701221 - Conversation A - Surat

Conversations by Date, 1970

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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701221R1-SURAT - December 21, 1970 - 08:36 Minutes

Prabhupāda: That is the material disease. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This roguism has to be purged. Then talk of spiritualism. At heart, dirty things are so much hugely accumulated by millions of years' contamination of this material world. It is very difficult to get out of this roguism. And to become a Vaiṣṇava, he has to become a Brahmin. And Brahmin means . . .

One of the qualification, Brahmin, is ṣaḍ-laksa, ārjava, simplicity. The rogues cannot be simple. Always intriguing, making plan, plotting—these are roguisms. But a Vaiṣṇava requires very simple life. Satya-śama-dama-titikṣa-ārjava (BG 18.42). (someone sneezing) Ārjavam means simplicity.

(aside) He is very forward, without any covering. Now he is sneezing. (chuckles)

Nature's law is so subtle. Uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Bhāgavata says, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ (SB 7.5.31). Just like a man is tied up tightly, hands and legs, by the laws of nature we are tied up in that way. Every part of our body is being controlled by some controller. We cannot violate a very insignificant portion of nature's law. Kṛṣṇa is perfect. We think that, we rogue, "Kṛṣṇa cannot see."

But Kṛṣṇa has kept so many witnesses, and He is sitting Himself within. How you can hide and seek? No hide and seek. That is another foolishness, illusion. How you can hide yourself from Kṛṣṇa? That's not possible. And we are violating the laws of nature, and we are suffering. No excuse. Exactly like that: if a child catches fire, the catches fire is no excuse because it is a child. No. It will act.

So we should know that, that . . .

Guest: Can I come?

Prabhupāda: (aside) Yes, yes. Aayiye. (Please come.)

There cannot be any excuse. Therefore we have to be very, very careful. And the best carefulness is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Simply we surrender . . .

(aside) You take this letter and post immediately, immediately after class.

Devotee: After class.

Prabhupāda: In that envelope our Dhruvānanda Mahārāja has written that, "I am enclosing herewith one bird's-eye view plan." Eh? Has he done? If he has done, ask him and put it. If he has not, without that plan we shall send. Aayiye, aayiye. (Please come, please come.) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

There cannot be any excuse. Therefore we have to be very, very careful. And the best carefulness is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Simply we surrender . . .

(aside) You take this letter and post immediately, immediately after class.

Devotee: After class.

Prabhupāda: In that envelope our Dhruvānanda Mahārāja has written that "I am enclosing herewith one bird's-eye view plan." Eh? Has he done? If he has done, ask him and put it. If he has not, without that plan we shall send. Aiye. Aiye. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Yamunā: Dhruvānanda Mahārāja . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: I am very glad that young doctor is attending this meeting. He can cure many patients who are suffering from this material disease. What do you think, Doctor?

Doctor (Indian man): Very kind of you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You are now curing physical disease, but when you take up curing material, I mean to say, spiritual disease . . . yes. Try to bring all people to the normal spiritual life. All their suffering is due to abnormal spiritual life. All suffering. Because, I was discussing with my disciples just now, nature's law is so subtle and so acute that a little violation will be punished immediately. You know. You are medical man. Little violation will immediately subjected to the punishment. This is God's law.

There is a word in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Uru. Uru means very strong, and dāmni means rope. Just like if you are tied up with a strong rope, hands and feet, as you are helpless, our position is like that. This very word is used, uru-dāmni baddhāḥ. Na te viduḥ . . . and such baddha, conditioned souls, they are declaring freedom: "I don't care for anyone. I don't care for God." How much foolishness.

Just like sometimes naughty children, they are also bound up. Yaśodāmayī also bound up Kṛṣṇa. That is an Indian system, for everywhere, (chuckles) tied up. And that small child, when it is bound up, if that child declares freedom, how it is possible? Similarly, by the laws of Mother Nature we are bound up. How you can declare freedom? Every part of our body is being controlled by some controller. That is stated in the Bhāgavatam. Even your this eyelid moving, that is also under some controller.

So the people do not understand it, and they are declaring, "I am God. I don't care for God. God is dead." How God is dead? You are under so much control, and how God is dead? You can say that there is no government, provided there is nobody to check you. But if you are in every step checked, how you can say that there is no government? That is another foolishness.

All men, they have been declared in the Bhāgavata abodha-jāta (SB 5.5.5), born fools and rascals. But these are very strong words. But if we state this strong, that is another foolishness. It is so, and if we deny that, "We cannot accept such strong things," then another foolishness. (break) (end)