740123 - Morning Walk - Honolulu

Morning Walks by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740123MW-HONOLULU - January 23, 1974 - 20:36 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . sex is there.

Sudāmā: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: That is not missed.

Sudāmā: No.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Bhāgavata says, viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt (SB 11.9.29). Viṣaya, the four things—eating, sleeping, mating, defending—in any condition of life they're available. They're available. It doesn't matter in what condition of life you are living, but these things are available: viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Sarvataḥ means everywhere, in any condition, this is available. A still, people are busy for these four things. (to passers-by) Good morning.

That is assured, that any condition of life, you'll have these four things. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatām upary adhaḥ (SB 1.5.18). Therefore we should not endeavor for these four things. That is already fixed. I'll get in any condition of life. Then? What for our energy should be employed? Which was not available, wandering up and down, beginning from the heavenly planet down to the Pluto's planet. (aside) This is a passenger ship?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They stand there, and passengers come here?

Sudāmā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Through boats?

Sudāmā: Yes. The ships like this go around the Orient, to Japan and Indonesia. (japa) Are the shoes comfortable, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) . . . available in any condition of life. People are making gorgeous arrangement for that thing. Viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt. Viṣaya, material necessity, they are available . . .

Passers-by: Good morning.

Prabhupāda: Good morning. In any condition of life: birds, bees, insect, vagabond, wretched . . . everyone will get it. (break) . . . motorcars in your country. If somehow or other one can secure one motorcar, then life is secure.

Bali-mardana: He feels very secure.

Sudāmā: Yes, he does. He feels he has freedom. He can go anywhere.

Prabhupāda: Only depend on motorcar.

Sudāmā: Yes. Now everyone is very fearful because there is no gas for the motorcar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bali-mardana: They say that a man walking in the street does not feel so big, but once he gets behind the wheel of the motorcar, he becomes very puffed up.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is natural. He thinks, "I am motorcar." Identifies. (japa)

Satsvarūpa: We say sense gratification is available for everyone, but they don't agree. They think, "If I don't have this nice apartment it's not the same as sleeping in a bad condition."

Prabhupāda: Bad condition, good condition, that is another thing. But you get it. You get it. Bad condition, good condition, that is my consideration, but things are available. Even the best apartment in India, that is not a good apartment for America. This is simply my mental concoction, "This is good; this is bad." I am thinking, "It is the best"—another may think, "Oh, it is lowest." The hog is thinking stool is very nice food, and I am thinking, "What is this nonsense thing?" So "best" and "good," it is simply mental concoction; it has no value. Just like these Western people, what is their ultimate standard of best nobody knows. Nobody knows. Just like hundred years before, there was no skyscraper building, and now even best skyscraper building is not best. So where is the standard of best and . . . it is all mental concoction.

Sudāmā: Just like in New York, at one time the Empire State Building was the biggest; now they have built two buildings that are the biggest in the world now.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now someday it will be lowest.

Satsvarūpa: Yes, already in Chicago they're building one, a Sears building.

Bali-mardana: Bigger.

Prabhupāda: So what is the standard of best and lowest? There is no standard. This is called māyā.

Bali-mardana: Many philosophers have tried to define what is the best.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bali-mardana: Many philosophers have tried to define what is the best.

Prabhupāda: They cannot.

Bali-mardana: It's not possible.

Prabhupāda: They cannot. It is not possible.

Bali-mardana: They have no Absolute.

Prabhupāda: No. They have no idea. Mental speculators, they are no good. Mental speculator means . . . (indistinct) . . . harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena (SB 5.18.12). Manorathena, by the mental plane, airship, he's simply hovering. They have no standard.

Bali-mardana: So a devotee does not have to cogitate too much. Whatever satisfies Kṛṣṇa, that is best.

Prabhupāda: That's all. Kṛṣṇa is best. That's all. And whatever is done for Kṛṣṇa, that is best. That's all. We have got a standard; therefore we are satisfied: "Even in distressed condition, because Kṛṣṇa has given me distress, so-called distress, it is not distress. So this is all right." Because here, distress or happiness, they are simply mental concoction. Dvaite bhadra . . . I am in the material existence—that is my distress. That distress has to be removed, not this temporary distress or happiness. (japa)

Satsvarūpa: But when we try to help people in that way, they don't care for our help.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Eh?

Satsvarūpa: We try to give people that. They don't want that; they want temporary help.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. They are mad. Still, we have to do that. Madman does not . . . he doesn't think that, "I require anyone's help." But still, the father, mother, guardian, government gives him help. We are not dependent on their decision; we are dependent on Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī: Vaiṣṇava is unhappy seeing others unhappy. Otherwise they have no unhappiness. They are unhappy seeing that, "This rascal is unnecessarily suffering." That is unhappiness of Vaiṣṇava. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa . . . (SB 7.9.43). Prahlāda Mahārāja said: "I have no, I mean, problem, but I'm simply thinking of these rascals, that for some temporary happiness they make so gorgeous arrangement and forgotten their real business." Just like all these . . . what is this city? At any moment, it will be finished, but . . . just like they're flying, fleeing some other place, "America will be destroyed." So why they have spoiled so much energy? They do not know what to apply the energy for real benefit. Mūḍha. Therefore they have been called as mūḍha, duṣkṛtina. Duṣkṛtina: showing very good merit for this big, big building, big, big road . . . kṛti, kṛti means meritorious. But duṣkṛti. Duṣkṛti means for useless purpose; real purpose missing. They have no information of the soul within the body; simply they are engaged in the bodily activities. The soul is neglected. Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', kāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. (japa) (break) . . . at least one verse of Bhāgavata, every one of you, and try to understand scrutinizingly, life will be success. At least one verse.

Bali-mardana: Every day?

Prabhupāda: Every day. Why I am taking so much trouble? Everything enlightened.

Bali-mardana: I was reading yesterday about the talks between Uddhava and Maitreya and Kṛṣṇa, and it described that previously Uddhava was one of the eight Vasus who desired to associate with the Lord.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bali-mardana: What is exactly the position of the Vasus?

Prabhupāda: Vasus, they are demigods. Before appearance of Kṛṣṇa, some of the exalted demigods were ordered to come and arrange for His arrival. So Uddhava arrived, and many others arrived. They were coming from heavenly planets.

Bali-mardana: Bhīṣmadeva was also one of the Vasus previously.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Aṣṭa-vasu.

Bali-mardana: In Bhīṣmadeva's instructions, while he was dying, one of the questions that he was asked is "Which is more powerful, action or destiny, karma?" He replied that they are both very powerful, but of the two, action was more powerful.

Prabhupāda: Time. Reaction. (japa) What is that bird? Bird, or something else?

Bali-mardana: Bird.

Prabhupāda: That sound?

Bali-mardana: Yes. Bird. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . all philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness if they actually want to be happy. This is a fact. Not sentimentally, but scientifically, philosophically. Let them . . . let the biggest scientists, biggest philosopher come and understand. (break) (referring to comet) . . . has gone away, but nobody saw.

Bali-mardana: Yeah, they saw, but it was very faint. It was not as bright as it was expected.

Sudāmā: It did not collide. It did not hit the earth.

Prabhupāda: Oh. But only they saw?

Bali-mardana: No, it was visible to the naked eye, but very faintly, not as bright as it was predicted.

Sudāmā: They had predicted that it was going to be as bright as three . . .

Prabhupāda: . . . millions times . . .

Sudāmā: . . . moons, like a full-moon night. (break)

Bali-mardana: . . . predictions were going around about the end of the earth was coming . . .

Sudāmā: End of the earth. Forty . . . they said they had forty days, only forty days left.

Prabhupāda: How rascals they are, just see. I never believed. How shall I believe? I know it cannot be done. That Easy Journey to Other Planets, I have described the moon-going plan—a childish. Did I not?

Sudāmā: Yes. (break)

Prabhupāda: The cloud is not big, as big as the sky. Similarly, the material world is also . . . it is insignificant in comparison to the spiritual world. Some portion of it is covered by māyā just like this cloud. (japa)

Passer-by: Good morning.

Prabhupāda: Good morning. (japa) (break) . . . jñāna-bala-kriyā ca. How one bird or flower should be beautiful, nicely decorated? Kṛṣṇa gives His energy only a little and everything is there. Svā-bhāvikī jñāna . . . just as if a very good artist has painted nicely. Svā-bhāvikī-jñāna-bala-kriyā ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8). How to do it, that Kṛṣṇa knows. That is His inconceivable energy.

Sudāmā: So then like the sunset, that is also Kṛṣṇa's artistry?

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. (break) . . . māṁ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati (BG 6.30). That is advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: everywhere one sees Kṛṣṇa, and in Kṛṣṇa he sees everything. Therefore he sees Kṛṣṇa only. He sees nothing. And the atheist will say, "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" And advanced devotee will say: "Everywhere Kṛṣṇa, antar bahiḥ, inside and outside." Nato nāṭyadharo yathā (SB 1.8.19).

Sudāmā: Then it is a devotee's misconception if he thinks that Kṛṣṇa is outside, everywhere, but He's not in the temple. Because I remember . . .

Prabhupāda: He's not a devotee; he's a rascal.

Sudāmā: Yes, because in one of your . . . in Nectar of Devotion, you explain about some Māyāvādīs, sometimes they think that Kṛṣṇa is not in the Deity but He is everywhere else.

Prabhupāda: That is his rascaldom. (pause) And these ships require huge quantities of petrol.

Bali-mardana: Many ships now, they are lying idle in the ports for lack of petrol. (end)