Lecture – November 29, 1971, Vṛndāvana

711129LE-VRINDAVAN [43:59 Minutes]

When I started my propaganda in New York...

Devotee: [Loud kirtana in background] engagement, November 28, evening [break] November 29, evening [break] Vrndavana.

Governor: Vrndavana is the place of Radharani and Lord Krsna. Radharani and Lord Krsna whenever they are pleased upon someone they call them to this holy place. Otherwise one has no right to come to this place. Yesterday Swamiji [indistinct] how he went to America and he said that when he went there he had only 40 rupees [indistinct] but he had one thing more, you perhaps know? And in India we call it a precious stone it is called paragas[?]. Paragas is a stone which turns iron into gold.

That paragas he had with him that paragas is the nama-sahkirtana of Lord Krsna. This he had with him but you may just put the question is paragas always acting? No. Paragas is not always acting because from 1922 to 1965 he had to wait for that, where is paragas acting? Paragas is acting illusionary while Radharani is free from sambandha. While Radharani was free from [indistinct] that paragas became effective and that paragas has collected you all in its fold. You, you may say even when Radharani is pleased, is there some way to approach Radharani?

There is. You can't go directly to Radharani as in courts of law you go through a [indistinct], in the same way if you want to approach Radharani you have to take help of sambandha. Who is that prabhu from whom you can take help? He is the gurudeva. If gurudeva can take you to Radharani, Radharani will accept you. And please keep in mind that it's by the grace of Radharani and Lord Krsna and by the kindness of your gurudeva you have come to see Radharani. Take it for granted that Radharani is actually pleased for you. You. He comes from Japan, he comes from Africa and.

Devotee: America.

Governor: Friend here comes from America and German. Do you think you could come here without the kindness of Radharani? Or without the kindness of Krsna? If you have come and if you have just received the elevations of [indistinct] of this holy dhama it is due to the kindness of your gurudeva. We, we are all very thankful to him for bringing you all here and on behalf of the people of this place, on behalf of our young mayor on behalf of the authority of the municipality of Vrndavana we all welcome you and we wish that you become so offered[?] to this place, this holy place of Lord Krsna and Kulasekhara[?] and dasanu-dasa dasa [indistinct]

Audience: [applause]

Devotee: This is the mayor of Vrndavana speaking.

Mayor: [indistinct] to Svami Maharaja. Appreciating the services he has done for the cause of Vaisnava dharma, for the cause of nama-sahkirtana, for the cause of [indistinct]. [Hindi] [break] [Hindi] Lord Krsna is the only way [indistinct] of the earth. [indistinct] bhakti-bhava is very important [break]

[04:58]

Prabhupada: [indistinct] My disciples there are grhasthas and sannyasis, brahmacaris, like that. We are establishing daiva-varnasrama-dharma as Lord Krsna has said in the Bhagavad-gita;

So, these eight divisions, four social orders and four spiritual orders, brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sūdra, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha, sannyasa. So these eight divisions are called varnasrama-dharma and Indian or Vedic civilisation is based on this varnasrama. So Visnu Purana it is said;

The human civilisation must be based on varnasrama-dharma. Well in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna says;

So when Sripada Ramanujacarya is explaining manusya he says, sastra adhikara yajna. Unless one is conversant with the teachings of the lessons of sastra, he is not to be considered as a human being. Actually that is so, unless one comes to the principles of dharma and asrama, one is not to be considered as a human. So this institution the International Society for Krsna Consciousness is trying to establish this daiva-varnasrama.

Daiva-varnasrama as Krsna says that, catur-varnyam maya srstam, what is created by Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead must be applicable universally. So this varnasrama-dharma is not limited in India or to the community who are known as Hindus. Because Krsna claimed that, sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ [Bg 14.4] All species of forms, there are 8,400,000 species of life and Krsna claims, aham bija-pradaḥ pita.

He is father of all, we should not consider that Krsna is Hindu or Indian. Krsna is for all, these foreigners they have taken to Krsna consciousness by understanding that Krsna is for all. They have not accepted a form of religious principles like Hindus or Muslims or Christians. These are designated religions, if I am calling myself a Hindu, this is not my religion this is my designation. Because I happen to take birth in a Hindu family therefore I call myself a Hindu. Or because I take birth in a particular land, I call myself Indian or American. But our Krsna consciousness movement is not for such designative personalities.

This Krsna consciousness movement is, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam [Cc Madhya 19.170], when one becomes freed from all designations he can take to Krsna consciousness. So long one is Hindu, so long one is Muslim, so long one is Christian, there is no question of Krsna consciousness. Because Krsna he says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam [Bg 18.66] that is Krsna consciousness. Only Krsna really, Krsna is my Lord and I am his eternal servant, this consciousness is called Krsna consciousness.

If I keep myself as Hindu or as Muslim or Christian then I cannot take to Krsna consciousness. This is not a statement manufactured by me, it is a statement by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He says, "I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not a vaisya, I am not a sūdra, I am not a brahmacari, I am not a grhastha, I am not a vanaprastha, I am not a sannyasi. He declares all these designations, then what was He? That He explains himself, gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanu-dasa [Cc Madhya 13.80].

Devotee: [chuckles]

Prabhupada: So that is our real position, gopi-bhartuḥ Krsna and the servant of Krsna who is always engaged 24 hours in the service of the lotus feet of Krsna. If we accept such devotee as my master, gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanu-dasa. So that is our real position, so these boys and girls or ladies and gentlemen who have joined they have given up their designations. They are no more Americans or Canadians or Australians they are thinking as eternal servant of Krsna, gopi-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanu-dasa.

So without this consciousness there is no question of liberation from the material contamination but so long there is the material contamination we have to divide the social order and spiritual orders according to sastra. As brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, sūdras, brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa. These are all material designations, so long we are not spiritually advanced, sarvopadhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam. So long we are not nirmalam, nirmalam means without contamination of the three modes of material nature. That is called nirmalam or mukta.

So this Krsna consciousness movement is for the nirmalam who are transcendental to these material designations. So these boys, these foreigners, they are being taught in that life but so long this body is there for gradual evolution-of course anyone who takes to Krsna consciousness immediately he becomes liberated. As it is said in the Bhagavad-gita;

So according to sastric viddhi, if anyone takes to bhakti-marga, devotional service, avyabhicarena bhakti then at once he becomes transcendental to all these modes of material nature, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. Still Vyasadeva[?] situated them on the spiritual platform of sattva-guna we are accepting them as brahmanas after being duly qualified. It is confirmed by Narada Muni while he was instructing Yudhisthira Maharaja, yasya hi yal laksanam syad.

Indian man: Yasya hi yal laksanam proktam..

Prabhupada: Aw.

Indian man: varnabhivyanjakam.

Prabhupada: Yasya hi yal laksanam syad varnabhivyanjakam.

Indian man: Hm.

Prabhupada:

So we are selecting according to that is considered to be the real[?]. In the Kali-yuga there is no scope for viddhic initiation because according to sastra viddhic initiation is especially meant for the higher castes, brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas. But because in this age there is no garbhadhana-samskara therefore according to Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Narada Muni instruction, if this samskara, garbhadhana-samskara is not observed in the higher caste families then immediately he falls down to the category of sūdras. And as such according to sastra at the present moment everyone has to be accepted, kalau sūdra sambhava.

Devotee: Hm.

Prabhupada: Therefore the viddhic diksa is not possible because sūdra cannot be initiated according to viddhic diksa. But pancaratrikividdhi diksa is allowed in our Vaisnava community, especially in our Gauḍiya Vaisnava samaja. So this pancaratrikividdhi means that if anyone has a little instinct for serving the Lord he should be picked up and he should be trained up to become a qualified brahmana and then he should be initiated as Vaisnava.

Devotee: Nama-bhasya[?]

Prabhupada: So these boys and girls who are present here they are first of all admitted as ordinary human being. When I started my propaganda in New York, Second Avenue, 26 Second Avenue. At that time, only half a dozen boys were coming and hearing. That hearing means, I was singing, chanting this Hare Krishna mantra and reading some verses from the Bhagavad-gita and they were patiently hearing because I will know if somebody patiently hears the holy name of Krsna or about his pastimes.

Simply by hearing Krsna's message, then Krsna helps him to be purified within and Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says that, ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc Antya 20.12]. This chanting of Hare Krishna mantra means cleansing the dirty things accumulated in our hearts, due to the contamination of material nature. So actually it so happens, these boys and girls, I'm speaking boys and girls because in the western countries there is no distinction between boys and girls. They are given equal liberties, in our country still there is discrimination, I mean to say, grown-up boys and girls are not allowed to mix together although it is going now. But in European and American countries, western countries, there is no such restriction.

So there is no possibility of making any distinction between the boys and the girls. So both of them are attending. So by hearing the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra, I was chanting in the Park, Tomkinson's Square and these boys and girls used to surround me and dance and chant with the Hare Krishna mantra. In this way when some of them become a little advanced, purified they came forward, "Swamiji, please accept me as your disciple."

So my condition was that anyone who wants to become my disciple must be free from the four kinds of sinful activities. Illegitimate connection with women, meat eating, intoxication and gambling. In this way on these conditions these boys and girls were are accepted as my disciples. And according to the pancaratrikividdhi when they are fairly advanced they are given the sacred thread, upanayana-samskara. Following the path and instruction of my guru maharaja His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati GosvamiPrabhu.

So actually according to sastra they should not be considered as coming from families of mlecchas and yavanas. We should not consider like that because they are now purified. How they have become purified? That is also mentioned by Sukadeva Gosvami in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, you know of;

How to become purified? By taking shelter of a bona-fide spiritual master. That is to be answered that, prabhavisnave. That is the extraordinary power of Lord Visnu nobody can check it. So they are all purified according to the pancaratrikividdhi. And, many of them have got the sacred thread, they are doubly initiated. The first initiation is given chanting Hare Krishna mantra, they are given the beads and they must chant a number, sahkhya-pūrvaka-nama-gana-natibhiḥ [Saḍ-gosvamy-astaka 6].

As the Gosvamis used to perform a fixed up number of chanting.

So I have not allowed them to imitate Haridasa Thakura who happened to take his birth in a Mohammadan family but he was chanting 300,000 holy names of the Lord. And He, Caitanya Mahaprabhu appointed him namacarya. Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to put significance on the chanting of the holy name but he appointed his special representative to chant Hare Krishna mantra, Haridasa Thakura. Although he happened to take his birth in the Mohammadan family.

Similarly Rūpa-Sanatana Gosvami, you know all their names sad-gosvami, vande sri rūpa-sanatanam raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So these Rūpa-Sanatana although they were born in brahmana families, sarasvata brahmana families. Because they accepted service of a Mohammadan King they were rejected from the brahmana community.

And they changed their names, Sakara Mallika and Dabira Khasa. And by the grace of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu they became the leaders of this viddhi, Vrndavana dhama. And they were appointed the first gosvamis. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement and Krsna's instruction is not limited in India or in some particular community or country or climate or surroundings. It is universal, Krsna consciousness movement is universal and Krsna's desire was there, that;

So the other day one young boy was asking, why this discrimination for the woman? But that is not discrimination, in the material world the such discrimination must be there because we are being ruled by the three modes of material nature, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna.

We are under the clutches of prakrti, the three modes of material nature. So there must be distinction sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. But not distinction by birth, that distinction should be according to guna and karma. Just like Cait. Lord Krsna said personally, guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ [Bg 4.13], catur-varnyam maya srstam and Narada Muni confirms it.

And Sridhara Svami has commented on this point that birth is not important, the quality is important. Therefore our, this Krsna consciousness movement is a propagation to bring back the human society on its real consciousness. Real consciousness is Krsna consciousness because every living entity is eternal servant of Krsna. So when it comes to this understanding that I am eternal servant of Krsna that is his mukti, that is his transcendental liberated stage.

As soon as he likes. So long he thinks otherwise, that I am Indian, I am American, I am brahmana, I am sūdra, I am this I am that. That means he is still contaminated. Even if he thinks that "I am brahmana," even if he thinks that "I am sannyasi," he is contaminated. He is simply free from all contamination when he thinks that "I am eternal servant of Krsna," jivera svarūpa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc Madhya 20.108]. That is mukti-the Bhagavata says;

What is that svarūpa? That svarūpa is described by Lord Caitanya, jivera svarūpa haya nitya-krsna-dasa. This is svarūpa, so as soon as you come to this understanding that I am eternal servant of Krsna, that is liberation. That aham brahmasmi, so 'ham they are all included, so 'ham means I am qualitatively one with Krsna. Krsna is sac-cid-ananda vigraha, I am also sac-cid-ananda vigraha. But the difference is Krsna is prabhu, vibhu and I am anu. That is the difference, that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's philosophy, acintya-bhedabheda-tattva. Simultaneously one and different.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: So this Krsna consciousness movement is being propagated all over the world to make people understand that he is eternal servant God, Krsna. When we say Krsna, Krsna means God and when we say God, God means Krsna, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam [SB 1.3.28].

So all these boys they are convinced to this philosophy of life that I am eternal Krsna's servant. And this realization not very easily attained. Krsna says personally;

So to understand Krsna is not very easy task but by Lord Caitanya's grace it has become easy. Otherwise Krsna says that "to understand Me is not very easy," yatatam api siddhanam kascin vetti mam tattvataḥ. But this chanting of Hare Krishna mantra is so powerful that it cleanses the heart, the dirty things, of all the dirty things accumulated since our contamination of this material nature and how we contaminated this material nature that is also described by one Vaisnava kavi and Krsna himself, iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti paran-tapa [Bg 7.27]. And the same verse is translated into Bengali in a nice way;

As soon as we forget Krsna as our master, the supreme master, the Lord. Immediately the maya captures you. Another place;

So Krsna is so nice as soon as one becomes Krsna conscious, immediately he becomes liberated. Immediately he becomes liberated and, ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam [Cc Antya 20.12]. Then all anxieties, this material existence means full of anxieties, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. Prahlada Maharaja told because we have accepted something which is temporary asat, we don't say false. We don't see this world as false as the Mayavadi philosopher says, brahma satyam jagan mithya.

No, why jagan mithya? Jagat is also a fact because Krsna is the origin of this jagat, janmady asya yataḥ Krsna says aham sarvasya prabhavaḥ [Bg 10.8]. So why anything emanating from Krsna should be false? It cannot be. So therefore we don't accept this world as false, we accept it as reality but it becomes false when we try to enjoy it. Just like if I take away some other's property and want to enjoy it. That is, the thing is reality but my spirit of enjoyment is false. Therefore Srila Rūpa Gosvami says,

So our philosophy is that we don't accept this world as false but we accept it, that it is not enjoyable by us. Then it is enjoyable by Krsna, therefore whatever there is never mind, when it is employed in Krsna's service that is yukta-vairagya. On the other hand as the Mayavadi philosopher says this world is false, that is also stated by the gosvami's.

Prapancikataya buddhya that "this is material" or "this is not working, I cannot touch money, my hands become polluted by touching money." No. Why? Money is Laksmi, Laksmi is to be enjoyed by Narayana so therefore Laksmi should be, I mean to say, placed for the service of Narayana.

Therefore our [indistinct] philosophy, just like in the western countries we are very luxuriously situated there. My disciples they have given me my residential quarters which even the governor cannot imagine.

Devotee: [chuckles]

Prabhupada: How the luxurious apartments there because I remember sometimes back one night I was guest in the Lucknow Governor's house. At that time Biswanath Das was the governor. He was personally known to me, he came also here in Vrndavana. So I remember that this kind of luxurious apartment I enjoy, or I have the opportunity to lie down in such apartment one night. But they are giving me all it. So we cannot reject that because that is the standard of living there. If I say, "no I shall not lie down in this nice apartment, I shall lie down on the street, I'm a sannyasi." Then nobody will care for me, there the standard of living is like that.

Therefore Rūpa Gosvami says, that you should not be attached to that room but for the service of Krsna, if you are. If you have to use such room you should use it.

That was my guru maharaja's philosophy and that is the real philosophy because bhoga and tyaga these conception of life is false. Bhoga, if the karmis, they are trying to enjoy this material world and jnanis after being fed up or being defeated in the matter of enjoying this material world they give it up as false. Just like the jackal in the orchard of grapes, he tried to get it by jumping, jumping, jumping and when he could not get-he leaves the garden, "the grapes are sour." That kind of philosophical movement, why this world is nitya? It is also satya, if Krsna is satya his creation is satya but this satya should be engaged for the satya's service, not for the maya's service.

People are engaged in the service of maya but we want to engage everything in the service of the Lord. That is Krsna consciousness movement, so we are using aeroplanes, we are using dictaphones, we are using typewriters, machines, electric machines so many things we are using. Even for cleansing our clothes we are using machines, so that is the system there. In each and every center we have got four motor cars. We cannot do without, in Europe, in America practically no gentleman walks on the street. That is the system there, so we have to use it but we should not be attached to it. Our attachment should be only to Krsna and for Krsna's service we can accept anything.

That is Krsna consciousness movement it is not a sectarian religious movement even religious parties in European and American countries they are appreciating our movement. They are appreciating, they are not against, just like in this country some of our national, some of our countrymen they protest against Christian religion being spread here. But so far I am concerned I have never received any protest or any resistance by the Christian community. Rather they are appreciating, they are. It is I mean to say.mh.

Devotee: Quote?

Prabhupada: Quoted in the newspaper that "these people are very nice people."

Devotee: Hm.

Prabhupada: "We want more of them," that is said. One Christian priest he issued one pamphlet in which he said frankly that "these boys these young boys they are so much after God that they are dancing on the street chanting and after being instructed by Swamiji but we could not give them." Rather they are admitting they never attended church, all these boys and girls, they never attended.

Now gradually churches are being sold. So Krsna consciousness movement is so nice that if it is presented nicely all over the world, it will be accepted. Now in your Abhayananda Patra you have mentioned in the parampara, Vivekananda. So we may differ in that sense because Vivekananda's principles and our principles is different. Our parampara is Krsna;

That parampara, Krsna says that "I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead," aham sarvasya prabhavo [Bg 10.8].

We are preaching this parampara, not that everyone is God. Not that God is loitering in the street, we don't say. That is not our parampara, our parampara is Krsna as He says, we are presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Not with false commentary, no we don't do that. We are presenting. Our business is very easy because Krsna says that;

We also said, give up everything surrender to Krsna. So we have no difficulty, we are simply repeating the words of Krsna. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu blessed that; amara ajnaya guru hana, tara' ei, yare dekha, tare kaha 'krsna'. So our business is very easy we don't require to undergo very deep philosophy. The simple philosophy is that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, you surrender to Krsna and these boys and girls because they are blank slates, simple hearted they accepted it and therefore they are making progress. But in our country it is very difficult, if I say Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There will be many protests, of course I don't expect that protest in Vrndavana but in other places.

They will say "No, we have got our god's why Krsna should be alone God?" Therefore they are not making progress. They want to be cheated, they want to take false things, therefore there is no progress, spiritual progress. They are lacking behind [indistinct] but they had no false thoughts in their mind or hodgepodge in their head. I told them Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead they accepted it and it is going on.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Hare Krishna. [applause and cheering] [end]