Loading the player ...
710701LE.LA
Ratha-yatra

Los Angeles, July 1, 1971
Prabhupada: Venum means flute. Kvanantam, playing on flute. So this Krsna's flute is not our imagination. It is in the Vedic literature. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is, He likes to play on flute. Just like here in this material world also, there are many boys who like to play on flute. Wherefrom this flute-playing idea came? That answer is given in the Vedanta-sutra, janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. All ideas, everything is coming from Him, from Krsna. Unless there is in Krsna, there cannot be anything in this material world. Janmady asya yatah. Just like janma, your, somebody's birth from father or mother. So the symptoms of the father and mother, the facial expressions, even a spot in the face, everything becomes manifested in the child. So you can study what is God by studying yourself. That is Mayavada philosophy. They take it in a different way that "I am God, reflection." God, they say, God reflection. No. We are reflection. God is not our reflection; we are God's reflection.
So if we actually meditate upon our own constitution, then why we should conclude that God is impersonal? I am person. I am individual. I have got my individual opinion. I do not agree with others. Why? Because I am individual. You do not agree with me, I do not agree with you. Why? Because we are all individuals. So why God should be not individual? He is also individual. That is the statement in the Vedas.
nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam
eko bahunam (yo) vidadhati kaman
(Katha Upanisad 2.2.13)
Nitya, nitya means eternal. We are eternal form. We change our body. We don't die. As we are changing daily, every moment changing body, so the final change means accept another body. This is also accepting another body, but imperceptibly. The change is so quick. Just like in the cinema spool there are so many pictures changing, but it is changing so quickly that we are seeing one picture moving. So that is our ignorance. But actually there are thousands of pictures changing in a moment, and you see that one picture is moving. Why do you not study in this way? Similarly, every second, our body is changing, just like spool, one after another, one after another, one after another. But I am... The spirit soul is there, just like the cinema spool is changing, but the seer is there. That is one, although the pictures are changing. Similarly, we are nitya. Nitya means eternal. And we are nitya. Then why God should be dead? They say, "God is dead." And what is foolishness? You are part and parcel of God, you are living, you are existing, and why the original soul should be dead?
So these are our foolishness. Meditation means to think over all this subject matter very intelligently, not like a rascal, that "If I am person, why God should be imperson? If I am eternal, why God should be dead?" This is meditation, to study diligently. If I have got an instinct to love others, so why God shall not, God will not have this instinct to love others? If I have got attraction for the opposite sex, why God should not have? Why He should not be attracted by Radharani? Very simple truth. And why Radharani should not be attracted by Krsna? But the difference is: here everything is false. False means the attraction is not real attraction. But there the attraction is real. Here I am attracted with a boy, with a girlafter six months, finished. Because there are so many defects, therefore the attraction does not exist. It is all defective. This body is false, false in the sense it is an imitation. Just like you see one idol in the dress shop, very nice girl standing, but it is a false; similarly, this body made of material elements is not our real body. False. Similarly, the girl's body is false. Therefore, because false, the so-called love and attraction is also false. Therefore our so-called love breaks. There is no love here. It cannot be. There cannot be any love. This is... That tendency is there, but due to this material contamination, lust is going on in the name of love. Actually it is lust.
So we should discriminate between lust and love. Love cannot be accepted unless it is reposed in Krsna. That is love. And all other, everything, that is lust. It appears to be similar, but love and lust, there is so much difference of value. Just like gold and iron. Gold and iron. Real love is gold, and the so-called love, or lust, is iron. How you can evaluate gold and iron on the same level? It is not possible. So you have to learn real love. That is how to love Krsna. Our whole process is training people how to love Krsna. Just like this temple. For Krsna we are all engaged in Krsna's service, nice throne, Krsna nicely dressed. But the atheist will say, "These people are foolish. They have taken a brass idol, and they are engaged." That is false. Actually, we are engaged in Krsna's service. We are dressing Krsna directly. We are offering flower, Krsna. Krsna has kindly accepted the arca-murti incarnation to be handled by me. Otherwise just like Arjuna saw the virata-murti, the universal form of Krsna. He was tremble; he was afraid. He requested Krsna, "Please become again just like my friend. This is very fearful." Yes.
So Krsna, because He is all-powerful, Parabrahman... Parabrahman means the bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. Anor aniyam mahato mahiyan. Anu. Anu means particle. We have got idea, atom. Krsna can enter into the atom also. Andantara-stham paramanu cayantara-stham. Paramanu means atom. Krsna can become so big that many universes can be put into his mouth. Just like Yasoda-ma, mother Yasoda. He (she) wanted to check, "Whether You have eaten dirt? Show me Your face, mouth." As soon as Krsna opened mouth, "Oh," Yasoda-ma said, "all the universes are within." So Yasoda-ma, out of affection, she thought, "Oh, this is something puzzling. All right, close your..." (laughter) That's all. That is God. He... "Mother, you want to see whether there is some dirt within My mouth? You see the whole universal dirts are within Me." That is called mahato mahiyan. Within that mouth, He exhibited all the universes. How it is possible? Yes, it is possible. Just like in the globe we see the whole world. Here is America, here is Russia, here this, here this. That is possible. It is a process only, to understand the process. Similarly, to understand God, it requires a process. You have to know the process, a secret process. That is bhakti. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55]. Krsna says, only through devotional service you can understand Krsna. Otherwise, to understand God, Krsna, is not very difficult. It is very easy. He becomes revealed to the devotees.
So there is no difficulty. Simply we have to become sincere devotee. Our service must be very sincere and authentic under the direction of authority. Then you will understand God. There is no difficulty. Tesam aham anukampartham. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said, tesam evanukampartham [Bg. 10.11]. Tesam. Tesam means not ordinary person. Those who are devotees, sincere devotees, to show them a special favor... God is kind to everyone, but He is specially kind to His devotees. That is His special. He is kind to everyone. Otherwise how everyone is eating? Nobody is starving. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. Eka, that one eternal being, He is supplying everyone's necessities. And the plural number of eternals, they are dependent on that one. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman.
So we have to study Vedas through authoritative sources. We have to follow the rules and regulations. Then, in this life, we shall be able to understand what is God, what is Krsna. And as soon as you understand Krsna, you are liberated immediately. There is no doubt about it. Because without being liberated, nobody can understand Krsna. Nobody can understand Krsna. Tato mam tattvato jnatva visate tad anantaram. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that first of all you have to become liberated. Brahma-bhutah. That is called brahma-bhutah, identification with Brahman. That is liberation. Now we are identifying with this matter, material elements. Everyone is illusioned. "I am this body; therefore I am American." "Therefore I am Indian." "Therefore I am this." "Therefore I am that." Everyone. This is called jiva-bhutah, ignorance. And as soon as one becomes brahma-bhutah, he understands. Prasannatma. "Oh, I am neither American nor this, nor that. I am eternal servant of Krsna." That is brahma-bhutah, simply to change the consciousness. At the present moment our consciousness is material. I am identifying with matter. The same thing, consciousness, when changed, you identify with Krsna, Krsna's interest, then you are liberated.
Thank you. [break] Is that all right? Or if there is any question, you can make question. Yes.
Devotee: Prabhupada, can you explain a little more about Ratha-yatra? Anyone who takes part in Ratha-yatra, are they liberated?
Prabhupada: Certainly.
Devotee: Does that mean they will not take birth again?
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes, provided they take it seriously. Otherwise, if they keep their mentality differently, then according to mind, one has to get a body. But... Just like so many boys. They come here in the beginning out of curiosity, but gradually, they get the chance of becoming devotee. Similarly, if they take the chance, then they will be liberated. They come out of curiosity, but if they take it seriously, then they will be liberated. Just like hospital is meant for curing disease. So one should take the treatment. If he simply goes and visits the hospital and thinks "Now I am cured," how it can be done? Hospital is a... Suppose if I advertise that "Anyone who comes to this hospital, he will be cured of his disease," that's a fact. But if he thinks that "I have come here. Now I am going," then how he will be cured? To see Jagannatha on the Ratha-yatra, his way for liberation is open, but if he comes back again and entangles himself, then? One goes to the doctor. He gives injection. The disease is cured. But again he comes back and does the same thing so that he develops this disease again. So whose fault it is? This is called hasti-snana. Hasti-snana. The elephant takes bath very nicely, and as soon as comes on the bank of the river or the lake, he takes dust and throws it over body again. If we do that, then we shall remains always dirty. You go, take bath, cleanse, but don't take dirt again. That is not going on. They become immediately mukta, liberated, but they come, again becomes entangled. If it is a fact seeing Jagannatha is mukta, that's all... He becomes mukta. But if he again comes to maya, then who can check him? Just like you are all on the path of liberation, but if you again come back to maya, then where is your liberation? Why Jagannatha in the ratha here? If somebody comes here and sees his path for liberation is open... Now he should protect himself. Just like disease, fever is subsided. Now one should be careful not to relapse the fever. That care is in my hand, everyone's hands. And if you become prone to be relapsed again, then again the same thing. Just like in Christian church they confess. Of course, that is the injunction. That's all right. After confessing, the sins are excused. That's a fact. But if he comes back, again commits the same, then where is the effect? But they are happy in that way. They are... "After one week, I shall go to the church and confess my sins. Then everything will be neutralized." This is all right. Suppose on Sunday you become free from all contamination of your sinful activities. And Monday you again do the same thing. So you become again contaminated. And, say, on Tuesday if you die, then you are dying with sins. Is it not? Then what is your condition? If the God or Christ excused you of your sinful life, that's all right. But when you come back, you don't commit again sin. Then you are all right. But we have taken it as a business that we go to Sunday, neutralize our sins, and come back again and do the same thing. So from logical point of view, suppose you do the same sinful activities, and if you die immediately, then you die with sinful activities, go to hell. What benefit you derive by confessing in the church? This business is going on. "Now I have seen Jagannatha. My liberation is guaranteed. Now I can do anything." That's all. This mentality. This mentality will not give you liberation. You have seen Jagannatha, your sinful activities are now neutralized, but don't commit again. Now make progress. Then your liberation is guaranteed. Is it clear?
Namnam balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. In every initiation we teach this, that chanting Hare Krsna mantra, once chanting Hare Krsna, is sufficient to make us pure from all sinful activities, reaction. But if we commit sin again in the hope that "Because I am chanting, this will be neutralized," that is the greatest sin. So one side, you should chant always Hare Krsna mantra so that you may not fall down; another side, you should be careful: "Now no illicit sex life, no intoxication, no meat-eating." In this way, if you carefully make progress, then your liberation is guaranteed. Just like doctor. If you go to a doctor for treatment of a disease, he gives you medicine; at the same time, he prohibits you, "Don't do this." So you take medicine and don't do this. Follow this instruction. You are cured, guaranteed. But if you don't follow the "don't do this," and don't take the medicine regularly, then how you can expect cure? It may be, but it will take long time. But if you want quick, take it seriously. Just like Dhruva Maharaja. In six months he saw God, in six months. That is possible. You follow? (aside:) Stop. I shall say. So if we don't follow the regulative principle and the instruction, then our liberation will be delayed. Otherwise it is guaranteed.
Devotee: How do you develop this seriousness if you find that you are always frivolous?
Prabhupada: Seriousness? If you become serious then you become, develop seriousness. If you are fickle, then how you can develop seriousness? Therefore the injunction is: yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah **. You should be very serious to abide by the orders of the spiritual master. Then you are serious. If you think that "Spiritual master is a man like me. Why shall I follow his instructions so strictly?" then you are not serious. Then what is the use of your being initiated? This is seriousness. And we are singing daily, yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah. What is the meaning of this?
Karandhara: "By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the mercy of Krsna."
Prabhupada: So if you don't follow the spiritual master, then how you can get his mercy? Mercy is always there, but if you don't take it, then what spiritual master or his father will do? You have to take it. That is seriousness. Therefore Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura said that "The order of my spiritual master is my life. I do not know whether I get liberation or not. That is not my business. My business is to carry out the order of my spiritual master." Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura said. If one is serious on this point, then he is serious. First of all we have to approach a spiritual master who is actually a spiritual master, and then, if we carry the orders of spiritual master, then everything is guaranteed. The same example: First of all you find out a right physician, and you put yourself under his treatment, follow his instruction, and the disease is cured. But if you go to a false physician or if you are false, then the result will not take place.
So arati will be performed now?
Karandhara: About forty-five minutes.
Prabhupada: So I can go?
Karandhara: Yes.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. (end)

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/festival/ratha-yatra/los_angeles/july/01/1971

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada