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721024ND.VRN
Pradyumna: (reading) "The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity, at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy. At the present moment, the human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is Krsna, and the Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krsna and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life. In the primary stage, a child loves his parents, then his brothers and sisters, and as he daily grows up, he begins to love his family, society, community, country, nation, or even the whole human society. But the loving propensity is not satisfied, even by loving all human society. That loving propensity remains imperfectly fulfilled until we know who is the Supreme Beloved. Our love can be fully satisfied only when it is reposed in Krsna. This..."
Prabhupada: There is a nice example in this connection. In the pond, reservoir of water, if you drop one stone, it becomes a circle. The circle increases, increasing, increasing... Unless it comes to the shore, the circle increases. Similarly, our loving propensity increases. In the primary stage, a child whatever he gets, he puts into his mouth. Anna-brahman. Then gradually, as the child grows, sometimes he distributes to his other brother or parents, the love increases. In this way, self-centered, then family-centered, then community-centered, society-centered, nation-centered, international centered... So this increase of our loving propensity will not be satisfied unless it reaches the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the Krsna consciousness movement. We love. The loving propensity is there. Even we have no family... Sometimes we keep pets, cats and dogs, to love. So we are, by nature we used to love somebody else. So that somebody else is Krsna. Actually, we want to love Krsna, but without information of Krsna, without Krsna consciousness, our loving propensity is limited. Within certain circle. Therefore we are not satisfied. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That love affair, loving propensity, is eternally existing, to love Krsna. Just like Dhruva Maharaja, when he met the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he became fully satisfied. Svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42].
In the material world field, we love somebody for getting something in return. That is not love, pure love. Pure love is different. Pure love, as it is described by Lord Caitanya, in the, in His mood of Radharani unto Krsna aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va. This is love, Radharani's, that "You either embrace Me or trample Me down under your feet, neglect Me, or make Me broken-hearted, not being present at any time throughout My life, life after life, it does not matter. Still I love you unconditionally." Mat-prana-nathas tu sa eva naparah. That is real love. And that love is existing in everyone's heart. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That is not awakened. So by this devotional process, adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah, that love... Sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15].
There are stages, or steps, one after another, if we practice. Sadhu-sange, sato vrtteh sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. Srila Rupa Gosvami says that potent love for Krsna can be reinstated again, invoked again, by the prescribed method. Sadhu-sange sato vrtteh sadbhir bhaktih prasidhyati. Utsahan dhairyat niscayat. When you get little taste of love of Krsna... Just like we are sitting here. We have got little taste for loving Krsna. Otherwise, why we should waste our time in this way? This is called sraddha. So this sraddha is also invoked by association with sadhu, devotees. Then, if we little become enthusiastic... Just like you have become. Utsahan. You have left your country, everything, and you are going everywhere, coming with me. Not for any material profit, but for increasing your Krsna consciousness. This is called utsahan, enthusiasm. Our whole Krsna consciousness movement is depending on this enthusiasm. Just like I went to your country. At the age of seventy years, nobody goes out of home. But there was enthusiasm, "Yes, I must go." And because I went, there is something. You have got the information. Similarly, enthusiasm is the basic principle, adau.
Utsahan dhairyat. By patience. Not that "I am working so hard for Krsna, but I'm not getting any impetus." No. Don't be impatient. Krsna will give you chance. He's giving chance always, twenty-four hours, imperceptibly. But we cannot appreciate very much. Krsna sees. As far as we are able, according to our strength, He gives responsibility. But we must be... Rest assured, when we have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna fully, without any reservation, Krsna must be pleased; maybe it will take some time. This is called niscayad, certainty, assurance. Utsahan dhairyat niscayad tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You have to execute the routine prescribed duties. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. You cannot go against the principles of devotional service. With patience, you must execute. Tat-tat-pravartanat. Sato vrtteh. Sato vrtteh means dealings must be very honest. No duplicity. Very frank, plain. Sato vrtteh, sadhu-sange, and in association of devotees. Sadbhir bhaktir pranasya..., uh, prasidhyati. In this way, our propensity for, of love for Krsna will increase.
Similarly, there are other six methods. Prajalpa niyamagraha.
atyaharah prayasas ca
prajalpo niyamagrahah jana-sangas ca, laulyam jana-sangas ca sadbhir bhaktih pranasyati [NoI 2] Atyahara, eating or collecting more than necessity. That is atyahara. Ahara means eating and collecting. Aharah. So we should not collect more than what we need. Krsna will give, giving us. Just like we are spending so much money in all our centers. So Krsna is sending us the necessary expenditure. How... Otherwise, how we are maintaining? So... But we should not be hankering after collecting more than what is necessity. That is atyahara. Similarly, we should not eat more than what we need for maintaining the body and soul together. Atyahara prayasah, prayasah. We should not endeavor for anything which requires too much anxiety. That is called prayasah. Atyahara prayasah. Automatically, by Krsna's grace, whatever comes, that's all right. Atyaharah prayasas ca prajalpah [NoI 2]. Talking unnecessarily, nonsense. Just like people waste their time talking three hours on some political situation. You see. They have got enough time to discuss newspaper, but when they are invited to our class, they find no time.
So we should not waste our time, a single moment. Time is very valuable. In your country, they say, "Time is money." So either you take money, that is artha, or paramartha. Money is required in the material world, and in spiritual world, paramartha, spiritual asset. Some way or other, even those who are materialists, they do not waste their time. So we are after spiritual realization. How we can waste our time? Time is very valuable. So we should not waste time. Prajalpo niyamagrahah, jana-sangas ca. And associating with ordinary persons who are not devotees. Jana-sangas. People in general, they have no taste for Krsna. And greediness, laulyam. These things are impediments for advancing in Krsna consciousness. Sadbhir bhaktih. Niya..., niyamagrahah. Niyamagrahah means simply busy to follow the rules, but actually do not understand what is the meaning of such following. Not blindly. One should follow the regulative principles with firm conviction and understanding. Niyama agrahah and niyama-agrahah. Agrahah means eagerness to accept. And agrahah, not accepting. In both ways, niyama grahah. Not to accept the regulative principles, that is also faulty. And too much agraha, false agraha, without knowing the meaning of it, that is also faulty. So niyamagrahah.
So we should be very careful. If we are... Because our only business is yato bhaktir adhoksaje, to increase our loving propensity for Krsna, Adhoksaja, who is beyond the reach of our senses. Krsna's another name is Adhoksaja, "beyond the reaches of senses." Anubhava. We can perceive Krsna's there, but not that by our senses. We can touch, we can see, we can smell. That we shall do as we increase, as we purify our senses. Sevonmukhe hi jihvadau [Brs. 1.2.234]. Not immediately. Just like Sanatana Gosvami. He was talking with his Deity. So as we make advancement in spiritual consciousness, Krsna will talk with us directly. The Deity will talk with you. There are many instances. In Vrndavana, there was Gopala, Saksi-Gopala. He has now gone to Orissa. He talked with His devotees, and went with His devotee. So Krsna is giving us chance to touch Him, to see Him, to smell Him, to taste Him. By so many ways. This is called arcana-marga. And gradually, when we advance, it will be directly. Just like we are directly talking. That will be possible. So patiently, by following the regulative principles... Sadhu-marganugamanam.
Adau gurvasrayam. In the beginning, one has to accept the bona fide spiritual master. Sad-dharma-prcchat. Then inquiry from spiritual master. Athato brahma jijnasa. Jivasya tattva-jijnasa. In this way... Tad viddhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya [Bg. 4.34]. Pariprasna. In this way, we shall have to make advancement and gradually our dormant love of Krsna will be fully manifest. This is the way. Go on.
Pradyumna: "In the... And The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krsna and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life. In the primary stage, a child loves his parents, then his brothers and sisters..." Oh, I'm sorry. "This, this theme is the sum and substance of The Nectar of Devotion which teaches us how to love Krsna in five different transcendental mellows. Our..."
Prabhupada: Yes. The subject matter of Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, basic principle, how to love Krsna in five primary rasas: santa-rasa, sakhya-rasa, dasya-rasa, santa-dasya-sakhya-vatsalya-madhurya. Go on.
Pradyumna: "Our loving propensity expands just as a vibration of light or air expands, but we do not know where it ends. The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every one of the living entities perfectly by the easy method of loving Krsna. We have failed to create peace and harmony in human society, even by such great attempts as the United Nations, because we do not know the right method. The method is very simple, but one has to understand it with a cool head. The Nectar of Devotion teaches all men how to perform the simple and natural method of loving Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we learn how to love Krsna, then it is very easy to immediately and simultaneously love every living being."
Prabhupada: Yes. This... Everyone in the human society is trying to establish love in the society, but it is being failed. The reason is that we are missing the central point. Just like from a point you can make a circle. What is called that?
Pradyumna: Compass.
Prabhupada: Compass. Yes. That compass, you put the pointed part on the center, you can make a circle. So if I do not take the central point, I make my own point, then my circle will overlap your circle, there will be a clash. But if the center is the same, I can draw one circle, you can draw one, another circle. None of these circles will overlap. So if taking Krsna as the center... Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe. If we relate our activities, social activities, philanthropic activities, political activities, any a..., religious activities, any activity. If you make center Krsna, then my circle, your circle, another circle will not overlap. But it will give different lights. Krsna being center. That point we were discussing in this morning from Srimad-Bhagavatam. Atah pumbhir dvija-srestha varnasrama-vibhagasah. Everyone is trying to make his own circle. Political, social, humanitarian, philosophical, scientific. That's all right. But Bhagavata says that make your circle perfect from the point of Krsna. Don't miss the point. Svanu, svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Whatever you do, if you try to please Krsna, then your circle is perfect. Krsna must be center. Rupa Gosvami says, nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe. Krsna-sambandhe. You can deal in politics. Then politics will be perfect. Krsna-sambandhe, you can make circle of scientific knowledge. Then it will be perfect. Making center Krsna, either politics, sociology, philosophy, religion, whatever it may be. It will be perfect.
Yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjate. Just like we are using this microphone. This is material, scientific advancement. Sometimes they criticize that "You are not materialistic. Why you are using the modern appliances? Why you are flying on the aeroplane?" So practically, our vision is that everything is Krsna's and everything must be utilized for Krsna's service. That is, that is our philosophy. Actually, it is so. This microphone is manufactured by Krsna's energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh kham mano buddhir eva ca, prakrti bhinna me astadha [Bg. 7.4]. So this metal portion, or the rubber portion, or any portion of this microphone is made of the five elements, earth, water, fire, air. So Krsna says, "They are My separated energy." So although separated energy, we are dovetailing with the service of Krsna. That, we do not see that this matter is separate from Krsna. Actually it is not so. When we see the matter is separate from Krsna, that is materialism. When we see the matter is energy of Krsna, that is not materialism. That is spiritualism. So it is our intellect how we can utilize everything with Krsna.
Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Anasaktasya visayan. If we utilize the same matter for our sense gratification, visaya, then it is material. The same flower, if I collect it for my sense gratification, this flower is material. The same flower, when I pick up for offering on the lotus feet of Krsna, this is spiritual. Then how the material thing transformed into spiritual? By the consciousness. Therefore our propaganda is to raise the Krsna consciousness. Nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti. That is our propaganda. As soon as we raise the consciousness to the platform of Krsna, then we become spiritualized. Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate. Who is talking? Nirbandhe krsna-sambandhe yukta-vairagyam ucyate.
Just like Ramananda Raya. He was governor. He was Governor of Madras, but he was the, one of the most confidential devotees of Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya and Ramananda Raya were talking together, and Sri Ramananda Raya was feeling little shyness because he did not belong to the brahmana community. He was governor, householder. So he thought that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was asking him question and he was answering, that means he was taking the superior position. So he felt little shyness. And when he was feeling such shyness, Caitanya Mahaprabhu encouraged him,
Encouraged him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught the whole world, how one can become exalted simply by learning the science of Krsna, Krsna-tattva-vetta. Tattva means science. It doesn't matter whether he's a sannyasi or a grhastha or a sudra or a brahmana. It doesn't matter. These are all designations of the body. Spiritually, we are all one. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]. So if we are on the spiritual platform... On the spiritual platform means to understand the Science of Krsna, the Supreme Spirit. Then if we are conversant with the science of Krsna, then anyone who is such enlightened, he is perfect spiritual master. It doesn't matter what he is. Just like Haridasa Thakura. He was born in Muhammadan family. Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, they were rejected from the brahmana community and they took the Muslim names, Sakara Mallika, Dabira Khasa. But it is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's preaching that He collected all these exalted personalities. They were associates of Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
But the universality of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement is such that anyone can become Krsna conscious, and anyone can accept or be elevated to the exalted post of gosvami, namacarya. Just like Haridasa Thakura was made the Namacarya. And Sanatana Gosvami, Rupa Gosvami, although rejected by the brahmana community, they were the exalted Gosvamis, six Gosvamis. Sri-rupa sanatana bhatta-raghunatha. Ei chaya gosi yara tara mui dasa. So our whole Vaisnava, Gaudiya Vaisnava community are servants of all these Gosvamis. So it doesn't matter. Krsna also confirms, mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah [Bg. 9.32]. It doesn't matter one is born in lower family. It doesn't matter. That...
Svado 'pi sadyah savanaya kalpate. Even the dog-eaters. In the beginning, we did not know who is the dog-eaters. In the beginning, we did not know who is the dog-eaters. Now, when we are travelling all over the water, we see so many dog-eaters. In Korea, China, Philippines, there are many dog-eaters. So in the sastras it is mentioned: even the dog-eaters, svado. Sva means dog. And adah, one who eats. Svado 'pi sadyah savanaya kalpate. If one is elevated to Krsna consciousness, even he's born in the family of dog-eaters or he is a dog-eater... Of course, he cannot remain dog-eater. After coming to become a Vaisnava, he does not remain a dog-eater. But dog-eating is not disqualification. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's specific contribution. Nothing is disqualification to come to Krishna consciousness, provided one is serious to come to this platform. Svado 'pi sadyah.
Srila Jiva Gosvami has commented on this line, svado 'pi sadyah, that a dog-eater, after becoming a devotee, immediately he becomes a qualified brahmana, so much so that he becomes competent to become a priest in the matter of offering sacrifices. But Jiva Gosvami says that even a person is born in brahmana family, he awaits the qualification of performing sacrifices. He has to be initiated. He has to be advanced in education, so many things. But one dog-eater, if he takes to Krsna consciousness, immediately, without waiting for reformatory method, he becomes immediately competent to act as priest in performing sacrifices. But we should not take advantage of this. Actually, we should become on the platform of brahmana, qualified brahmana, qualification Vaisnava so that others may not criticize. That is our special request. That chance is there, everyone. This path of Krsna consciousness is open to everyone. It does not matter. My position is very precarious.
This morning, one man came to challenge me that how I am converting these mlecchas and yavanas to Vaisnava. Yes. But how I an...? It is, it is there in the sastra.
kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanah khasadhayah ye 'nye ca papa yad-upasrayasrayah sudhyanti... [SB 2.4.18] They becomes purified according to sastra. Sri Sanatana Gosvami gives direction, tatha diksa-vidhanena dvijatvam jayate nrnam. By diksa-vidhana, by proper initiation, any person can attain the stage of dvijatvam. So our method is not against the sastra. Yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya. If we give up the direction of the sastra, then we are faulty. If we do not deviate the injunctions of the sastra... Sadhu-sastra-guru-vakya tinete kariya aikya. In the sastra it is sanctioned. My Guru Maharaja, he also ordered. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also ordered.
When Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered that prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama, so that means He wanted that all over the world, in every town, in every village, His mission should be propagated. And what is His mission? His mission is: yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. That is His mission, So it is not that in western countries one cannot become Vaisnava, one cannot become guru. This is not. This, such sort of remark is not tolerable from sastric point of view. It is completely, strictly to the sastric point of view. And it is a glory for us that people in other countries, outside India, they're accepting this cult of Krsna consciousness. But crippled people, they unnecessarily criticize this method. But we don't care for them.
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/classes/nod/the_nectar_of_devotion/vrndavana/october/24/1972 Previous: The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 2, 1973 Next: The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973
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