Liberation is a one minute task. You say, from now on I will follow what Krishna says and not do what you speculate or concoct with your mind to be correct.
Exerpts from Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay
Prabhupada: He said, Giriraja, that there is some declaration by Vinoda Bhave that "I'm now going to retire."
Dr. Patel: Who? Vinobari.(?) (Vinoda Bhave?)
Prabhupada: "Completely. And now I shall endeavor for moksa." So that means till now he was not on the liberation platform.
Indian: He is... Vinoda Bhave is real brahmana. He is truly a brahmana.
Prabhupada: Yes I know that. That may be. Brahmana is sattva-guna. That may be, but that does not mean liberation. There is knowledge. At least he understands what is liberation and what is not.
Dr. Patel: Knowledge put in practice is vijnana. Jnana vijnana saha.
Prabhupada: So, if he's trying for becoming liberated, it is understood that he was not liberated.
Dr. Patel: He must have been disillusioned by all this. He has really done work in this way that anybody would be disillusioned.
Prabhupada: Now, our point is that if you are not liberated, how you can become leader? That is cheating.
Dr. Patel: This is the (indistinct). The political, socio-political... I don't know the sort of...
Prabhupada: Our point is that if you do not get knowledge from liberated person, that knowledge is useless. That is cheating. [break] It is very easy. Just like a child. If he takes your direction, he liberated, and if he acts according to his childish nature, then he's conditioned. If you take Krsna's instruction, then you are liberated. If you manufacture your own idea, then you are conditioned. Two things. Child is not actually liberated. He is child. But because he takes blindly the direction of the father, he's liberated. That is mam eva ye prapadyante. Anyone who has surrendered to Krsna and strictly follows what Krsna says, then he is liberated. Otherwise not. If he manufactures idea, then he's conditioned.
Dr. Patel: It is what? Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]?
Prabhupada: Yes, and it is very easy: "Henceforward I shall simply follow what Krsna says." That's all. You become liberated immediately. It is one minute's task, simply to decide that "No more my concoction, my imagination." Then he is liberated.
Dr. Patel: But this decision, all these things is done by the mind which has got all the vartmas of the past births.
Prabhupada: Mind may be, but if I ask the mind that "You cannot do anything except what Krsna says," then you are liberated. Very easy. You see? We are doing the same thing. We are not liberated. I am not liberated. But I am presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. That's all. That's my doing.
Dr. Patel: You mean sve sve karmany abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah. That is your duty you have. That is what ...
Prabhupada: So that verse is very important. That mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. As soon as you become fully surrendered to Krsna, you are liberated, not that liberated means one has to grow four hands and eight legs. No. Simply you have to change the consciousness, that "Henceforward I shall act only as directed by Krsna." That's all. You are liberated. It is one minute....
Dr. Patel: How do you get that direction moment by moment, hour by hour?
Prabhupada: By His representative, by His words, they are present. Where is the difficulty to get His direction? Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena [Bg. 4.34]. One who has seen, one who has understood Krsna, take direction from him. "He's my representative." Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. If you get right guru, then you are liberated. If you follow the direction, if you want to please him, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **, then you are liberated. Otherwise, what is the meaning of this? Mam eva ye prapadyante. There is no need of waiting for liberation. "As soon as one surrenders to Me, he is immediately above the platform of maya." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. Hare Krsna. So what was the Vinoda Bhave's statement published in the paper?
Giriraja: That he's not going to give any more public lectures and he's not going to give any more advice to any institutions.
Prabhupada: But, now he's thinking that it is useless. Otherwise why he would say like that? And moksa? He's going to try for moksa?
Giriraja: Yes. He's saying that by reducing these activities he wants to get moksa.
Prabhupada: So, our point is that if he was not on the platform of moksa, liberation, why did he waste his time by spoiling himself and for spoiling others? Now he has come to his senses, it is good, but it is to be understood that he simply spoiled his time and spoiled others' career by misleading them. Thus, without being liberated, nobody can guide anyone. That is useless. That is andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. If you have no eyes, then how can you lead others? If you are blind and they are blind, then what is the use of becoming their leaders? Actually all the so-called leaders and scholars, they are blind themselves and they have become big, big leader. That is the misfortune of the present life. And, therefore, our proposition is you take direction from Krsna and His representative. That's all. That will help you. Try to understand this point. Our system, parampara system, is that I am just like disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I don't say that I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following the instruction of Bhaktisiddhanta, I'm liberated. This is the distinction between conditioned and liberated. When one is under the direction of a liberated person... The same thing: Electricity. The copper is not electricity, but when it is charged with electricity, if it is touched, that is electricity. And, similarly, this parampara system, the electricity is going. If you cut the parampara system, then there is no electricity. Therefore it is stressed so much. Sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa. The electricity is lost. These people, they do not know. Now at the fag end of life, they are thinking, if intelligent person, that "What I have done actually?" If one has sense, he should come to this understanding. By cutting some, what is that? Dead trees? The civil disobedience began by cutting dead trees. Is it not? Vinoda Bhave, he began his leadership forty years ago by cutting... Gandhi also, civil disobedience. So this kind of leadership might have been little enthusiasm for the time being, but actually what people gain by that, such leadership?
Dr. Patel: Anta-kale 'pi brahma-nirananda. He thinks that way, that in last moment he is, come to that stage, he will be ...
Prabhupada: That is very good, but we should know also that so long, whatever he has done, that is from the blind platform, so nobody has gained anything. And if it was on the real platform, then svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. So krsna-bhakti is such nice thing that even a little... There are many places it is confirmed that even a person in krsna-bhakti stage falls down, being immature, what is the loss there? Bhagavata... What is the loss there?
Dr. Patel: There is no loss, since Krsna said, sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41].
Prabhupada: So that is the... If krsna-bhakti, a little done... And what does he gain? If he does not take krsna-bhakti and does a duty, what does he gain? Abhajatam svadharmatah. Abhajatam svadharmatah. He is strictly following his occupational duty, but he's not a bhakta. What does he gain? Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer [SB 1.5.17]. Can anyone quote this verse?
Dr. Patel: Bhakti is your... Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. If you do your...
Prabhupada: That is the beginning. That is the beginning. That is also bhakti. But bhakti means he must be conscious that "Krsna is my Lord. I have to serve Him." That is the beginning of bhakti.
Dr. Patel: If he is not conscious, how can he do work for Him?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is the beginning. Then it becomes purified more and more and more and more by service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Then he realizes his position. Svayam eva sphuraty... The more he advances in sevonmukha, by service, God becomes revealed to him. And then buddhi-yogam dadami tam. Then as he becomes more confidential, then he is imparted buddhi-yogam, means bhakti-yoga. What is that bhakti-yoga? Yena mam upayanti te. "That bhakti-yoga, by which he can come back to Me." Not that bhakti-yoga means you remain here in this rotten place. Yena mam upayanti te. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, buddhi-yogam dadami tam [Bg. 10.10]. He can receive that buddhi-yoga. What is that buddhi-yoga? Yena mam upayanti. So this is required. This is the ultimate goal of life.
Dr. Patel: But that buddhi-yoga which we have left undone in the previous birth, God with His mercy gives you that buddhi...
Prabhupada: Buddhi-yoga continues, continues. If it is unfinished... Unless that buddhi-yoga is complete, one is not allowed. One is not allowed. He remains within this material world, very opulent position. Position like Indra, Candra, Brahma. They are devotees, but not pure devotees. They have got some tinge of material enjoyment. Therefore they are given big, big post. One has become Brahma, one has become the king of heaven; one has become the king of moon planet, sun planet. They are not ordinary living being.
Dr. Patel: Ananya... They are not ananya-bhaktas.
Prabhupada: No. They had some tinge that "By bhakti I shall enjoy this material world." And bhakti means anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. I have not at all, niskincana. Niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. They don't care for this Brahma's post or Indra's post or... They don't care.
Hari bol! Please accept my humble obeisances and please forgive the simplicity of my answer... A devotee can be sure of moksha through chanting his holy name and performing service to Krishna. There are many examples of this in Srimad Bhagavatam BG.
All Glories to his divine grace Shrila Prabhupad!
Replies
Liberation is a one minute task. You say, from now on I will follow what Krishna says and not do what you speculate or concoct with your mind to be correct.
Exerpts from Morning Walk -- January 4, 1977, Bombay
Prabhupada: He said, Giriraja, that there is some declaration by Vinoda Bhave that "I'm now going to retire."
Dr. Patel: Who? Vinobari.(?) (Vinoda Bhave?)
Prabhupada: "Completely. And now I shall endeavor for moksa." So that means till now he was not on the liberation platform.
Indian: He is... Vinoda Bhave is real brahmana. He is truly a brahmana.
Prabhupada: Yes I know that. That may be. Brahmana is sattva-guna. That may be, but that does not mean liberation. There is knowledge. At least he understands what is liberation and what is not.
Dr. Patel: Knowledge put in practice is vijnana. Jnana vijnana saha.
Prabhupada: So, if he's trying for becoming liberated, it is understood that he was not liberated.
Dr. Patel: He must have been disillusioned by all this. He has really done work in this way that anybody would be disillusioned.
Prabhupada: Now, our point is that if you are not liberated, how you can become leader? That is cheating.
Dr. Patel: This is the (indistinct). The political, socio-political... I don't know the sort of...
Prabhupada: Our point is that if you do not get knowledge from liberated person, that knowledge is useless. That is cheating. [break] It is very easy. Just like a child. If he takes your direction, he liberated, and if he acts according to his childish nature, then he's conditioned. If you take Krsna's instruction, then you are liberated. If you manufacture your own idea, then you are conditioned. Two things. Child is not actually liberated. He is child. But because he takes blindly the direction of the father, he's liberated. That is mam eva ye prapadyante. Anyone who has surrendered to Krsna and strictly follows what Krsna says, then he is liberated. Otherwise not. If he manufactures idea, then he's conditioned.
Dr. Patel: It is what? Sarva-dharman parityajya [Bg. 18.66]?
Prabhupada: Yes, and it is very easy: "Henceforward I shall simply follow what Krsna says." That's all. You become liberated immediately. It is one minute's task, simply to decide that "No more my concoction, my imagination." Then he is liberated.
Dr. Patel: But this decision, all these things is done by the mind which has got all the vartmas of the past births.
Prabhupada: Mind may be, but if I ask the mind that "You cannot do anything except what Krsna says," then you are liberated. Very easy. You see? We are doing the same thing. We are not liberated. I am not liberated. But I am presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. That's all. That's my doing.
Dr. Patel: You mean sve sve karmany abhiratah samsiddhim labhate narah. That is your duty you have. That is what ...
Prabhupada: So that verse is very important. That mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. As soon as you become fully surrendered to Krsna, you are liberated, not that liberated means one has to grow four hands and eight legs. No. Simply you have to change the consciousness, that "Henceforward I shall act only as directed by Krsna." That's all. You are liberated. It is one minute....
Dr. Patel: How do you get that direction moment by moment, hour by hour?
Prabhupada: By His representative, by His words, they are present. Where is the difficulty to get His direction? Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena [Bg. 4.34]. One who has seen, one who has understood Krsna, take direction from him. "He's my representative." Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. If you get right guru, then you are liberated. If you follow the direction, if you want to please him, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **, then you are liberated. Otherwise, what is the meaning of this? Mam eva ye prapadyante. There is no need of waiting for liberation. "As soon as one surrenders to Me, he is immediately above the platform of maya." Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami [Bg. 18.66]. Hare Krsna. So what was the Vinoda Bhave's statement published in the paper?
Giriraja: That he's not going to give any more public lectures and he's not going to give any more advice to any institutions.
Prabhupada: But, now he's thinking that it is useless. Otherwise why he would say like that? And moksa? He's going to try for moksa?
Giriraja: Yes. He's saying that by reducing these activities he wants to get moksa.
Prabhupada: So, our point is that if he was not on the platform of moksa, liberation, why did he waste his time by spoiling himself and for spoiling others? Now he has come to his senses, it is good, but it is to be understood that he simply spoiled his time and spoiled others' career by misleading them. Thus, without being liberated, nobody can guide anyone. That is useless. That is andha yathandhair upaniyamanah [SB 7.5.31]. If you have no eyes, then how can you lead others? If you are blind and they are blind, then what is the use of becoming their leaders? Actually all the so-called leaders and scholars, they are blind themselves and they have become big, big leader. That is the misfortune of the present life. And, therefore, our proposition is you take direction from Krsna and His representative. That's all. That will help you. Try to understand this point. Our system, parampara system, is that I am just like disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I don't say that I am liberated. I am conditioned. But because I am following the instruction of Bhaktisiddhanta, I'm liberated. This is the distinction between conditioned and liberated. When one is under the direction of a liberated person... The same thing: Electricity. The copper is not electricity, but when it is charged with electricity, if it is touched, that is electricity. And, similarly, this parampara system, the electricity is going. If you cut the parampara system, then there is no electricity. Therefore it is stressed so much. Sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa. The electricity is lost. These people, they do not know. Now at the fag end of life, they are thinking, if intelligent person, that "What I have done actually?" If one has sense, he should come to this understanding. By cutting some, what is that? Dead trees? The civil disobedience began by cutting dead trees. Is it not? Vinoda Bhave, he began his leadership forty years ago by cutting... Gandhi also, civil disobedience. So this kind of leadership might have been little enthusiasm for the time being, but actually what people gain by that, such leadership?
Dr. Patel: Anta-kale 'pi brahma-nirananda. He thinks that way, that in last moment he is, come to that stage, he will be ...
Prabhupada: That is very good, but we should know also that so long, whatever he has done, that is from the blind platform, so nobody has gained anything. And if it was on the real platform, then svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. So krsna-bhakti is such nice thing that even a little... There are many places it is confirmed that even a person in krsna-bhakti stage falls down, being immature, what is the loss there? Bhagavata... What is the loss there?
Dr. Patel: There is no loss, since Krsna said, sucinam srimatam gehe yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate [Bg. 6.41].
Prabhupada: So that is the... If krsna-bhakti, a little done... And what does he gain? If he does not take krsna-bhakti and does a duty, what does he gain? Abhajatam svadharmatah. Abhajatam svadharmatah. He is strictly following his occupational duty, but he's not a bhakta. What does he gain? Tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer [SB 1.5.17]. Can anyone quote this verse?
Dr. Patel: Bhakti is your... Sva-karmana tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. If you do your...
Prabhupada: That is the beginning. That is the beginning. That is also bhakti. But bhakti means he must be conscious that "Krsna is my Lord. I have to serve Him." That is the beginning of bhakti.
Dr. Patel: If he is not conscious, how can he do work for Him?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is the beginning. Then it becomes purified more and more and more and more by service. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Then he realizes his position. Svayam eva sphuraty... The more he advances in sevonmukha, by service, God becomes revealed to him. And then buddhi-yogam dadami tam. Then as he becomes more confidential, then he is imparted buddhi-yogam, means bhakti-yoga. What is that bhakti-yoga? Yena mam upayanti te. "That bhakti-yoga, by which he can come back to Me." Not that bhakti-yoga means you remain here in this rotten place. Yena mam upayanti te. Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam, buddhi-yogam dadami tam [Bg. 10.10]. He can receive that buddhi-yoga. What is that buddhi-yoga? Yena mam upayanti. So this is required. This is the ultimate goal of life.
Dr. Patel: But that buddhi-yoga which we have left undone in the previous birth, God with His mercy gives you that buddhi...
Prabhupada: Buddhi-yoga continues, continues. If it is unfinished... Unless that buddhi-yoga is complete, one is not allowed. One is not allowed. He remains within this material world, very opulent position. Position like Indra, Candra, Brahma. They are devotees, but not pure devotees. They have got some tinge of material enjoyment. Therefore they are given big, big post. One has become Brahma, one has become the king of heaven; one has become the king of moon planet, sun planet. They are not ordinary living being.
Dr. Patel: Ananya... They are not ananya-bhaktas.
Prabhupada: No. They had some tinge that "By bhakti I shall enjoy this material world." And bhakti means anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. I have not at all, niskincana. Niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. They don't care for this Brahma's post or Indra's post or... They don't care.
nothing is assured.....one has to become Selfless
the moment one becomes selfless everything else becomes less important like moksha.
Remove the doubt and you will see that you have already received it.
BG: Chapter 4 Verse 40: For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.
Hare Krishna..
All Glories to his divine grace Shrila Prabhupad!