730420 - Morning Walk - Los Angeles

Morning Walks by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730420MW-LOS ANGELES - April 20, 1973 - 47:05 Minutes

Devotee: (introducing recording) Prabhupāda, morning walk, Los Angeles, April 20th, 1973.

Prabhupāda: Does it mean the sand is begetting the insects?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Prabhupāda: So their conclusion is like that. Because they see that the insects are coming from the sand, so from matter, this life is coming. This is their logic. It is called, in Sanskrit, taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya. Everything is discussed. Taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya. You know taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No.

Prabhupāda: Taṇḍula means rice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Rice?

Prabhupāda: Rice. And vṛścika means scorpion. The scorpion enter within the heaps of rice and lay their eggs. And by heat of the rice, they . . . another's baby vṛścika come out. And when they're coming out of the, that taṇḍula, rice, the rascals are thinking that the rice is begetting the vṛścika. They do not know the inner secrecy that another vṛścika, scorpion, has laid down the eggs within the rice, and by the fermentation of the heat of the rice, the eggs are fructified and the living entity's coming out. Taṇḍula-vṛścika-nyāya.

(pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Ah. So many birds.

Prabhupāda: They have got their food. Everyone is intelligent enough where to find out food, where to lie down. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya. How to have sex. Everyone is intelligent. Even a small insect, the flies, I see at night they have sex. One fly after another. Everyone knows it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's the inborn quality of the living entities.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām (Hitopadeśa 25). The only special significance of human being is that he has got special intelligence to understand what is Absolute Truth. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. So therefore his first duty is to know the Absolute Truth—not waste time for eating, sleeping, mating.

The modern material civilization is wasting time, so-called advancement of material comforts. Simply wasting time. Nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ (SB 2.1.3). They are wasting time at night either by sleeping or by sexual intercourse. Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3). And during daytime, simply, "Where is money? Where is money? Where is money?" And as soon as they get money, they spend it for kuṭumba-bharaṇa, for maintaining the family.

This is their business, the sum total of modern civilization. And if they can purchase a nice car, that is the success of their life. Kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā. Not only for himself—for his wife, for his children, if he has got three cars. Just like our Mukunda Mahārāja is doing. He's earning one thousand dollars and spending in car. That is his Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rascal boy is so much captivated with the rascal girl. He's thinking that he's happy. He's spoiling his life.

(pause)

Divā cārthehayā rājan kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā (SB 2.1.3).

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv

ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api,

pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

Dehāpatya. Deha means body. Apatya means children. Dehāpatya-kalatra. Kalatra means wife. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣu. He thinks, "They are my soldiers. I'll fight with nature, struggle for existence, and they'll save me." Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api. Although he knows that they'll not exist, still he's so mad, teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanam, he knows, "I'll not exist. The soldiers will not be able to help me." Paśyann api na paśyati: he sees and still he does not see. Paśyann api na paśyati. He knows by practical experience that "This society, friendship, love, nation, nobody can save me." But still he thinks that "They'll save me."

Just like when you, in the aeroplane, there may be thousands of aeroplane, others, but when your aeroplane is in danger, nobody can save you. You have to save yourself. Otherwise, you go to hell. Similarly, we have to save ourself individually by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What this material advancement will save me? Will the material advancement of knowledge can save anyone from death? Is it possible? Real problem, duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam, real problem is birth, death, old age and disease. So what this material advancement of science will help in this connection? They'll bluff, "Yes, in the future we shall do." That's all. Bluffing. Past, present, future, never they will be able to help. Still they're proud, "Yes, in the future we shall do it."

Dehāpatya kalatrādiṣu. Tasmād ekena manasā bhagavān harisa śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaś ca nityaś ca (SB 1.2.14). (japa) Dehāpatya kalatradiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4).

(pause)

They have discovered so many . . . can they fly like the birds are flying, all together? There is no collision. They can go with full force. There is no collision. They haven't got even intelligence like the birds, and they're proud. If a small bird, they'll fly together, flock together, with great force, they'll not collide. Can the scientists arrange flying like that? Immediately, they'll be all smashed. Still, they're proud of intelligence. What intelligence you have got? You are less intelligent than the birds.

Karandhara: The ants also can walk.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Karandhara: The ants, thousands of them, without colliding. But the cars, they're always colliding.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The living entities, when the soul is inside a body, they're much more flexible than the . . . the aeroplanes or cars that are made by the scientists.

(flute in background)

Prabhupāda: Yes. The aeroplane wings, they're fixed up. But the bird wings, he can do like this. Even they can do like that, where is the credit? It is already there—many millions and thousands. (japa)

(pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In physical sciences, there's a branch called thermodynamics that deals with the transfer of heat and energy in different forms. So their three laws is called first law, second law and the third law. First law deals with the conservation of energy in different forms. And the second law, it is stated that the energy of the universe is constant. Just like in the Śrī Īśopaniṣad, the "Invocation, pūrṇa . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. Pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate, pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: On the other hand, the second law says that the, the entropy, that means the randomness of the all natural, spontaneously occurring natural processes, always increase. The randomness . . .

Prabhupāda: But . . . thing is that they are studying the laws very nicely. That's good. But they should appreciate that who has made this law. That is their defect. They are studying how the laws of nature is working. That's nice. But they should appreciate at the same time: Who made such subtle laws that they are working so nicely?

That is our philosophy. We do not only study the laws and appreciate it, but we study the law-maker also. That is the difference between ourself and the so-called scientists. They are left, poor fund of knowledge. They cannot appreciate that there is a law-maker of these subtle laws. That is their defect. That is called poor fund of knowledge. And as soon as we accept law-maker, we have to accept that He's a person, He has got brain; therefore He can make laws.

Just like the great ocean is working, but there is a law. It cannot come here, although there is potency. At any second it can cover the whole city. But there is a law. Just like state law, "Up to this. No more admission. You have to stop." Similarly, there is law of God. Where there is order, "You mighty ocean, you cannot come beyond this," this is law. There is sun, "You must rise at half-past . . . at five o'clock in the morning." "Yes, sir." This is law, "You must rise on the eastern side." "Yes, sir." Not whimsically—sometimes this side, sometimes that side, sometimes that side. Cannot do whimsically. That is law of nature. And behind the law of nature, there is the order-giver, law-maker. This is perfect knowledge.

Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10): "Under My superintendence, the laws of nature is working." This is intelligence. We are teaching people this intelligence. That's all. We don't decry that, "Your studying of the laws of nature is useless." We don't say that. We say: "Not so much. This is imperfect. Go forward still." And that is perfection. You are a science student. By your scientific knowledge, you prove that behind these laws there is Kṛṣṇa. Then your scientific knowledge is perfect. Either from the chemical department or physical department or electrical department, any department, it doesn't matter—through that department you go to the ultimate center.

Just like here is center, and there are so many spokes. So many spokes. So whichever spoke you may be, come to the center. That is your perfection. The spokes may be of different direction, like that. But center is Kṛṣṇa. The energy, central energy, is Kṛṣṇa.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā

varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya

saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

(SB 1.2.13)

And these, these living entities, they're flying. They have got intelligence, "The men are coming. We shall be smashed." They're flying, taking shelter. Defense. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-mai . . . defense, defense measures. They know how to defend themselves in their own way. Similarly, they know how to eat and similarly they know how to sleep. But what is the difference between this insect and me? I can talk of God, I can understand God. It cannot. That is the difference. I can study Vedic literature. So many facilities for me.

But all these facilities, all this intelligence, I am utilizing for the same purpose: eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Therefore it is useless waste of time, waste of life, valuable life. What is their benefit? Suppose you are studying that this law is working like that, this law is working like that. But you cannot help. You cannot change the law. You are under the laws. So what is the benefit simply by studying? Huh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They get some pleasure.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just knowing the law.

Prabhupāda: That, that is sense gratification. That is sense gratification. Teṣāṁ kleśo eva avaśiṣyate. For that sense gratification, he's working so hard, spending so much money, but the result is that taking labor is their result. That's all. No benefit, no other benefit. Teṣāṁ kleśa eva avaśiṣyate. Nānyat yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām (SB 10.14.4). Just like you have taken the rice from the paddy. So now it is only skin. And if you try to employ that machine, ḍheṅki . . . what is called?

Devotee: Thresher.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Dheṅki. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Dheṅki, yes. What you'll gain? Simply dag-da, dag-da, dag-da, dag-da, dag-da. But the rice is already taken away. So their labor is being spoiled in that way. They, pleasure . . . for the pleasure's sake, they are spoiling the human facilities. This is their intelligence. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says:

jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra vaibhava tomāra bhajane bādhā

anitya saṁsāre moha janamiyā jībake karaye gādhā

This jaḍa-vidyā, this material science, is simply a hindrance to our progress of spiritual life.

All these rascal scientists, they'll deny God. That is their business. Just like you said yesterday that somebody was accepting God, and the other scientists, they thought, "No, it is insult." So already they are in oblivion. They cannot understand what is God. And these rascals are making them more and more rascals, "There is no God." By their scientific research, the rascals are becoming more rascals. And they're becoming captivated, "This is pleasure." What pleasure you will do you? Therefore they are . . . they are gādhā. They are gādhā, and they are creating gādhās.

That is the song of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Jaḍa-vidyā jato māyāra . . . it is expansion of māyā's illusory energy. The so-called scientific advancement is simply expanding the influence of māyā's illusory energy. They're already rascals and fools, and still they are being made rascals and fools. So they're forgetting their real purpose of life, and the whole human life is spoiled. This is the result of so-called scientific advancement.

Brahmānanda: Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura also says that the modern education makes men just like an ass.

Prabhupāda: That is, I am explaining.

(pause)

Just like this . . . what is called? Anthropology?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Astrology?

Prabhupāda: Darwin's . . .?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Dar . . . Darwin? Oh, naturalists.

Prabhupāda: No, no. There are . . .

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, archaeologists?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Anthropology. There's a department . . .

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Anthropologists studies with the skulls and . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh, oh. This is . . .

Karandhara: Ecology?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Anthropology.

Prabhupāda: It is a false theory, and upon this so many university are spending money, professors.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Thousands of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Thousands. Rascal theory. You see? In this way, they're wasting money. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Karandhara: They always have to revise their theories, because about every few years they find something new which contradicts everything they have said before.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their intelligence.

Brahmānanda: And they think that's progress.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Progress in one sense. Because they're rascals, making little progress.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Advancing in the wrong direction.

Prabhupāda: But the real progress is when they will understand that, "We are rascals." (laughter) That will be real progress, when they come to understand that, "We are all fools and rascals." That will be real progress. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented Himself that, "My Guru Mahārāja found Me a rascal number one." Yes. That is real progress.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Science is nearing that stage. Science . . .

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Because they're going to accept that they're all rascals? That will be the real progress. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). So after many, many births of rascaldom, when he comes to Kṛṣṇa and surrenders, "Yes. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). He is everything," that is real knowledge.

(pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: A group of scientists are now working on the idea that before we start anything, one should think . . .

Prabhupāda: No, there is the latest theory. What is this? Theory of ignorance? Or what is that? Theory of impossibility, or something like that?

Karandhara: Oh, theory of uncertainty?

Prabhupāda: Uncertainty, yes. Theory of uncertainty. Everything is uncertain. And that is little intelligence. That, how to find out the certainty.

(pause)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The scientists, they claim that the discoveries are accidental and incidental—by accident, by chance.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) What is this? That means they're fools.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In many instances, when they try to find out something, they do not find the real one that they want, but in between, along the way, they find something else. So that is why they call it "by accident." Because they did not aim for that, but somehow they get it along the way.

(pause) (break)

Brahmānanda: Six-fifteen. (break)

(referring to birds)

Prabhupāda: . . . also know how to keep pace with the big, big waves. They know how to do it. They're not afraid of big waves.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They know that the wave is coming. They run because they know that the wave is coming.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And they know how to go forward and come back. Who has taught them this discipline? Kṛṣṇa is there, within. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭho mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa is dictating, "Now you go forward. Now you come back. Here is your food." He's giving intelligence. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭho mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca. He's giving direction in every living entity, but when a human being, He gives direction, if he surrenders that, "Go this way. You'll come to Me." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi taṁ yena mām upayānti te (BG 10.10). And that is human intelligence.

So far these lower animals are concerned, they are given . . . being given intelligence how to eat, how to sleep, how to mate, how to defend. But a human being, if he engages himself in the service of the Lord, then Lord will give intelligence how to come back to home, back to Godhead. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. That is the condition. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10): "Only to those who are engaged in devotional service with love and faith, I give him intelligence how to come back to home, back to Godhead."

Therefore, after coming to human form of body, we must awaken our intelligence about understanding the Supreme Lord. And if we take up the process sincerely, with love, then Lord within will give you dictation, "You come this way, come this way, come this way." Otherwise, not. The first condition is, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām. Therefore we are trying to engage all our disciples to be engaged twenty-four hours in devotional service. Then his life will be successful.

That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Satata. Satata means always, constantly. Just like we are walking, but we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Others are walking, they're wasting time. But we are, we are walking, but at the same time we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are eating, we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are sleeping, we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

We are working . . . always. Then Kṛṣṇa will see, "Now he's serious. Let him have some intelligence how he can come back to home." This is the process. And the pleasure of sense gratification, oh, that is also known how to do it by the hogs and dogs. They know. The hogs are eating everything, up to stool, for sense gratification.

So the human being, if they have no discrimination—they can eat anything and everything for sense gratification—they are no better than hogs. What is the difference between a hog and human being? The hog has no discrimination of eating. Anything it will eat, up to stool. So if a human being becomes like hog, without any discrimination, he will eat anything, that is advancement of civilization? The advancement of becoming hog. That's all. And they like, actually. The hippies, they like hogs. Yes.

Brahmānanda: They worship them.

Prabhupāda: Worship. That is their advancement of . . . after taking so much university education, they have learned how to love hogs. Just see the fun.

(pause) (looking at insects)

They are living within the sand. How these rascals are speaking that because in the moon planet there is sand only, there is no living entity? How we can believe? We see practically. They do not go to the garden, they live within the sand. How they are living?

(pause)

(break) Such a . . . (indistinct) . . . (laughs) And they do some acrobatic feats, like that. Still they're in no condition.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Very smart.

Prabhupāda: So that smartness you haven't got. Even of a small bird, and still you are proud of advancement. The vulture goes up and he can see everything, but when you go up, aeroplane up, you cannot see where is your home. Is it not? They can find out, four miles, five miles away, where is a corpse. Immediately they flock.

(pause)

Harer nama, harer nama . . . (CC Adi 17.21). What is this building? Some . . .

Karandhara: An auditorium. We're going to have a festival here on . . . next month.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice. What do they charge?

Karandhara: Well, if you don't charge anything, they don't charge you anything for using it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they don't charge?

Karandhara: No. If you don't charge people for coming to the function, they don't charge you for using this place.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's nice.

Karandhara: It's owned by the city.

Prabhupāda: This is good. We can hold meetings, distribute prasādam.

(pause)

They have discovered computer machine?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And put some sand within it. Let it count. Huh? Not very much. A handful of sand and put in. The machine will stop. (laughing) The result will be the machine will be no more working.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Computer will reject.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Computer will reject, saying that, "I cannot do it."

Prabhupāda: They reject?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Something which is not possible . . .

Prabhupāda: Then, then it is imperfect. If he cannot count, reject, then it is imperfect. Harer nama, harer nama . . .

Karandhara: They would estimate.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Karandhara: They would estimate.

Prabhupāda: What is that, estimating? Estimate how many . . .?

Karandhara: They cannot count perfectly, so they estimate.

Prabhupāda: Rough idea. Harer nama, harer nama . . . (pause)

So on the sea side, it is more pleasant than in the park. Is it not? Fresh air.

(japa) (pause)

This is bike route? Huh? Bicycle route?

Karandhara: Yes.

(pause)

Prabhupāda: The car looks like governor's car. (laughter)

Devotee: Jagad-guru . . . (indistinct) . . . jai Gurudeva.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

(indistinct discussion)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Take some prasādam. Everybody has one? What is the time now?

Devotee: Twenty-five till seven.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh. (end)