Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Vrndavana October 20, 1972
All the great conclusions of devotional service will be automatically revealed
to the practitioner if he follows the rules and regulations given by his spiritual master.
to the practitioner if he follows the rules and regulations given by his spiritual master.
Pradyumna (reading): "A living entity is offered a particular type of body as a result of his action in the present body. These activities are taken into account by superior authority known as daiva, or the authority of God. This daiva is explained in the Bhagavad-gita as the prime cause of everything, and in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that a man takes his next body by daivanetrena, which means by the supervision of the authority of the Supreme. In an ordinary sense, daiva is explained as destiny. Daiva supervision gives us a body selected from 8,400,000 forms. The choice does not depend on our selection, but is awarded to us according to our destiny."
Prabhupada: Material rasas are being experienced in different types of body. Just like somebody wants to taste fresh blood, flesh and blood. So he's given the next life a body like a tiger or other carnivorous animals, and he very nicely tastes blood and flesh. Nature gives all the facilities.
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
[Bg. 3.271]
Prakrti, nature is doing everything. This is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita: karanam guna- sangah asya sad asad janma yonisu. Yoni means the source of birth. Mother is called yoni, and father is called bija. Yatha yoni yatha bijam. According to bijam and according to yoni, we get body. Why you are getting different types of bodies? Karanam guna-sangah asya, because you are contacting a particular type of the modes of material nature. There are three modes of material nature: sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So if I am associating with sattva-guna, then next life, I'll get a sattvaguna body. Urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha [Eg. 14.181]. Sattva-guna body means higher standard of life. Similarly, if I am associating with the modes of passion, then I'll get a passionate body next life. If I am associating with ignorance, tamo- guna, jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha adho gacchanti tamasah. The jaghanya, the lowest. Drinking, flesh eating, smoking, illicit sex, gambling … These are the association of tamoguna. Yatra papas catur-vidha. These are four kinds of sinful activities. Those who are associating with tamo-guna, their vrtti, their habits, are very abominable. Jaghanya. Therefore adho gacchanti. They go downwards.
In this way, everyone is enjoying a particular type of material rasa, and nature is offering him a particular type of body. Just like the hogs. They are relishing the rasa of stool very nicely. You give them nice food, they'll not take. They'll prefer to taste the stool. Why? Because he has been offered a particular type of body. karanam gunasangah asya: he has associated with jaghanya, abominable tamo-guna. Therefore he has developed a body of a hog, and tasting the juice of stool. This is the way of transmigration of the soul.
Actually, the living entity, the spirit soul, is neither hog, neither dog, nor brahmana, nor this, nor that. It is simply a covering. But this covering is developed by our association with the particular type of modes of nature. Kamnam gunasangah asya sad-asad-janma-yonisu.
SERVICE TO THE ACARYA
But in this life, if we develop Krsna consciousness by association of devotees, we can get out of this cycle. As Narottama dasa Thakura has sung, tandera carana-sevi-bhakta- sane vasa. One's aim of life should be to serve the acaryas. Acarya upasanam. So our acaryas in the Gaudiya-Vaisnava-sampradaya are sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha, sri jiva gopala-bhatta dasaraghunatha, the six Goswamis. If you read regularly The Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, this means you are associating with Srila Rupa Goswami directly. And if you act accordingly, then you are serving their lotus feet. Tandem carana-sevi-bhakta-sane vasa. Unless you are associated with devotees, you will not be able to understand the import of the writings of Srila Rupa Goswami
Once a brahmana had came to Caitanya Mahaprabhu to read some poetry he had written. So many devotees from other provinces used to come and visit Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri. And some of them wrote poetry. But all of them, first of all, would be tested by Svarupa Damodara. And then he'll be allowed to go before Caitanya Mahaprabhu and read it. That was the system. Because general people do not know siddhanta.
Those who are advanced devotee, they know siddhanta, the conclusion. In the Caitanya-caritamrta, therefore, it has been advised, [Adi 2.1171]
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsne lage sudrdha manasa
If you neglect siddhanta, conclusion, given by the acaryas, then you will misunderstand Krsna. Therefore Narottama Dasa Thakura says:
rapa-raghunatha-pade haibe akuti
kabe hama bhujhaba se yugala-piriti
Narottama dasa Thakura, such an exalted acarya, is teaching us, "Don't try to understand yugalapiriti, the love affairs between Radha and Krsna by your own concoction." No. You should first of all try to serve the Six Goswamis. Just like in this Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami is not teaching in the beginning the loving affairs of Radha-Krsna. No. He's training, first of all, how to become pure devotee.
anyabhilalita sunyam
jnana-karmadyandy
anukulyena krsnanu
silanam bhaktir uttamda
[Brs. 1.1.11]
First of all, he's trying to bring the devotee to the standard devotional service. Vidhi-marga. Then gradually, when he becomes accustomed, then raga-marga will be revealed automatically. Svayam eva sphuraty adhah. Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krsna in his original constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulations as they are directed in the sastras and by spiritual master. When you are trained up properly, you come to the platform of raga-marga, then your original constitutional position will be revealed. That is called svarupasiddhi. It is attained at a certain stage.
Just the desire for sex life is there in every human being, but when the boy and the girl come to the mature stage, it become manifest. It is, is not learned artificially. Similarly, the raga-marga, svarupa-siddhi , becomes revealed o r ma nifest. Sravanadi-suddhacitte karaye udaya. Udaya. This very word, udaya, is used. Just like sun. Sun automatically becomes visible when the sunrises . You cannot force the sun to rise at dead of night. That is not possible. Sun will rise. You just wait.
EXECUTION WITH ENTHUSIASM
Similarly, we have to execute the devotional service with patience, with enthusiasm. Utsahilt dhairyat nisca yat tat-tat-karma-pravarta nat. We must be enthusiastic: "I shall engage myself very nicely in Krsna consciousness movement." That is first qualification-enthusiastic. Dullness will not help you. You must be very enthusia stic . My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracara. A person can become a preacher if he has got life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that "I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity." It is not that one has to become very lear ned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm, "My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord." This is the qualification, enthusiasm. You may not know Krsna very perfectly. It is not possible to know Krsna very perfectly. Krsna is unlimited. We cannot know Krsna cent percent. That is not possible. But Krsna reveals as far as possible you can understand. So if we are sincere servant of Krsna, utsahan, and if we serve patiently, then Krsna reveals.
The example is given in this connection. Just like if a girl wants a child immediately after marriage, it is not possible. She must wait. She must serve her husband nicely. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Time will come she will become pregnant and she will have child. So niscayat means … Just like the girl must know because she's married, because she has got a husband, that there must be a child.
Similarly, when you have entered into devotional service, bhakti-yoga, bhakti-marga, your success is assured, provided you are enthusiastic and patient. Not that "Immediately I want a child," "Immediately I becomefully Krsna consciousness and perfect." No. There may be so many imperfections. Because we are in the imperfect atmosphere. But patiently, if you go on executing your duties in devotional service as it is directed in the sastras and confirmed by the spiritual master, then rest assured that your success if guaranteed. This is the way. Utsahan dhairyat tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You must execute the duties.
SUCCESS IS CERTAIN
Just like we have asked our students to finish sixteen rounds chanting minimum. Sixteen rounds is nothing. In Vrndavana there are many devotees, they chant 120 rounds. Because I know in the Western countries it is difficult job to finish sixty-four rounds or 120 rounds, like that. Therefore , minimum sixteen rounds must be finished. Tat-tatkarma- pravartanat. This is the direction. Observing the regulative principles. In this way, we must be abiding by the direction of the spiritual master and the sastra. Then rest assured. Success if guaranteed. Go on reading, next.
Pradyumna: "If our body at present is engaged in the activities of Krsna consciousness, then it is guaranteed that we will have at least a human body in our next life."
Prabhupada: So one thing is guaranteed. If you engage in Krsna consciousness and suppose you do not become perfectly mature, some way or other, you fall down. We should not fall down. Because if we have got enthusiasm and patience, we shall not fall down. But suppose we fall down. Sastra says, tasya abhadra abhad amusya kim. There is nothing inauspicious because whatever you have done sincerely, that is recorded in the book. Krsna has got accountant. He keeps nice account of the activities of His devotees. Just like the nondevotees' accounts are kept by Yamaraja for punishment. Similarly, devotees' accounts are kept by Krsna, personally. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. Unless he keeps account, how He says, "I respond to the devotee to the proportionate surrender"? The real business is surrender to Krsna. If we surrender immediately, cent percent, then Krsna also gives you the result immediately, cent percent. Krsna says,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
[Bg. 18.661]
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear."
If Krsna reIieves me from all kinds of sinful activities, then where is my miserable condition of life? Miserable condition of life is for them who are enjoying or suffering the result of his actions. A devotee does not enjoy anything or suffer anything, because a devotee does everything for Krsna. Therefore there is no question of karma-phala. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad gita: yajriarthe karma anyatra karmabandhanah. If you act for Krsna, that is nice. If you act otherwise, then it is karma-bandhana. Anyatra means except Krsna consciousness activities, the activities of the karmis and the jnanis and the yogis, they are all karma-bandhana, bound up.
Suppose karmis, they are going to the heavenly planet or higher planetary system for getting higher standard of life, to take birth by pious activities in nice family, to become rich. But that is bandhana. That is bondage.
LIBERATION-REAL AND FALSE
Similarly, the so called mukti, jnanis, merging into the Brahman existence, Nirbhedabrahmanusandhana, without any distinction-that is also bandhana, bondage. Why? Because we find in the sastras: aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah [SB 10.2.321.] According to Vaisnava, param pada means to go to Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrndavana and be engaged as servant, eternal servant of the Lord. But according to the jnanis, the param pada means merge into the effulgence of brahmajyoti.
Sastra says that to go to that param padam, that is also not very easy. Krcchrena. Severe austerities and penances, one has to undergo to merge into the Brahman effulgence. Therefore you' ll find that the renunciation of the Mayavadi sannyasis is very rigid. They must take bath thrice in, in a day and Iie down underneath a tree. In our Brahma, Vaisnava sannyasa, there is little leniency. Because they live in Krsna, so there is no need of very strict, rigid following. Mayavada, kycchrena, with great difficulty, they merge into the Brahman effulgence. But patanty adhah. Again falls down means because in the effulgence there is no variety.
The example is just like you have got a nice sputnik or a rocket. But if you don't get shelter in some planet, just as they're going in the moon planet, but do not get shelter and come back. Similarly, supposing they are getting shelter, but that shelter is not very secure. They again come back. Without shelter, how long you can fly in the sky? The same example is given in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: aruhya krcchrena, with great scientific method, you can go up. But if you don't get a shelter, then you come back again on this planet. Similarly, the nondevotees, the impersonalists, they undergo severe penances and austerities undoubtedly, and they rise up to the brahmajyoti. From there, he again falls down. Why? Anadhrta yusmad-anghrayah. Because they did not care for the shelter under the lotus feet of Krsna, therefore they have to come back again to this material world.
That is practically experienced. We have seen many, many great sannyasis. They give up this world and take sannyasa for merging into Brahman, but later on they come back again to the material activit ies for opening hospital, schools, and philanthropic work. Why? Because in their so-called Brahman realization, they could not get any pleasure.
Therefore, if you stick to Krsna consciousness, you will enjoy blissful , transcendental blissfulness. Then you'll not be attracted with this humanitarian work or philanthropic work. Param drstva nivartate [Bg. 9.59]. In the service of the Lord, there are so much pleasure, transcendental pleasure. Just like in the life of Goswamis, we find:
tyaktva tIlunam asesa-mandala
pati-srenim sada tuccha-vat
bhutiitva dina-ganesakau karunaya
kaupina-kanthasritau
gopi -bhava-rasamrtabdhi-lahari
kallola-magnau sada
vande rupa-sanatanau
raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau
They gave up their ministerial posts considering them most insignificant and they became very poor mendicants. It is very difficult. If one changes his dress artificially by imitating Rupa Goswami, he cannot stay. He'll have to take to sex pleasure and intoxication to keep himself fit for bhajana. No. But the Goswamis, they did not take into sex pleasure or intoxication. They were merged into the ocean of the dealings of the gopis with Krsna. Gopi-bhava rasamrtabdhi- lahari. Lahari, there is a flow, constant flow of waves, in the ocean of loving affairs between Krsna and the gopis. So they were merged into that. Therefore this renunciation did not affect them. Otherwise, if one artificially renounces this material world, and he does not get real shelter unto the lotus feet of Krsna, he'll fall down. That's a fact. Aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adhah anadrta-yusmad anghrayah [SB 10.2.32]. So if you want to stay attached to the lotus feet of Krsna, then you must a lways keep yourself busy in the transcendental loving service of Lord.
Thank you very much.
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