710223LE.BOM
Pandal Lecture
Bombay, February 23, 1971 Prabhupada: This Krsna consciousness movement is a self-purification movement. The method is vibration of transcendental sound. This Hare Krsna, this sound, is not material sound. It is descended from the spiritual world. Krsna and Krsna's namenot different. Abhinnatvam nama-naminoh. As in this material world there is difference between the name and the substance... If you are thirsty, then if you simply chant "water, water, water," your thirst will not be quenched. You have to get the substance water. But in the spiritual world it is, being absolute, the name and the person whose name we are chanting, they are the same. Therefore by chanting this holy name of God, Krsna, Hare Krsna... Hare is addressing the spiritual energy of the Lord, and Krsna is the Supreme Lord. So by being in touch with the Supreme Lord and His energy directly, we become purified. Exactly like if you take one iron rod, put into the fire, it becomes warner, warmer, and at last it becomes red hot. When it is red hot, it is no longer iron; it is fire. Similarly, if you constantly become in touch with the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy name, which is not different from the Supreme Lord, then you become spiritually purified. And as soon as you are spiritually purified, then all misunderstandings of this material world immediately vanquished. That is called Krsna consciousness. Every living entity is conscious. The original consciousness is polluted by contamination of this material world. Just like water, when it falls from the cloud directly, it is clear and without any dirty things, but as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes muddy. Again, if you decant the muddy portion of the water, it becomes again clear. Similarly, our consciousness, being polluted by the three modes of material nature, we are thinking one another as enemy or friend. But as soon as you come on the platform of Krsna consciousness, you feel that "We are one. The center is Krsna." And Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, aham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4]. There are 8,400,000 species of life in different forms. The father, the seed-giving father, is Krsna, or the Lord, the Supreme Lord. By misunderstanding, we are thinking that "I am Indian, you are American," or "You are brahmana, I am sudra," or "You are Hindu, I am Muslim." These differences are only designations. So as soon as we are freed from the designationsarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]when we become nirmalam, clearclear consciousness and Krsna consciousness is the same thingthen all our misunderstanding is vanquished immediately. Then we can understand what is God, what I am, what you are, what is our relationship, and when we act accordingly, there is no controversy, no misunderstanding.
So this Krsna consciousness movement is being spread all over the world on the scientific basis of Vedic culture. People are accepting. This Indian culture is being accepted all over the world. We have got fifty branches all over the world. Now we have come to establish some branches in India. We invite everyone. There is no discrimination that "You are such, you are such." Anyone can join us. And the joining method is very simple. Just like you have seen, even a small child can chant and dance. So our method is very simple. Please come, possible, try to understand little philosophy. Then you see how much it is effective, how you can feel transcendentally, how you can become advanced spiritually. The method is very simple, and we request everyone without any discrimination, never mind what you are: "Please come and join this movement and you'll be happy."
Devotee: Do any of the people from the press have a question to ask? [break]
Prabhupada: ...will be given from the Bhagavad-gita, the standard book for spiritual science, or science of God. Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is clearly stated... We are searching after God. Sometimes we question, "Where is God? Can you show me God?" Bhagavad-gita has given clear explanation how we can see God in everything. Just like Krsna says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh [Bg. 7.8]. "I am the taste of the water." When we drink water, we feel very much satisfied. The taste of water is so nice. Krsna says, "I am that taste." Now, if you are drinking daily water and you are tasting it, so how you can say that you have not seen God? If you have tasted that water, then you have seen God. Prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh: "I am the shining principle of sun and the moon." You are seeing every day the sunshine and the moonshine. How you can say that you have not seen God? So this is the science of God, how to see Him. Just like when there is smoke, you can understand that there is fire, although the fire is hidden, similarly, by the symptoms, how God is acting, how His energies are spread all over the world, if you study the energy of God, then you can see God, you can feel God, you can associate with God, and you become godly, or purified.
Guest: Detailed program?
Prabhupada: Detailed program of this camp? That you can say.
Guest: I have the philosophy of the spiritual world. Comments on Bhagavad-gita are given...
Prabhupada: Yes, Bhagavad-gita, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita in the Fourth Chapter, imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. Krsna says that "This system of bhagavad-bhakti-yoga was spoken first by Me to the sun-god." Vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit. "And Vivasvan, the sun-god, said this philosophy to his son Manu, and Manu said to his son Iksvaku." Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. So from this formula, if we study Bhagavad-gita, then taking the age of Manu, Vivasvan, Iksvaku, it becomes not less than forty millions of years. So Bhagavad-gita is not a new thing. It is coming down from an age forty millions of years back. [break] And besides that, we are represented in Tokyo, in Canada, in Europe, in America, like that. We have got fifty centers all over the world.
Guest: What was the purpose of this festival here?
Prabhupada: The purpose of this festival is to induce you to chant this holy name, Hare Krsna mantra. That's all.
Guest: How many branches in India?
Prabhupada: At least Calcutta, Bombay, Delhi. Three branches. In Bombay we have got already an apartment on the Warden Road, 89 Warden Road. We are paying 2,500 rupees per month. Similarly, we have got a center in Calcutta, Albert Road, near Park (?) Station, Calcutta 16. Three, Albert Road. There also we are paying one thousand rupees rent. So now we are in rented house. Out of about five (fifty) centers all over the world, we have got about five centers which is our own. Otherwise, we are in the rented house. For our expenditure is very high. In each centers, according to Indian exchange, we spend not less than five thousand and up to twenty thousand per month. But we are pulling on by selling our literatures, books, and little contribution from the public.
Guest: List of all the names of your books.
Devotee: ...called Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Prabhupada: Where are the books? [break] Therefore we have to erect something. If I call in a ground, open ground, perhaps you'll not come. Therefore we require some temples. We are not concerned with architecture. We are concerned with spiritual life. We erect temple for worshiping Radha-Krsna, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (end)
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/general/pandal_lecture/bombay/february/23/1971 Previous: Lecture -- Gorakhpur, February 18, 1971 Next: Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971
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