SPD07-09 The Final Lesson
SPD07-09
The Final Lesson
The Final Lesson
[00:05] [Narrator:] His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was a pure devotee
[00:11] of Lord Krsna, and therefore his entire life, including his passing from this mortal world,
[00:18] was a perfect example of Krsna consciousness.
[00:23] This video depicts his final pastimes.
[00:27] During his last months in Vrndavana, His Divine Grace continued to instruct
[00:33] his disciples, discuss the affairs of ISKCON and translate Srimad-Bhagavatam.
[00:39] On his request, his disciples maintained twenty-four-hour kirtana and readings from the scriptures.
[00:51] Srila Prabhupada invited all his disciples to be with him as he passed the test
[00:56] we all must face. However, due to circumstances often beyond their control,
[01:02] most of his disciples were not present.
[01:06] Now, those who choose to, can experience those precious moments.
[01:11] Although these scenes can be emotionally wrenching, they do depict
[01:15] a rare transcendental event: the last chapter in Srila Prabhupada's glorious life,
[01:25] "The Final lesson." [The passing of Srila Prabhupada, November 1977, Vrndavana, India]
Arrival in Vrndavana from UK, October 2, 1977
[01:52] Out of many thousands of men, one may endeavor for perfection, and among
[01:58] many millions who have achieved perfection, one may be a devotee of Lord Krsna.
[02:05] Such a devotee, who is fully peaceful, is extremely rare.
[02:32] Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position,
[02:36] a pure devotee does not identify with the body.
[02:39] Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view.
[02:44] Indeed, one should overlook a devotees' having a diseased or infirmed body.
[02:50] According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of
[02:55] a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted.
[03:03] It's exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which remain pure although
[03:07] filled with bubbles, foam and mud during the rainy season.
[03:12] Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding bathe in the Ganges
[03:17] without considering the condition of the water.
[04:32] Since we cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul,
[04:37] out of His immense compassion the Supersoul appears before us as a pure devotee,
[04:42] the spiritual master. Such a spiritual master is as worshipable as Krsna is, for in his
[04:50] dealings there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord.
[05:27] The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association
[05:32] with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.
[05:37] That moment is human society's greatest treasure.
[05:45] Seeing the spiritual master with devotion and reverence is the perfection of one's eyesight.
[05:52] Touching his lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of touch,
[05:56] and glorifying his qualities is the tongue's real activity.
October 21, 1977, in Srila Prabhupada room, dictating
[06:29] [Pradyumna:] Then it says karma..., karma-hetu...
[06:33] [Prabhupada:] Karma-hetu. If we engage in devotional service, we get a different nature.
[06:46] And if we engage in the basis of sense gratification, the result is [indistinct].
[07:00] [Pradyumna:] And that karma is [Sanskrit].
[07:04] [Prabhupada:] Yes. And according to the association of different nature, we get a body,
[07:29] Therefore we should always seek good association, devotee association.
[07:42] Then our life will be success.
[07:50] [Pradyumna:] Then last it says the gunas, [Sanskrit].
[07:59] [Prabhupada:] Jnana... If we live with good association, then we cultivate knowledge.
[08:11] That means association. A man is known by his company.
[08:22] So if we have the chance of association with devotee, then our character,
[08:37] nature, [indistinct].
[08:44] By hearing, by discussing Srimad-Bhagavatam, this rajo-guna, tamo-guna
[08:59] is subdued. Then sattva-guna remains.
[09:21] Then the sattva-guna, tamo-guna cannot do us harm.
[09:32] Therefore varnasrama-dharma is so essential,
[09:41] that people remain in sattva-guna.
[09:52] Tamo-guna rajo-guna..., rajas-tamo-bhavaḥ,
[10:00] increases lust and greediness, and that implicates the living entity
[10:19] to exist in this material world in many, many forms.
[10:34] That is very dangerous. Therefore they should be brought into
[10:48] sattva-guna by the establishment of varnasrama-dharma.
[10:54] How to bring people in sattva-guna? The brahminical qualifications:
[11:13] very neat and clean, rise early in the morning, see mahgala-arati.
[11:23] In this way to stay in sattva-guna.
[11:45] [Narrator:] The body, mind and senses of the pure devotee,
[11:47] acting only for the satisfaction of the Lord, are transcendental
[11:53] and are taken charge of by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
[11:58] Being awake to his constitutional position, the pure devotee is
[12:02] situated in samadhi, the highest perfectional stage of yoga.
[12:08] Being fully absorbed in devotional service, he does not care
[12:12] what is going on with the external body.
[12:15] Such a confidential devotee of the Lord sees in every moment,
[12:20] even a most difficult moment, the special mercy of the Lord.
November 14, 1977, Srila Prabhupada's departure
[13:12] Pure devotees are themselves places of pilgrimage.
[13:17] Because of their purity, they are constant companions of the Lord,
[13:21] and therefore they can purify even places of pilgrimage.
[13:27] For such a pure devotee there is no difference between living and dying,
[13:32] because in this life he engages in pure devotional service,
[13:37] and after giving up his body he engages in the same service
[13:40] in the spiritual world. Thus his devotional service is never hindered,
[13:47] nor does he perceive the pangs of death.
[13:51] The pure devotee does not forget Lord Krsna even for a moment,
[13:57] and Lord Krsna never forgets His devotee.
[14:26] Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material world
[14:29] is the greatest entanglement to the spirit soul.
[14:32] But that same attachment, when applied to the spiritual master,
[14:37] opens the door of liberation.
[14:56] The spiritual master's eternal occupation is to expand the service
[15:00] of the Lord by training his disciples in a service attitude.
[15:06] This service attitude, along with knowledge of Krsna,
[15:09] is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor.
[15:45] Our dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, because of our
[15:50] association with material desires one after another we were gradually
[15:55] falling into a blind well full of snakes following the general populous.
[16:01] But Your servant Srila Prabhupada kindly accepted us as his followers
[16:06] and instructed us how to achieve the transcendental position.
[16:11] Therefore our first duty is to serve him.
[16:15] How could we leave his service?
Srila Prabhupada's final pastimes
[37:11] Srila Prabhupada was the crown jewel on the head of this world.
[37:15] Without him, this world is bereft of its valuable ornament.
[37:20] Yet in Srila Prabhupada's absence, there is no need to become despondent,
[37:26] because there is no difference between Srila Prabhupada's instructions
[37:30] and Srila Prabhupada himself.
[37:33] He is personally present in his instructions.
[37:37] In his absence, therefore, Srila Prabhupada's words of direction
[37:41] are the pride of his followers.
[37:44] Their implicit faith in his words is their success.
[38:03] O virtuous devotees, thus we have seen the departure of
[38:08] Srila Prabhupada, and this is just to increase our desire for him,
[38:13] because the more we hanker for him, the more we will be
[38:16] freed from all material desires.
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