680323 - Morning Walk - San Francisco

Morning Walks by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

680323MW-SAN FRANCISCO - March 23, 1968 - 31:02 Minutes

Prabhupāda: First thing is, their calculation of Candra . . . moon planet, they have different views. Different scientists, they have different views. It is not a standard. They have not agreed to the . . . somebody says something, somebody says another thing. Speculation. That's all.

But that idea, that it is very low in temperature, that is mentioned in Bhāgavata also. You cannot live in the water. You have to qualify yourself.

(ducks quacking)

Just see. Their body is made just suitable for the water. So you have to qualify yourself. That is . . .

Just like in the spiritual sky they can live only spiritual body, and material body cannot live there. Material body is not allowed there. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are too much passionate, they are meant to live in this planet. This planetary system, status. There are many other planets like this world. So they are allowed to live here. Here all living entities, they are very much passionate.

And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And there are other planets, they are dark, dark planets, below this earthly planet. And the animals, they are in darkness. Although they're on this park, but they do not know where they are, darkness. Their knowledge is not developed. So this is the result of the modes of ignorance.

And those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are neither in darkness, nor in passion, nor in goodness. They are transcendental. So if one cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely, he is at once promoted to the Kṛṣṇaloka. That is wanted.

You are all chanting sixteen rounds? No? (laughs)

Śarādīyā: I did at first, but then I slipped back.

Prabhupāda: Is it very difficult?

Mālatī: No. We do not know how yet to regulate our time too well. Some days we chant sixteen rounds, and then the next day, I don't know what happens. I think we sleep too much—I mean, I think I sleep too much.

Prabhupāda: How many hours you are sleeping?

Mālatī: About six to eight.

Prabhupāda: That is not much. Sixteen . . . it takes only two hours, sixteen rounds. Huh? Two hours, or more than that?

Mālatī: Two hours is all it takes to do the rounds.

Prabhupāda: So you have to spend two hours for Kṛṣṇa out of twenty-fours.

(japa)

Yes?

Girl devotee (2): Is there something wrong with sleeping eight hours?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Girl devotee (2): Is there something wrong with sleeping eight hours?

Prabhupāda: Sleeping and eating, this is the material disease. Sleeping, eating, mating . . . so they should be reduced as much as possible.

Girl devotee (2): If you're still tired . . .

Prabhupāda: No, you can sleep till you are refreshed. Somebody's refreshed by sleeping four hours; somebody is refreshed by sleeping ten hours.

Mālatī: But we should not sleep when we have . . . in place of our devotional service.

Prabhupāda: No, of course not. Devotional service is first.

Mālatī: So if we miss some sleep, we should do it.

Prabhupāda: We should forego sleeping even. The real regulated life is that if sixteen rounds is not completed, then we have to go . . . forego sleeping. You should take out hours from sleeping. We should be . . . the main thing is that we should always be careful that we are going . . . we have taken up a very responsible task, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So we should be very much careful in discharging the duty. The devotee should be so much careful that he'll always see, "Whether this moment is spoiled or utilized?" Avyartha-kālatvam (CC Madhya 23.18). Avyartha-kālatvam, that "My time may not be wasted." He should be so careful, "Whether my time is being wasted?" And time wasted, the time we engage for our bodily necessities, that is wasted. Generally, conditioned souls, they are simply wasting their time. Only the period which we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is utilized. So we should be very much careful whether time is being wasted or being utilized.

Śarādīyā: Sometimes, well, if you slept less, we could do more for Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time you would be very tired. I mean, you could be . . . well, you could regulate that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mālatī: But I think we're partly . . .

Prabhupāda: Practically everything depends on practice.

Mālatī: But I think we're partly . . .

Prabhupāda: Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). Abhyāsa-yoga. Abhyāsa-yoga means yoga practice . . . practice it. So this whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to practice transferring from one kind of consciousness to another. So we require practice. Just like one man can run three miles. I cannot run even one mile. He has practiced. We see some boys, they run, run on. They practice, practice it. Strength of the heart increasing by practice. And if I run, my heart will be palpitating, because I have no practice. So by practice, everything can be attained. (japa)

(break) . . . determination. And this determination is increased by celibacy. Brahmacārya is recommended to keep oneself determined. A brahmacārī, if he determines something, he executes. He has got that strength of mind. Those who are too much addicted to sex life, they cannot be determined. They cannot be fixed-up. They are flexible, changing. People are, in modern day, they cannot sit down in a place for a long time. Therefore so much traveling. The traveling business is very prosperous. Everyone wants to travel. They cannot fix, fix up.

So the processes recommended, they're very valuable, but it is not possible to follow them all in the present age because everything is reducing. So our method is to pray to Kṛṣṇa to give us the necessary strength. That's all. Otherwise, by regular practice, for this age is very difficult. Unfavorable. First thing is memory is very short. We cannot remember. Life is very short.

Life is short, at the same time, so much disturbed by anxieties, by disease, by natural disturbances. Roga-śokādibhiḥ. Short life; that is also disturbed by disease and lamentation. Every moment there is something for which you have to lament: "Oh!" Roga-śokādibhiḥ. And disease. This body is a breeding ground of all kinds of diseases. Life is short and it is so much disturbed. So how it is possible to practice?

Therefore, this one practice—chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hearing—that is very nice. And praying to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me strength." Hare, "O Energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa, I am fallen; I have no strength. Please accept me." That's all. "I have no qualification. I am frail. I am trying, but I am failing." All these appeals should be made. And Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful; He can do anything. Even the . . . we do not perform, trying our best, if we fail, Kṛṣṇa will help us. Just like a child tries his best, but he falls down. The mother takes up and "All right. Come on. Walk." Like that. Yes?

Girl devotee (2): Swāmījī? Is doing something other than chanting, like going to school and paying attention to what's there, if you're doing that so you can spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is that just as good as chanting?

Prabhupāda: Chanting is good everywhere.

Girl devotee (2): Yes, but, I mean, if you can't chant all day.

Prabhupāda: If there is, I mean to say, some inconvenience in chanting loudly, you can chant slowly. Loudly, slowly . . . within mind you can chant. This simple practice, you'll give up all kinds of . . .

Girl devotee (2): Sometimes in school you have your . . . your mind is focused on their problems that they are, I mean . . .

(plane going overhead)

Prabhupāda: Not sometimes. Practically, we are always disturbed.

(walks for awhile)

Girl devotee (2): Swāmījī, would it be all right for Cathy to become a devotee?

Prabhupāda: I don't follow.

Girl devotee (2): To be initiated. Cathy. To be initiated. She's the girl with the baby.

Prabhupāda: Oh. If she can perform the . . . there is no objection.

Girl devotee (2): She would like to.

Prabhupāda: You are very kind upon her. (laughs) Yes. Vaiṣṇava is very kind.

(pause) (break) (aside)

It is very heavy?

Devotee (3): No, not too heavy. If I had a memory, I wouldn't need this.

(Prabhupāda laughs)

Mālatī: So you're carrying your memory in your hand?

Devotee (3): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Because memory is reducing, therefore nature is helping to manufacture so many machines.

Mālatī: Is that why people are making these machines, because they can't remember? Is that a sign of Kali that there's more machines to help people?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. And nowadays in the courts, they use machines. The judges also cannot remember what has been argued between the parties. So they take this tape recorder and give judgment. Because the argument is going on for two days, three days, how much he can remember? And when he gives judgment he has to take consideration of all the arguments, then give his judgment. So this machine helps.

Mālatī: If somebody had a big dollar bill, the judge would remember.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Mālatī: If somebody gave the judge a big dollar bill, he would remember.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That means truthfulness is not there, diminished. The same thing. Because truthfulness has diminished, therefore you can bribe anybody and he can tell lie for you. We are in a very precarious condition, very unfavorable condition. The best thing is to pray Kṛṣṇa, "Please pick me up very soon and let me go back to Your place." If you have to come back again, oh, you do not know how much miseries we have to undergo.

Because with the advancement of Kali-yuga, everything is becoming more and more miserable. There is no happiness in family life, there is no happiness in social life, there is no happiness in political life, there is no happiness in earning livelihood. Everything is encumbered. All impediment, full of impediments.

Girl devotee (2): One of my friends said: ". . . (indistinct) . . . you want to tell us everything, so why don't you build a machine to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for you?"

Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. Machine was not made for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we are utilizing it so that the machine-maker may be benefited. Because we employ everyone's energy to Kṛṣṇa. So by his energy he has manufactured this machine, so we are employing in Kṛṣṇa's service so that he may be benefited . . . (indistinct) . . . we are showing him the mercy.

Just like one flower picked up from a plant offered to Kṛṣṇa is offering benefit to that plant. Because his energy is in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the person who has manufactured this machine, when it is employed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, he's benefited.

Indirectly, we are giving him opportunity, although he does not know it. But his energy is being utilized for Kṛṣṇa. We offer prasādam, the same principle. A man does not know about Kṛṣṇa. But he wants to eat. By eating, he'll be gradually Kṛṣṇa conscious.

So you have . . . our business is to give opportunity to all forgotten souls to be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, today or tomorrow. The boys and girls who have come to this Society, they have accumulated in that way, knowingly or unknowingly, some Kṛṣṇa conscious qualification, and therefore they have taken this opportunity.

(pause) We have no dog friend. (laughs)

Mālatī: It's a dog taking a man for a walk.

Prabhupāda: We are all devotee friend. Where is your dog?

Mālatī: Oh, he's gone.

Prabhupāda: Gone? (laughs)

Mālatī: Yes. Some very nice people who worship dogs took him. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: The dog saw that "My master has become devotee, so it is useless to keep here."

Mālatī: These people who took him, they think he is a person.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Mālatī: They treat him like person.

Prabhupāda: He's a person. Dog is a person. Why imperson?

Mālatī: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: Dog is person also.

Mālatī: Yes, but they treat him like I would . . . they . . . human person. They treat him like . . . they worship him.

Prabhupāda: Yes, but what is the difference between human person and dog person? No difference.

Mālatī: Not much.

Prabhupāda: So far eating, sleeping, mating and defending, they are equal. Human personality is there when he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise he's an animal, as good as dog.

Mālatī: So these . . . if you do not take to Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are a dog.

Prabhupāda: Yes, equal to dog. Because he has no other consciousness except those four principles: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. That is there in the animals. Don't you see the swans? They are enjoying sex life. So what is the difference between man . . .

A man also does like that. So, so long one is not above these four principles of animal demands, he's as good as animal. To meet animal demands in a polished way is not civilization. One must be above the animal demands. That is civilization. You have read that poetry, "Alexander and the Robber"? Have you read?

Mālatī: I don't think so. Say again?

Devotee (2): "Alexander and the Rabbit"?

Mālatī: No.

Prabhupāda: Alexander the Great, you have heard the name?

Mālatī: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He conquered all over the world almost. He went to India also. So he met one robber. So he arrested, Alexander. He was king. The robber said: "Why you have arrested me?" "Because you are robber." "Oh, you are also great robber." Then when Alexander was charging him that "You have done this," oh, he charges, "You have done this. I have entered a private house, you have entered a private state. So you are a big robber." Then he released him, "Yes, what is the difference between robber and me?" And Alexander, from that day, he stopped his conquering propaganda. "Alexander and the Robber."

The robber proved that "You are a big robber only. But because you are big robber, therefore you are called 'Alexander the Great.' But my business is the same as yours—encroaching upon others' property. Why do you think that I am culprit and you are innocent? You are also culprit. If I had power, I could have punished you. And you have now power, you are trying to punish me." So Alexander the Great was convinced by robber.

Śarādīyā: What did he . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śarādīyā: Did he kill himself?

Prabhupāda: Who?

Śarādīyā: Alexander the Great?

Prabhupāda: He killed himself?

Śarādīyā: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Oh, I do not know.

Gargamuni: He died from a . . . he died. (break)

Devotee: This was recorded at Stowe Lake in San Francisco on March 23rd, 1968, about 7:30 in the morning. Stowe Lake is Swāmījī's favorite walking place. (end)