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720223SB.CAL
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.6

Calcutta, February 23, 1972
Prabhupada:
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje...
[SB 1.2.6]
(Hindi) Somehow or other we have to turn to Krsna consciousness. That is the aim of life. This human form of life is meant for this purpose. Yato bhaktir adhoksaje and... [break] ...religion you may profess, it does not matter. It must teach you how to render loving service to the Lord. That is required. [break] ...pravrtti and nivrtti, so there are two kinds of dharma. Dharma means occupational duties. (Hindi) [break]
Devotee: It doesn't work.
Prabhupada: In this material world, we come here to enjoy. Not enjoy, but to satisfy our senses. This is material life. But that is not the right process, to develop the sense enjoyment process. The modern civilization, they are increasing the sense enjoyment process, making life more and more complicated, because the real motive of human life is to develop devotional service to the Lord. Or in other words, instead of gratifying our senses we should gratify the senses of the Lord. That is required. We cannot independently gratify our senses. The Isopanisad therefore says, tena tyaktena bhunjitha [Iso mantra 1]. Directly you cannot. The best example is you give me nice a foodstuff, rasagulla. The fingers catches it, but it cannot enjoy directly. That is not possible. It must give to the stomach, and when it is given to the stomach, the energy produced by eating that foodstuff is distributed not only in this finger but in other fingers and other parts of the body.
This is Krsna consciousness movement. We are making center Krsna. Krsna said, yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi tapasyasi yat tat kurusva mad-arpanam [Bg. 9.27]. "You work. Whatever you like, you work, but ultimately you give Me the result of it." That is Krsna consciousness. We do not want to stop anything. People may not misunderstand that we want to stop business, we have to stop industries, our, our general modes of life. You be engaged in your occupational duties, but resultant action of that duty you offer to Krsna. Don't take it. Karmany evadhi-karas te ma phalesu kadacana. Don't take the result. Then it will be (indistinct). The same example, just like this hand picks up a very nice rasagulla, but it does not take; it gives to the stomach. Then it enjoys. That is the process. This spirit of giving to Krsna is now forgotten. Therefore people are suffering, because they are not trying to enjoy in the process, that this is the process. You take a rasagulla, give it to the stomach. This is the process. Similarly, whatever you possess, you give it to Krsna and take prasadam. Then you will be happy. Otherwise it will not bring happiness, because that is not the process.
But people are following a wrong process, to enjoy directly. That is implication. In the Bhagavad-gita also it is said, yajnate karma: you work, but yajnate. Yajna means Krsna, Visnu. You work for Krsna, yajnate karma. Anyatra karma-bandhanah. Otherwise you'll be entangled. Either the result will be good or bad, so you have to accept it. Generally we like thatthere are good, bad. The sastric process is that whatever you're destined to get, you'll get it. Prahlada Maharaja said, sukhum aindriyakam daitya deha-yogena dehinam. You, you are destined to a certain standard of sukha, happiness, according to your body. Just like a man is born in a millionaire's family, family. He has got a type of body so the enjoyment is there, and it is..., and at the same time a man is born in a cobbler's family, he cannot expect the enjoyment of the millionaire's family. That is not possible, because he has got a different type of body and he has got a different type of body. So sastra says, as you have got body, so your happiness, let us take the happiness portion. Distress also is there. There cannot be any unalloyed happiness. There must be distress. But you take only the good portion, happiness portion. The sastra says that your happiness is destined according to your body. That is already made up, set up. You cannot change it. So sastra says that don't try to increase your so-called happiness by laboring so hard. Whatever body you have got, a certain of, certain type of happiness you will get. Just like a hog. A hog has got a certain type of body; he feels pleasure by eating stool. He cannot improve it, because he has got the body like that. So according to our body, we get our happiness. So our time should be saved for improving Krsna consciousness. That is the law of nature. Don't try to improve your material condition. The material happiness, whatever is destined according to your body, which is already given to you, and you'll have it, without any endeavor. Yatha dukham ajajnatah. Just like you have to enjoy or suffer also, that is also according to the body, ajajnatah. You don't endeavor for the distress, but you get it. Similarly, you don't endeavor for happinessyou'll get it.
So this is the philosophy of Krsna consciousness. We should save our time to develop our Krsna consciousness. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhoksaje [SB 1.2.6]. We should simply endeavor for developing Krsna consciousness. Then, yayatma samprasidati, then you'll be happy. Otherwise you'll never be happy. This is Krsna consciousness philosophy, sum and substance. Now you can ask me question, if you have got any doubt. [break] ...ahankara vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. The whole summary is that this human form of life is very, very important, and it is meant for developing Krsna consciousness. If you neglect this business and simply engage for sense gratification, that is spoiling time. Srama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8].
Guest (1): Another point also, this Jainism... [break]
Prabhupada: ...with the body? The body's already in trouble.
Guest (1): It's not useless.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Guest (1): This body is not useless.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Guest (1): Why do you (indistinct)?
Prabhupada: No, I don't require. Of course, there is a process which is called tapasya. That is another thing. Tapasya, according to our, this Krsna consciousness, we also undergo tapasya. Just like we say that "Don't have illicit sex life."
Guest (1): If you follow yama, niyama, then...
Prabhupada: Huh?
Guest (1): If you follow yama and niyama then...
Prabhupada: This is yama and niyama, that you don't have illicit sex life, don't eat meat, don't take intoxication, don't engage yourself in gambling, and observe ekadasi fasting, janmastami, chant Hare Krsna. So our method is very simple. Everyone can follow.
Devotee: [break] ...issue of duty.
Prabhupada: Huh?
Devotee: Material prosperity is not dependent upon duty.
Prabhupada: What is that duty?
Devotee: Dharma.
Prabhupada: Your duty is Krsna consciousness. This duty, artificial. A man doing his duty, suppose a businessman, he starts business with a small amount, he becomes very rich. Another man starts business with big amount, he loses everything. I know one big family...
Guest (2): That is karma?
Prabhupada: Huh?
Guest (2): That is karma.
Prabhupada: "That is karma" means that whatever happiness he has to enjoy, that will come automatically. Otherwise, he is destined to have somethingthat will come. Yatha dukham ajajnatah. So our only point is that human life is very valuable. We should not waste it for nothing. Modern..., modern method of civilization is to develop economic development, to live very comfortably. That's all right. Do it. Everyone do his own business. But you don't forget Krsna. That is not good. The point is, our real business is to understand Krsna. But people do not try to understand Krsna; they simply try for economic development. Their first business should be to understand Krsna. Other business should be secondary. So at the present moment, it is very difficult task.
Devotee: Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Devotee: Wasn't it true when..., when they developed Krsna consciousness, that they, at that time even had better economic development, higher economic development, when they were Krsna conscious?
Prabhupada: (laughs) But we don't take to Krsna consciousness for developing higher economic position.
Devotee: No.
Prabhupada: No, that is not...
Devotee: No, but I mean it goes to show that even though no matter how much we try to develop...
Prabhupada: But that is, that is Krsna's mercy. Yoga-ksemam vahamy aham. Tesam satata-yuktanam [Bg. 10.10]. Those who are engaged in Krsna's service, they are never put into distress. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati [Bg. 9.31]. Krsna's devotee is never vanquished. Even they are artificially put into distresses... Just like Pandavas, they were put into distresses, artificially. Prahlada Maharaja was put into distresses by his father even, but ultimately he came out victorious. So one..., we should not be disturbed, even superficially we see that a devotee is in distress. Devotee, real devotee, he does not take anything as distress. He takes everything as Krsna's mercy. Tat te 'nukampam su-samiksamano [SB 10.14.8]. Otherwise that is not pure devotion. Actually devotee's never in distress. People may see that he is in distress. Just like there is a very good example. You are going to Mayapur, you'll find. His name was Sridhara, Kolaveca Sridhara. His income was very poor. At night he would chant Hare Krsna mantra very loudly: "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna..." His neighboring friends would say, "This man has no income, and because he is hungry now he is chanting 'Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna.' He's hungry." So one day Caitanya Mahaprabhu Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to take away his possession, flowers. He was selling, making business, making some dona, dona. What is called dona?
Devotees: Cups.
Prabhupada: Cup, yes, that was his business. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu take away some of his fruits and dona, as a friend. So one day Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "Sridhara, you take benediction from Me." So he said "What benediction, Sir?" "Well, you are so poor that your house is not even properly repaired. There are so many holes in the roof." He, "Still, I have a nice house because it is better than the bird's nest. They have no roof. (laughter) They have no roof, and they live on a tree. I have got a shelter. What is the difficulty? There is no difficulty." In this way Caitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to offer him so many thing, and he said that "No, I have no trouble for this. If You want to benedict me, please give me pure devotion on Your lotus feet." Bhakti. So that is pure devotion. That we should hanker after, how to fix up our mind always in the service of the Lord. That we are trying to teach, that's all. (end)

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