710628DA.SF
Darsana

June 28, 1971, San Francisco
(sounds of devotees entering, offering obeisances, chanting japa)
Prabhupada: Jayananda, how are you? So you are married now? Eh? So where is your marriage presentation?
Jayananda: Pardon?
Prabhupada: When you are not married, you gave me five thousand dollars. Now you are married, you must give me now ten thousand, double. Come on. Hare Krsna. (indistinct) Where is your brother?
Makhanlal: I think he is in London.
Prabhupada: What he is doing now?
Makhanlal: Building the Ratha-yatra carts.
Prabhupada: Ohh.
Makhanlal: For the festival.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes, you are Nara-narayana's brother. (devotees enter and pay obeisances) Hare Krsna, come on. Nara-narayana is very nice boy. Everything is all right? Where is your center?
Devotee (1): Tucson.
Prabhupada: Where?
Devotee (2): Tucson, Arizona.
Prabhupada: (more devotees enter) Come on. How is Govinda dasi?
Devotee (3): She is improving.
Prabhupada: Anyone shall (indistinct). (more devotees enter) Come on. Syamasundara inaugurated this Ratha-yatra here. You know? I advised him to perform Ratha-yatra on a motorcar, and that was the first Ratha-yatra. Then gradually it came to cart, now it is three. It is very nice. We are improving. More improve, more and more. Your prasadam this year, I think it is not sufficiently distributed. Why?
Makhanlal: Not sufficient amount, you mean?
Prabhupada: Eh?
Makhanlal: Not sufficient menu?
Prabhupada: Yes. Previous year... Anyone? Everyone you have got? All right. So this is the difference. I have been in Moscow. So there is... I couldn't find this. I could not eat fruit. Now your country, Krsna has given so nice, so nice flowers, and so nice Vaisnavas. And that country is very proud of advancing, but there is no fruit, there is no flower, there is no Vaisnava, and there is no freedom. And this is the... They are proud. You see? "We are advanced." This is the... There is a story, one worshiper of Durga... In Bengal, they worship Durga Mata. So it is a story, the Durga Mata, the Goddess Durga is asking the devotee, "My dear boy, you are happy?" "Yes, mother, I am very happy. Simply two things wanting." "What is this?" "I have no food, I have no clothing." Just see. This is story, just try to understand, that "I am happy, but two things wanting: no food, no clothing." Is that happiness? No food, no clothing. Similarly, this Russian country, they are very much proud of advancement, but no food sufficient and no freedom. No food and no freedom, that's all. This is the sum and substance.
So in your country also that position may come. Now in America you are happy. Because the nature is changing, jagat. Jagat means which is changing. So before any further changes come, you spread this Krsna consciousness all over your country. You should utilize these fruits and flowers for Krsna and be happy. Don't slip down. That is my request. Whatever I could do, I have done. Now it is up to you to spread this movement all over the world. Don't go away. There is some tendency, somebody. Therefore, I ask you, no. This is all nonsense. This is maya's peeping, "Why you are working so hard for a sentiment, chanting and dancing? Come on, take to service and be happy with your wife and children." This is maya. This is maya. I did not ask my students to marry to become a lost child. I wanted to give them some facility, because you cannot do without wife. But now I am seeing that some of them are slipping away. This is not to be done, no. Every one of us as good as sannyasi because we have sacrificed everything for Krsna. Sannyasi does not mean simply having no wife and children, he's a sannyasi. No. Nothing to possess except Krsna. That is sannyasi. One should know that "I will have simply Krsna, nothing more." Then he is sannyasi. This mentality, that "I have nothing to serve, I have nobody to serve except Krsna." But if you serve Krsna, you will serve everyone. Just like I was teaching this Indian gentleman. The same process. If you pour water on the root of the tree, automatically the branches, the leaves, and the flowers are all served. If you put the foodstuff here, not here, not here, then automatically this is served. Although the foodstuff is here, automatically this is served, this is served, this is served, this is... Everybody is served. This is practical. If you serve Krsna, then all service will be included. They are serving humanitarian and so on. Suppose I, I am Indian, I came to your country. Why I came to your country in this old age? That is service. To be Krsna conscious, that's the best service. Without any distinction of caste, creed, country, color. No. Everyone should have Krsna. This is the best service. Go everywhere, every part of the world, and give Krsna. That is the best service you can do. And actually, they are now feeling, because they are Indians. Even in India, where there are so many devotees of Krsna, but when they saw "These American devotees are so nice," thirty thousand people were coming daily. And what was our magic? This man was asking me, "Swamiji, what magic you have got?" I said, "I have got this magic that I don't tell lie. I don't make 'This rascal is God.' God is Krsna. That is my magic. I don't bluff people. Here is God. See God, be with God, serve God. That's my business." Why God should be unseen? You see Krsna. If Krsna says that "I am taste of the water," while you are drinking water, tasting, "Oh, here is Krsna." As soon as you see sunshine, moonshine, "Oh, here is Krsna." As soon as there is a nice flavor, "Oh, here is Krsna." Punyo gandhah prthivyam ca tejas casmi vibhavasau. These are all described in the Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter. Where is Bhagavad-gita? Just turn to Seventh Chapter. Somebody come up to this. So it is very important movement. You take it very seriously and spread it. Seventh Chapter. Read it.
Visnujana: "O son of Kunti [Arjuna], I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras. I am the sound in ether."
Prabhupada: Now, who is not drinking water? The taste of water is Krsna, so who has not seen Krsna? They say, "Can you show me God?" If you don't see God, then who will show you? Here is God. You are drinking water. Here is God, sunshine. Those who cannot see Krsna is God... Because to see Krsna as the Supreme Personality God, it requires many, many thousands of years tapasya to understand Krsna. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. After many, many births, one can understand Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is not so easy. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg. 7.3]. Out of many thousands of men, one may be interested how to make this life perfect. And those who actually attain perfection, out of many thousands of them, one can understand Krsna. So to understand Krsna is not easy job, easy job. So one who has understood "Here is Krsna with Radharani; let me serve," that position is very exalted position. That is not ordinary position. But one who is unfortunate not to come to that position to understand Krsna, for them Krsna is giving the prescription you see here. You drink water, the taste, now just think, "Here is Krsna." In this way, if you think of Krsna in your daily activities, then one day you will be able to understand what is Krsna. Actually, Krsna is everything because whatever... This table is also Krsna because it is a manifestation of Krsna's energy. Bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh mano kham buddhir eva ca [Bg. 7.4]. What is the ingredient of this table? Earth, water, air, fire. Krsna says, "That is My manifestation of My energy." Just like if the sun-god says, "I am everything of this matter," it is a fact, because through the sunshine everything is coming out. As soon as there is no sunshine, no more trees, no more foliage. Why? It is due to sunshine all these trees are existing. So if I say everything is sunshine, what is the wrong there? Because it is the sun's energy which is maintaining this material world. Similarly, it is Krsna's energy that is manifesting everything. So if I say this is Krsna, this is a fact. But Krsna says, "Although everything is resting in Me, still I am not there." Mat-sthani sarva-bhutani naham tesv avasthitah [Bg. 9.4]. The Mayavadi philosopher says that "If Krsna is here, then why shall I worship Krsna in the temple?" That is his rascaldom. If Krsna is everywhere, why He is not in the temple? But they will be minus, make minus this: "Krsna is not in the temple, Krsna is only somewhere else, that's all." That is the... Krsna says that "I am in the temple, not anywhere else, although everything I am." So these things the foolish rascal people do no understand. Try to make them understand and go on preaching. The sannyasis are meant for preaching and the GBC's are meant for managing. In this way do it. Now you give me reliefI go on writing books, that's all. So Visnujana Maharaja, your preaching is going on nice?
Visnujana: Yes, Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Sannyasi should be always preaching. Parivrajakacarya. Four stages of sannyasa: kuticaka, bahudaka, parivrajaka, and paramahamsa. In the beginning... Because according to Vedic civilization everyone has to take sannyasa at a certain age. So as a matter of routine if he takes sannyasa... Just like this old man I was asking that "Now you have children grown up, why don't you take sannyasa?" But he is hesitating. Nobody likes, because sannyasa life is difficult. So first there is kuticaka means he gives up the connection of the family life, takes sannyasa officially, but he is not accustomed to maintain himself independently; therefore, he goes out of the village and makes a cottage and lives there. And the foodstuff, the home supply, that is called kutica. Kuti means cottage. Then when he is little practiced, then he says family members that "Don't bring foodstuffs. I shall go to every village man and ask something for my food. I shall depend on them, not on you." That is called bahudaka. Bahu means many. Not accepting food from one place but from many. Then when he is prac... Because first problem is problem, when he is practiced, "Now Krsna is giving us food, so why shall I remain in one place? Let me preach." That is called parivrajakacarya, when he is preaching. Parivrajaka. Parivrajaka means wandering all over. Then when he is experienced, when his preaching is done, he can sit down in one place. At that time, he can chant simply Hare Krsna like Haridasa Thakura. And if he imitates from the very beginning, he will be spoiled, that's all. Because in the beginning, if I take Hare Krsna, then it is (indistinct). (laughter) Don't do this. Always be busy. First stage, last stage. When one is paramahamsa just like Haridasa Thakura, three hundred thousand times, no eating unless he finishes his chanting. No eating, no sleeping. That is another thing. "I shall eat so much, I shall sleep so much, and I shall do nothing, simply chanting." No. That is not recommended by my Guru Maharaja. He says that you are cheating people. (Bengali) There is a song written by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati: "What kind of Vaisnava you are?" (Bengali) "Your chanting Hare Krsna in a secluded place," (Bengali) "is simply cheating." What do you know what you are chanting? First of all prepare yourself to come to the stage of perfect chanting. This is seva. Always be engaged in Krsna's service: how to decorate the temple, how to invite people, giving the feast, write books, distribute books and knowledge. In this way don't sit idly. Always be engaged, always. Just like our Karandhara, he has taken so much responsibility. He is doing. I am very pleased. He is prepared to do the masonry work and building work and distribution of book, accounting. In this way, we shall be always busy. Find out some work. I have no work now. Of course, the sixteen rounds must be chanted hundred percent. Rest time, simply find out where is Krsna's work. Why sixteen rounds? It only takes two hours, you have got twenty-four hours. What you will do twenty-four hours? You cannot sleep more than six hours, seven hours, that's all. So two hours chanting and seven hours sleeping. Sleeping is a very important thing in your country, but reduce it. As much as you reduce sleeping and eating, you will become advanced.
That is the Gosvamis, nidrahara-vihara-vijitau, conquered over sleeping, eating, and mating. Because these three, four things ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithun..., these are material life. The spiritual life means reduction of these things. When it is nil, no more sleeping, no more eating, that is spiritual..., perfection of spiritual life. So we cannot make it nil so long this body is there, but our policy should be like that. Policy should be like that. We shall not eat more, we shall not sleep more, we shall not mate more. Those who are grhasthas, they can have sex life only for producing children, that's all, no more. And those who are sannyasi, brahmacari, they have no sex life, there is no question of sex life. Sex life is prohibited. But it is a concession for them who cannot live without sex life. That is married life. Otherwise, sex life is not very important thing. Just like there are brahmacaris, sannyasis, they have no sex life. Therefore, this sannyasa, to go out of home by force, that means to avoid sex life, sannyasa. You see? I think those who have got children, they should take sannyasa now and preach. That is my idea. Not (indistinct) idea, because all the great sages, they waited if they are married. Just like Kapila Muni..., Kardama, Kardama Muni. Kardama Muni, he was a great yogi. So he was thinking of marrying, so Krsna sent him good wife, Devahuti, a king's daughter. So he thought, "I was thinking of marrying, so Krsna has sent. All right, let me marry." But he made a condition to her father that "I can accept your daughter as my wife so long she has no children. As soon as she has children, I shall go away." So the father agreed, "Whatever you like, you can do. I'm just placing my wife in your custody." So the sannyasi..., when there is a child of the wife, I think one can accept sannyasa.
But preaching is our most important business. People are suffering for want of this Krsna consciousness. So as representative of Krsna, it is our duty to enlighten them, and we should accept all kinds of... But there is no difficulty. Where is the difficulty? I think we are living better than anyone in the world. (laughter) Where is the difficulty? Simply we have to be very sincere devotee of Krsna, that's all. Everything Krsna will supply. Everything. So in that position, go on preaching. Don't be tottering. You have taken a great responsibility; go on executing it. Don't fight amongst yourselves for petty things. Go on, advance. Hare Krsna. (devotees offer obeisances) Now we are going to have a great ceremony in India, Mayapur. They have got... I have purchased one land. I took contribution 25,000 from Birla. I wanted 100,000, he gave me 25,000. That's all right. So with that money I purchased one land. So it is just to be developed. The foundation stone, cornerstone laying down. In India we require another..., altogether at least one hundred men, Americans. So contribute some men from each and every center. We have got fifty centers..., how many centers now?
Visnujana: Seventy, I heard.
Karandhara: Almost sixty, fifty-eight.
Prabhupada: So give one man from each center. It doesn't require that he is very advanced. Advancement will be done by training, by practical application in life. If you send from each center one man to India... If you can send more, that's all right. But at least one man. In India we have got many things to do. Because the business in India is important in this respect, that partly due to their subjugation by foreigners, their original culture has been killed. Just like in India, they did not know drinking tea, drinking wine, meat-eating, illicit sex. They did not know. Even fifty, a hundred years before, they did not know. These Britishers, in order to control them, very silently introduced all these things. I know in our childhood, this drinking of tea was unknown to any family. Meat-eating, there was no question. Just like in my life, I do not know what is meat-eating, do not know womanizing(?) or illicit sex life, because we are trained in that way. So due to foreign domination, they were killed; and after independence, these rascal leaders, they are killing it: "What is the wrong in meat-eating? What is the wrong in drinking?" They are canvassing: "Eat chickens, eat eggs,." This is going on. So at the present moment there is great propaganda from the side of the government and others to kill India's original culture. So when Americans go there and preach and they see, "Oh, so nice Vaisnava, so nice devotee and so pure," they will become attracted, because that is their original culture. At heart they want to do that, but by artificial means they are being forced to accept something else. So when they see these foreigners and Americans so... And government is not very favorable of my movement there, because it is natural when the Americans exhibit a nice, pure Vaisnava, they come attracted. Just like Calcutta and Bombay, what was there? The same Deity was and sankirtana was there and I was speaking say for a half an hour. But why these forty thousand, thirty thousand people were coming? They were coming to see, "Oh, how Americans have taken to this philosophy(?)." That is their surprise. They are giving credit only for that purpose. This man also. So there is good chance of preaching in India in this respect. We want some men to preach there. It will be great work. So I think in each center, from each center you can contribute one man, and some of you leaders may go. There are already, organize. People are very much attracted. They are wanting..., giving us money, they want to give us place, there is no scarcity of food, there is no question. But this Immigration Department, they will harass. But we have to manage somehow or other. We shall have to keep always at least 100 men in India. So how to do it? That we will consider and do it. That's all. (devotees offer obeisances) Now chalk out your plan how to preach nicely all over the world. So Visnujana Maharaja, how many centers?
Visnujana: Just two.
Prabhupada: Two, that's all right. You have to do another eight. (laughter) Yes. That's nice. [break]
Devotee (1): So do you want to give (indistinct) authorization to take sannyasa as soon as possible?
Prabhupada: That I tell you, not immediately. But our main business is preaching. Either do it as a grhastha or as sannyasi, it does not matter. This is only formality. The real work is preaching. Just like Ramananda Raya was a grhastha and Lord Caitanya was a sannyasi, but He was taking lesson from Ramananda Raya. This is Caitanya-lila. He is a sannyasi and He is God Himself, He is taking lesson from a grhastha who is His disciple. So the real thing is preaching must go on sincerely. This grhastha, vanaprastha, these are material regulative principles. Real life is Krsna's service. That we have to do, that's all. So whatever position is suitable for you, you accept. You remain as a grhastha, remain as sannyasi, remain as brahmacari as it becomes suitable for you, but preach. That is the main business. If you lacking in preaching and become a sannyasi, what is the use of sannyasa? Better... A grhastha is better. Just like I asked Gaurasundara to go to Hawaii. He was just a boy, but he did. Now there is center, nice. So I'm very glad. So you are also doing that. It doesn't matter whether grhastha. Karandhara is grhastha. But we have to serve Krsna very nicely. That is our main criteria. So we have to see in what position I can serve better Krsna. That is our policy. Otherwise, either grhastha or sannyasi, there's no difference. Caitanya Mahaprabhu says,
Preaching work is for the guru. So Krsna... Caitanya Mahaprabhu says it doesn't matter whether he is a grhastha or vanaprastha or a brahmana or sudra. It doesn't matter. If he knows what is Krsna consciousness and preaches, then he is guru. That's all. So we have to become like that. It doesn't matter what we are, but whether I am preaching nicely. That is required. But still there is some regulative principles like sannyasi and brahmacari will be like this, grhastha will be like this. That is the external. But the main business is preaching. So you have got good opportunity, you have got good name, Krsna consciousness movement, it is being appreciated. So live very cautiously and preach very cautiously and seriously, then in this one life you will become successful, go back to home, back to Godhead. One life. You haven't got to wait for another life. If this life we work sincerely, then our business is finished. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. That is assured by Krsna. "After giving up this body, he doesn't come to this material world." Then where does he go? Mam eti, "He comes to Me." This is said by Krsna. Why shall we disbelieve? So serve this life very sincerely and go back to Krsna immediately. That is intelligence. Why should you wait for another life? We do not know what life we can get. May not be possible. So we should be very responsible to this life in serving Krsna. Make yourself successful. Don't waste a single moment. Every moment should be utilized to serve Krsna. Always think, how I can serve Krsna? The direction is already there. The work is sufficient. If you don't want to do, that is a different thing. There is sufficient work to do. If you cannot do anything, you can go and meet any man and request him, "Please chant Hare Krsna." What is the difficulty? You can request. That your endeavor to request him is your service. He may not chant. But if you request him, "Please chant Hare Krsna..." If you cannot do anything, if you meet anyone in the street and say "Please... (end)

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