720822 - Lecture SB 01.02.19 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720822SB-LOS ANGELES - August 22, 1972 - 63:12 Minutes

(Govindam prayers playing) (Prabhupāda sings along)

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dhvani) Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

Prabhupāda: Text?

Pradyumna: Text number 19. (leads chanting of verse)

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ

kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye

ceta etair anāviddhaṁ

sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati

(SB 1.2.19)

(Prabhupāda and devotees chant; Prabhupāda corrects some pronunciation)

Prabhupāda: Ladies, ladies, ladies. (ladies chant)

That's all. Word meaning.

Pradyumna:

tadā—at that time; rajaḥ—in the mode of passion; tamaḥ—the mode of ignorance; bhāvāḥ—the situation; kāma—lust and desire; lobha—hankering; ādayaḥ—others; ca—and; ye—whatever they are; cetaḥ—the mind; etaiḥ—by these; anāviddham—without being affected; sthitam—being fixed up; sattve—in the mode of goodness; prasīdati—thus becomes fully satisfied.

Translation: "At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion, rajas, and ignorance, tamas, and lust and desire, kāma, disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy."

Prabhupāda: Hm. So rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ. There are three stages, you know: sattva, rajas, tama. The material world is conducted by three modes—the modes of goodness, modes of passion and modes of ignorance. Therefore we find varieties of men. So one has to come to the platform of the modes of goodness.

Just like illiterate, uncultured, animal-like man is trained up to come . . . to become civilized. By training, it is possible. Just like, by training, even cats and dogs and tigers, they are also become obedient. That is our practical experience. The tiger in the circus, they play obediently to the orders of the master. So by training, it can be possible.

But there are two kinds of training process. One process is scheduled: tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena ca damena ca (SB 6.1.13), undergoing tapasya, austerity; brahmacaryeṇa . . . brahmacaryeṇa means controlling sex indulgence or sex impulse. Brahmacarya means practically no sex life. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena, damena, by controlling the senses, by controlling the mind. Tyāgena, by giving up in charity.

So there are gradual process, but there is another process. Another process means this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Either you practice in this way . . . just like if you want to go up, there are two vehicles, or process. You go step by step, one step after another. Suppose you have to go one hundred steps, so you have to go step by step—tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena, practicing. The another process is . . . (someone making tapping sound)

(aside) Why you are making this sound? Stop it.

Another process is the lift. You go by step by step or take the process of lift. Within a second, you come up. So the bhakti-yoga process is like that. Bhakti-yoga process means if you take to this process, then immediately, very quickly, within a second, you come to the top floor. Otherwise, you have to go by step by step, one step, two step.

Although both the process leading to the target, to the topmost floor, the one is very slow and the other is very quick, immediate. Just like another example: if there is fog. You have got experience in your country, sometimes there is fog; you cannot see even a person one yard off from you. So there are so many processes to take precaution in the fog. But somehow or other, if the sun is little strong, immediately the fog is over.

So similarly, to purify ourself . . . this is the purification process: austerity, penance, controlling sex life, controlling the mind, controlling the senses, giving in charity whatever you possess, everything regulated. This is one process. And the other process is this bhakti-yoga.

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt . . .

(SB 1.2.17)

Simply by this process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), hearing about Kṛṣṇa. This is, we were discussing. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu, simply by hearing. Abhadreṣu, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, all the dirty things within heart, being almost cleansed, you come to the stage of goodness.

There are three stages, three platforms—ignorance, passion and goodness. So simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, you are promoted immediately to the platform of goodness. And as soon as you come to the platform of goodness, then, tadā, at that time, rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ.

Because there are three platforms: ignorance, passion and goodness. So you have come to the point, to the platform of goodness, means that you have passed over the other lower stages. If you have come to the college, that means you have passed your school stages. It is to be understood. Therefore we offer sacred thread. The idea is one who has become Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has already passed the stage of becoming a brahmin.

Brahmin means to come to the stage of goodness. That is brahmin. Kṣatriya means to remain on the stage of passion. Vaiśya means to remain on the stage of mixture, passion and ignorance. And śūdra means to remain on the stage of ignorance. There are four division of the three modes. So when we come to the stage of becoming a devotee, that means we have already passed all these lower stages. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19).

So what are the symptoms of goodness? Kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. Lusty. Lust and greediness. The whole world is moving by lust and greediness. This is the stage of ignorance and passion. Those who are embarrassed with the lower qualities of material nature, they are embarrassed with two things: lust, not satisfied, and greedy, and lobha: "Give me more, give me more, give me more." "Give me . . ."

Anything, he's not satisfied. The whole world, you see . . . they, sometimes they think that "If I get my income, say, one thousand dollar, I will be satisfied." But as soon as he gets one thousand, he wants one hundred thousand. If he gets one . . . just like in your . . . everywhere, all over the world, the worker class, they are given increment, but again they undergo strike: "More. More wages, more wages, more wages."

So . . . but as soon as they get more money—not only here in these Western countries—then they'll utilize it for lust. Lust and greediness. That's all. They do not know how to utilize money. That a millionaire is so lusty . . . I have seen in Paris. They are going to some clubs. What is the business in that club? Old men, they are going. So lusty that they enter the club by paying fifty dollars, and then there is young women and wine, and that is their pleasure. Lust, kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye. One thing, one side, they are not satisfied, even they have got millions of dollars, "Still I want, still I want, still I want." This is one side, greediness, lobha, and the other side is lust. This is called kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye.

So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious means immediately—that is the test—immediately he will become free from lust and greediness. If he's not free from lust and greediness, he is making a show; he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then these two symptoms will be visible in his character: no more lusty, no more greediness. He should be satisfied with one wife or one husband.

Why hankering after others? That is lusty. That means it is not on the stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; it is in the material platform. These are the test. Therefore we advise our students, "Voluntarily, you try or you become free from these things: illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling." Because indulging in these four things, you'll remain in darkness.

So voluntarily you have to try to give up these bad habits, and at the same time, to maintain yourself on the platform, you have to chant sixteen rounds: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This is the process. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Then the result will be this: ceta etair anāviddham. Because they are . . . māyā is attacking you with these . . . daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī.

Guṇa means these qualities, the three modes of nature. The material nature is guṇamayī. Guṇamayī means involved or full of these three modes of material nature, guṇamayī. Maya means . . . just like golden—it is smeared with gold or it is gold, you can . . . you can say golden. Golden means it is made of gold or it is covered with gold glittering. Similarly, this māyā, this material nature, is made of these three modes of nature, sattva, raja, tama. Therefore it is called guṇamayī.

Guṇamayī . . . another meaning of guṇa is rope. Just like you have seen rope: there are three layers, they are twisted very strong, and such rope becomes strong. So similarly, these three guṇas, these three modes of nature, twisted like rope, and we are bound up. You cannot get out. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).

If your hands and legs are tied with such rope, then it is very difficult. Similarly, we are all bound up. We are declaring freedom, and so many things, nonsense, we are speaking, but we have forgotten that we are under the grip of this māyā. Immediately you can be overcome by māyā. Māyā is so strong. So therefore by this process:

śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ stho hy abhadrāṇi

vidhunoti suhṛt satām

(SB 1.2.17)

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu

nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā . . .

(SB 1.2.18)

This is the process. Nityam, daily. Or twenty-four hours. By studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or associating with devotees, bhāgavata-sevayā . . . bhakti, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī. Then the Supreme Personality of Godhead, bhagavaty uttama-śloke, bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī, devotional service becomes strong and fixed up—simply by this process, hearing. There is no necessity of education or Ph.D. degree.

Simply God has given you these ears and you hear, śṛṇvatām. Hear about Kṛṣṇa from realized soul. This process will make you to be situated on the platform of goodness, and as soon as you are promoted to the platform of goodness, that means you have already surpassed the other two platforms—means ignorance—and the symptom will be . . . that is clear here. The symptom is that the two things, lust and greediness, will not disturb you. You haven't got to take certificate from anyone, "Just give me certificate that I have become a Kṛṣṇa conscious."

You take your certificate yourself, see yourself, whether you are free from lust and greediness. That's the certificate. If you are confident that, "I am free from lust and greediness," then I am making progress. Otherwise, (chuckles) I am again in the same, no progress. This is the test. This is test.

If we want to cheat others, that is a different thing, that "I have become very advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is another thing, cheating. But you test yourself by this process, whether you are free from lust and greediness. This is the test. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). And when you become free from these two things, lust and greediness, tadā, ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati.

Ceta, consciousness, not being attacked by these two nonsense things, ignorance and passion . . . ceta etair anāviddham. Viddham means piercing. They are always piercing, pinching, pinching: "Come on. Come on." They are always pinching. But if you are actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these things will not pinch you. Tadā, ceta etaiḥ . . .

Because everything is in the heart. Whole thing is cleansing the heart. So heart is being pinched. "Here is . . . I am beautiful boy," "I am beautiful girl. Why not come?" So this is pinching. So if you are actually situated on the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness—not fully; a little advanced—then these things will be visible. Tadā ceta etair anāviddham. And when you stop, when you are able to stop this pinching in your heart by these two modes of material nature, passion and greediness—tadā ceta etair anāviddhaṁ sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati-prasīdati—then you become joyful. That is the stage of joyfulness.

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When you have come to this status, joyful, no more pinching by these two modes of material nature—joyful—that is called brahma-bhūta stage, the platform of liberation.

So the next stage is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20). So brahma-bhūta stage means na śocati na kāṅkṣati: no more hankering, no more demanding. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. Because here the business is we hanker after something which we do not possess, and if we lose something which we possessed, then we lament. This is our business.

Some . . . first of all, we possess. Then, by nature, we lose it. When it is lost, then we cry. So these two things are material position, na śocati . . . but when you come to the brahma-bhūta stage, spiritual platform, then these two things will be absent. Na śocati na kāṅkṣati, samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. Then you will be able to see everyone on the spiritual platform. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Then you are learned.

You are seeing the cats and dogs and a human being, a learned man, because you don't see the dress, outward covering, tabernacle, but you see, "Here is a spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." That is universal brotherhood. Not by passing resolution with the United Nation and fighting. That is not possible. You have to come to the stage of spiritual platform, then there is question of love, brotherhood, equality, fraternity, otherwise, all bogus propaganda. It's not possible. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhakti labhate parām (BG 18.54). Then real, pure devotional service begins. Then we become completely fit to serve Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa accepts your service at that time.

This is the process. But if we follow the rules and regulation given by spiritual master, śāstra, then gradually, gradually . . . therefore we should be very careful. We should be very cautious that māyā may not attack us. Because she is always ready to attack. Rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ (SB 1.2.19). Even in goodness also, māyā, there is māyā. Therefore in the material platform, even goodness is not pure. Therefore there is another stage, which is called śuddha-sattva.

Goodness is sattva, sattva-guṇa. There is another stage, transcendental stage, which is called śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam (SB 4.3.23). That is called vasudeva stage, and in the vasudeva stage, Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, appears. You can see Kṛṣṇa. Not that a rascal inviting everyone, "Come on. I shall show you God, I shall show you God," and some rascals are going there to see God. God is not so cheap. One has to qualify himself to see God. These are the processes.

Read the purport.

Pradyumna: "A living being in his normal constitutional position is fully satisfied in spiritual bliss. This state of existence is called brahma-bhūta or ātmānandi, or the state of self-satisfaction. This self-satisfaction is not like the satisfaction of the inactive fool. The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance . . ."

Prabhupāda: Yes, just like a cat and dog are sitting silently, very good men. That kind of inactivity is useless. Rather, one who is devotee, he is very active to serve Kṛṣṇa, "How shall I serve Kṛṣṇa more and more? How shall I advance this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement?" That activity, you see; not sitting idly, "I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious."

Go on.

Pradyumna: "The inactive fool is in the state of foolish ignorance, whereas the self-satisfied ātmānandī is transcendental to the material state of existence. This stage of perfection is attained as soon as one is fixed up in irrevocable devotional service. Devotional service is not inactivity, but the unalloyed activity of the soul."

Prabhupāda: Soul. This is, this is the activity of the soul. You stop the activity of the body, of the mind, then you must be engaged in the activity of the soul. Actually, the soul is active, not this body and mind. As soon as the soul is out of this body, there is no activity. So the real source of activity is coming from the soul. So how it is that after one becomes liberated, he becomes inactive?

That is the theory of the Māyāvādī. Real activity begins there. Here we are active. We have got so many impediments offered by the mind and the body; and when we actually come to the platform of soul, that is liberated position. The activity should be very nice and very polished, very advanced.

Then?

Pradyumna: "The soul's activity becomes adulterated in contact with matter, and as such the diseased activities are expressed in the form of lust, desire, hankering, inactivity, foolishness and sleep. The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination . . ."

Prabhupāda: Sleep and inactivity is a sign of ignorance. The more we are inactive and sleepy, that means we are in the modes of ignorance. And passion means activity for sense enjoyment. And goodness means free from the inactivity of ignorance and the activity of passion, but to see things as they are, "Oh, I am eternal servant of God, so my actions should be to serve God." That is goodness. These are the stages.

When one is inactive, lazy, sleeping, that means ignorance. When one is very active for sense enjoyment, it is passion, and when one is neither active like the sense gratifiers nor sitting idly like the ignorant, but he is trying to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, service, that is goodness. And one who is actually serving Kṛṣṇa, that is transcendental platform, liberated platform.

Then?

Pradyumna: "The effect of devotional service becomes manifest by complete elimination of these effects of passion and ignorance. The devotee is fixed at once in the mode of goodness, and he makes further progress to rise up to the position of vasudeva, or the state of unmixed sattva, or śuddha-sattva . . . or śuddha-sattva state. In this śuddha-sattva state only can one always see Kṛṣṇa, eye to eye, by dint of pure affection for the Lord.”

“A devotee is always in the mode of unalloyed goodness; therefore he harms no one. But the nondevotee, however educated he may be, is always harmful. A devotee is neither foolish nor passionate. The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of . . ."

Prabhupāda: The . . . it is said, maṇinā bhūṣitaḥ sarpaḥ kim asau na bhayaṅkaraḥ (Nīti Śāstra). Snake. Some snakes are decorated with jewel on the hood. So this materialist, however qualified he may be, just like jewel on the head. The śāstra says: "Do you think that a snake coming to you with a jewel on head is not dangerous or ferocious?"

He's as dangerous, as ferocious, as the serpent without jewel. Similarly, any materialistic person, however educated he may be, so-called educated, he is simply a snake, dangerous. That's all. He has no qualification. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ (SB 5.18.12). One cannot have good qualities unless one is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Yes?

Pradyumna: "The harmful, foolish and passionate cannot be devotees of the Lord, however they may advertise themselves as devotees by outward dress. A devotee is always qualified with all the good qualities of God. Quantitatively, such qualifications may be different, but qualitatively, both of them are one and the same."

Prabhupāda: Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (devotees offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Begin.

(kīrtana) (Sudāmā leads) (Prabhupāda plays gong) (end)