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720630IN.SD
Initiations

San Diego, June 30, 1972
Prabhupada: Where is book? Mayy asakta-manah partha. Where is Pradyumna? He's not here?
Syamasundara: No.
Prabhupada: So you read.
Syamasundara: We're a little early today. He stayed behind to watch the house. It's five to seven. (everyone starts chanting japa)
Nanda-kumara: We didn't read the purport. Should we read the verse first or finish the purport?
Prabhupada: No. Read the sloka first.
Nanda-kumara: Same sloka, read again? (leads chanting, etc.)
Translation: "Now hear, O son of Prtha [Arjuna], how by practicing yoga in full consciousness of Me, with mind attached to Me, you can know Me in full, free from doubt."
Prabhupada: So this yoga system is very simple and the sublime. You have to simply engage your mind only on Krsna, on the form of Krsna, meditation. Simply you think of Krsna. And how? Asakta, asakti, with attachment. Just like if you love somebody, you want to see him, and attachment is so strong that without seeing him, you become restless. That is called asakti. Asakti. We have got asakti, attachment, for so many material things. So we need not explain what is meant by asakti or attachment. So different people have different attachments, but attachment is there. Somebody may be attached to a dog, and somebody may be attached to God, but the attachment is there. Rupa Gosvami has explained this attachment, very simple. He says, "My dear Lord, as a young man awakens his attachment immediately by seeing a young girl, or a young girl increases her attachment immediately seeing a young boy..." This is natural. Nobody wants to learn in the university how to love a young man or young girl. That is natural. So Rupa Gosvami says that "When my attachment unto You will becomes such naturally and simultaneous?"
This is very nice explanation. Simply by seeing, "Oh, here is a nice, beautiful girl," "Oh, here is a nice, beautiful boy," similarly, "Oh, here is Krsna, here is Krsna's katha, here is Krsna's topics, oh, here is Krsna's temple." Just like, another example is given. Just like the waves of the river. It goes down. We have seen that little river... What is that? Varta? Always going down. In Japan also, I have seen that little river, with sound, going down, going down. So similarly, as the river is going after the sea spontaneously, without any artificial attempt, so such spontaneous love for Krsna, or God, that is the perfection of yoga. This is yoga. Yoga means connection. So that connection... In the beginning we may make, revive that connection artificially, but when the connection will be spontaneous, without any check, just like the river water is going down incessantly... Nobody can check it. Ahaituky apratihata. And why the river is going there? There is no cause. It is going there. Similarly, when our love for Krsna will be gliding down like that, without any cause... Without any cause... Generally... The same example again, that spontaneous love does not depend on any cause without. Cause is there. Cause is there, love. There is no other cause. So it is called ahaituky apratihata. Ahaituki means without any cause. Just like we generally go to the temple, to the church, with a cause. Just like in Christian church they go. There is cause: "God, give us our daily bread." The cause is bread. "Therefore I have come to church." But when you go to church without any cause, that is real love. "God will give me bread; therefore, let me go to church," this is also nice, but this motivated faith may be lost. If we approach God for some material benefit, for personal sense gratification, that may break at any time. So that is not real love. Real love is without cause. And apratihata. Apratihata means which cannot be checked. My love for God cannot be checked by any material condition. Nobody can say that "Because I am poor man, I have to work so hard, I cannot love God now." People say like that. "We shall wait. When I get millions of dollars in my bank balance, then I shall take to Krsna consciousness. Now let me earn money." You see? This is not bhakti or attachment. Mayy asakta. Mayy asakta manah partha yogam yunjan mad-asrayah. Mad-asrayah means "under My protection." Krsna says. So taking shelter of Krsna or His representative... Mat means "My man" also. Mad-asrayah, take shelter of Krsna or His representative, and try to practice the yoga by which you will have spontaneous love for Krsna.
So this practice, according to Vedic instruction... Because we have no attachment. So for making attachment, there are some regulative principles by which you can increase the attachment. Just like we say, "No illicit sex." That means... Illicit sex means those who are too much attached to sex; otherwise, there is no question of illicit sex. According to Vedic system one is married, and married means the girl has got a husband, and the boy has got a wife. So living on religious principles, they can satisfy their sex life for begetting nice children. So there is no prohibition. That is allowed. But illicit sex means your attachment for sex is increased, not for Krsna. Therefore it is forbidden. No meat-eating. Meat-eating or fish-eating or egg-eating, nonvegetarian diet, it is simply attachment of the tongue. Nobody dies without meat-eating. That's not a fact. When we were children, we were babies, we were depending on milk, either mother's breast milk or cow's milk. Therefore cow is also our mother. Just like we drink breast milk from my mother, similarly, we drink milk from mother cow. Therefore meat-eating is prohibited. You cannot kill your mother. That is a great sin. You cannot. But people have become so sinful that they have no consideration that "I am going to kill my mother. I am so ungrateful that the mother who supplied her blood to feed me, to keep me living, now I am grown-up, I am going to kill my mother." This is my advancement of education, that "I have learned how to kill my mother." Therefore, in every religion the killing is prohibited or very much restricted. So in your Christian religion, the first item is, "Thou shalt not kill." But everyone is violating this first commandment. Then where is your claim to become a Christian? If you violate the injunction given by Lord Jesus Christ, then where, how you become a Christian? That is our question. Either Christian or this or that, killing is most sinful. This should be avoided.
Therefore in the beginning, to increase attachment for Krsna... Because my business is to increase my spontaneous attachment for God. That is the business of human life. This is a chance. Because in the human form of life you can do that. And as soon as you increase your attachment for Krsna, then your life is successful. Successful means that you haven't got to accept any more this material body. You will get a spiritual body and go to Krsna, or go to home, go back to Godhead. So if you increase your attachment for Krsna, the benefit is that you make a solution for all the problems of life. It is scientific. Mayy asakta manah partha. So in the beginning, in order to increase your attachment for Krsna, you have to follow the regulative principles, "Don't do this." Just like a doctor gives you prescription, "Don't eat this. Don't do this," similarly, there are so many "don't"s and so many "do"s. So we have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Anukulyena krsnanu-silanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. This is called favorably cultivating Krsna consciousness. We have to accept the "do"s, not the "don't"s. Anukulyasya sankalpa, anukulyena krsnanusilanam. We have to accept the favorable things. So if illicit sex life is unfavorable for my advancement in Krsna consciousness, I must accept it. You cannot argue. That will not help you. Similarly, intoxication. Similarly, meat-eating. Similarly, gambling. Because these are the four pillars of sinful life: illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. The roof of sinful life is held by these four pillars.
So these four pillars, in the beginning of Krsna consciousness, when you are actually going to take Krsna consciousness seriously... Just like some souls will be initiated today. This means that he is going to take Krsna consciousness very serious. So one who is serious to take Krsna consciousness, his first business is to break these four pillars of sinful life so there will be no chance of sin. Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, yesam tv anta-gatam papam: "One who is freed from all sinful reaction of life..." Yesam tv anta-gatam papam jananam punya-karmanam. Punya-karmanam, pious activity. "Those who are acting in pious life, simply executing pious activities..." Pious activities means yajna-dana-tapa-kriya. Pious activities means yajna, performing yajna. Just like there will be fire sacrifice. Dana, charity, giving charity for Krsna's propaganda. The Krsna consciousness movement is making propaganda, so they require money. Money is Krsna's money. Everyone is holding Krsna's money. So the sooner they spare that money... Because if I am holding your money, if I give it to you, then I become released from my criminal activities. Suppose I have stolen something from your pocket and I become conscious, "Oh, this stealing is not good," so as soon as I return unto you, "Please take this money; I was mistaken," so thing is settled up. But if you hold it, then you are criminal. You will be punished. Similarly, everyone who is holding Krsna's money, not returning to Krsna, he is a criminal. He will be punished. How they are punished? That you have seen. In India, in recent... Everywhere, the same thing is going on. There was war between Pakistan and India. So all the rich men had to contribute fifty lakhs, fifty hundred thousand, according to everyone's capacity. Many millions of rupees were collected, and it was put into the gun powder, "Svaha!" (laughter) So if you don't execute this svaha, then you will have to execute that svaha. (laughter) (sings out the word "svaha!") That's all. The Vietnam is going onsvaha! So many young mensvaha! So much moneysvaha! You have to do that. Therefore better learn how to make svaha for Krsna. Otherwise you will have to make svaha for maya. That's all. The sooner you give up... Yajna-dana. This is called yajna and dana, and tapas, tapasya. Tapasya means this following, voluntarily accepting all restrictive principles. Because we are addicted to all this license or nonsense. Not license. It is nonsense. So unless you stop all these nonsense activities, you cannot understand Krsna consciousness. Yesam tv anta-gatam... If you want to be serious... That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita.
So in this way we have to increase our attachment for Krsna, and if we increase our attachment for Krsna, mayy asakta manah partha yogam... This yoga system... This yoga system, Krsna consciousness, is the topmost yoga system. Why it is topmost? Because it teaches how to increase your attachment for Krsna; therefore it is topmost. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Yoginam api sarvesam [Bg. 6.47]. There are different kinds of yogis. "Of all the yogis..." Yoginam api sarvesam. Sarvesam means "of all." Mad-gata antaratmana: "One who is always thinking of Me." You can think of one if you are attached to him; otherwise, artificially you cannot do. That's not possible. If you love somebody, then you will always see his picture, his form, always. These are simple yoga. And it is said... As it is said in the Vedic literature, premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Bs. 5.38]. We have to create our eyes or purify our eyes to see God. And that purification is possible when you apply the ointment of love of God, daily. How to love Krsna? Take it as ointment. As we apply some ointment to increase the sight of our eyes... Doctor gives some prescription. We use it also. So similarly, how to see God. You will see God with these eyes when it is clarified. Premanjana-cchurita, by the ointment of love of Godhead. So these are the function, how to love. One has to rise early in the morning. He doesn't like, but, "No. I will have to satisfy Krsna." This is the beginning. "Oh, I have to chant sixteen rounds." He is lazy. He doesn't want to do it. But if he loves Krsna, he must do it. He must do it. So in the beginning we have to learn how to love, but when you come to the state, oh, there is no question of... You may follow the regulative principle or not, because love is there. But don't imitate. Just like in our ordinary love affairs, if I want to love some girl, I bring some flower, I bring some presentation. In this way she thinks, "Oh, it is very nice boy. He has brought me this, that." In this way there are six principles of love. Dadati pratigrhnati. You have to give and you have to take. I love somebody. I give him something: "My dear, you take this." And when he offers also, if he also loves you, he also return you. Not exactly for returning. It is love to give and take. Dadati pratigrhnati guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. Opening mind. "My dear lover, I like this." And the other party also opens his mind. Guhyam akhyati... Guhyam means very confidential things. Akhyati, disclosed, exchanged. Guhyam akhyati prcchati ca. And bhunkte bhojayate caiva. And giving the lover to eat something and accept from him some eatable. These are the six ways of increasing love. If you act in that way with Krsna...
You are taking so many things from Krsna. Krsna is giving you everything. Eko bahunam vidadhati kaman. Whatever our necessities of life, that is being supplied by Krsna. We are taking these fruits, flowers, grains. It is not possible to manufacture these in your factory. It is Krsna sending, Krsna giving you. So we are living at the cost of Krsna, and after cooking these fruits, flowers or grains, if we do not offer to Krsna, is that very good gentlemanliness? I take so much from you and simply, nicely, and very cleanly cooking the foodstuff, if we offer to Krsna, then what is the wrong there? The rascals, they say, "Oh, they are heathens. They are worshiping some stone." Just see. So these are all less intelligent person. God eats. Krsna says, tad aham asnami. "I eat."
Krsna says that "My devotee, when he brings something within the categories of vegetables, grains and fruits, because he has brought with devotion and love, I eat them." So when the devotee offers with devotion and love, "Krsna, You have given us so many nice things. So I have cooked it. Kindly You take first," oh, how it is nice. Just like your father has given you so many things and you are obliged, "Oh, our father is maintaining us." And if you cook something and give it to the father first, "My dear father, I have cooked this. It is very nice. You first of all..." "Oh, it is very nice? All right, give me." The father will be so much pleased. "Oh, here is my dear son." It is father's property. You cannot give anything to the father. Similarly, you have nothing to offer to Krsna. Simply you have to become little intelligent. That's all. Not rascal. If you remain rascal, then your human life is spoiled. If you become little intelligent, then your human life is successful. This is intelligence, that "God is giving us... God is giving us daily bread. Why not offer to God first?" That is intelligence. And simply, "God is giving me bread. I shall eat. That's all..." I am meant for eating only? And why not offering? God will not eat. Simply you feel gratitude: "Oh, God has given me this bread. Let me offer it to God first of all. Then I take." What is the wrong there? What is loss there? But these naradhama, lowest of the mankind, they even do not recognize this. Lowest of... They have been described in Bhagavad..., naradhama. Na mam duskrtina mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana. His intelligence, his knowledge, has been taken away by maya. He has not this knowledge even, that "God has given me to eat. Why not offer first of all to God?" This intelligence has been taken away by maya. Therefore they are naradhama. Na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah [Bg. 7.15]. So those who are naradhama, lowest of the mankind... Just like here, something being offered to Krsna, to God, He will eat it, but He will leave everything for you as prasadam. How? Purnat purnam udacyate. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam eva avasisyate [Iso Invocation]. This is God's power. He will eat everything, but He will keep everything for you as prasadam. Purnasya purnam adaya. Taking everything, but still, it is there.
So this is the process, how to increase your attachment for Krsna. This bhakti-yoga or Krsna consciousness movement is nothing... We do not say that "You Christian, you are good. I am Hindu, I am bad." Or "You are bad, I am good." We don't say that. We simply say that "It is your right now, this human form of body, how to love God." That's all. "You have loved so long dog. Now you try to love God." That is our propaganda. So we don't criticize anyone. Simply we want to see whether he or she has developed his love of God. That's all. So you can do it either as Christian or as Hindu, as Muhammadan. We don't care for that. But we want to see you that you are actually lover of God. If you are not, then we tell you, "You try to love God in this way." What is that? Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. Simply hear about Krsna. Simply chant about Krsna. Is that very difficult? If you have not yet learned how to love God, take this process, and you will learn how to love God. This is our propaganda. It is not difficult.
These are the nine different processes. So you can execute all the nine processes or eight, seven, six, five, four. But at least, take to one. You will be perfect. If you simply come here in this temple, without doing anything, simply hear about Krsna, your life will be perfect.
Thank you very much. [break]
(devotees start coming up for initiation) So what are the rules and regulations? (girl gives answer) So your name is Rasa-manjari, one of the gopis. You are maidservant of Rasa-manjari. Take this.
Next, come on. What are the rules and regulation? (boy answers) How many rounds you will chant?
Devotee: Sixteen.
Prabhupada: Minimum. Your spiritual name-Jnanasindhu dasa. Jnanasindhu was one of the acaryas in our disciplic succession.
(to next devotee) What are the rules and regulation? (devotee answers) Thank you. Aksobhya. He was also one of the acaryas in our disciplic succession. Come on. You want to speak? No. (end)

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