750221 - Lecture SB 01.01.01 - Caracas

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

750221SB-CARACAS - February 21, 1975 - 51:46 Minutes

(translated throughout by Hṛdayānanda)

Nitāi: (break) . . . vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat)

Prabhupāda: So last night we discussed about the origin, source of everything. So it is explained here, namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya (SB 1.1.1). This is already ascertained, that Vāsudeva, the Supreme Lord . . . the Supreme Lord is Vāsudeva because He is present everywhere. This evening, there was some discussion that God has no particular name, but His names are there on account of His different type of activities. Just like God is present everywhere, therefore His name is Vāsudeva. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said, that God is within this universe, aṇḍāntara-stham, and not only within the universe, but He is in everyone's heart, and also He is within the atom. Therefore God is unlimited. God is not limited to become gigantic universal form, but He is also able to enter within the atom. Therefore, in the Vedic language, God is described, aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān: "He is greater than the greatest and the smaller than the smallest." God has expanded Himself in two different types. He has expanded Himself as svāṁśa, or personal expansion, and another expansion is vibhinnāṁśa, separated expansion.

So God expands Himself personally:

rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan

nānāvatāram akarod bhuvaneṣu kintu

kṛṣṇaḥ svayaṁ samabhavat paramaḥ pumān yo

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.39)

By His personal incarnation He expands as Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Vāmana and so many, thousands. That is His personal expansion. Here is Lord Caitanya, Nityānanda. They are also personal expansion. So that is one type of expansion. Another type expansion is the vibhinnāṁśa, just like we are. We are also expansion of God, but this is . . . vibhinnāṁśa means a smallest particle. Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is combination of bright molecules. So very small parts, bright, brightened part, combined together, that is called sunshine. So we living entities, we are also small, bright particles as part and parcel of God. In this way God is expanded everywhere.

The Māyāvādī impersonalists, they think, "If God is expanded everywhere, then where is God personally?" That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ

jagad avyakta-mūrtinā

mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni

na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ

(BG 9.4)

Kṛṣṇa, or God, says that "I am expanded in My impersonal form everywhere. Everything is existing on account of Me. But still, I am not everything." Just like God has expanded in this microphone. The microphone is also expansion of God's energy, but that does not mean we have to worship the microphone. So God is . . . has got that power, that although He has expanded Himself in His impersonal form everywhere, still, He has got His original existence. A small example can be given in this connection. Just like a father, he has given birth to hundreds of children. That does not mean the father is finished. These children is expansion of the father, but father keeps himself as father. So in this way He is Vāsudeva, means He is present everywhere. He says in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvataḥ pāṇi-pādaṁ tat (BG 13.14): He has got His hands and legs and eyes everywhere, because the part and parcel expansion of God, either viṣṇu-tattva or jīva-tattva, they are everywhere.

Besides that, God is existing in everyone's heart, the Supersoul. So the Supersoul is giving direction to the individual soul. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15). Hṛdi means "in the heart." "I am situated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15): because God is situated within my heart, therefore He is giving me direction. So our remembrance and forgetfulness is due to God. Sometimes we forget something and try to remember. Immediately God helps us: "It is this." And we say, "Yes, yes, now I remember." "Now I remember" means we were forgetting; Kṛṣṇa immediately gives him, "It is this." Then I remember. In this way, God, by His plenary expansion, He is situated everywhere. Therefore His name is Vāsudeva.

Now, Vāsudeva is the origin of everything. So that is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). Anyone who has understood that everything, whatever we see, that is Vāsudeva . . . but we should always remember that Vāsudeva is everything; still, everything is not Vāsudeva. Just like in a big factory. In your country or in America, that Ford, Mr. Ford, he has got very big factory. So in the factory, everywhere the Mr. Ford is there. But if you have to see Mr. Ford, you cannot see the car Ford and you become satisfied. The car is also written there, "Ford." So if I want to see Mr. Ford, and if we see the car and we say, "Now I have met with Mr. Ford," that is foolishness. (laughter) The car is Ford, but Ford is not the car. In this way try to understand. Everything is God, but everything is not God. In this way you have to understand. Don't be misled by the Māyāvādī philosophy that "Everything is God and my knowledge is finished." That is imperfect knowledge.

Then the origin of everything, what is the nature of that origin, that is being explained now. Vāsudeva is everything—accepted—but whether Vāsudeva is a living being or a dull matter? Nowadays the theory, scientists' theory, is going on that life is made of chemicals. That means matter. This has been discussed five thousand years ago by Vyāsadeva, whether the origin of life is life or matter. So he says that the origin of everything is life because Vāsudeva is also life. And now you come to your argument and reason, whether origin of life is matter or life, that you have to discuss. So here it is said that origin is life because here it is said, yato 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Just like if I am taken as the origin of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that means I know everything directly and indirectly of all this movement. If I do not know directly or indirectly everything of this movement, then I cannot be called the founder-ācārya. And as soon as the origin becomes a knower, he is life. So therefore dull matter cannot be the knower of everything.

Now, it is said, yato 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. He is abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means cognizant. The original source of everything, He has His brain. He knows. He has the power of knowledge. Everything is there. That is the reason. Anything material we think . . . just like this microphone. This microphone is combination of some metal and some wires, or anything is metal or something plastic. But they have not combined together automatically. A person who knows the art, he has combined all of them together. Now it is acting. Now, if this microphone is not in order, then I will have to take to the person who knows what is indirectly and directly the composition of the microphone. Therefore, the origin of everything, or the original source of everything, He is the knower. He is not dull matter. So therefore it is stated here, abhijñaḥ. Abhijñaḥ means perfectly knower. Now, it can be said that abhijñaḥ . . . perfect knowledge is received from the superior person. Just like I do not know what is the mechanical arrangement of this microphone, but if I want to know it, then I must go to a perfect knower who can explain me that these ingredients or these parts of the machines are there.

Therefore the question may be raised, that "The original source of everything is knower of everything, accepting, but where He got the knowledge?" Just like sometimes the atheist class of men enquire, that "If God is the original father, the supreme father of everyone, then who is God's father?" The answer is that God has no father; He is self-sufficient. Therefore this word is used, svarāṭ. Svarāṭ means self-sufficient. So far we are concerned, I have got my father, my father has got father, his father has got father, father, father, go on. When you come to a person who has no more father, that is God. (laughter) That is the test. If we find somebody that He has no father, then He is God. And if some rascal comes and says, "I am God," then you ask him, "Whether you have got father?" As soon as he says that "Yes, I have got father," then he is dog. So in your country, so many imitation gods come. I know this. But you ask them, to test it, "Whether you have got father?" If he says, "Yes, I have got father," then you say, "You are dog."

Therefore, God's another name is "unborn." Unborn means He is not begotten by any father. That is stated in the Vedic language, that advaitam acyutam . . . govindam ādi-puruṣam. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, anādir ādiḥ (Bs. 5.1). Anādi means He has no source of emanation. But He is ādi; He is the original source of everything. Therefore it is said, anādir ādiḥ. Anādi means He is without any source, but everyone is on account of His presence. Now, it is simple understanding. There is no difficulty to understand God. Anādir ādiḥ. Everyone has got ādi. Just like I have got my father, father has got his father, his father, his . . . ādi. Ādi means the original source. But when you go to Kṛṣṇa, or God, He has no ādi. He is self-sufficient. Try to understand the simple formula of understanding God, that God has no origin, but He is the origin of everything.

Now, the next question would be . . . according to Vedic information, the original person is Lord Brahmā. When there was creation, the first created being was Lord Brahmā. Then from Brahmā, all other living entities expanded. This is the creation understanding. So one may mistake, "Then Lord Brahmā is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because he has no . . . nobody knew that by whom born, Lord Brahmā was born." It may be questioned like that. But Brahmā is not the original source of everything. Although he has created this universe, he is not the original source. Therefore, it is explained here that the original person is Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, and He gave intelligence to Brahmā to create this universe. But if we put this argument that "Brahmā was alone. How he took instruction from the superior person?" Therefore it is said, tene brahma hṛdā: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, instructed him from within the heart."

That is not only for Brahmā. Mean to say, that is not the only prerogative of Brahmā. Kṛṣṇa, we have already stated, is seated in everyone's heart. If you want to consult Him, He can give you instruction. The only thing is that you have to become qualified like Brahmā so that you can receive instruction from Him within the heart. And what is that qualification? That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

Kṛṣṇa says that "I am situated in everyone's heart. Simply one has to become qualified to hear Me." And what is that qualification? That qualification is practice of bhakti-yoga. It is said, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam means bhakti-yoga—always engaged in service of the Lord with love and affection.

So teṣām, those who are always, twenty-four hours, engaged in loving service of the Lord, to him only He gives instruction, "You do like this." And what is that instruction? Yena mām upayānti te. The instruction is meant for giving him facilities to come back to home, back to Godhead. Here in this material world, we are struggling for existence, and therefore we are not happy here. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You give up all these rascal engagement; you simply just surrender unto Me." And when we are surrendered, that surrender is oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. That means "Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, I accept Your proposal. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You." Then begin your loving service to render to Kṛṣṇa, and gradually you will get instruction from within, "You do like this, you do like this, you do like this."

So it is not difficult for anyone. It is very simple thing. And what is that simple thing? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), means "Always think of Me," man-manāḥ. "You just become My devotee." Unless one is devotee, he cannot always think of Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. On the other hand, who thinks of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours, he is devotee. Therefore, we are spreading this news that "You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa means thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava: "Just always think of Me." In other place He says,

yoginām api sarveṣāṁ

mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā

śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ

sa me yuktatamo mataḥ

(BG 6.47)

He says that "Anyone who is always thinking of Me within his heart, he is first-class yogī."

So the yoga system is very popular in your country, but this is the example of becoming first-class yogī. And you haven't got to take so much trouble by pressing your nose or dipping your head or this . . . simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and you become first-class yogī. And as soon as you become first-class yogī, all power is within you. Perhaps you do not know the yogic perfection, eight kinds of power. Simply gymnastic practice is not yoga. You must attain the power. The power is aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti-siddhi, vaśitā, īśitā, like that. Aṇimā means you can become smaller than the smallest. One who has attained yogic perfection, he can become . . . you lock up anywhere, and he will come out. This is yoga-siddhi, not that a yogī is locked up and he cannot come out. That is simply gymnastic. So yoga-siddhi.

The yoga-siddhi you can get when you become perfect yogī. Mahimā also. You can float in the air. That is called laghimā. Now the aeroplane is going in the air very good speed, but when you get yoga-siddhi, your speed becomes . . . you become very light. You can go anywhere in a moment. It is speedier than the mind. Just like mind—you are sitting here, and your paternal home may be ten thousand miles away, but by mind you can go immediately. This is mental speed. You cannot take your body immediately there, but you can take your mind there immediately. So why it is possible? Because mind is finer than this gross body. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). The finer, finer, finer. Just like this gross body, this gross body means senses. The finer than this is the mind.

So yoga system means to control the mind. By controlling mind, you can control the senses, because mind is the master of the senses. Then above mind, still finer, is the intelligence. So you can train up your mind with intelligence. That is the best intelligence, when one engages the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then you will get instruction from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, sitting anywhere. So these things can be understood gradually after purifying the mind. At the present moment, on account of our material contamination, our mind is contaminated with so many material things. If you purify your mind, then you come to the spiritual platform. That is intelligence, via media between the spirit and the mind. First of all body; finer than the body is mind. Then finer than the mind is the intelligence, and finer than the intelligence is the soul. So if you keep your mind always engaged at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then it becomes purified.

So this is the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness - how to fix up the mind always at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. And it is called bhakti-yoga. So if you practice this bhakti-yoga, then everything will be perfect in your life. We are spreading this bhakti-yoga all over the world, and here is one of the centers. You take advantage of it. It is not sentimental; it is authorized on scientific basis, philosophical basis. So we have got so many books, about fifty books about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You can read them. You can ask the devotees if you cannot understand, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and make your life perfect.

Now thank you very much. If you have got any question you can ask. (break) Samādhi means always remain thinking of Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Hṛdayānanda: (translating question) She says at the temple there is much māyā and that the people who live in the temple are phonies.

Prabhupāda: And where there is no māyā? Tell me a place where there is no māyā. We shall go there. (much laughter and cheering) In the temple there is no māyā. Because I am in māyā, I am thinking that temple is māyā. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14): "One, anyone, who surrenders to Me, he overcomes the influence of māyā." Therefore . . . every member in this temple, they are surrendered. Therefore they are not in māyā.

Hṛdayānanda: (translating question) How many different paths are there for self-realization?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hṛdayānanda: How many different ways are there for self-realization?

Prabhupāda: Only one path. God is one, and to realize Him, the path is one. There cannot be two paths. Just like suppose in India. So India is from here to the eastern side? Yes. This is an example. But you cannot find in the western side. Just like Columbus. He wanted to discover India. He did not go to the eastern side; he went to the western side. So he found America, that's all. (laughter) So if you want to find out God, then you have to take the right path. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). He never says, "By jñāna, karma, yoga one can achieve God." That is not possible. Only by bhakti. So if you want to have God, then you have to take these devotional activities, but if you want to have māyā, you can take different paths. (break)

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) . . . there's only one path straight. He was saying how Columbus also, if he would have kept going, he could have . . .

Prabhupāda: But he is going to the . . . yes, you are right. If Columbus would have gone still farther, farther, western side, and he could have gained India. That means if you take other path, then you will achieve God after many, many lives, not immediately. So if you want to waste your time . . . (indistinct) . . . God, you can take different paths. But if you want immediately, take to bhakti path. Just like nowadays there are the lift-up . . . lift, and the staircase. If you want to go to the topmost flat, you can go by the steps or you can go by the lift. But when the lift is there, why shall I take the steps? You take the advantage of the lift, within a second you go to the top flat. And if you go by step by step, it will take whole day. Therefore unintelligent persons take to other paths, and the intelligent persons take to bhakti-yoga. (break) He says son of God. We admit it.

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) . . . "God and I are one person," what does he mean by that?

Prabhupāda: Yes, because everyone is spirit soul, and Christ is also spirit soul; therefore they are one.

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He said, "In the beginning there was the word, and the word was God." What does this mean?

Prabhupāda: Means God was there; therefore He had His word. God is person; therefore He can speak. There are word, God's word. That means God is person. And because He's person, therefore He has His son, Christ. (break)

Hṛdayānanda: (translating) . . . God is light and that, within us, inside of us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That everyone will say, one who is in knowledge. So if you follow Bible, you also get knowledge. That is knowledge. We are after seeing people that he has got knowledge of God. It is not a question of Bible or Bhagavad-gītā. We want that you become God conscious. That is our movement. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is no such mention as "Christian religion," "Hindu religion," "Muslim religion" or "Buddha religion." There are so many . . . no. Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6): "That is first-class religion which helps one to love God." So we are propagating, teaching people how to love God. That is our mission. We don't say that you become Christian or Hindu or Muslim or . . . no. You become a lover of God. So comparatively, the process which we are recommending, that is the easiest process. That is admitted by one priest in Boston. He said that "These boys and girls are our countrymen, or our boys. Before this movement, they did not come to the church, and now how they are mad after God." So therefore this is the easiest process, to become pure and go back to home, back to Godhead.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Haribol. (end)