On Prabhupada's prompting he asked, "I was thinking about the material platform that you mentioned last night, and I could not figure out how vast this platform is, what does it consist of, how do we define this platform. Is nature materialism? I mean, there are many things which are obvious, such as money, greed, etc. But how about nature, love?"
Prabhupada explained that there are three general platforms -- gross material, subtle material and the spiritual. "So the karmis generally ... Just like we see in the city, they are all busy, working very hard, they are on the gross material platform. And then next class, just like scientist, poet, philosopher, they are in the subtle platform. And above them, there are persons who are simply interested in spiritual understanding, they are on the spiritual platform. So according to the platform, there are thoughts and activities also. Your question is what is about these so many things. So first of all you have to understand in which platform he is situated. Then his activities are ascertained. If you are in the material platform, doing some business, making some profit, and if you bring there question, 'What is this, use of material profit, this body is temporary, why I am ...?' then your material activities will be diminished. So we have to understand first of all what is our actual objective. And then if we stand in that platform, then our life is successful."
"Does this mean that a person should turn his attention from the world, from his surrounding?" Ali asked.
"That you cannot do," Prabhupada said, explaining, "Just like we, although we are interested fully in Krsna consciousness, it doesn't mean that we do not live in a house, we do not eat, we do not use motorcar, we do not use typewriter, dictaphone. We are using everything. But the purpose is different. We are traveling and paying heavily to the air companies. Whenever I travel, at least five, six men go with me, and one round trip world travel means $12,000. Means about more than one lakh of rupees. So we are spending that, but not for any other purpose than for Krsna's service. Anywhere we speak we are talking only Krsna, trying to push on Krsna consciousness. That is our business. So the platform is different. Externally, one can see, they are also spending so much money for traveling, they are living in a nice house and they have some nice car. But the consciousness is different. Another example in this connection, that I am sitting on this chair and there is a bug also. He is also sitting on this chair. But that does not mean the bug and myself equal. The bug's business is different; my business is different. But superficially, if one sees that the bug and Swamiji's on the same chair, therefore they're all equal? That is not the fact. Similarly, we may be using all these material things, but we have no material business. We have simply spiritual business."
Prabhupada confirmed Ali's understanding that one has to live in the material world without becoming attached to it. "No, we have no attachment. We can sit down in this nice building, or we can sit down anywhere. We are not attached to this building; we are attached to push on Krsna consciousness. That is our business. And unconditionally we can push on Krsna consciousness. It is not that if we don't get a nice building as Atreya Rsi has supplied, then we cannot push on. No. That is not Krsna consciousness. Just like I began this movement underneath a tree in New York, Tompkinson Square ... what is that?"
"Tompkins Square Park," the devotees reminded him.
"I used to sit down there. There was no mrdanga. A small dundubhi. And I was chanting three hours -- Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. And people used to come."
"In a very bad neighborhood," Navayauvana added.
"Yes. Low-class, high-class, we don't mind," Prabhupada said. "We chant Hare Krsna, that's all. That 26 Second Avenue also not very good neighborhood," he observed.
"It's the worst place in the country!" Jnanagamya said to everyone's laughter.
"But I did not know," Prabhupada smiled. "Mukunda suggested this is good place, all right, live here. And actually happened to be good place. Gradually, all my disciples came. So I had no disturbance. I was living in the Bowery Street, and on my door these bums were lying with urine and wine bottles and everything. Still, they were so respectful. When I'll come, 'Yes, you can enter. Please.' I had no quarrel with them. They were very kind. They welcomed me, they opened the door, 'Please go.' They also knew that 'He's a harmless ... ' So, platform, if you remain on the spiritual platform, this material condition cannot hamper you. Ahaituky apratihata. Then yenatma suprasidati, in that condition you can execute. First of all, we have to ascertain on which platform we shall stand. And if you want to stand on the spiritual platform, nothing can check it. That is not conditioned. So why not stand directly to the spiritual platform and make your life successful? That is our preaching. People in general, they do not know the importance of the spiritual platform. Therefore they prefer to stay in the material platform. They have no sufficient education."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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