751210 - Lecture SB 07.06.08 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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751210SB-VRNDAVAN - December 10, 1975 - 35:29 Minutes

Harikeśa: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Seventh Canto, Sixth Chapter, eighth verse. (leads chanting of verse, etc.)

durāpūreṇa kāmena

mohena ca balīyasā

śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya

pramattasyāpayāti hi

(SB 7.6.8)

(break) (00:51)

Translation: "Persons with uncontrolled mind and senses become more and more attached in family life on account of never-satiable lusty desires, which are very strong. The balance ten years of life of such madmen is also wasted because they cannot engage themselves in devotional service."

Prabhupāda:

durāpūreṇa kāmena

mohena ca balīyasā

śeṣaṁ gṛheṣu saktasya

pramattasyāpayāti hi

(SB 7.6.8)

So our lusty desires, sense gratification, cannot be satisfied even throughout the whole life. The account is being given of the whole life, hundred years. So out of hundred years, fifty years wasted by sleeping, twenty years wasted by playing like boy and young man, and twenty years as old man, diseased, invalidated, and balance ten years. Because ninety years he has been so much attached to materialistic way of life, naturally the balance ten years, śeṣam, he cannot utilize any other way. He can simply engage himself in that lusty desire for material existence. Durāpūreṇa kāmena. In this connection there is a very instructive story—it is fact—that the Emperor Akbar, he enquired from his minister . . . he had one very big minister, I forget just his name.

Devotee: Birbal.

Prabhupāda: What is?

Devotee: Birbal.

Prabhupāda: Birbal? Maybe. Yes. That "How long one remains in lusty desires?" This was Emperor Akbar's question, and the minister replied, "Up to the last point of death." So Akbar did not believe it. Akbar said, "No, no. How it can be?" So the minister said, "All right, I shall reply, timely." So one day, all of a sudden he approached the emperor and said, "Sir, you immediately be ready to come with me with your young daughter." So Akbar, he knew that this minister is very intelligent—there must be some purpose. She went with him, and he took him to a person who was going to die. And the minister asked the emperor that "You kindly study the man who is going to die, on his face." So in the Akbar . . . (indistinct) . . . and his young daughter was entering, the dying man was seeing to the face of the young girl. So Akbar—after all, he's emperor—he could study—he, "Yes, Birbal, what he said, that up to the last point of death this desire is there to see the face of a young girl."

This is called durāpūreṇa. It is never fulfilled. This attraction of man and women in family life continues. The other day one devotee came to me, and he was almost crying, that "My wife is suffering, and she may not live. So kindly give me some blessings." Before the death of his wife—because there was nothing serious—the wife has said, "My dear husband, I may not live very long with you," and he is so disturbed that he is thinking, "My wife may die at any moment." So this is the position. This is not very extraordinary thing. This attraction of man and women, this is material bondage. Therefore it is said, durāpūreṇa kāmena (SB 7.6.8): these lusty desires is never fulfilled, even up to the point of death. And what is this nature of these lusty desires? Moha, illusion. It is not fact—it has no substance—but it is there, that's a fact. The example is given just like in dream, somebody is cutting my head and I'm crying. Actually there is no man cutting my head—my head is there—still, I am suffering by such thoughts. This is called moha. Actually there is no fact, but on account of being entangled in three stages of pollution. . . the pollution is that intelligence. The intelligence is polluted in three ways: jāgriti, svapna and suṣupti. Jāgriti means just like we are now awakened; we are not sleeping. This is one stage. And another stage, at night when you go to sleep, and you sleep with dream, that is another stage. And another stage is suṣupti, so deeply, just like if a man is intoxicated or chloroform during surgical operation, he does not understand that "Surgical instruments are being applied on my body." He remains silent. This is another stage.

So these three stages are there for polluting our intelligence.

indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur

indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ

manasas tu parā buddhir

buddhes tu ya para saḥ

(BG 3.42)

The soul is beyond all these actions and reactions. But because this living entity's soul is covered by so many gross and subtle elements, he is unnecessarily suffering, although the suffering is temporary. All these sufferings are temporary. Nothing endures. But the suffering is there. Therefore it has been advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, na sādhu manye yata ātmana ayam asann api kleśa-da āsa deha (SB 5.5.4). This whole world, people is suffering on account of these different circumstantial position, the three guṇas and the mind being polluted with these three stages, jāgriti, svapna, suṣupti and so many things—they are described, twenty-four elements. On account of this packing of the soul, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, asmin dehe, dehi . . . dehino'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13): the real spirit soul is packed up within the body in so many coverings. So our so-called pleasure and pains in this material world, they're artificial. They are not factual, on account of being packed with so many material things. Therefore it is called moha, illusion. It is not fact.

So if one is serious about spiritual advancement, then he should not . . . first of all he must know, "What is my position? How I am packed up with all these twenty-four elements?" Of course, due to our habits we are sometimes subjected to these pains and pleasure. Still, Kṛṣṇa says that, "You do not become disturbed by these so-called artificial pains and pleasures. Don't be disturbed." Śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ. Āgamāpāyino 'nityas tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya, śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). Just like we are covering because it is cold, but actually, as spirit soul I am not affected. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣa. In the Vedas it is said that the soul is unaffected with this material condition. Several times we have given this example, that a person has got a good car, and it is somehow or other broken, and he becomes upset, because his car . . . although he knows that "I am not this car," but his thoughts being absorbed by the attraction of the car, when the car is broken someway or other, he becomes almost unconscious.

So this is due to our attachment. So spiritual life means how to get out of this attachment. This is spiritual life. We are "No, what is the wrong if we are attached?" The wrong is that if so long we remain attached to these temporary illusory things, you'll not be able to get out of it. That is the whole program. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. These pains and pleasure is due to this skin, it is not real. But because you are attached to the skin and bone, therefore you feel sometimes pains and pleasure. But that will not endure. Better tolerate it. Tolerate. That is spiritual, tapasya. That is called tapasya. When one can learn how to tolerate these temporary so-called pains and pleasure, then he is advanced.

So if one is simply attached to these pains and pleasure of material skin and bone, then how he can be free from the material condition of life? Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja is describing. It has to be . . . Prahlāda Mahārāja's proposal is that spiritual life should begin from very childhood, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhagavatān (SB 7.6.1). Otherwise that attachment will continue, and you'll never be able to give up this attachment, and the spiritual . . . material condition of life, the accepting one body, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), accepting one body and accepting another body, this will continue. But the real business of human life is to end this materialistic way of life, that die and again take another . . . janma . . . janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), to be implicated in these four things. Then our sufferings will never end. This is spiritual life. Spiritual life means to end the sufferings of material existence. That is Prahlāda . . . Dharmān bhagavat . . . durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma (SB 7.6.1).

So in the human form of life the children should be trained up to spiritual life. That is the duty of the father and mother. Gṛheṣu saktas. If one remains attached to family life, then gṛheṣu saktasya pramattas. Pramattas means . . . to remain attached to this family life means madness. Means madness. It is very difficult to understand this madness, especially in this age, Kali-yuga, because we have very little knowledge. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā upadrutāḥ (SB 1.1.10). The position of the people at the present age, Kali-yuga, they're all bad; nobody is good. Mandāḥ, all very slow. They do not know what is the aim of life, how to fulfill the goal of life, mandāḥ. And manda-matayo: and if somebody is interested, they will manufacture some rascaldom. Manda-matayo. And everyone is manda-bhāgyā, unfortunate. Unfortunate means that they got this opportunity, human life, to end all the problems of life, but they'll not take care of it. Manda-bhāgyā. And besides that, upadrutāḥ, embarrassed by so many difficulties, especially these men in Kali-yuga will be harassed by insufficient supply of foodstuff, and taxation by the government. Durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9). This is the statement in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Actually the food price is increasing daily. Nobody knows where it will end. This is called . . . even people will not get alms. Alms, to beg from door to door and live on alms and begging, this will not be possible. Nobody will give alms. Suppose there is ten rupees' kilo rice, and if a sannyāsī goes to a gṛhastha, "Give me some alms, rice," they'll consider in terms of price: "So much rice I have to give. This is two rupees' worth. Give him four annas, go away!" So durbhikṣa, this is called durbhikṣa. Even begging will be very difficult. Begging is the last stage of livelihood, but he'll not be able to beg even. This is the age of Kali-yuga. Durbhikṣa-kara-pīḍitāḥ (SB 12.2.9), gacchanti giri-kānanam. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti . . . people will be so much embarrassed that . . . now they are not voluntarily giving up the family life, but he will be forced to give up. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā. Dāra means wife and draviṇā means money. The whole world is going on, this basis, women and money. So dāra-draviṇā, he'll be forced to give up. Ācchinna-dāra-draviṇā gacchanti (SB 12.2.8).

So on the whole this age is very, very difficult to live peacefully. It is not possible. It is . . . material life is always full of difficulties, especially in this age, so people should be given instruction and training how to give up this materialistic way of life. The pramattaḥ word is used in Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction also: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ: everyone is madman. That's a fact. Some years ago one man was condemned to death, and he pleaded that "While I committed this murder, I was mad." So he was examined. He was to be examined by the civil servant, and the civil servant, when he came to the court, he said, "My Lord, so far my experience goes, everyone is mad. So why do you ask me to examine this man? If to become madman and be excused for being hanged, then you can do so, but my opinion is everyone is mad, more or less." So this statement is also confirmed by the Bhāgavatam and all the śāstras. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta also it is said,

piśāci pāile yena mati-cchanna haya

māyā-grasta jīveri sei dāsa upajaya

'Prema-vivarta)

Māyā-grasta ye, those who are in this material world and absorbed in materialistic way of thought, they are just like a man haunted by the ghost, piśāci pāile yena mati-cchanna haya.

So our this materialistic way of life based on money and lusty desire is madness, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And account of madness . . . just like madman does not know what he's doing, similarly any materialistic person without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a madman. That is also said in the Bhagavad-gītā:

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ

prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛta-jñānā

āsuriṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ

(BG 7.15)

One cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness because he is mad, he is rascal. Why? Duṣkṛtina, on account of sinful activities. Therefore what is his position? Narādhamāḥ, the lowest of the mankind. Then, "He is educated?" Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā: his so-called education has no value, because his real knowledge has been taken away. Real knowledge is—that is given in the Bhagavad-gītā in the beginning—real knowledge is that "I am not this body." But everyone is working on the bodily concept of life; therefore they are all mad. Pramattasya, gṛheṣu saktasya. Because he is madman, therefore he is so much attached.

So we have to unforget. Just to go to the opposite. Attachment . . . "Then I shall finish all my attachment?" No, you cannot give up your attachment, because that is the symptom of life. You cannot be free from attachment. But the attachment has to be turned to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā,

mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha

yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ

asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ

yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu

(BG 7.1)

In the Sixth . . . the Seventh Chapter, Kṛṣṇa is giving lesson how to become unattached to this material world. Mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. If you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa—if you become perfectly Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then it is possible to be detached. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). Your attachment gets better engagement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means attachment for the best. We have got attachment. We have got attachment for our family, for our home, for our children, for our wife, for our society, for our nation, for our country, and so on, so on, so on, so on—so many. Attachment is there. But with this attachment, gṛheṣu saktasya, if you keep your attachment for these things, then you'll never be free from this material condition of life. Therefore you have to convert or divert your attachment to Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we have got attachment, but we have got attachment for false things, temporary things. And if we divert our attachment, that is bhakti. Bhakti does not mean that you give up your living functions. Attachment is the function of the living being. The living being is attached to his family, wife, children, because he is living being. So living being cannot give up attachment. But if we continue our attachment for this false and temporary materialistic way of life, then we'll never be free from this bondage of material condition. Therefore you have divert your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Mayy āsakta manāḥ. This is yoga: how to divert your attachment for Kṛṣṇa. It is very easy. It is not difficult.

Therefore the training is, according to śāstra and the instruction of the spiritual master, that . . . (indistinct) . . . rise early in the morning. Just like a man . . . not a man—there are thousands and millions of men at the present moment—because he has got attachment for the family, he rises at four o'clock and prepares himself to catch the train at six o'clock to reach Calcutta or Bombay at ten o'clock and attend the office. From four o'clock to ten o'clock, he has taken so much changing. I have seen in New York also, they are coming from the other island and waiting for the bus, wait for the ferry steamer, and so many hours wasted to reach the office. And he works in the office for four or five hours, then again he takes this trouble of going so many miles away. Why he is taking so much trouble? Family attachment. Family attachment. So the people are . . . not that he has no attachment. He has got attachment, but this attachment, the same four o' clock, rising early in the morning, for Kṛṣṇa's maṅgala-ārati. This is diversion, better. But he'll not agree. When he has got to go to office for earning his livelihood, he will automatically rise up and go to the office, because the attachment is strong. But in the temple, the rule is that you must get up at . . . before four and prepare yourself, and we have to ring the bell three hundred times, and still you are sleeping. Just see.

So this has to be practiced. This has to be practiced if you want to divert your attention. The same process. But because we have no attachment for Kṛṣṇa, we have to be forced. Never mind. Still we have to continue this, mayy āsakta . . . to increase attachment for Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta manāḥ pārtha. We have to train our mind how to become attached to Kṛṣṇa. This is bhakti process. The business is the same, but we have to be trained up for increasing our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Not that we have to bring a separate attachment. It has to be cleansed, that how the attachment should be utilized. That is described in the Nārada Pañcarātra:

sarvopādhi vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkena hṛṣīkeśa

sevanaṁ . . .

(CC Madhya 19.170)

Now we . . . our attachment is covered by designation: "I am the head of the family. I have to do this. I have to earn this money. I have to do that, I have to do that." This is upādhi. This is . . . because upādhi means just like you are designated with some title, B.A., M.A. or some (Hindi) or some (Hindi)—there are so many designation. But that is designation. But real . . . that is not reality. Similarly, our this designation, that "I am the head of this family," "I am the brāhmaṇa," "I am the śūdra," "I am American," these are all designation. Actually it has no reality, on account of material contamination. So we have to cleanse this designation. Then our original attachment for Kṛṣṇa will automatically come. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Consciousness is there, attachment is there, but it is being covered by so many designation. So when you give up this designation, that is called mukti. Mukti does not mean that you get some extraordinary position. Mukti means to become free from these material designations. It is same attachment, diversion of attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means nothing . . . everything is there; it has to be purified by diverting the same thing for Kṛṣṇa. Just like we have got feelings for raising children, attachment. That is attachment. So what Mother Yaśodā is doing? She is attached to Kṛṣṇa, and that is Vṛndāvana. The same thing in otherwise . . . Vṛndāvana life means all attachment for Kṛṣṇa. Mother Yaśodā is attached to Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja is attached to Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd boys are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the calves and cows are attached to Kṛṣṇa, Rādhārāṇī is attached to Kṛṣṇa, the trees are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the flowers are attached to Kṛṣṇa, the water is attached to Kṛṣṇa . . . that is Vṛndāvana. Vṛndāvana means the central attachment is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So if you can create that central attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then it is Vṛn . . . then you can create Vṛndāvana anywhere—any family, any society, any country. Just make the point of attachment Kṛṣṇa, and it is Vṛndāvana. That is required. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)