751029 - Lecture SB 03.28.19 - Nairobi

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Lecture

751029SB-NAIROBI - October 29, 1975 - 25:53 Minutes

Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Third Canto, Twenty-eighth Chapter, text number nineteen. (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

sthitaṁ vrajantam āsīnaṁ

śayānaṁ vā guhāśayam

prekṣaṇīyehitaṁ dhyāyec

chuddha-bhāvena cetasā

(SB 3.28.19)

Translation: "Thus always merged in devotional service, the yogī visualizes the Lord standing, moving, lying down or sitting within him, for the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are always beautiful and attractive."

Prabhupāda:

sthitaṁ vrajantam āsīnaṁ

śayānaṁ vā guhāśayam

prekṣaṇīyehitaṁ dhyāyec

chuddha-bhāvena cetasā

(SB 3.28.19)

This is meditation. These haṭha-yogīs, they meditate in their impersonal feature, but our meditation, Vaiṣṇava, devotees' meditation, is very easy. For the haṭha-yogīs, they have to select place, āsana. Dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana . . . Āsana is also one of the activities. But here, in Vaiṣṇava philosophy, you are seeing the Deity always, at least daily, so you have got some impression that, "Our temple Deity is like this." That impression, either you are sitting in one place without any activities, sthitaṁ vrajantam . . . while walking on the street also, you can think of this Deity. There is no difficulty, either you are sitting or you are walking or you are standing—any way—because the mind is there in Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa's form. Therefore Deity worship is so essential for the neophyte. He can have always the opportunity to think of the Supreme Lord by the impression of the Deity within the mind. Śayānam, even in lying down, even talking.

So this is our process. This is the perfect process. You don't require any artificial method to think of God. It is natural. If you simply come to the temple daily, chant in the front of the Deity:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

then you become advanced immediately. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). Now there are books. Either you chant, sit down in the Deity room in front of the Deity, see how āratrika is going on, how Deity is nicely dressed with flower, ornaments, so if you constantly be engaged in thinking of the Deity, that is first-class meditation, not artificially going to . . . that is not possible at the present moment, that, as it is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, you have to select a very solitary place and you have to sit down under certain posture, looking half-opened eyes on the tip of the nose so that you may not sleep in the name of meditation. There are so many. And you have to follow brahmacārya. All these rules and regulations are there: dhyāna, dhāraṅā, āsana, prāṇāyāma. Prāṇāyāma . . . then? What is called? Pratyāhāra. Pratyāhāra means you have to completely withdraw the senses from sense gratification. That is called pratyāhāra. Then there is samādhi.

So this yoga system is recommended, but it is very, very difficult. Five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa explained this haṭha-yoga system in the Sixth Chapter to Arjuna . . . Arjuna was honest man. He flatly denied, "Kṛṣṇa, these things cannot be done by me." Because in those days, especially a person like Arjuna, why he should speak lies? This meditation is not possible. It was only possible in the Satya-yuga, when people were very peaceful, long duration of life, there was no artificial necessities of life. Kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum. At that time, to meditate upon Viṣṇu, and for years . . . just like Vālmīki Muni. He practiced meditation for sixty thousands of years, then he got perfection. At that time people used to live for 100,000.

So this meditation is very difficult to execute at the present moment. That is the verdict of the Vedic literature.

kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ

tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ

dvāpare paricaryāyaṁ

kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt

(SB 12.3.52)

The meditation which was possible in the kṛte, in the Satya-yuga . . . satya-yuga continued for twelve lakhs of years; then Treta-yuga, eight lakhs of years . . . no, Satya-yuga, eighteen lakhs; then Treta-yuga, twelve lakhs; then Dvāpara-yuga, eight lakhs; and Kali-yuga, four lakhs. Altogether forty-three. So bhakti-yoga includes everything. So this process, this arcanā process. If we . . . everyone, alternately, they should learn how to worship. That will give the impression of the Lord within the heart, and then, either you are walking or you are sitting or you are lying or you are eating or you are talking, you'll always think of Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. It will be automatically done. Sthitaṁ vrajantam āsīnaṁ śayānaṁ vā guhāśayam. Generally the yogīs, they try to find out the Viṣṇu mūrti within the core of the heart, but this is as good. When you are walking on the street, then, if you are thinking, there will be no, I mean to say, hindrance to your activities, but you can think of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ. Just like Mahārāja Ambarish. He was emperor. He had many responsibilities, but he practiced how to think of Kṛṣṇa always.

Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane (SB 9.4.18). You engage your senses. So this is practice. First of all think of the Deity. First of all think of the lotus feet, then the knees, then the eyes, then the belly, then the chest. In this way, as you become practiced, then go further, advance. In this way, when you become fully practiced, then automatically, in whatever condition you are, you will be able to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection of life. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14). Satataṁ cintayanto mām. If you always think of Kṛṣṇa, always chant . . . chanting is also meditation. As soon as you chant, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa—His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes. So where is difficulty? The Gosvāmīs practiced it.

kṛṣṇotkīrtana-gāna-nartana-parau premāmṛtāmbho-nidhī

dhīrādhīra-jana-priyau priya-karau nirmatsarau pūjitau

śrī-caitanya-kṛpā-bharau bhuvi bhuvo bhārāvahantārakau

vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

(Śrīnivāsa Ācārya)

The six Gosvāmīs, they were always engaged, kṛṣṇotkīrtana, loudly chanting. The same process we are following: loudly chant always; be engaged in arcanā. Always there is possibility of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The facilities are there. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Then prekṣanīya. Prekṣanīya: "He is worth seeing." We are accustomed to see so many things. That is our bondage. Akṣnoḥ phalaṁ. If by the eyes you see the Deity, the Vaiṣṇavas . . . the Vaiṣṇavas, with tilaka, with kanṭī, with chanting beads, as soon as you see . . . and practically you know, as soon as they see these Hare Kṛṣṇa movement people, they also chant "Hare Kṛṣṇa," giving a chance to the others. The dress is also required. You should be always equipped with tilaka, kanṭī, and śikhā, sūtra. Then, as soon as a common man sees, "Oh, here is a Hare Kṛṣṇa man." "Hare Kṛṣṇa," he'll chant. Automatically you give a chance to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So this is required. The foolish rascals, they say that, "What is the necessity of this, that?" No. This is necessity. You must always remain dressed like a Vaiṣṇava. That is necessity. So prekṣaṇīya: "Is very beautiful to see." Otherwise how they became impressed? Immediately they become so pious that they chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. The chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. So many people come here, but when there is chanting they do not chant, because it is not easy. Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. In the śāstra it is said, aho bata śva-pacato 'pi garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. Anyone who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, jihvāgre, with the tongue, even if he is born in a family of dog-eaters he is glorious. That is . . . he is glorious. Yaj-jihvāgre nāma tubhyam. So we give this chance. As soon as he chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, immediately he becomes glorious. Immediately become glorious. Aho bata śva-pacato 'pi garīyān yaj-jihvāgre nā . . . tepus tapas te (SB 3.33.7). That means in his previous life he has already performed many sacrifices. Therefore he has got this qualification of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Tepus tapas te jihuvuḥ sasnur āryā. They are really āryā, Āryan, who is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa.

So we should practice ourself to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ, Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended.

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

(CC Adi 17.31)

Hari-nāma, this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one should practice always.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare

Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

So prekṣaṇīya ihitaṁ dhyāyet (SB 3.28.19). This is meditation. Dhyāyet chuddha-bhāvena. Śuddha-bhāvena, not artificial. But even if you do artificially, you will be purified by chanting. Artificially, if we do . . . that is in the śāstra. Still, the chanting of the holy name is so powerful that it will make you . . . because it is directly associating with God. Dhyāyet. So as soon as chant, immediately there will be meditation, śuddha-bhāvena cetasā, by consciousness, by the mind, by intelligence. So this is the recommendation.

(reading purport) "The process of meditating on the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within oneself and the process of chanting the glories or pastimes of the Lord are the same." There is no difference. This is called advaya-jñāna: no difference, absolute. Either you chant, hear, or you try to see within your heart the Supreme Lord—the same thing. "The only difference is that hearing and fixing the mind on the pastimes of the Lord is easier than visualizing the form of the Lord within one's heart, because as soon as one begins to think of the Lord, especially in this age, the mind becomes disturbed, and due to so much agitation, the process of seeing the Lord within the mind is interrupted." Suppose one is big businessman. He is always thinking of his business: how to sell this, how to purchase this. This is . . . his mind is absorbed with these things. So if he sits down to meditate upon the Lord, it will not be possible. It will not be possible. His mind will be disturbed, and he will think of his business transaction. So that is natural. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly, you'll will be forced to hear "Kṛṣṇa," and that Kṛṣṇa immediately comes within your mind by force. So it is better process than sit down and think of Kṛṣṇa.

"When there is sound vibrated passing the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, however, one is forced to hear. That hearing process enters into the mind, and the practice of yoga is automatically performed. For example, even a child can hear and derive the benefit of meditating on the pastimes of the Lord simply . . ." Now, just like these children. They do not understand English, they do not understand language, but when there will be chanting, they will stand up and dance. See how this process is easy. There is no question of language understanding, no question of being young or child. Anyone who will hear the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he will be enthused immediately, and that is natural. Unless he is covered with sinful activities very much, he will be enthused. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). But even if he is covered with sinful activities, by chanting, immediately the process of cleansing begins. Śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ (SB 1.2.17). Simply by hearing and chanting, he becomes pious. And the more he becomes pious, he understands what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa. Without being pious, nobody can understand. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmanām, te dvandva-moha-nir . . .

So the puṇya-karma means yajña-dāna-tapasya . . . that is called puṇya-karma, pious activities. So in this age who is going to perform yajña? Where is that capacity? It is not possible. And who has got money to give in charity? Everyone is poverty-stricken. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10). Everyone is unfortunate, everyone in this age. So how he can give in charity? Any country you go—maybe in some special—otherwise you will find poverty-stricken men, hungry men, without any culture, without any education. They are majority. Manda-bhāgyāḥ. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And mostly, cent percent . . . why? Cent percent men, they are mandāḥ, bad men. They won't hear about their real necessities of life. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. And if they are at all interested for progress of life, they will accept some so-called system, sumanda-matayo. It has no meaning, simply bluff. They will accept that. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo. Why? Manda-bhāgyāḥ, unfortunate. Unfortunate. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ. And always disturbed. This is the description of the men in this Kali-yuga. And beyond that, they are short-living. The duration of life is very short. Under the circumstances, the general process is impossible. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

So this should be taken.

So, "Hearing includes applying the mind. In this age of Kali-yuga, Lord Caitanya has recommended that one should always engage in chanting and hearing Bhagavad-gītā." Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa-upadeśa' (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa also said . . . somebody questioned me that "Where is chanting is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā?" That is there: satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). And they say, "Where is chanting in the . . .?" Here is chanting. Mām. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām. Mām—kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, not this kīrtana, that kīrtana. They have imitated. No. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam means of the . . . by the name of Viṣṇu. The Māyāvādīs, they have invented. In Calcutta, in Bengal, they have invented Kali-kīrtana. Kali-kīrtana. The Ramakrishna Mission, they have invented Kali-kīrtana. "Why Hari-kīrtana? Kali-kīrtana." They have got a party. As we say . . . because they are rival, if we say "Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will say "Kali, Kali, Kali," like that. This is going on. Kīrtana does not mean any other demigod. Kīrtana means of Viṣṇu. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, clearly states. But these bogus, so-called svāmīs and yogīs, they cheat people, bluff people by their own concoction. That is the difficulty. Even if you speak the right truth, they are unable to receive it because they have been deceived by so many rascals. So kīrtana means . . . Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad . . . satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (BG 9.14), Kṛṣṇa. He doesn't say that "Any kīrtana will do." No. He doesn't say. Satataṁ kīrtayanto mām yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ.

So everything is there. Stick to Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and see the Deity always and have impression of the Deity. In whichever position you are, you'll be meditating, and your life will be successful.

Thank you very much. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Haribol. (offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)