701227 - Lecture - Surat

Lectures by Date, 1970

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

701227LE-SURAT - December 27, 1970 - 28:52 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (prema-dhvani)

All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.

(break) . . . prakṛti saṁskāra, five sense organs. Karma-indriya, jñāna-indriya—five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for executing the desires. Everyone has got particular type of desire, and he executes that desire by five senses, just like hands, legs, genitals, like that. They are active senses. And five senses for acquiring knowledge: cakṣu, karṇa, nāsikā. By eyes you acquire some knowledge; by ears—just like you are hearing, acquiring knowledge through the sense of ears.

So there are five senses for acquiring knowledge and five senses for executing our desires . . . (indistinct Sanskrit) Five objectives of our sensual activities. Just like with eyes we see beautiful things. So this beauty of the form is the object of our sensual activities. Just like you can hear the Vedic sound, Vedic vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or you can hear a cinema song. The ear is the instrument of hearing both the things.

So other philosophers—Buddha philosophers, Māyāvādī philosophers—both of them are Māyāvādīs, but there is distinction between Śaṅkara's philosophy and Buddha's philosophy. Everyone is trying to stop these pains and pleasures due to our sensuous activities—all philosophers. No philosopher says that "You go on with your sensuous activities." Lord Buddha, he was prince, he was engaged in very nice sensuous activities; but he gave up everything, his kingdom, when he sat down for meditation.

Why? To stop these sensuous activities and become subjected to the pains and pleasures of this material world. Otherwise he had no business to give up His kingdom. But that was his philosophy, that the sensuous activities would not help us. Then we cannot get liberty or . . . salvation means to get out of the clutches of the pains and pleasures of this material world. Actually there is no pleasure; it is only painful. The other day I was speaking that udāna . . . udāna?

Devotee: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) . . . yes. They are enterprising to colonize. Just like in European countries, the French, the English especially, or the Spaniards, they endeavored colonizing, and they colonized in America, in many places in Africa. Why they wanted to colonize, go out of their home? To get some land and derive some pleasure.

So in the beginning . . . in the beginning or in the end, still, just like they have got America now, but it does not mean they have pleasure, they are in pleasure. When the attempt was colonizing, that was temporary; and after colonizing there was fight between the French and the Englishmen. Canada was divided, and United States was divided. So many. And after . . . (indistinct) . . . there were so many other problems. The latest problem is hippies.

So this is called māyā. Actually, everyone is trying to be happy by sensuous activities, but the result is unhappiness. But every philosopher can understand. The Buddha philosophy is that "What are the senses?" The senses are combination of this matter. My body, that is combination of these material elements: kṣitir ap teja marut vyoma, earth, water, air, fire. So their philosophy: that this combination is the cause of pains and pleasure.

So this must be dis-combinated. That is called nirvāṇa. And when the combination will be dismantled, there will be no more cause for pains and pleasure. That is the end of Buddha philosophy. And Māyāvāda philosophy is that the . . . it is not the combination; the combination is also there, but this combination is temporary. That's a fact. This combination is temporary.

So get out of this combination and be situated in your own original position, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. That is Śaṅkara's philosophy. He did not accept the Buddha philosophy. Buddha philosophy does not give any idea or any information of the spirit soul. Buddha philosophy deals only with matter, dismantling of matter. That is their philosophy. There is no information.

Just like here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we get information that pañca kurute karma pañca vedātha pañcabhiḥekas tu ṣoḍaśena trīn svayaṁ saptadaśo aśnute (SB 6.1.50) So mind, and these five sense organs, and the working organs and the mind is eleven, and the five sense objects and the mind, sixteen, and the spirit soul, seventeen, sapta-daśa. Actually the enjoyer is the spirit soul. The spirit soul is the enjoyer, but these are active ingredients, pradhāna-puruṣa. Puruṣa, puruṣa is the spirit soul, and the pradhāna, the material nature, they are supplying the ingredients.

We are enjoying. What is this material activity? They are enjoying. This material, this house, "I have got a very nice house, skyscraper." So I am the enjoyer. But I have selected all this iron, wood, earth, bricks, and there are these five materials, I take the earth and mix it with water, I dry it with fire, so brick is made. Similarly, the cement is made. Then we bring together and make a very nice house, and I think, "I am enjoying. I am enjoying." I am not enjoying; I am spoiling my energy, that's all. The ingredients are supplied by nature, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. Prakṛti, in one sense prakṛti helps you, and you are thinking, or I am thinking, that I am the enjoyer, I am kartā, kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27).

Actually prakṛti, according to the association . . . everyone wants to have some skyscraper building, but not that everyone can construct it, because he is under the influence of the prakṛti. Prakṛti it will not . . .

(aside) What is this sound?

So actually prakṛti is helping me according to my karma and desire. I am under the influence of prakṛti, but I am thinking that kartāham, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). By false egotism I am thinking that I am kartā, I am enjoyer.

So the Buddha philosophy is partial, and Śaṅkara philosophy is also partial. Śaṅkara philosophy, impersonalist, to accept Brahma, the spirit. Buddha philosophy accepts only matter. But matter is not all—there is spirit. The Śaṅkara philosophy, they accept spirit, but he does not describe the spirit in his fullness. Śaṅkara philosophy, as soon as you become cognizant of your existence as Brahma, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, then all your activities stop.

But that is not actual fact. Here it is said, pañcabhiḥ kurute svārthān (SB 6.1.50): "The living entity is always active." Everyone is active. When the activities is not there, then superficially there is no activity. Just like meditation. There is not . . . it is stopping the sensuous activities, but meditating that, "I have become God." That is recommended for a certain class of men. That is called ahaṅgropāsanā, pṛthaktvena. That is also not final.

When one thinks, meditates that, "I am one with God," that is also in one sense right. "One with God" means I am one with God in quality. The nature of myself and nature of God is the same. Not that I have become God. That is your foolishness. One has to realize, just like Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo (BG 15.7): "My part and parcel."

So Kṛṣṇa, who is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ, therefore His part and parcel must be sac-cid-ānanda. The gold source and the gold earring . . . (indistinct) . . . my part and parcel. Gold mine, say, this is part and parcel. That's a fact. But the gold earring is not the gold mine. That is their mistake. The Māyāvādī philosophers commit mistake that, "Because I am gold, therefore I am gold mine." That is their wrong conclusion. "Because I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, therefore I am Kṛṣṇa." But the axiomatic truth is the part is never equal to the whole. That's absolutely true. That they do not understand.

Therefore Bhāgavata says, aviśuddha-buddhayā: their intelligence is not yet purified. They are still in ignorance. They are thinking that "By knowledge I have become one with God," and they address between one another as Nārāyaṇa, "I have become Nārāyaṇa." That is their mistake. "I have become Nārāyaṇa" means I have now realized my qualities. Not that I have become actually become Nārāyaṇa. No.

Nārāyaṇa is prabhu, vibhu, and we are very, very small, minute particles of Nārāyaṇa. That is also measured, how much small we are spiritually: keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatāda kalpitasya ca (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 5.9). The tip of your hair divided into a hundred, and again one part of that, divide another hundred. That means one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. That is your dimension, spiritual dimension.

So Buddha philosophy is also not complete. That it is not complete does not mean that Lord Buddha did not know the philosophy. Just like a teacher who has passed M.A. but he is teaching in the eighth class A-B-C-D, that does not mean the teacher is A-B-C-D. The teacher is complete, but the students who are taking lessons from him, they are meant for A-B-C-D.

Similarly, any messenger, any incarnation, śakti-āveśa-avatāra, they teach according to the time and circumstance: deśa, kāla, pātra. That they do not consider. Therefore other groups beyond the Vedic group, they come forward to compete with the Vedic group without knowing their own position. That is their defect. Always remember this: the teacher is M.A., that's all right; but the students are not competent to take instruction of him. Therefore you find different types of religion.

So the Buddha philosophy and the Śaṅkara philosophy . . . Śaṅkara philosophy gives little hint about Brahma. But Buddha philosophy is just the matter. But if you dismantle matter, then . . . that is also fact. When you enter into spiritual kingdom, you have to dismantle your material combination of this body. I think it is described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, how one has to dismantle. That is nirvāṇa. That is called nirvāṇa philosophy. And Śaṅkara gives his spiritual hint, therefore ahaṁ brahmāsmi (Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.10). That is also Buddhist version: "Yes, I am spirit soul," but spirit soul, simply their understanding.

Just like a patient. A patient suffering from disease; there are symptoms of disease. Now the symptoms are just fever. Fever . . . if no longer there is fever, doctor says, "Now your fever is now gone," but that is not final cure. There is no fever—that is not final cure. There may be relapse again. There may be relapse again. The final cure is when one is not only out of fever, but he is acting like a healthy man. Otherwise it is again there is possibility of . . . why again?

Suppose there is no fever, but he is lying down on the bed; he cannot do, act, anything, simply sleeping. So that is not cure. He must get up and become active. That is similarly in the spiritual life. Simply to understand that aham brahmāsmi—simply I have realized that I am Brahma, not this matter—that is not cure. You must engage yourself in Brahma activities.

That Brahma activities are this, as you are executing: always engage in Kṛṣṇa's service. That is Brahma activities. That is not ordinary activity.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

Then one has actually becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. The symptom is that he does not care any more for worldly pleasures and fame. That is brahma-bhūtaḥ stage, first class. If I have become brahma-bhūtaḥ and again I see, "Oh, my countrymen are suffering. I must open some hospital. They are uneducated. I must open some schools . . ." Why? If you have become brahma-bhūtaḥ . . . na śocati na kāṅkṣati—where is that symptom? You are still lamenting. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati, that is the symptom.

So why you are accepting some place as your country? Actually, you do not belong to any country. Apparently you get this body, and as soon as your body is finished, your country is also finished. So why you are accepting a particular land as your country? That means you have not become brahma-bhūtaḥ. This is the proof. What do you think? This is a sign of brahma-bhūtaḥ: brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54).

He is happy. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Why you should be lamenting? Just like our . . . (indistinct) . . . we do not wish to name—they are very highly learned, but they have fallen down to these material activities. They have fallen down to the material activities. That means they have not realized Brahma.

Brahma realization is not so easy. Brahma realization means just like if you want to go to the sunlight, or if you are actually in the sunlight, then you can see the sunlight. Not that you have not seen the sun. Really Brahma realization: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). You have to still go further, further. Simply by brahmajyoti realization is not end of knowledge. You have to still go further—Paramātmā realization, localized realization. And then if go you still further, then you enter into the spiritual planets.

The same example: you come to the light, sunlight, but if you can see the sun globe, that is localized; similarly, Paramātmā is localized. Sunshine is brahmajyoti, and if you have got the power, then you can enter into the sun globe and see the sun-god there. That is perfection. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The sun-god, the sun globe and the sunshine, they are one. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). There is no difference; all of them are light. They are not darkness—either the sunshine or the sun globe or the sun god. But still there is difference. The sun-god is person, the sun globe is localized and the sunshine is impersonal.

So simply by impersonal Brahma realization, like Śaṅkara says, your knowledge is imperfect—you have to still go further. In the Īśopaniṣad it is said that "My dear Lord, please wind up Your this glaring effulgence so that I can see You actually, Your face." So this Brahmajyoti is this yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40); it is the effulgence, rays of the body of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, brahmaṇo āham pratiṣṭha (BG 14.27). This brahmajyoti, that is . . . (indistinct) . . . pratiṣṭhā: "I am the source. It is standing on Me, it is depending on Me." Brahmaṇo āham pratiṣṭhā.

So the senses . . . for a devotee, here it is said, pañcabhiḥ kurute svārthān (SB 6.1.50). The devotees' business is, they are also pañcabhiḥ kurute svārthān, but they know what is this svārthā. Svārthā, what is this? Actual goal or actual interest. That is Viṣṇu. Therefore they haven't got to control the senses. One devotee, Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī, he said that:

kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate

durdānta-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī

durdāntendriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate

(Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5)

Very nice verse. He is gradually . . . first of all he says, kaivalyaṁ narakāyate: "Simply to understand that 'I am Brahma,' kaivalya, that is for us as good as hell." But not all can understand. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate. And the karmī's aim is to go to the heaven, heavenly planets, tri-daśa-pūra. Tri-daśa-pūra is just like a flower in the sky, ākāśa-puṣpā, or phantasmagoria, that which actually, it has no existence. So ākāśa-puṣpā, durdānta-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Kāla-sarpa indriya. The yogīs, they are trying to control the senses—dhyāna, dhāraṇā, yama, niyama . . . (break) (end)