661209 - Lecture BG 09.22-23 - New York

Lectures by Date, 1966

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

661209BG.NY - December 09, 1966

Prabhupāda:

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ

ye janāḥ paryupāsate

teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ

yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

(BG 9.22)

Now Lord Kṛṣṇa is speaking about His own devotees. So far He has spoken about the elevationist, material elevationist. Evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante (BG 9.21).

Repeating, repeating the same process: sometimes going up, sometimes coming down—this is the material process. Today I am the richest man, and tomorrow I may be a poverty-stricken man in the street. This is going on. As we find in this earth, so also by our pious activities we can be promoted in better planets. Then kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti (BG 9.21). And when the resultant action of pious activities is finished, then again we are driven to this earth or down than this earth. So this is going on.

Lord Caitanya said that ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151): that "This way, this cycle of different species of life, they are going on. So traveling in this way, somebody who is very fortunate, by association of devotees, he gets the seed of devotional service." Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva. To achieve the seed of devotional service is a fortunate achievement. It is not very easy, because it ceases the cycle of different transmigration of the soul. By ignorance we take this spot life as permanent settlement, and we think that "We shall live here permanently and make arrangement to live here permanently, and make assets for my children, for my nation." But we do not know that the cycle of transmigration is not fixed up.

I do not know what, what next life is mine. I do not know where is the . . . who is coming as my son, who is coming, who is going out of the scene as my son. These laws we do not know. But we are chewing the chewed. Evaṁ gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante (BG 9.21). Under the spell of this illusory energy, we are captivated by this temporary sense gratification and we have forgotten our real life.

So those who are in the sense of his real constitution . . . of their real constitutional position, as Bhagavad-gītā started from the very beginning . . . this very conception, that "I am this body," beginning from, beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā this is discredited, that "You are not this body." So you have . . . you have to mold your life in your identification of spiritual existence.

So, so far the materialist is concerned, they are chewing the chewed. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30).

The example, which I gave you the last day, that as sugarcane, one has extracted all the juice by chewing, and it is again thrown into the, on the earth, and somebody is chewing, so there is no juice. So we are simply repeating the same thing. Same thing. We do not question that whether this process of life can at all give us happiness. But we are trying and trying, trying the same thing.

The ultimate purpose of sense gratification and the highest, topmost sense gratification is sex life. So we are trying, chewing, eschewing, you see, extracting. But that is not the process of happiness. The happiness is different. Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21).

Real happiness is transcendental. And that transcendental means that I must understand what is my position and what is my process of life. In this way this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will teach you. (break)

So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, about them the Lord is saying, ananyāś cintayanto mām. Ananyāś cintayantaḥ means always, twenty-four hours, without any deviation, always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Naturally, if you are engaged in the business of Kṛṣṇa, then you will always think of Kṛṣṇa. Anyone who is absorbed in certain particular business, he's always thinking of that thing. So anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his business is to think of Kṛṣṇa always. Just like you are reading, hearing on this Bhagavad-gītā. It is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. And if you think at home that, "This sort of speeches was given by Lord Kṛṣṇa. This is the essence," so that is Kṛṣṇa cintayantaḥ. To think of Bhagavad-gītā is also Kṛṣṇa thinking, because Bhagavad-gītā is not different from Kṛṣṇa. Absolute. It is from the absolute one. There is no duality.

In the absolute sense there is no duality. If I speak something, because I am not speaking in the absolute, therefore my speaking and my self, different. But here I am speaking the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the words of Lord Kṛṣṇa is not different from Kṛṣṇa. So if we think of Bhagavad-gītā, the instructions which we receive from Bhagavad-gītā, that is also thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

So ananyāś cintayanto mām: "Always who are thinking about Me . . ." Ye janāḥ paryupāsate. And why one should think of Kṛṣṇa unless he has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? Unless one has taken the business of Kṛṣṇa, he cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. He cannot think of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is said that ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate. Paryupāsate means constantly worshiping in that way. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānām. Abhiyukta: he is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Therefore, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham. Not that only the materialistic people will remain happy. Kṛṣṇa assures that one who is always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his happiness will be not devolved. "He will be also happy because I will make him, I will supply him whatever he requires."

It is very easy to understand. Just like somebody maintains his family, children. He all day works, and he has the aim, how his family member will be happy, because he knows that those people, those children, they are fully dependent upon him. This is same consciousness. Because wherefrom this consciousness comes unless it is not in Kṛṣṇa? Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the Vedānta-sūtra it is stated, whatever you think, whatever you see, it has its origin. And where is that origin? In Kṛṣṇa. Unless in Kṛṣṇa this thinking is not there, that "My devotees . . ." Kṛṣṇa . . .

Every one of us is son of Kṛṣṇa. That's all right. But especially . . . just like a very big businessman, all his employees, they are also taken attention by the person, by the boss. But special attention is taken for his own children. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, He is anxious for all living entities, but especially anxious for His devotees.

Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord says that, "I am equal to everyone. Nobody is My enemy and nobody is My friend. I don't show anyone any partiality, because nobody is My enemy." How God can be anyone's enemy or friend? He is friend of everyone. But ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā teṣu te mayi: one who is devoted specially to the Lord, He takes special attention.

That do you think that God is in that way partial? No. It is the . . . just like the sunshine. Sunshine is open for everyone, but one who does not take advantage of the sunshine—he keeps him . . . keeps himself within the dark room—oh, the sun, what can sun do? Similarly, this partiality of God, that He takes special interest of the devotees because the devotees are able to take the Supreme, the complete sunshine of Kṛṣṇa, it is not the partiality of the sun or Kṛṣṇa, but it is the capacity of the person who can take full advantage of the sunshine. One should come out of the darkness and take full advantage of the sunshine.

The sun is open for everyone. Similarly, God is open for everyone. One who comes out of this darkness of ignorance, he takes more advantage of Kṛṣṇa's favor. So therefore it is His capacity. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). So He gives instruction to everyone. This Bhagavad-gītā is meant for everyone. It is not for . . . not only for Arjuna. Arjuna was His eternal devotee. He had all knowledge. But Arjuna placed himself as one of us just to receive this instruction from the Supreme Lord.

So this instruction is open to everyone. It is not . . . Kṛṣṇa's instruction, Bhagavad-gītā, is not, I mean to . . . limited within a circle, within a particular circle. No. It is for every living entity.

Now, if anyone takes advantage of it . . . just like the sunshine is for everyone. The same sun in India and same sun in your America. You cannot say that "This is American sun," can you? Or we cannot say: "Oh . . ." I see sometimes . . . because I am now foreigner, I see sometimes, "Oh, the same moon is here, and same sun is here? The same cloud is here? Oh, why I am foreigner?" Nobody is foreigner. Everyone is under the sunshine. It is our misunderstanding. It is our misunderstanding.

In God's kingdom nobody is foreigner. Everyone is brother. The ultimate father is the Supreme Lord. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even the animals. Why should we think animals different from us and we shall kill them? No. You have no right. He is also your brother. So this is universal brotherhood. When you come to the open sunshine, we can see, oh, everyone is eligible to take advantage of the sunshine. And so long we are in the darkness, we say, "Oh, this is my room; this is your room."

So for such persons who are completely in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for them there is no scarcity. This is very encouraging. No Kṛṣṇa conscious person will think that, "I will be in scarcity. I will be in want." No. Be rest assured. You will never be in want. You will never be in want. If you keep your full faith in Kṛṣṇa, you will always happily live and will be given, I mean to say, a chance of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma . . . here it is guaranteed.

So if you take this advantage of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, in whatever position you may be, you will never be unhappy. You will always be prosperous. So why don't you take this advantage? Be situated. Oh, you are medical practitioner? That's all right. You are engineer? That's all right. You are a clerk? That's all right. You are a real estate man? That's all right. Never mind whatever doing. Everyone has to do something to keep his body and soul together. That is the law of nature.

Niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8). Arjuna was Kṛṣṇa's friend, but He never said that, "You stop your working." Rather, He engaged him in his real work. He was a fighter. He was a soldier. He was decline to do the duty of a soldier. But Kṛṣṇa induced him, "No. You must become a soldier." So we may do whatever, by God's grace or by nature's freaks we are situated. That doesn't matter. But if you take this formula, ananyāś cintayanto mām, always think of Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be that you will never be unhappy. Just try. Make an experiment.

We don't say that you give up your engagement and become a mendicant or sannyāsī like me and give up your wife and children. No. Kṛṣṇa does not say that. You may ask, then, "Why you have given (up) your wife and children?" I have given up my wife and children for this purpose. If I am engaged in family life, then I cannot do this missionary work. I have taken absolute shelter to this work without any disturbance.

So for a preacher, for a missionary, that is a different thing. But for ordinary man, he does not require to give up his family, his home. He will remain. You remain your occupation . . . in your occupation, you remain at home, but chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Is it any . . . there is . . . is there any difficulty? Why don't you try it?

This is our mission. We don't say that you change your life. We simply say that in whatever position you are, you please chant. That's all. You please chant. You will be happy. You will be prosperous. Kṛṣṇa will be pleased upon you, and you will be never in scarcity. Is it not a very nice thing? You will never be unhappy, you will never be in scarcity. That . . . it is guaranteed here. Teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: "Those who are thus engaged always in thinking of Me . . ."

Well, you can do your business and think of Kṛṣṇa, and what is your harm? And that thinking may be, I mean to, divert your attention. But if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, you will practice. And Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. But you will not be deviated what you are doing, but at the same time, you will be able to hear this sound, transcendental sound vibration.

So this is the formula given by the Lord Himself. Please try to follow it. Ananyāś cintayanto mām. Always. Always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no rule, no regulation. Never mind what you are, what you are doing; simply chant and hear. We are anxious that everyone may take up this simple thing. And Lord Caitanya says from Padma Purāṇa:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Ādi 17.21)

If you want to live just like animal, simply within the sphere of eating, sleeping and mating and defending, that will not solve your problem of life. Dharmo hi teṣām adhiko viśeṣaḥ (Hitopadeśa).

You are elevated from animal life only for this reason, that you can take up this line of action, Hare Kṛṣṇa. The animal cannot take up. So don't miss this chance. If I instruct a dog, "My dear dog, please chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," it is not possible for him. But for a human being—never mind in whichever country he is born and whatever religion he's professed . . . that doesn't matter. This Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is for everyone. It is not very difficult. So take up this.

ye 'py anya-devatā-bhaktā

yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ

te 'pi mām eva kaunteya

yajanty avidhi-pūrvakam

(BG 9.23)

Avidhi-pūrvakam. Now, Kṛṣṇa says . . . of course, in India there are different types of worship. That I have already explained. Mostly they worship Lord Kṛṣṇa. Mostly. At least eighty percent of the people, they are Viṣṇu worshiper. And twenty percent of the people, Hindus, they are worshiper of different gods and impersonalist, like that, still. So here Kṛṣṇa says . . . but because that is recommended in the Vedic literature. Why? The Vedic literature . . . that I explained the other day, that worship of different gods, that is also along with Viṣṇu worship. Ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param (Padma Purana).

Viṣṇu is the central point. Without Viṣṇu worship, with(out) Kṛṣṇa worship, no other worship is successful. So here, those who worship other god in this conception, that because God is everything, therefore the . . . any demigod, because the demigod . . . people, those who are less intelligent, they worship demigod to take immediate effect. Just like a man who is diseased, he is recommended to worship the sun. Sun. Now, that is effective. Either you worship . . . because when sun is worshiped, you have to go to the sunshine and offer something, water and some pradīpa. There are some paraphernalia.

So if you . . . if a diseased man goes to the sunshine, he is actually . . . he is cured. Sunshine has got . . . scientifically also, it has got ultraviolet rays. So one keeps . . . if he does not take any medicine, if he simply sits down in sunshine, he will be cured. Nature's way. So either you take this way or that way . . . but one thing is that those who are worshiping sun for cure of disease, for them Bhagavad-gītā says: antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām.

Now, suppose you are diseased and you are cured by worshiping sun, or becoming in the sunshine. Do you think that is the solution of your life? You may be cured. So how long you will remain cured? There will be again disease. Again you worship sunshine. So this is called gatāgatam, chewing the chewed. The problem is why you shall be diseased at all. That should be the problem of intelligent person, not that I become diseased and I worship sun or go to the doctor and be cured and again become diseased. No. Sukham ātyantikam. You should cure from all such diseases.

The . . . so long you have this material body, you have got life, you have got birth, you have got death, you have got diseases and you have got old age, besides other miseries. This is a permanent thing. Now, your human form of life is meant for curing for good all these inconveniences. You should not be satisfied by curing disease and again falling diseased. No. That is not your business. Therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa says, antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām: "Those who are worshiping other demigods for some immediate result, their result is antavat. It is to be ended at a certain point. It has got end."

So such things are desired by alpa-medhasām, alpa-medhasām, those who have got less amount of brain substance. Why one should be satisfied by temporary cure? He must see that, "Why I shall die? Why I shall be diseased? Why I shall go again into the womb of the mother? And why I shall become old? This is my problem." So if you want to solve all these problems, then you have to become to Kṛṣṇa conscious.

janma karma me divyaṁ

yo jānāti tattvataḥ

tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma

naiti mām eti kaunteya

(BG 4.9)

Anyone who becomes Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even partially, simply to know Kṛṣṇa, that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His activities are transcendental—simply by knowing this, you will solve your all these problems. Simply by knowing this. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Therefore, in every way, if you make analytical study of Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Bhagavad-gītā is being preached all over the world in so many languages. But I am sorry they are not in the right way. Therefore we are very serious to preach this mission of Bhagavad-gītā all over the world so that people may become happy and people may take advantage of it. That is our mission, and we invite everyone, every gentleman, every sane man, to come and cooperate with us. This is a nice mission. We shall be glad to cooperate for the good of the all people of the world. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

The Lord says that if you transfer yourself in the kingdom of God, then you will have no more to come in this world of miseries, full of miseries.

What is time? Thank you very much. Any question? (end)