730420 - Lecture SB 01.08.28 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1973

730420SB-LOS ANGELES - April 20, 1973 - 37:55 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (leads singing of Jaya rādhā-mādhava)

(prema-dhvāṇī prayers) Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (leads chanting of verse) (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat)

manye tvāṁ kālam īśānam

anādi-nidhanaṁ vibhum

samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra

bhūtānāṁ yan mithaḥ kaliḥ

(SB 1.8.28)

Prabhupāda: Now ladies. (ladies chant) That's all. So, word meaning?

Pradyumna: manye—I consider it; tvām—Your Lordship; kālam—the eternal time; īśānam—the Supreme Lord; anādi-nidhanam—without beginning and end; vibhum—all-pervading; samam—equally merciful; carantam—distributing; sarvatra—everywhere; bhūtānām—of the living beings; yat mithaḥ—by intercourse; kaliḥ—dissension.

Translation: "My Lord, I consider Your Lordship to be eternal time, the Supreme Controller, without beginning and end, the all-pervasive one. In distributing Your mercy, You are equal to everyone. The dissensions between living beings are due to social intercourse."

Prabhupāda: In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says exactly the same thing. This is explained by Kuntī, a devotee. The same thing is spoken by the Lord Himself.

samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu

na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ

ye tu bhajanti māṁ bhaktyā

. . . teṣu te mayi

(BG 9.29)

God cannot be partial. That is not possible. Everyone is God's son. So how God can be partial to one son and better than the other son? That is not possible. That is our mistake. We write, "We trust in God," but we make discrimination. If you trust in God, then you must be equally kind and merciful to all living entities. That is God consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I have no enemies, neither I have got friends." Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. Dveṣya means enemy.

We, we are envious of our enemy and we are friendly to our friends. So Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Even He appears to be inimical to some demon, actually He's friend. When a demon is killed, that means his demonic activities are killed. He becomes a saint immediately. Otherwise, how he's promoted immediately to the brahma-jyotir?

All these demons who were killed by Kṛṣṇa, they immediately merge into the brahma-jyotir—nirviśeṣa. The only difference is . . . of course, the brahma-jyotir, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, they are one. Vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam (SB 1.2.11). That is one truth, Absolute Truth, in different features only. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. Originally Bhagavān, His plenary representation is Paramātmā, who is situated in everyone's heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). The plenary portion, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, He is in everyone's heart. That is Paramātmā. And Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān.

The ultimate issue is Bhagavān. So ye yathā māṁ prapadyante (BG 4.11). Now, He's equal to everyone. It is up to the devotees or persons who are trying to understand the Supreme Absolute Truth. According to their capacity of understanding, the Absolute Truth, God, is revealed either as impersonal Brahman or localized Paramātmā or Bhagavān. It is up to me.

The same example as I have repeated many times: Just like we see sometimes the hills from our room. Here there are many hills in Los Angeles. But they are not distinct. When you are seeing the hills from a distant place, it looks like something cloudy. But if you go still further towards the hill, you'll distinctly find that there is something, hill. And if you come to the hill, then you'll find so many persons are working there, so many houses are there. There are streets, motorcars, everything, all varieties.

So similarly, when one wants to know the Absolute Truth by his teeny brain—"I shall make research to find out the Absolute Truth"—then you'll have vague idea, impersonal idea. And if you become a meditator, then you will find that God is situated within your heart.

Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). The yogīs, the real yogīs, they, by meditation, they see viṣṇu-mūrti within the heart. And those who are devotees, they meet the Supreme Person face to face, just like we are meeting face to face, talk face to face, serve directly. The Supreme Personality of Godhead orders that "You supply Me this," and he supplies. That is the difference.

So samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu (BG 9.29). He's equal to everyone. Now it is up to you to understand Him according to your capacity. So Kuntī also says the same thing in this verse: samaṁ carantaṁ sarvatra. Samaṁ carantam. Carantam means moving. He is moving everywhere, outside, inside—simply we have to make our eyes clear to see Him. That is devotional service, to make our senses purified to perceive the presence of God. God is present everywhere. Antar bahiḥ. Antaḥ means within, and bahiḥ means without. "Those who are less intelligent, they simply try to find out God within, and those who are advanced in intelligence, they can see You within and without." That is the difference.

Meditation is meant for the less intelligent class of men. Meditation means you have to control the senses. yoga practice means yoga indriya-saṁyama. Our senses are very restless. By yoga practice, by, I mean to say, practicing different āsana, so mind is controlled, the senses are controlled. Then we can concentrate upon the form of Viṣṇu within our heart. That is yoga system. Or those who are too much in bodily concept of life, for them the yoga system is recommended, practicing the bodily exercise, and find out the Supreme Lord within the heart. But bhaktas, those who are devotees, who are still more advanced, they don't require to control their senses separately, because to be engaged in devotional service means controlling the senses.

Suppose you are engaged in worshiping the Deity, cleansing the room, in decorating the Deity, in making foodstuff for Deity, everything nicely. So your senses are already engaged. Where is the chance of your senses being diverted? The senses are already controlled. Because my senses, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Bhakti means simply to engage the senses in the service of this master of the senses. Hṛṣīkeśa means master of the senses, and hṛṣīka means senses. So now our senses are engaged for sense gratification. Sarvopādhi, upādhi yuktaḥ. So "I am this body, so I must satisfy my senses." This is the contaminated stage of life. But when one comes to the understanding that, "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God," so my senses, spiritual senses, should be engaged in the service of the Supreme Spiritual Being. That is wanted.

That is mukti. Mukti means hitvā anyathā-rūpam. When we are conditioned, we give up our original constitutional position. Our original constitutional position is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). Our original constitutional position is that we are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. So as soon as we employ ourself in the service of the Lord, immediately we become liberated. Immediately. There is no question of passing through some process. This very process, to engage oneself, engage one's senses in the service of the Lord, means he is liberated.

So this liberation is open for everyone. Samaṁ carantam. Kṛṣṇa does not say that, "You come to Me. You become liberated." No. He's open for everyone. He says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He speaks to everyone. Not that He's speaking to Arjuna only. He's speaking to everyone. Bhagavad-gītā is spoken not only for Arjuna. Arjuna is the, just like the target. But it is spoken for everyone, for all human being. So one has to take advantage. Samaṁ carantam.

He's not partial that, "You become . . ." Just like the sunshine. The sunshine is not partial that, "Here is a poor man, here is a low-class man, here is a hog. I shall not distribute my shining there." No. Sun is equal. One has to take advantage of it. The sunshine is there open, but if you close your door, if you want to keep yourself in airtight darkness, that is your business.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Kṛṣṇa is ready to accept you as soon as you surrender. Samaṁ carantam. There is no restriction. Kṛṣṇa says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). They make distinction that "This is lower class, this is higher class." So Kṛṣṇa says, "Even lower class, so-called lower class, it doesn't matter; if he takes to Me, then he's also eligible to go . . . come back to home, back to Godhead." Samaṁ carantam.

And He's the eternal time. Everything is going on within the time. The time . . . our time calculation is past, present and future. This is relative. The other day we were discussing. This past, present, future is relative term. The . . . for a small insect, the past, present and future is different from my past, present and future. Relative term. Similarly, Brahmā's past, present and future is different from my past, present and future. But Kṛṣṇa has no past, present and future. Therefore He's eternal.

We have got past, present and future because we change this body. Now we have got this body. It has got a date. In such-and-such date I was born by my father and mother. Now this body will stay for some time. It will grow. It will produce some by-product. Then it will become old, then dwindle, then vanish, finish. No more this body. You accept another body, this body's finished. The history of this body—past, present, future—finished. You accept another body. Again your past, present, future begins. But Kṛṣṇa has no past, present, future, because He does not change His body. That is the difference between ourself and Kṛṣṇa.

Just like Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna that "In the past, I spoke to the sun-god about this philosophy, Bhagavad-gītā." So Arjuna could not believe it. Arjuna knew everything, but for our . . . our education, he put this question that, "Kṛṣṇa, we are contemporary; we are born practically in the same period. How can I believe that You spoke this philosophy to the sun-god?" And the reply was that, "My dear Arjuna, you were also present there, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten. That is the difference." Past, present, future, for persons who forget. But who does not forget, who remains eternally, there is no past, present, future.

Therefore Kuntī is addressing Kṛṣṇa as eternal. Manye tvāṁ kālam. And because He is eternal, īśānam, He is full controller. Kuntī says, manye: "I think . . ." By the behavior of Kṛṣṇa, she could understand that Kṛṣṇa is eternal, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Controller. Anādi-nidhanam. Anādi-nidhana . . . there is no beginning; there is no end. Therefore vibhum. Vibhu means the supreme, the greatest. Vibhum. We are aṇu, we are the smallest, and Kṛṣṇa is the biggest. Kṛṣṇa is also, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is both the smallest and the biggest. We are simply smallest, but Kṛṣṇa is both. Kṛṣṇa . . . vibhu, greatest, means all-inclusive. In the great, if you have got a big bag, you can hold so many things. In small bag you cannot do that.

So Kṛṣṇa is vibhu. He includes the time past, present, future. He includes everything, and He's everywhere. That is vibhu. Vibhu, all-pervading. Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that Kṛṣṇa . . . because without Kṛṣṇa, the matter cannot develop. The scientists, the atheist scientists, they say that life comes out of matter. That is nonsense. No. Matter is one energy of Kṛṣṇa, and spirit is another energy. The spirit is superior energy, and the matter is inferior energy. The matter develops when there is superior energy.

Just like this country, America. The same America was two hundred years ago, three hundred years ago, the land, but it was not developed. But because some superior living entities from Europe came here, now America is so much developed. Therefore the cause of development is the superior energy. The inferior energy, there are so many vacant land lying still. Just like in Africa, Australia. They're called "Undeveloped." Why undeveloped? Because the superior energy, living entity, has not touched it. As soon as the superior energy, living entity, will touch it, the same land will develop so many factories, houses, cities, roads, cars, everything, as we can develop.

Therefore the conclusion is that the matter cannot develop out of itself. No. That is not possible. The superior energy must touch it. Then it will be . . . will active. There are so many machines. That is matter, inferior energy. Unless a operator comes to touch the machine, it will not act. First-class motorcar, very costly motorcar machine, but unless a driver comes, it will stand for millions of years there. There is no use. This common sense is lacking. The matter cannot work independently unless the superior energy, living entity, touches it. This is common sense. So how these rascal scientists say that life develops from matter? No. How it can be concluded? There is no such instances. They falsely say that . . . they do not have sufficient knowledge.

So these universes, they have also developed on account of Kṛṣṇa's presence. Therefore Brahma-saṁhitā says, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayānta . . .

They are studying now atoms. So many things are going on, electrons, protons. Why? Because the Kṛṣṇa is there. This is really science. So Kṛṣṇa has no past, present, future. He is eternal time. He has no beginning. He has no end. And He is equal to everyone. Samaṁ carantam (SB 1.8.28). Simply we have to prepare ourself to see Kṛṣṇa, to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is the business of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya, all glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! (Audio end) (Video - 25:20) (obeisances) (kīrtana) (end)