Lecture in Bengali – March 20, 1976, Haridaspur

760320LE-Haridaspur [21:24 Minutes]

Pusta Krsna: [announcing] March 20th, 1976. Srila Prabhupada went on travelling sahkirtan to a town two miles from the border of Bangladesh called Haridaspur. Where Thakur Haridas lived for some time. Here they're donating some land to us. Srila Prabhupada is about to speak, I think in Bengali. Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada:

Devotee: [Transl. The mike is making lot of disturbance.]

Prabhupada: [Transl. In Srimad Bhagavatam there is a verse:

Be careful! Those who consider this body as self, what is this body? This body is made of five material elements. Earth, water, air, fire and sky-these elements constitute this body. Just like we breath, and when the breathing stops we say that this man is dead. He is no more.]

[Transl. The body remains, but there is no life. So what is this breathing? It is air. Just like he is fanning air on my head, similarly a little air comes out from breathing also. The element is air. But the air is moving in such a way that it is not in our control. Suppose the breathing is stopped, you can pump some air within the body by bellowing machine, you think the life will come back? But people say that his breathing has stopped. Breathing stopped, what's the big deal? What is that? Some air. We have made so much scientific advancement, just like bellow, pump in some air, that's all. Pump some air in the body. Will it bring back the life? No, not possible.]

[Transl. Similarly, blood. They say no blood, the blood has transformed into water. It didn't become water, blood is nothing but water. What else is blood than water? Red water. What else? Push some red water within the body through injection so that life will come back. In this way if the body is analised then what will we find? Ksiti-ap-teja-marut-vyoma: [earth, water, air, fire, there is fire within this body]. When the body is dead, it is no longer warm. So if you heat up the body will the life come back? No. it won't. Those who are intelligent, they know that I am not this body. I am different. Water, fire, air…Ksiti-ap-teja-marut-vyoma. Therefore Krsna says, ksiti-ap-teja…ah,]

[Transl. Ksiti-ap-teja-marut-vyoma: [earth, water, fire, air and ether]. These five material elements which constitute the body, if one analises this body that by a combination of these elements life can be produced, no. That's not possible. The life is a separate thing. Nowadays there are many big, big scientists. In their lavoratary, these five elements are available, they can produce life. That is not possible. Therefore it is said that those who consider their bodies as self, they are asses. Yasyatma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhatuke …his body is tri-dhatu. It is a bag of mucus, bile and air.]

[Transl. Those who think this bag to be the self, yasyatma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhatuke, and all the things related to the body are mine, sva-dhiḥ kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ, related to the body means wife, children, relatives, so in relation to the body those who are thinking they are mine, and thinking their bodies as 'I am,' yasyatma buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhatuke sva-dhiḥ kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ…sa eva go khara, they are simply cows and asses. Go means cow and khara means ass.]

[Transl. So the whole world is going on under this impression. Animals, birds, insects, flies, human beings-everyone is thinking that I am this body. A dog, it is thinking I am a dog-this body. And as soon as it sees another dog it starts to bark. And a man, he is thinking I am American, another man sees him, just like they do in India, immediately 'Go away. Your visa is finished,' the dog-barking. The human society cannot improve with this kind of mentality. They will continue to remain cows and asses.]

[Transl. The human form of life is meant for knowledge. When one's knowledge progressively increases up to brahma-jnana: knowledge of the absolute then his life will become successful. Athato brahma-jijnasa. [Vedanta-sūtra 1.1.1] Jijnasa, what to eat, where to sleep, how man and woman will unite, and how to remain safe from fear-these four things are common in men and in the dogs and jackles.]

[Transl. What I will eat, what I will live, how to have sex, and how to defend from danger-these four tendencies are there in dogs and jackles, in men, in tigers, in lions, in the demigods, everyone has got. Apart from this the human being has got another thing. That is who am I? Am I actually the body or something other than the body? I don't want to suffer miseries in this world, but who is enforcing these on me? If one inquires about these things then his human life is successful. Otherwise if one utilizes this body like dogs and jackles by eating, sleeping, producing children and dying after some years, that is not human life. In order to teach this very fact the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends in this world.]

[Transl. Whenever people forget all these things the Supreme Lord incarnates and teaches these things. We are all children of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is aham bija-pradaḥ pita [Bg 14.4] Just like a parent has many children, similarly, we, the living entities, we are, mamaivamso jiva-bhūtaḥ, [15.7] the Lord says, they are all My parts and parcels. Just as children are parts and parcels of the parent, similarly we are all parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

[Transl. We are suffering here…Just like if a son suffers then his parents also suffer. They feel sad that our son is suffering. In the same way, we are suffering here and though we do not know how to stop our suffering nor do we try to stop it, the Supreme Lord desires to protect us and bring us back to Him. For this reason the Supreme Lord descends. The Lord comes and teaches us that you are making plans to be happy here but your plan will not work.]

[Transl. The Supreme Lord descends to teach this. But unfortunately we do not follow His instructions. Therefore we suffer. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu is that same Supreme Personality of Godhead. He…When Krsna saw that people are not following My words sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, then that same Krsna-Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as a devotee and taught us how to surrender unto the lotus feet of Krsna. Krsna comes as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and Caitanya Mahaprabhu comes as a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

[Transl. To teach. These things, these sublime things are available in our country India. Especially in Bangladesh, particularly in this place where you are sitting now. Haridasa Thakura used to chant the holy name of Hari here. He was adorned with the title 'Namacarya.' Mahaprabhu came here to preach the holy name. But Haridasa Thakura, though he was born in a Mohammedan family, he became so perfect in the chanting of the holy name that Caitanya Mahaprabhu made him namacarya. Learn from this Haridasa Thakura how to chant the holy name of Hari.]

[Transl. According to the sastra this Bharata-varsa is a very sacred land. I have travelled all over the world many times, but still, though in America, Europe there are very good roads and buildings, still nowhere in the world you will find the environment like that of Bharata-varsa. This advantage, those who have taken birth in Bharata-varsa, should not waste. This is our appeal. Mahaprabhu has said:

[Transl. If those who have taken birth in Bharata-bhūmi, make their lives perfect by carefully understanding the teachings of Krsna and the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and preach in the Western countries as I am doing alone, by doing singlehandedly so much has been accomplished. Western people are not poor; they all belong to rich families. They have not joined me in want of money. And how much money do we have anyway? They themselves bring money. They…The thing…They have received something. So people of bharata-varsa have the right to distribute it. And there are plenty of customers for this. So if we actually make our lives successful by understanding the teachings of Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu and simply preach this then we will become the most respectable nation in the world. This is sure and certain.]

[Transl. So my request to all of you who have assembled here that you preach throughout the world Caitanya Mahaprabhu's consideration, His philosophical conclusion. But before that you have to make your own life perfect. So long you remain a useless person you cannot benefit others. First of all your life…That's why Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, janma sarthaka kari. How to make janma sarthaka: life perfect? There are so many beneficial instructions in Bharata-varsa. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself said, Vyasadeva said, Narada said, big, big acaryas said, Ramanujacarya said, Sahkaracarya said, Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, try to understand those instructions. Simply by understanding our lives will become perfect.]

[Transl. And by giving up such instructions just indulge in gossip…apana dhana bilaye diye bhiksa mage parera dvare: to beg from others by giving up one's own treasury. [Bengali proverb] Our own treasury… We have no such conception like considering the body as self. Had we have such conception then why these Americans, Africans, Canadians would join us? We have many Muslims from Iran. They are devotees. We also have from Pakistan. We do not discriminate. Because, panḍitaḥ sama-darsinaḥ [Bg 5.18]

[Transl. Those who are actually learned, they don't have such discrimination. Here is Hindu, here is Muslim, here is Bengali, here is Christian, no, nothing like that. He will only see the soul within each and every body. The soul is a part and parcel the Supreme Lord. This body…Just because one has worn a white shirt and another person has worn a yellow shirt doesn't mean that they are not human beings. The difference is of the shirt. Similarly, the spirit sour is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.]

[Transl. As the Supreme Lord is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, similarly the spirit soul, though minute, is also eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. But due to his karma he has changed his dress in 8,400,000 species of life. This body is compared to a dress. Vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya [Bg 2.22] Just like when a shirt and coat become old and torn, it is thrown away and a new shirt and coat are put on, similarly, when this body becomes old, no longer usable, then it has to be given up and a new body is received.]

[Transl. You have to understand these topics. These topics have to be understood with a cool head. If one understands then his human form of life is successful. Otherwise we will remain like dogs and jackles, bark for a few days and then die. This kind of lifestyle has no value. So our this Krsna Consciousness movement…The local authorities who wished to donate this land to us, many places people want to give us land, but the difficulty is especially in Bharata-varsa that I have to import people from outside and preach here. None our own boys are coming forward. Why aren't they coming? Then how the work will go on? How long will I import people from England and America and push on? That is the reason why preaching is not picking up on a mass scale here. So if you all join us and understand this mission then Bharata-varsa's position will change.]

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. [end]