dr. Singh. The scientists will say, "Present that someone to me so I can see Him."
Çréla Prabhupäda. And I answer them, "I am presenting that someone to you, but you have to take the training as well." You have to qualify your eyes to see that someone. If you are blind, but you do not want to go to the physician, how will you be cured of your blindness and see? You have to be treated; that is the injunction.
Student. That step requires faith.
Çréla Prabhupäda. Yes, but not blind faith—practical faith. If you want to learn anything, you must go to an expert. That is not blind faith; it is practical faith. You cannot learn anything by yourself.
Student. If somebody is actually sincere, will he always meet a bona fide guru?
Çréla Prabhupäda. Yes. Guru-kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja [Cc. Madhya 19.151]. Kåñëa is within you, and as soon as He sees that you are sincere, He will send you to the right person.
Student. And if you are not completely sincere, you will get a cheater for a teacher?
Çréla Prabhupäda. Yes. If you want to be cheated, Kåñëa will send you to a cheater. Kåñëa is superintelligent. If you are a cheater, He will cheat you perfectly. But if you are actually sincere, then He will give you the right guidance. In Bhagavad-gétä (15.15) Kåñëa says, sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Kåñëa speaks of both remembrance and forgetfulness. If you are a cheater, Kåñëa will give you the intelligence to forget Him forever.
Student. But the atheists are in control. They have the dominance.
Çréla Prabhupäda. One kick of mäyä and all their dominance is finished in one second. That is the nature of mäyä. The atheists are under control, but due to mäyä, or illusion, they think they're free.
moghäçä mogha-karmäëo
mogha jïänä vicetasaù
räkñasém äsuréà caiva
prakåtià mohinéà çritäù
"Those who are bewildered are attracted by demoniac and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities and their culture of knowledge are all defeated." (Bg. 9.12) Because they are bewildered, all their hopes are frustrated. That is stated here in Bhagavad-gétä, and that is actually happening. So many of their big plans, like this moon project, are frustrated, but they still claim that they can dominate nature.
Dr. Singh. They do not want to come to their senses.
Çréla Prabhupäda. Therefore they are rascals
Bhagavad Gita 4.11-12-- New York, July 28, 1966
Excerpt
Now, we have received this news, very pleasing. Now next duty? Taj-joñaëät. Now, if you little try to assimilate it. And what is that assimilation? Smaraëam. Simply by thinking, "Oh, this has been spoken." Try to argue whether it is true or not. So you have to think over. Satäà prasaìgän, taj-joñaëäd äçv apavarga-vartmani. And if you do that... Suppose you hear something of the Bhagavad-gétä, and it appeals to you, or even does not appeal to you. Just try to think over: "What Bhagavad-gétä says? How Swamiji has discussed this matter?" Apply your arguments. Apply your logic. Don't take it as a sentiment or as a blind faith. You have got reason; you have got arguments; you have got sense. Apply it and try to understand it. Neither it is bogus. It is scientific. Then you will feel... Taj-joñaëäd äçv apavarga-vartmani çraddhä ratir bhaktir anukramiñyati. You will gradually develop your attachment for hearing it, and devotional service will be invoked in your heart, and then, gradually, you will make progress.
Bhagavad Gita 4.39-42-- Los Angerles, January 14, 1969
Excerpt
So one has to understand. It is not to be accepted blindly. It is not forced upon anybody. Therefore the Bhagavad-gétä is there. Try it, to understand scrutinizingly, with all your arguments, and you will find it is sublime. It is sublime.
So "A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge..." This is transcendental knowledge, that "Simply by discharging my duties in Kåñëa consciousness, all other duties will be performed." Means I will be perfect in fruitive activities, I will be perfect in knowledge, I will be perfect in mystic advancement, and I will be perfect to understand the Absolute Truth. This is called firm, unflinching faith.
Faith, I do not mean faith by blind faith. This Bhagavad-gétä is not blind faith. Everything is being explained step by step, scientifically, authoritatively. So try to understand. And if you fortunately become faithful, then your life is successful. Go on.
Revaténandana: "This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service, and by chanting,
Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa Hare Hare
Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma Räma Hare Hare
which cleanses one's heart of all material dirt. Over and above this, one should control the senses. A person who is faithful and controls the senses can easily attain perfection in the knowledge of Kåñëa consciousness without delay."
720818SB.LA
Excerpt
So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, personally says that janma karma ca me divyam evaà yo vetti tattvataù [Bg. 4.9]. Simply one who understands what is God, or Kåñëa, simply... Not that "Here is a God." No, he must... Tattvataù, he must know what is God. Just like the rascal is advertising: "No book. I am God. You accept me." Then how can I accept you God without book? But the people are so rascal, they're accepting,"Yes," and going after him. So they have become so cats and dogs that anyone says that "There is no need of understanding through book, through book of knowledge. I say. You accept me," the rascal will do that. Everything in the scientific world, there is book. In any science you take. Suppose in botany, they are mentioned, "This tree, this is the characteristic. A mango tree, the leaf is like this, the fruit is like this, the taste is like..." Chemical. Take any chemical. There is characteristics. Just like, what is called that, potassium cyanide. There is no taste, and the chemical characteristic, there is no mention of taste, because potassium cyanide is not yet tasted by anyone, because the tasting means immediate death. Potassium cyanide. So chemical, there is "The color is like this, the taste is like this, the reaction is like this."
So everything has got a test. But these rascals, without testing, accepting another rascal as God. Caitanya Mahäprabhu, when He was asked that how to accept one God, He said, "Well, there is in the çästra mention, the characteristic. According to the characteristic, if it is corroborating, then he is God." This rascal is saying, "No, there is no need of God. Ah, book. Simply I say; you accept it." The people are accepting. How foolish rascals they are. Just see. There must be a test. We are accepting Kåñëa as God not blindly, but by testing. By testing. His character is mentioned in the books. Therefore, we accept God, not by blind faith, but by testing. Although we cannot test, but çästra gives us the chance of testing. We accept spiritual master by testing, not by blind faith. No. According to the Vedic instruction, tad-vijïänärtham.
tasmäd guruà prapadyeta
jijïäsuù çreya uttamam
çäbde pare ca niñëätaà
brahmaëy upaçamäçrayam
[SB 11.3.21]
These are the qualifications, symptoms of guru. Çäbde pare ca niñëätam. He has got full knowledge in the transcendental science, and without book, how he has got knowledge? Or without hearing from another authority?
So... So one must be intelligent. Then he can become free from this knot, hard knot of material life, by cutting it with the weapon, yad anudhyäsinä. And what is that? Chindanti ko... Chindanti: cuts; kovidäù, intelligent. Tasya ko na kuryät kathä-ratim. Kathä-ratim. One should be intelligent enough to understand or to hear kathä of Kåñëa. Simply you have to do this. Just like you are all sitting here. It doesn't require that you have to pass M.A. examination, Ph.D. examination. God has given you the ear. Simply you sit down and hear from a realized person. The words are there, the message are there. Just like Çrémad-Bhägavatam, Bhagavad-gétä, especially. Everything is there to understand about God. Simply you have to increase your attachment for hearing. That is, that qualification required. Not that first of all you pass M.A. examination, then you come here and you can understand. No. Simply by hearing, hearing, hearing, you will become expert. Kovida. Simply. That... This process has been approved by Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Sthäne sthitäù çruti-gatäà tanu-väì-manobhiù. You can remain in your position, but try to hear the transcendental message from realized soul. Then gradually you will be enlightened and you will be free from this knot, this material bondage.
Thank you very much. (end)
770817rc.vrn
Excerpt
Tamäla Kåñëa: Practically the scientific community is going to realize that you're their most..., biggest opposition. They're going to come to appreciate that because you're the only one, Çréla Prabhupäda, who has dared to challenge all of these scientists. And as your representatives, when they see what we're...
Prabhupäda: Because they... Nowadays people say "We don't want any sentiment, religious. We want science." Rascal, where is your science?
Balavanta: They have only blind faith. "Big bang," all these things. There's no evidence, no proof, simply blind faith. And but for you, no one is challenging. They would simply go unchallenged.
Tamäla Kåñëa: It said in the article that in Ceylon, this man Kovoor has been challenging and being victorious for decades, challenging everyone, "There is no God. There is no soul." But now it said for the first time someone has turned the tables on him and challenged him for the first time. He never expected such a thing.
Prabhupäda: And public applauded.
761106rc.vrn
Excerpt
Prabhupäda: So this is difficulty. If I say, "Here is a person who knows mathematics," why there should be... Any person who is interested in mathematics will welcome him. So similarly, here is Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge means real knowledge. Here is Bhagavad-gétä, the knowledge of God, but they misunderstand. They think, "Oh, we have got another God." How God can be another? So people should be sober, that we are giving books. They should understand. And it is accepted by the educated class, big, big professors, big, big philosophers. It is not blind faith. Just like this version of Bhagavad-gétä, tathä dehäntara-präptiù: [Bg. 2.13] "As we are changing body even in this duration of life, similarly, when this body is finished, then another body," so where is the difficulty to understand? But they will say, "It is Hindu idea." Fact we are presenting, that "You are changing your body. When you came out of the womb of your mother, the body was so small. And then little bigger body, little bigger body, little bigger body. Now you are full grown young man." So the body is changing, everyone can understand, but I can understand also that "I had so big..., small body and this body." Then body is changing; I am existing. Then where is the difficulty of the transmigration of the soul?
Dr. Kneupper: Many people do accept.
760812ed.teh
Excerpt
Harikeça:
iti te jïänam äkhyätaà
guhyäd guhyataraà mayä
vimåçyaitad açeñeëa
yathecchasi tathä kuru
[Bg. 18.63]
Prabhupäda: So there is no question of blind faith. Here it is said that "I have explained to you the knowledge, confidential and most confidential. Now you consider about it, and after due consideration, then do whatever you like." But if you actually appreciate that there is God, here is Kåñëa, so whatever He is saying, it is all right. Sarvam etad 'åtaà manye [Bg. 10.14]. There is no harm even if you accept His word blindly, there is no harm. Otherwise, if you don't like to follow blindly, then consider what is instructed. And then whatever you like, you can do. Both ways are there. But if you have faith in God, "God is saying this, I must do it," that blind faith is as good. Although it is blind faith, it is the fact. Actually it is not blind faith. It is full faith in God. "God is speaking this; I'll accept it." Sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù. That is the position of mahätmä. Although such mahätmäs are very rare, but one who accepts this fact that "God is speaking, so let me accept it without any consideration," that is as good as you accept. If gold is real, something real gold is offered to you, you accept it blindly or by checking it, the result is the same.
Mr. Sahani: But being inquisitive, again, and accepting it...
Prabhupäda: No, no. Inquisitive means one who does not accept that "Here is a person giving me gold. He's very good man, he'll not cheat me." Then you accept. But if you have no such faith, then you check it. But real gold, either you take in blind faith or by checking, the result is the same. Now it is up to you. If you believe Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead as He says... He is the Supreme Person. Mattaù parataraà nänyat kiïcid asti dhanaïjaya [Bg. 7.7]. That's a fact. But if you don't believe it, then check and consider of our statement, and then accept. Two ways are there. Why people are misled? They do not accept Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are taking Bhagavad-gétä in their own way. So why they should take Bhagavad-gétä in their own way? That is not good. If you want to speak something better than Bhagavad-gétä, you speak separately. Why you misinterpret Bhagavad-gétä? Our preaching process is that you take Bhagavad-gétä's instruction, that is perfect, and you'll be happy. This is our Kåñëa consciousness movement. Don't try to interpret it. Don't try to exact some meaning of your choice. No, that is not good. You take it as it is, you'll be benefited. Now if you take it, that it is spoken by Bhagavän svayam, then it is blind faith. It may be blind faith, but it is right. If you don't want, then Kåñëa says, iti te jïänam äkhyätaà guhyäd guhyataraà mayä. Then you check it by your knowledge. Yathecchasi tathä kuru [Bg. 18.63]. Both ways you can accept. Therefore we have to follow mahäjana. Our knowledge is always scanty. So mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is the way. Tarkaù apratiñöha. Tarka, by argument you'll never come to the conclusion. Çrutayor vibhinnam. There are çästras for different persons, in different way they are presented. So they appear to be contradictory from one another. Not contradictory; at least, different from one another. So çrutayor vibhinnam. Na cäsav åñir yasya mataà na bhinnam. And a great philosopher is not a great philosopher if he does not present a different view. So therefore, the spiritual essence is very confidential. Dharmasya tattvaà nihita guhyayam.(?)Therefore we have to follow the mahäjana, great personality. That is the system, Vedic system. Guru-paramparä. So that paramparä is explained in the Bhagavad-gétä, mahäjana. Kåñëa said imaà räjarñayo viduù. Räjarñi, mahäjana. Mahäjanas are explained also. Just like Prahläda Mahäräja, he's mahäjana; Bali Mahäräja, mahäjana; Brahmä, mahäjana; Närada, mahäjana; Lord Çiva, mahäjana. Balir vaiyäsakir vayam. Janaka Mahäräja. So we have to follow them. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is recommended in the Bhagavad-gétä: evaà paramparä präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù [Bg. 4.2]. So there is no question of blind faith. If we follow the mahäjana, example of the authorities, then our life is success. And guru means he is mahäjana or follower of mahäjana. So we have to select the mahäjana process. According to our process, we follow the Brahma-sampradäya. And Brahmä is one of the mahäjanas. So Brahmä has his disciplic succession, paramparä. Brahmä's disciple is Närada, Närada's disciple is Vyäsadeva, and Vyäsadeva's disciple is Çukadeva Gosvämé. In this way, we come to Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Then Caitanya Mahäprabhu's disciples, the six Gosvämés. Then others, then our Guru Mahäräja. But the same thing we are speaking. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. We are not manufacturing anything. That is the guru-paramparä system. And if we follow strictly the line of mahäjana, then there is no question of mistake. It is not blind faith. The superiors are following, and we are also following. Of course, there are books, there are everything. Çruti-småti-puräëädi-païcarätra-vidhi [Brs. 1.2.101]. Everything is there. So there is no question of being mistaken. The guide is there, the spiritual master is there. So there is no difficulty. Hare Kåñëa. Mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is the best way, follow the mahäjana. Unfortunately, the mahäjanas, without following mahäjana, everyone is becoming mahäjana in his own way. And that is being supported, that you manufacture your own way of spiritual progress, that is all right. That is dangerous. That is dangerous. And that is going on now. You can manufacture in your own way. And there are thousands who are coming, manufacturing their own way and spoiling the whole thing. That is the... Otherwise there is no difficulty, mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù. We are therefore requesting people that don't be misled. Here is the greatest mahäjana, Kåñëa Himself. You follow His instruction. It is very easy, there is no complication. This is our propaganda. But we don't make any compromise. Why shall I make compromise? If we are presenting the right thing, why shall I make compromise with something wrong? (Hindi) Baliye(?). If we are confident that we are presenting the right thing, why shall I make compromise with the wrong thing? (Hindi) No, you are intelligent. You can say if I am saying something wrong. Our culture has been spoiled by interpreting wrongly Kåñëa's words. Bhärata-bhümi, puëya-bhümi... still, thousands and millions are there. If there is Kumbhamelä, millions of men are coming. Whenever we hold some Kåñëa consciousness meeting, daily, twenty thousand, fifteen thousand, thirty thousand men come. The spirit is there. Unfortunately, that is being artificially depressed. But it cannot be done. The puëya-bhümi, bhärata-bhümi, it will go on. But the unfortunate thing is that the clear thing is there and that is being misinterpreted and people are misled. That is the difficulty. [break] (Prabhupäda converses in Hindi with guest)
Prabhupäda: Bhagavad-gétä, (Hindi), manuñyäëäà sahasreñu kaçcid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. So they are not interested. They are simply interested with eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. Then? You were telling, that "First of all, let us become rich like Americans, then we shall talk of Kåñëa." When they go to preach about Kåñëa consciousness, the people say that "We shall think of Kåñëa later on." In India also they say. that "We are now poverty-stricken. Let us first of all become rich, and then we shall think of Kåñëa." They say like that. They are not interested. They think to become rich is more than understanding Kåñëa. That is the position. Therefore they are not interested. They say frankly that "We are not interested, why do you bother us?" they say. "Why do you bother us? Why do you come here to preach Kåñëa consciousness?" How much difficult it is you can just understand. They are not ready to hear about it, and our leaders say, "All the çästras now throw away in the water."
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Prabhupäda: Just like a child had..., has faith in his parents. So that is not an artificial thing, that is fact. And parents are trustworthy to the child. There is no doubt of..., by nature. So, similarly, why could..., you should be in trust in God? Why blindly? Why not trust with knowledge? And that is our movement. Every civilized person has got some faith in God. But now, they're advanced, they should understand what is God, why you must have faith in Him. That is Kåñëa consciousness.
Reporter: It's a matter of education...
Prabhupäda: Simply faith, blind faith we do not endure. And therefore they are becoming godless. And gradually, if we do not understand factually what is God, then the whole human civilization will be godless. To become godless means again animal. That is the difference between animal and man. In the animal society there is no question of religion, faith, God. These things are not there. The human civilization, if it becomes like that, without any faith in God, without any understanding of God, then where is the difference between cats and dogs and human beings? They must know God scientifically. That is the actual aim of human life. Suppose the dog is sleeping on the street without any care whether a car is coming and smash it. He's also sleeping sound sleep. And we are sleeping in a very nice apartment. So after all, sleeping. And he is also enjoying sleeping, I am also enjoying sleeping. So do you think to change the, I mean to say, circumstances of the sleeping? I am sleeping in a very nice apartment, he's sleeping on the floor. Does it mean this is advancement of civilization? Sleeping is sleeping. Eating is eating. Sex life—the male dog is enjoying with female dog. The sex pleasure is to him, and we are enjoying with a beautiful lover. The sex pleasure is the same. Therefore, you take some eatable, either on gold fork or an iron fork, the taste is the same. Simply like putting the foodstuff in the golden fork, does it mean the taste has changed? So, the test of eating, sleeping, mating and defending is the same for the human being as well as the animals. What difference, what is the difference between the animals and humans? The animal cannot know God. That is not possible. The human being can know. That is the opportunity of this human life. If we are missing that opportunity, then we are leading an animal civilization. This is not civilization. Animal life is not civilization. Civilized means not animal life. Something more than that. That is God consciousness.
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Prabhupäda: So you can explain what I was talking.
Puñöa Kåñëa: Yes. So the idea is that now you have secular state because the religion, as it is being taught today, is seen simply as some kind of dogma that can't be proven, some kind of blind faith. But in the Bhagavad-gétä Kåñëa is giving scientific evidence, reason, how the existence of the soul can be proven. Religion means there must be soul. But people don't understand how soul is existing. They think it is simply beyond their conception or comprehension. Kåñëa has made it so reasonable to understand the existence of the soul that any sane man would accept. For example, Kåñëa says, dehino 'smin yathä dehe kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä [Bg. 2.13]. Any person can accept that they had a youthful body, childhood body, and then old man's body. The change of body is always there. Tathä dehäntara-präptiù. And after this body we can reasonably accept that there is another body. Just as from childhood to youth there is change of body, from youth to old age there is change of body, similarly, old age, death, and then there is another change of body. But in all circumstances I am still the same person. My body is changed, but still I am experiencing that I am the same identity, the same person. So this education is lacking in the universities because, generally speaking, all of the scientists in the universities, they are simply dealing with this body, simply dealing biology, physics, chemistry—simply with the body. So where is the question that this is not science? It is science. It is the science of the soul. When our spiritual master went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology—it is a very well known technological university—he questioned the faculty and students there that "You are the most advanced technological university in the world. Where is that department that tries to understand the difference between a dead body and a living body?" So this is science. You can't say that it's not science. And it should be accepted as science by university professors and taught as such. Otherwise, if we simply turn our back on this philosophy... Kåñëa says, räja-vidyä: "This is the king of knowledge." This is not some sentimental proposition we are putting forward, but it is the king of knowledge, that the soul is existing, and after this body there will be another body. So real education, therefore... Just like you come to the university. You want to get a better job, not that you go to the university so that you can work an elevator when you come out. You go to the university to increase your standard of living, to have higher standard of living. So real education, similarly, is that you can have higher standard of existence in your next life, not that I come to the university and simply live like animal and then have to be demoted to the body of an animal in my next lifetime. Rather, the real education is how we can be elevated from this human existence to higher existence, or to spiritual, eternal existence. So the purpose of the science of Bhagavad-gétä is just this, that janma karma ca me divyam evaà yo vetti tattvataù [Bg. 4.9]. If you understand God in truth, and fact, then tyaktvä dehaà punar janma naiti: [Bg. 4.9] you will never take birth again in this material world, but you will go back to the spiritual world, called Vaikuëöha in Sanskrit language. Vaikuëöha means the spiritual world, the place where there is no repetition of birth and death.
Prabhupäda: No anxiety. No anxiety.
Puñöa Kåñëa: No anxiety. Yes.
JAYA SRILA PRABHUPADA
HARI BOL
PRANAM!
i am just giving quotes on blind faith and firm faith in sastras to understand your point.
PAMHO
AGTSP,
please think,
How do the angels in Christianity look like?
Hari Bol!
PAMHO Aakash Prabhuji,
I appreciate your honesty to accept that you find Vedic religion difficult to rationalize. We all have at some point of time found the puranic stories irrational.
There are many 'scholars' in Hinduism who try to rationalize the Vedic stories and present it before educated masses. They use complex scientific words and theories to harmonize science with Vedic religion. But I doubt that upto what extent one could explain the puranic stories scientifically ? All religions in the world from Islam to Christianity have stories involving miracles, which the rationalist may consider as irrational. Even the Buddhist who are agnostic have a good share of miracles and Jains who have an atheistic philosophy have a good quota of miracles involving their Tirthankars.
When I was a sophomore, I used to associate with the atheists and read the books written by them. This went on till I ended my graduation. When I was at the zenith of atheism, I was fed up of my life, which was full of darkness. I got pulled towards religion more and more. As I started to develop faith in the scriptures, my aura got brighter. I then resolved to never give up my faith in the scriptures. Today, the scriptures are my lifeline. I blindly accept each story. I don't try to rationalize everything because I know that a man derives supreme happiness only from his supreme faith in God and scriptures. Religious people, be they from any religion are happier than the atheists, who live a life without any purpose.
How can you prove scientifically that God exists ? In theory, we can prove anything, but scientists would want to see Him.
How can you prove scientifically that a soul exists ? In theory, we can prove anything, but scientists would want to see it.
It's my belief that we should never argue with an atheist or a person from any other religion. Let them believe whatever they want to but never ever take upon your self to convince an atheist rationally that God or soul exists or why Hanumanji had a monkey like form and not his mother or why a Shiv-ling is worshippable.
Just have blind faith in God and scriptures, for that is the gateway to happiness.