SPD08-06 Questions & Answers, New York, July 3, 1972
SPD08-06
Questions & Answers, New York, July 3, 1972
Questions & Answers, New York, July 3, 1972
this video is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCBdnej84o
SPD08-06 [18:55 minutes]
[00:16] [Guest:] Prabhupada, you've said in past lectures that for one who wants to take up bhakti,
[00:25] the work that you're engaged in is not stopped.
[00:27] This has been a source of confusion for myself and maybe other people.
[00:32] Could you sort of delineate what is meant by that?
[00:39] [Devotee:] [explaining] He said that when you take up bhakti, the work does not stop. So he's confused.
[00:46] [Prabhupada:] No. Bhakti, that's what we are defining… Bhakti, definition of bhakti means,
[01:07] That is bhakti. Try to understand what is bhakti. You are following me? Now you come here.
[01:12] You come forward. You come forward. Try to understand what is bhakti.
[01:25] Bhakti means we have no other desire than to satisfy Krsna. That is bhakti.
[01:37] Just like Arjuna. Arjuna satisfied Krsna by fighting, and he became a bhakta.
[01:49] On the battlefield, Arjuna was hesitating: "What is the use of killing my own men,
[01:58] my family men, my brother, my nephews, my grandfather, all on the other side?"
[02:07] And he was to fight with them. Fight with them and to kill them. So he was hesitating.
[02:13] He was a warrior, very great warrior. He knew, "When I fight, I shall kill them.
[02:19] Although they have come to fight with me, they do not know. But I know.
[02:24] They are my men. So why shall I fight with them? Let them enjoy. I don't want…"
[02:33] That was his confused feeling. But after understanding Bhagavad-gita,
[02:45] when he came to the understanding that it was his duty to satisfy Krsna,
[02:55] so he sacrificed his own conviction that he would not kill his men.
[03:05] He satisfied Krsna by the same art. He was warrior.
[03:13] So he did not change his position.
[03:18] After reading [hearing] Bhagavad-gita, he did not become a Vedantist or went away to Himalaya for yoga practice
[03:27] and give up the fight in battlefield. No. He did not change.
[03:33] But he changed his consciousness. That is wanted.
[03:40] At the present moment our consciousness is that we are working for our own sense gratification.
[03:51] When this consciousness will be changed, that we have to work for satisfying Krsna,
[03:57] then our life is perfect. You haven't got to change your work or position.
[04:04] But when you understand that you have to work not for your personal sense gratification,
[04:12] but for satisfaction of Krsna, that is perfection.
[04:17] So there is no question of changing your position. Changing your consciousness-that is success.
[04:29] [Guest:] Can I ask another question?
[04:30] [Prabhupada:] First of all, is this clear?
[04:32] [Guest:] It's very clear.
[04:33] [Prabhupada:] Yes. Bhakta does not mean that you have to change everything. No. He hasn't got to change.
[04:41] Simply he has to change his consciousness. This is bhakti:
[04:49] change. Change his consciousness in favor of Krsna. I am acting now, "I like this to do."
[05:00] This is our position. "I like." "I like to eat like this. I like to sleep like this."
[05:09] So present position, material position, means my like. And spiritual position means Krsna's like.
[05:19] That's all. I agree to the Krsna's like.
[05:26] Material position means, "I simply want to satisfy my like."
[05:34] Therefore, Krsna consciousness means to change this mentality,
[05:41] "my like," but to accept the principle of satisfying Krsna.
[05:52] [aside:] Can you get that light on. The other light.
[06:10] So bhakti means to act according to Krsna's likes. Is it clear?
[06:19] [Guest:] It's clear.
[06:21] [Prabhupada:] It does not mean change of place, change of occupation. Change of mentality. That's all.
[06:35] [Devotee:] Prabhupada? What if you're engaged in some occupation that Krsna does not like?
[06:43] [Devotee 2:] [explaining] What if you're engaged in some activity which Krsna does not like?
[06:49] [Prabhupada:] That you have to learn from the Krsna's representative, what He likes, what He does not like.
[06:55] [Guest 2:] And we should accordingly give it up immediately?
[06:57] [Prabhupada:] Therefore you have to accept spiritual master. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado.
[07:04] If the spiritual master is pleased, then you know Krsna is pleased.
[07:10] If Krsna... If spiritual master is displeased, then you know that Krsna is displeased.
[07:15] You cannot be in contact with Krsna at the present moment.
[07:19] In the beginning, therefore, you require the help of Krsna's representative
[07:26] to learn whether Krsna is pleased or Krsna is not pleased. But your business is to please Krsna.
[07:42] [Guest 3:] I'm not living in a temple now. I'm working, and I'm married. So what should my activities be like?
[07:52] [Prabhupada:] You should make your home a temple. What is the difference between temple and home?
[08:01] This is a temple. Next house is a house.
[08:08] This is also made of brick and stone. That is also made of brick and stone.
[08:16] But it is called temple because there the business is Krsna.
[08:24] And that is called house because there is no Krsna business.
[08:31] So if you make your house Krsna business, then that is also a temple.
[08:41] You do the same thing as the members here are doing-in your apartment,
[08:50] in your house, with your wife and children.
[08:53] You work independently, spend independently, but do it for Krsna. Then your house is temple.
[09:04] That we want. Here, the temple means we are simply giving example how to live.
[09:12] So this example can be followed everywhere. Every house can be turned into a temple.
[09:22] Here, everything is Krsna-centered.
[09:25] Similarly, if in your home you make Krsna center, not you center, then your home is also a temple. Yes?
[09:50] [Lady devotee:] Srila Prabhupada, I understand Krsna to be the supreme controller over all activities that happen in the material world...
[10:01] [Prabhupada:] I do not follow. I do not follow. Either you hear...
[10:03] [Devotee 1:] [explaining] "I understand Krsna to be the supreme sontroller of all activities in the material world."
[10:07] Prabhupada: Yes.
[10:08] [Lady devotee:] ...and so how can Krsna allow animal slaughter and other such maya's activities to take place under His control?
[10:19] [Devotee 1:] "How can Krsna allow animal slaughter and other activities of maya?"
[10:23] [Prabhupada:] Krsna does not allow animal slaughter.
[10:27] Krsna says that "I am the father of every living entity." Just like father: He has got ten sons.
[10:40] Some of them are like animals. But those who are advanced in knowledge,
[10:48] if such sons request the father that "My other brothers are useless. Let us kill them and eat,"
[11:01] will the father agree? Will the father say, "Yes. My these sons are useless. You kill them and eat"?
[11:10] Will the father say?
[11:11] [Lady devotee:] No.
[11:13] [Prabhupada:] So Krsna has no sanction for animal killing.
[11:17] We are doing, violating the laws of Krsna.
[11:20] Therefore we are becoming entangled in sinful activities. We are doing. Krsna does not sanction.
[11:29] Krsna says, ahimsa... Amanitvam adambhitvam ahimsa ksantir arjavam [Bg. 13.8]. These are the qualities to be developed.
[11:39] You cannot be violent. You cannot kill animals. This is violation of God's law.
[11:47] Just like in Bible it is stated, "Thou shall not kill."
[11:52] So those who are killing, they are violating the laws of God, and become, I mean to say,
[12:00] liable to be punished. Criminals. So Krsna doesn't… The government does not say that
[12:08] "You kill your fellow." If you kill, then you will be hanged. Government says this.
[12:14] But when you kill your fellow man, it is your responsibility; it is not government's responsibility.
[12:24] Similarly, when you kill another fellow living being, that is your responsibility;
[12:32] it is not Krsna's responsibility.
[12:41] [Guest 4:] Srila Prabhupada, I've heard different procedures for acquiring a name, a Krsna conscious name.
[12:55] What is the procedure now? Has it been changed and so forth?
[13:01] [Prabhupada:] Our procedure is we are asking everybody to chant Hare Krsna mantra.
[13:08] That simple thing will help you in every respect. Chant Hare Krsna mantra,
[13:19] then gradually you will be enlightened in all other subject. And you'll do it yourself.
[13:28] Make association with devotees. Chant Hare Krsna mantra. This is our procedure.
[13:40] [Guest 5:] In your books, you've claimed that we're in the Kali-yuga age...
[13:44] Is the Kali-yuga age coming to a close now?
[13:48] [Prabhupada:] No. It will continue for another 427,000's of years.
[14:01] The age of Kali-yuga is 432,000's of years. Out of that, we have passed only 5,000 years.
[14:13] The balance is 427,000's of years. And it will become… Condition of society, world, will be worse.
[14:27] Not better, but worse. In the last stage of Kali-yuga, there will be no food grains, no milk, no fruits.
[14:46] So very horrible time. People will kill their own children and eat, just like animals.
[14:55] So the last stage of Kali-yuga will be like that. So before coming to that stage,
[15:03] better to take Krsna consciousness and go back to Krsna. That is our position.
[15:13] We don't wish to wait for the worst thing. The worst things are already happening,
[15:22] and it will be still more worse. So instead of waiting up to that time, better be perfect by chanting Hare Krsna
[15:34] and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our position. Yes?
[15:47] [Devotee 2:] As a devotee now that's now in the temple, is it good consciousness, do you think, that Krsna
[15:51] may be presenting me so many opportunities to serve, but I would prefer to do a particular thing
[15:57] that I like best, rather than consulting the authorities as to what should be done?
[16:04] [Prabhupada:] Yes. What we are doing, you see; you do it.
[16:09] What should be done, that we are practically doing. You do the same thing.
[16:21] We are talking of Krsna from so many books. We're thinking of Krsna,
[16:26] we're chanting of Krsna, we're eating Krsna's prasadam.
[16:31] Our whole day and night is engaged in Krsna's business. This is to be done. [devotees offer obeisances]
[17:14] [to guest] You have seen all our books?
[17:16] [Guest 3:] Yes. I have some of them. Nitai dasa at Columbia, he sees that we are well supplied.
[17:23] [Devotee 1:] We have a college program there, Columbia.
[17:26] [Prabhupada:] Oh.
[17:27] [Devotee 1:] Nitai is running.
[17:32] [Prabhupada:] Thank you very much for your coming. [pause] You can distribute these [indistinct].
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