751206LE.VRN
Lecture Excerpt

Vrndavana, December 6, 1975
Prabhupada: Etam sa asthaya? Next?
Aksayananda: Paratma-nistham?
Prabhupada: Paratma-nistham. This sannyasa life means simply devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other business. We have got, according to our varnasrama system, varna and asrama: brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, and asrama, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. As we were discussing, visnoh padopasarpanam. The whole system is how to approach the lotus feet of Visnu. So this is the last ceremonial performance. Etam sa asthaya paratma-nistham. Paratma-nistham, Visnu, to keep firm faith in Him. So it is not a new thing. Purvatamair upasitam mahadbhih. Before us there were so many exalted acaryas-Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Visnu Svami, Nimbarka, and, in our line, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. So our process is to follow the predecessor acarya. Mahajano yena gatah sa panthah [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. That is the way. So although you are young menthere are many difficulties to keep sannyasabut if you keep faith, full faith in Krsna, the maya will not be able to touch you. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bg. 7.14]. Maya is very strong, but if we-mam eva ye prapadyanteif we keep ourself fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, maya will not be able to counteract this process.
So you should always keep yourself fixed up in Krsna consciousness. It is not very difficult. Strictly follow the rules and regulation and chant Hare Krsna mantra as many times... For a sannyasi, you should increase. Then you will be fixed up. And go on preaching. Preaching is also not very difficult, because you haven't got to manufacture anything. Everything is there, and it is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's order. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also took sannyasa very early age, twenty-four years old only. So He has practically shown by His activities how to preach Krsna consciousness all over the world. And He gives order to everyone, amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] "In whichever country you may liveit doesn't matter-try to deliver them by becoming their guru." The sannyasa is supposed to be guru of all other divisions, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha. Sannyasa is the topmost stage. So if you become guru, teacher, remembering the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then you will never fall down. He will save you. And how one becomes guru? That is also very easy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha tare kaha krsna upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. You haven't got to manufacture anything. Simply you try to repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, krsna upadesa. Not only Bhagavad-gita; there are many other instructions. Especially Bhagavad-gita. So if you simply carry the message of Bhagavad-gita, then you become guru. Don't manufacture anything. Then it will be spoiled. Simply stick primarily... Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. You can, everyone can, say this. Krsna says that "You always think of Me." So you can repeat only. You can say to others, "My dear sir, please think of Krsna." It doesn't require very much education. Simply just like a peon carry the message: "Sir, you always think of Krsna." Man-mana. Then you become guru. If you follow it strictlyyou also think of Krsna yourself, and you teach others, "My dear sir, my only request is that you think of Krsna"nobody will kill you. Everyone will... If he doesn't follow, he will appreciate you: "Oh, these sannyasis are very nice. They are advising to think of Krsna." Then you become guru. Simple thing. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. And anyone who thinks of Krsna, gradually he becomes a devotee of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji: "You worship Me." Here is the temple, and anyone can worship Krsna, and Krsna is satisfied simply with a little flower and little water. Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. It is not expensive. Anyone can bring little flower, little fruit, little tulasi leaf, and offer to Krsna. Mam namaskuru. If you cannot do anything, simply offer your obeisances: "Krsna, I am so poor, I cannot even secure a little fruit, flower, and water." That is not possible. Everyone can secure this patram puspam phalam toyam and offer to Krsna and offer your obeisances.
So you have to teach only these things. Where is the difficulty? You do it personally and teach them. Then you become guru. It doesn't require to learn big, big, I mean to say, grantha like Vedanta. This is not possible in this Kali-yuga. If possible, you can study Vedanta and other. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us... When Prakasananda Sarasvati inquired from Him that "You are a sannyasi. You are not studying Vedanta, and simply chanting Hare Krsna. What kind of sannyasi You are?"this question was put by Prakasananda Sarasvati to Caitanya Mahaprabhu-Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, "My dear sir, I am a great fool." Guru more murkha dekhi karila sasana: [Cc. Adi 7.71] "My guru saw Me a great fool number one; therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? That " 'You cannot read Vedanta. You chant Hare Krsna.' So my Guru Maharaja has ordered Me like that. But by chanting only, I get ecstasy, I realize, like that." So the idea is Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not a murkha, fool. He is God Himself. And besides that, even in His lila, pastimes as human being, He was a great learned scholar. His name was Nimai Pandita. He was not ordinary. He's pandita. His education is proved when He explained atmarama sloka in sixty-four ways.
This one verse He explained in sixty-four ways. Just see His learning. Not only that, when He was sixteen years old only, a great pandita came to Navadvipa. His name was Kesava Kasmiri. He conquered over all parts of the country..., India at least, because there was no possibility to go outside India. But He defeated him in one sloka when He was a boy. So He was not a fool, rascal. That is not the fact. But He represented Himself as a fool because we are fools. In this age we are all fools and rascals. What we shall read Vedanta and understand Vedanta? We have got practical experience how the so-called Vedantists go to foreign countries and mislead them, and they learn how to eat meat and wine. This is their Vedanta knowledge. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu knew it very well that all the rascals, they will call them vedanti and do all nonsense. So don't become falsely a vedanti. Real vedanti means vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg. 15.15]. If you simply know Krsna and surrender unto Him, then you become a vedanti, real vedanti. Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah [Bg. 15.15].
So always keep... This kind of duty was entrusted by Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the Indians.
This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission, that every Indian should learn what is this Krsna consciousness and preach it all over the world. That is His order. But our Indians are not taking care of it. Therefore it doesn't matter, Indian, or European or American, who will carry the order of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He will be benefited. He will be glorified. So don't be hesitating, because the soul is neither Indian or American. Aham brahmasmi. Every one of us, we are part and parcel of Krsna, and our position is Brahman. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma [Bg. 18.54]. So from that platform you go on preaching Krsna consciousness. By executing the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you will be glorified, the country will be glorified, the whole world will benefit.
Thank you very much. (end)

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