Pradyumna: (reading:) "Furthermore, a person engaged in Krsna consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods." Oh.

Prabhupada: Read, "in Krsna consciousness..."

Pradyumna: " 'Happiness In Krsna Consciousness.' Srila Rupa Gosvami has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are (1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived (through) from Krsna consciousness. In the tantra-sastra, Lord Siva speaks to his wife, Sati, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Krsna consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal. But the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupada: This we have explained last night, how the, a person enjoying happiness as Brahman realization... There are many examples, both in the East and the West, that... In our Eastern countries, the Mayavadi philosophy is very prominent, and their basic principle is: brahma satyam jagan mithya. "The world is false, and Brahman, that is truth." But we have practically seen many sannyasis, they renounce this world as mithya and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why? If Brahman is satya, jagat is mithya, false, then why they, from the platform of satya, they fall down again in the mithya? This is our question. To open hospital or to open a school or similar philanthropic activities are generally being done by persons who are embarrassed with this mithya world. Why the sannyasis, who left this world as mithya and went to the platform of Brahman realization, and why they come to this platform again for opening school, hospitals? What is the answer? Is there any answer?

Devotee: They can't remain there.

Prabhupada: Uh? That means they could not realize the happiness of Brahman. What is your opinion, Gosai? If they would have derived any happiness from that Brahman platform, then why would (they) come down to this platform which was rejected as mithya? So accepting that Brahman realization is real happiness, but they could not realize that happiness. Under the circumstances, they must come down to realize happiness in these varieties of material world. Because they found it better happiness by taking in politics and on political movements or opening school, hospitals. They found better happiness in these activities. Then why the, they say that this jagat mithya? These are activities of the material world.

Pradyumna: "There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupada: Every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness. That spiritual happiness, nirbheda-brahmanu-sandhana. Nirbheda, without any distinction. That is not real Brahman happiness. Brahman happiness means that there must be a distinction. The distinction means Krsna is predominator and everyone is predominated. Just like the gopis. Krsna is the predominator, and the gopis and all the inhabitants of Vrndavana-Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda and the cowherd boys, servant, trees, plants, flowers, water, animals, cowseveryone is predominated. Krsna is only predominator. That is real happiness. Whenever there is any trouble in Vrndavana, they approach the predominator and immediately the predominator takes care and they're happy. This is Vrndavana life. As soon as there was torrents of rain, the, all the inhabitants, inhabitants of Vrndavana, they approached Krsna to give them protection. And Krsna immediately gave them protection by lifting Govardhana Hill. So they were confident that Krsna's there. They did not know Krsna as God. They simply loved Krsna, and they were confident that "So long Krsna is there, we are happy, we are out of danger." That is the conviction of the Vrndavana-vasi. They simply concentrate on Krsna.

Pradyumna: "It has been seen that great Mayavadi or impersonalist sannyasisvery highly educated and almost realized soulsmay sometimes take to political activities or to social welfare activities. The reason is that they actually do not derive any ultimate transcendental happiness in the impersonal understanding and therefore must come down to the material platform and take to such mundane affairs."

Prabhupada: The material variety is the perverted reflection of the spiritual variety. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter: urdhva-mulam adhah-sakha. This tree, this material world (is) compared with a asvattha vrksa. The root is up, upstairs, upwards, and the branches and leaves are down, downwards. Why? Because it is reflection, chaya, or maya. The real tree is in the Vaikuntha planet or in the spiritual world. It is only simply reflection. Just like a tree standing on the bank of reservoir of water, on the bank of a lake or a river, you'll see the tree is reflected downwards. So this description in the Fifteenth Chapter of this material world, downwards... Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakha means this is only a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. The real tree is in the spiritual world. The other day, who was asking about this question? Some of our...? Urdhva-mulam adhah-sakha? Who was asking me? Eh? Oh. Gopala. He's not here. All right.

Pradyumna: "There are many instances, especially in India, where these Mayavadi sannyasis descend to the material platform again. But a person who is fully in Krsna consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform. However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can be compared with the spiritual activity of Krsna consciousness. The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogis are eight in number. Anima-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc. So anima-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of the yoga siddhis, or perfections, are material arts."

Prabhupada: Yoga siddhis, they are simply material arts. Just like one example is given, that anima siddhi, anima siddhi means to enter into the stone. So we see in the Western countries they are boring big, big hills and entering in the stone. So that anima siddhi is being possible, is made possible by modern scientific research. So all the siddhis, asta siddhi, anima, laghima, prapti, prakamya, isita, vasita, these all siddhis are material. They are not spiritual. But people do not know what is spiritual perfection. They become amazed by seeing some magic by these yogic arts. They're simply material arts. Go on.

Pradyumna: "For example, in one yoga siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern scientists. They are flying in air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water. After comparing all these mystic siddhis to materialistic perfections it is found that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections. So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection. A German scholar once said that the so-called yoga perfections have already been achieved by the modern scientists and so he was not concerned with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service."

Prabhupada: Therefore, bhakti-yoga is the greatest science. Other things, the yogic perfections, can be achieved by the materialist scientists. So that is not very great art. The greatest art to learn is how to learn bhakti-yoga and understand Krsna. Bhaktya mam abhijanati [Bg. 18.55].

Pradyumna: "Of course, in the categories of mystic perfection there are certain processes which the material scientists have not yet been able to develop. For instance, a mystic yogi can enter into the sun planet simply by using the rays of the sunshine. This perfection is called laghima. Similarly, a yogi can touch the moon with his finger. Though the modern astronauts go to the moon with the help of spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a person with mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the moon with his finger. This siddhi is called prapti, or acquisition. With this prapti-siddhi, the perfect mystic yogi can not only touch the moon planet, but he can extend his hand everywhere and take whatever he likes. He may be sitting thousands of miles away from a certain place, and if he likes he can take fruit from a garden there. This is called prapti-siddhi. The modern scientists have manufactured nuclear weapons with which they can destroy an insignificant part of this planet, but by the yoga siddhi known as isita one can create and destroy an entire planet simply at will. Another perfection is called vasita, and by this perfection one can bring anyone under his control. This is a kind of hypnotism which is almost irresistible. Sometimes it is found that a yogi who may have attained a little perfection in this vasita mystic power comes out among the people and speaks all sorts of nonsense, controls their minds, exploits them, takes their money and then goes away. There is another mystic perfection which is known as prakamya or magic. By this prakamya power one can achieve anything he likes. For example, one can make water enter into his eye and then again come out from within the eye. Simply by his will he can perform such wonderful activities. The highest perfection of mystic power is called kamavasayita. This is also magic, but whereas the prakamya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope of nature, kamavasayita permits one to contradict naturein other words, to do the impossible. Of course, one can achieve great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections."

Prabhupada: Krsna is called Yogesvara. He's also the master of all yogic mystic power. Therefore a bhakta, a true devotee of Krsna, he does not endeavor personally to achieve all these yogic mystic power. He depends on Krsna, and if there is necessity of exhibiting some yogic power, Krsna will show. Krsna will exhibit. Yatra yogesvarah harih. So although Arjuna did not manifest any yogic power, but, by Krsna's grace everything was so wonderfully performed in the Battle of Kuruksetra. Otherwise Arjuna was a, an insignificant warrior in front of Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya. This is admitted by Maharaja Pariksit, that it is simply by the grace of Krsna that his grandfather came out victorious in front of Bhisma, Karna, Dronacarya and similar great heroes. So if any heroic action has to be shown, the devotee does not endeavor separately for showing such heroic manifestation. Because he depends on Krsna, if there is need, then Krsna will show. Nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin. Actually, the battlefield was conducted by Krsna, and He owned the victory, but officially, historically, it is said that Arjuna owned the victory. So a devotee does not require to acquire all the talents, how to own victory. Krsna will do that business. A devotee has only to surrender sincerely unto the lotus feet of Krsna. Then everything will be done wonderfully.