In the Vedic scriptures, Kathopanisad, it is said, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. Upanisad, whatever is spoken in the Upanisad that is gospel truth. That is the system of understanding transcendental knowledge, veda-pramana, evidence from the Vedas. According to Vedic system, amongst the learned scholars, if one presents Vedic evidences, then his position is strong. Just like in law court, two lawyers are arguing. One lawyer who quotes from the lawbook various bona fide quotations, the judgment is given in his favor because that is authorized. Similarly, a Vedic statement is accepted in Indian spiritual society. There are hundreds and thousands of men who are still dedicated. Practically the whole population of India, they are dedicated to spiritual life. Perhaps you may not know, but anyone who has taken birth in India, he has got a natural inheritance of spiritual life. Unfortunately, at the present moment the leaders are under wrong impression that in India, being too much spiritually inclined, its material advancement has been checked. But material advancement does not become hampered by spiritual knowledge. That is a wrong impression. Rather, if you become spiritually advanced, your material necessities will be very nicely adjusted. That is the injunction, Bhagavad-gita, yuktahara-viharasya yogo bhavati siddhi-da. Yoga... Spiritual life means yoga. So yogic life can be very nicely successful if you adjust your material necessities of life. If you become extravagant so far your material necessities of life is concerned, then you cannot make successful in yogic life.

So there are so many rules and regulations. Those who are interested in yoga, you will find in the authorized books, yoga indriya-samyamah: "The aim of yogic power, yogic success, is to control the senses." Our senses in this material world have been described as venomous serpents. Indriya-kala-sarpa-patali. Kala-sarpa, cobra, black cobra. So these indriyas are like that. Indriya means senses. As soon as touches, immediately it makes him poisonous. And that is the cause of our material conditional life. The more we are indulging unrestrictedly in sense gratification, we are becoming more and more entangled. Therefore those who are very much addicted to the bodily necessities of life, for them this hatha-yoga system... Hatha-yoga system means yama, niyama, astanga-yoga. It is called astanga-yoga. Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, dhyana, dharana, pratyahara, samadhi. These things are in the astanga-yoga. The first thing is yama-niyama. One must have regulated life. That is called yama-niyama. Then practice asana. There is mechanical process of sitting which will help you; concentration of the mind, asana. Then pranayama, concentration of the mind. Then meditation. So meditation is not so easy thing. Unless you practice the preliminary necessities of meditation, you cannot concentrate. Even if you sit down closing your eyes, either you will sleep or you will think of other things which are more important, you think, more important in your life. So the yoga system is practically not very helpful. Helpful means we cannot execute this system very nicely.

So this parampara system, the subject I was discussing, that how I become the representative of Krsna, it is not very difficult. Everyone can become a representative of Krsna provided he exactly presents what Krsna says. That's all. Just like a peon, he is also representative of the postal department, ordinary peon. How he becomes representative of the whole postal system? If he delivers your letter or money order without mishandling it, as it is. You have... Some friend has sent you some money order. He gives you the paper, you sign, and he pays you. But if he pilfers the method(?), then he is no longer representative. He becomes thief, rogue. So representative of Krsna is also in the same way. If you present Krsna's word as it is, without pilfering, without any adulteration, then you become Krsna's representative. There is no difficulty. But, unfortunately, people want to show their scholarship, that "I understand Bhagavad-gita from this angle of vision." Why should you try to understand Bhagavad-gita from a different angle of vision? The first preference should be given to the author. The author has given you some knowledge, so he has got some particular aim and objective. So why should you change that? You have no right to change that. If you want to speak something from your side, you write your own book. Why should you take advantage of the popular book of Bhagavad-gita and misrepresent it? That is the fun. You see? There are about six hundred different types of editions commenting on Bhagavad-gita. But according to Bhagavad-gita, all these six hundred editions in different, studied from different angle of vision, they are all absurd and nonsense. It is very difficult. People have been misled by the so-called commentaries. There is no need of unnecessarily commenting on certain things. There is no necessity. Commentary or interpretation required when things are not very clear. Then you can suggest, "The meaning may be like this." But when the things are clear, why should you comment? There is no necessity of comment. Just like, for examplethis is also from Sanskrit scholar's examplethat gangayam ghosapalli. Gangayam: "On the Ganges there is a neighborhood which is known as Ghosapalli." Now, this statement is in your front. So one may question that "The river Ganges is water. How there can be a neighborhood which is known as Ghosapalli? On the water how there can be a quarter or neighborhood of human habitation?" You can question that. Gangayam ghosapalli. Then the interpretation should be, "No, not on the Ganges. 'On the Ganges' means 'on the bank of the Ganges.' " This interpretation is nice. When one cannot understand clearly, there is interpretation. But when the matter is clear... Just like sunlight. The sunlight, sunshine, does it require your lamp to show the sunlight? The sunlight is itself so illuminous that everyone can understand, "This is sunlight." If somebody brings some lamp, "I will show you the sun," sun is already visible. Why your lamp is required? So these unauthorized commentators, they bring some lamp to show the sunlight of Bhagavad-gita. That is their business.

Therefore people have been misled. There is no question. Just like in the beginning Bhagavad-gita says,

So dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre samaveta yuyutsavah [Bg. 1.1]. Yuyutsavah. This yuyutsavah word is now used in Japanese language also. That artificial fight, what is called? Yuyutsavah?

So point is that every word of Bhagavad-gita, that is fact, historical, and very nicely composed and spoken by the greatest authority, Krsna, who is accepted by all parties as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are parties of spiritual life in India. Just like Sankaracarya's party, they are coming from very old time. I am speaking of the recent, modern age, say, within two thousand years. Modern means within two thousand years. Sankaracarya age is about fifteen hundred years. Similarly, Ramanujacarya about eleven hundred years; Madhvacarya about seven hundred years. In this way there are, they are coming from that parampara system. One parampara system is coming from Brahma. Another parampara system is coming from Laksmi, the goddess of fortune. Another parampara system is coming from Lord Siva. Another parampara system is coming from the Kumarasthey were unmarried, brahmacaris, sons of Brahma. So those parampara system, line of disciplic succession, are still existing in India. Practically, India's spiritual life is still being controlling by these lines of disciplic succession. So all these acaryas, according to the Vaisnava acarya... Vaisnava acaryas, there are four acaryas. Sri Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka, and Visnu Svami. And those who are not Vaisnavas, impersonalists, they are represented by Sankaracarya. Even Sankaracarya, from whom we differ in philosophical discussion... Not very much differentso far the procedure is concerned, the regulative principles are concerned, they are all the same. The only difference is that Sankaracarya's sampradaya, they take the ultimate Absolute Truth as impersonal, and we Vaisnavas, we take the Absolute Truth as person. But Sankaracarya, in his later stage, he also admitted in a different way. He said in his last prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

So it is not very ordinary job, neither ordinary position, but it is not difficult also. The difficulty is when I adulterate and misinterpret Krsna's words. Then it is difficult. Otherwise, if I say... The same example: like a peon, if I present your friend's letter without any correction, then I have done my duty. That's all. So it is not difficult. Anyone can deliver a letter to you. It does not require any educational qualification. Simply he must be honest not to alter the text of the letter according to the peon's whims. That much we are doing. Therefore I am representative. Try to under... And anyone can do this. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya: [Bg. 7.7] "My dear Arjuna, I am the Supreme. There is no better, no more anyone superior than Me." That's all right. We accept that. Now, you can say "How we accept?" I accept because it is Vedic injunction. That is the process of Vedic injunction: you have to accept without argument. Just like for practical life I will say some examples, that cow dung. In India cow dung is accepted as very pure. So in one place of the Vedic injunction you will find that "Any stool of animal is impure." That's a fact. Everyone knows. Even your own stool, what to speak of other animals'impure. But in another place says, "Exception is given to the cow's stool, cow dung. That is pure." It is so pure that if you apply on some impure place, it becomes pure. That's a fact. In India still, especially in villages, they mop the floor with cow dung, and it is so nice and so fresh. You can try. Here also there are cows. You take cow dung and you can see how it is antiseptic. We are actually doing in America in our New Vrindaban. We are maintaining cows there, protecting cows, because cow protection is one of the items for Krsna consciousness people. Especially Krsna is worshiped,

Therefore our Vedic injunctions are very supreme evidence, Veda-pramanam, sabda-pramanam. There are three kinds of evidences. First evidence is direct perceptionI see personally. And then historical evidence, and then sabda-pramana. Sabda-pramana means evidence from the Vedas. Out of three kinds of evidences, the sabda-pramanas, or the evidences received from the Vedas, that is accepted. So for spiritual advancement especially we have to accept the Veda-pramana, or evidences given in Vedic literature. So this disciplic succession, as Gosvami Hanuman Prasad said, that is essential. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. This word abhigacchet, it is a form of verb which is used where the sense is "You must! You must!" There is no exception. You cannot say that "I may go to a spiritual master or I may not go. I can study at home." No. You must go. Just like in modern age also, if you (are) actually interested to be recognized as educated, you must get your admission in a recognized school or college and take degree. Then you will... If you study at home, you may be very great scholar, and if you say that you have passed M.A. examination, nobody will care for you. Similarly, if you actually want to be advanced in spiritual knowledge, then this is the injunction: tad-vijnanartham. Tad-vijnanartham means... Vijnana means science. Spiritual knowledge is also a science. It is not sentiment; it is science. Now, if you like, you can make research work whether this is fact. Just like this cow dung. You may think that "This is contradiction. In one place it is said that stool of an animal is impure; now here it is again said that cow dung is pure. It is contradiction." So if you like, you can make analysis. But you accept the Vedic injunction as it isyou save so much time, that's all, and immediately become advanced.

Therefore the Veda says that in order to learn that spiritual science, you must approach a person, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva [MU 1.2.12], who is guru. Guru means spiritual master. And who is spiritual master? Who abides by the disciplic succession. He does not change. He does not interpret. He presents things as they are. Just like we are doing. We are presenting Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krsna says that... For spiritual realization, He says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65]. Krsna says that "Always think of Me." Man-mana. Man-mana means "about Me." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah: "You just become My devotee." So we are teaching our students in that way, how to think of Krsna always. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. [break] ...walk on the street, and if you chant Hare Krsna, you remember Krsna. There is no tax for it. There is no loss for it. Suppose if you are free, traveling on the bus or on the train, you have got time. So instead of reading so many news from the newspaper, if you utilize... The newspaper means the repeated things. Every morning you see something: "Somebody has stolen, somebody was killed, some political leaders have bluffed you," and so many things, the same thing, repetition of the same thing. This is also repetition, Hare Krsna, but by this repetition, you enlighten your spiritual life. And by that repetition, you simply waste your time, that carvita-carvananam. So after reading your newspaper, you throw it away. It has no... After one hour of its publication, it has no value. But this Bhagavad-gita, it was spoken five thousand, years ago, still they are being read with respect and honor. So this kind of literature should be read, not a literature which is printed and you read and glance over and throw it away. So that is man-mana, thinking of Krsna. Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. Krsna says, "You become My devotee." Man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah mad-yaji: "You worship Me." Mam namaskuru: "Offer your obeisances unto Me." Now, all these items, there is no expenditure, and anyone can do. Even the child can do. What is the difficulty? Factually our children, Krsna conscious children, do that. The father-mother offers obeisances, and the child imitateshe also offers obeisance, bows down. So this offering obeisances to Krsna will not go in vain. It will have effect. So it is inexpensive. It is very simple, without any loss. Suppose you have got a picture of Krsna and you simply think of the picture, man-mana, and you offer a little lamp, a little incense, and if you don't offer, if you simply offer your respect, what is your loss? Is there any loss? [break] We are all businessmen. We calculate everything in terms of loss and profit. So there is no loss. That's a fact. But if there is any profit, why don't you try it? If there is any profit... There is profit. These boys, these European and American boys who are with me, there are hundreds and thousands of them... They have sacrificed their life. Unless there is some profit... They are not fools. They are not coming of foolish parents or foolish nation. Unless there is some profit, how they are doing? There must be some profit. So without any investment of your money, without losing your time, if you get some spiritual profit, why don't you take this Krsna consciousness movement? That is our plea. We are imploring everyone. If you think that there are many objection, "If I keep one picture of Krsna or I offer Him something, fruits and flowers," all right, don't do that. But what is the objection if you chant? You have got freedom, Hare Krsna. That's all right, simply Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The point is that we are teaching Bhagavad-gita as it is; therefore I am representative of Krsna. If you do that, you become also representative of Krsna. So it is not very difficult. Don't think it is a very hard job: "Oh, Krsna is so great personality, God, and how one can become His representative?" No. Anyone can become His representative provided he follows the Krsna's instruction. That's all. Anyone. Actually they are doing that. They are representative. Not only I, but they are also. Every one of our members, they are Krsna's representative. They are not trying to malinterpret. As there are so many so-called scholars... When this verse is translated and commented upon by big scholar... I do not wish to utter his name. He is very big man. But now he is living dead. Because he has committed so many offenses, now he is living, but he has lost his memory. Very recently I went to see him. He cannot... He is like that. So all his intelligence is finished. So nature is so strong that you can malinterpret, but nature is so strong that one day he will make you forget everything, brain paralysis. So how you are going to interpret the powerful nature? That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita:

So our becoming the representative of Krsna is not very difficult job because we do not misinterpret the readings of Bhagavad-gita. We accept them as it is. If there is some doubt... There cannot be any doubt. It may be due to my poor fund of knowledge I cannot understand itthat we should admit. The lines, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita, they are as perfect as anything. But if I cannot understand it, that is my lack of knowledge, my poor fund of knowledge. Therefore Krsna has suggested or ordered in this Bhagavad-gita,

So there is no scarcity if we believe in Krsna. If Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then there will be no scarcity. Actually there is no scarcity. You have been already informed that we have got ninety-five centers and we are spending seventy to eighty thousand dollars per month. But we have no fixed-up income. We are traveling all over the world with party. You can imagine. This is very expensive job. But Krsna is supplying us all our necessities. Why not? If you are serving for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, why He will not supply you? Krsna is supplying food to everyone, those who are not devotees, and why not to the devotees? What we have done? Those who have denied the existence of God, they are also being fed by Krsna, or God. And we are preaching the glories of God. Why we shall be in want? That is not possible. And actually we are not. So this is not very important subject matter. Therefore Krsna says, automatically, if you take care of the spiritual side of your existence, the material side of your existence will be automatically taken care, automatically. Therefore Krsna says, gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah [Bg. 2.11]. The so far the body is concerned, either it is dead... Dead, so far dead body is concerned, everyone knows that now it is useless. But even the living body's function, that is also useless. Because, after all, it is useless. It is useful so long the spirit soul is there. Therefore the spirit soul is important, not this body. So actual knowledge means to understand what is the spirit soul, what is its nature, what is its necessity, how it is living, what is the ultimate goal. So many things are there. But unfortunately, there is no educational institution. We are trying with little effort to give this education to the people. It is essential because Krsna says, gatasun agatasums ca. So far material part of our existence is concerned, there are so many institutions or so many government. They are taking... Just like take, for example, hospital. There are hundreds and thousands of hospital, but where is the hospital for treating the spirit soul? They have no knowledge. They have no knowledge even, what to speak of hospital. This is the hospital. This Krsna consciousness temple is the hospital for the diseased spirit soul. And everyone is diseased. Come to this hospital. We shall take care of you and cure your material disease.

Thank you very much. Hare Krsna.