740123 - Lecture SB 01.16.26-30 - Honolulu

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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740123SB-HONOLULU - January 23, 1974 - 47:49 Minutes

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

Prabhupāda: Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis.

Pradyumna:

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis

tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam

śamo damas tapaḥ sāmyaṁ

titikṣoparatiḥ śrutam

jñānaṁ viraktir aiśvaryaṁ

śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ smṛtiḥ

svātantryaṁ kauśalaṁ kāntir

dhairyaṁ mārdavam eva ca

prāgalbhyaṁ praśrayaḥ śīlaṁ

saha ojo balaṁ bhagaḥ

gāmbhīryaṁ sthairyam āstikyaṁ

kīrtir māno 'nahaṅkṛtiḥ

ete cānye ca bhagavan

nityā yatra mahā-guṇāḥ

prārthyā mahattvam icchadbhir

na viyanti sma karhicit

tenāhaṁ guṇa-pātreṇa

śrī-nivāsena sāmpratam

śocāmi rahitaṁ lokaṁ

pāpmanā kalinekṣitam

(SB 1.16.26-30)

(break) (02:28)

Prabhupāda: So Dharitrī, the earthly planet, was lamenting that "Due to the contamination done by the Kali, I am thinking I am lost of all these good qualities." So śaucam . . . satyam, truthfulness. We must remember always that we are part and parcel of God. So we have all the good qualities of God; that is our nature. Just like the drop of the ocean water, it has got all the qualities of the ocean. There is no doubt about it. Therefore, even if we take a little drop of ocean water, because the ocean water is salty, we taste the water salty. The salt is there also, but in minute quantity. The ocean has got millions and trillions of tons of salt, and here, in the drop of the water, there is a grain of salt. But salt is there. Another example: just like a little portion of gold. So that is also gold; it is not iron. So naturally, in our original position we have got all the good qualities of God. Now, due to the material contamination, the godly qualities are now covered. The godly qualities are there, but it is covered. That covering is possible due to our very minuteness, very small quantity. Therefore we are fallible, but Kṛṣṇa is not fallible.

Another example: big fire and the spark. The spark is also fire, but it has got the potency to become extinguished. Suppose a spark falls down from the original fire, down. It is extinguished. But the big fire does not extinguish. Therefore the big fire, or Kṛṣṇa, is infallible. His name is Acyuta, "infallible." The Māyāvāda philosopher says that "We are in māyā, and as soon as the māyā is taken away, we are God." So we are not God, but we manifest our godly qualities when māyā is taken away. So long we are covered by māyā, our godly qualities are not manifest. But we are not God. Or you are God, but not that God, that big God, but you are a particle of. You can say, "I am God," but you are not that original, chief God. That you are not. This is our philosophy. And that is very genuine. How can I be God? If I am God, then why I have lost my godly qualities? Or why my godly qualities are now covered? This is very common sense. The godly qualities are there. Just like a small particle of the spark, it is carbon. When it comes out of the fire, then it is extinguished. But if you put again to the fire, it is carbon, again bright, brightened. Similarly, we are part and parcel of God, but if we fall down from the association of God, then we become . . . appearing like material. But we are not material. It appears that extinguished. This is simultaneously . . . acintya-bhedābheda-tattva. We are simultaneously one and different. As part and parcel in quality, we are one; but in quantity God is great, we are small particle. So originally, we have got all these qualities:

satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntis

tyāgaḥ santoṣa ārjavam

śamo damas tapaḥ sāmyaṁ

titikṣoparatiḥ śrutam

(SB 1.16.26)

Everything is there. But due to material contamination, especially in this age, Kali-yuga . . . the Kali-yuga is very strong. Time is very strong, that even in contact . . . coming in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are falling. They are falling. That is due to Kali-yuga. Therefore Mother Dharitrī is . . . Śocāmi rahitaṁ lokaṁ pāpmanā kalina ikṣitam: "Now the Kali-yuga has come. I'm thinking that . . . I'm very much disturbed that people are losing their original qualities." These qualities are not to be acquired. These qualities are there, but it is covered. Just like a sharpened knife: the cutting power is there, but when it is covered by dirt, it does not cut.

So this is due to our material contamination. Therefore we have to revive it. That sharpness, we have to revive. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. If one is actually Kṛṣṇa conscious, then these qualities will be visible in his person. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ (SB 5.18.12). That is the test. If one is actually advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you'll not find any fault in him. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā. If one has got unflinching faith and devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead—yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā sarvair guṇaiḥ—all the good qualities. These are the good qualities, mentioned here: satyaṁ śaucam, śamo damaḥ santoṣa ārjavam, sāmyam, so many, twenty-six good qualities of Vaiṣṇava. These good qualities will be manifest. Then we understand, "Oh, here is actually a pure devotee." A pure devotee cannot be contaminated, just like God cannot be contaminated. But we are part and parcel, a small God. We can say: "God. I am God," but if you have got sense, you will say that, "I am not the great God, but I am small God." That is sense. Because you have got the God qualities, you are not the Supreme. That is not possible. Supreme is Supreme. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). That is the Vedic injunction, that He is the chief of the eternals. We are all eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre. We are not lost or dead on account of our annihilation of this body. That is not possible. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). As God is eternal, we are also eternal. As God is śāśvata, we are also śāśvata, but small, acintya-bhedābheda. This is our philosophy.

So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to revive the original consciousness. If one is actually in Kṛṣṇa, he'll be truthful. Truthfulness. These are the qualities. Cleanliness, always clean, taking thrice bath. Cloth clean, mind clean, body clean, activities clean, desire clean, thinking clean—everything clean. No contamination. This is the test, "I am doing all nasty things, and I am advertising 'I am advanced devotee.' " What rascal you are advanced? You are doing all nonsense and you are advanced? But they have no shame even, to call themselves . . . shameless. Shameless, even not gentlemen. Cheating, and still, he is advertising, "I am advanced." But a person who is actually in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or actual . . . sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete koriyā aikya. We have to . . . just like if you go to the chemical laboratory, you are testing the characteristic. In the book there is characteristic, even an ordinary chemical. Now they say . . . take, for example, salt. It is called? Chemical name is sodium chloride? Eh?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Sodium chloride. So in the book you'll find sodium chloride, and the characteristics, "It is like this. It is like this. It is like this." The color, the taste, the composition, so many things are there. Similarly . . . how we are testing the purity of sodium chloride? From the books. Similarly, here is the characteristic of pure devotee. The characteristic. You test whether he's truthful, "He's not truthful, sir," then he's not pure devotee. He's doing something . . . he promised before his spiritual master, before the Deity, before the fire, "No illicit sex," but he's having illicit sex. So how he is advanced? How he's advanced? He's not even truthful, the first qualification. He's unclean. Truthfulness . . . śaucam, means very clean. Very clean means . . . just . . . we utter this mantra:

apavitraḥ pavitro vā

'sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ

sa bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ

(Garuḍa Purāṇa)

Śuci, śaucam, śuci.

So the devotee must be clean, inside and outside, both. Outside cleaning by taking bath, washing the body with oil or soap or soda; and inside, inside, materially, there will be no unclean things, stool, unnecessary stool. That means one must evacuate every morning and evening. If we eat more, then we have to evacuate twice. But if we eat less, then once evacuation is sufficient. It is said, yogī, bhogī and rogī. Yogī means spiritually advanced, and bhogī means materialistic, and rogī means diseased. It is a common saying. A yogī evacuates only once. That is yogī. And bhogī, because he eats more, so he evacuates twice. And one who evacuates more than twice, he's rogī, diseased. Yogī, bhogī, rogī. So everything has got routine work. Śaucam. So you'll feel healthy. If you have evacuated nicely, you have washed inside and outside, taken your bath, then you'll feel always refreshed. And unless you feel refreshed, you cannot very nicely chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra or serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore cleanliness is required. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. But . . . apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. If one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and follows the rules and regulation, then automatically he becomes clean inside and outside. Automatically. Apavitraḥ pavitro vā. What for we are accepting initiation? In any condition, in any condition we shall be purified by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), if we chant really.

There are three stages of chanting. One chanting is with offense, beginning. There are ten kinds of offenses, we have described many times. If we chant with offense, that is the . . . that is one stage. If we chant offenseless, that is one stage. And if we chant pure . . . offenseless is not yet pure—you're trying to make offenseless, but not yet offenseless. But when there is pure chanting, that is success. Nāma, nāmābhāsa and śuddha-nāma. So our aim is . . . this was discussed. You'll find in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, discussion between Haridāsa Ṭhākura and a brahmin. So by chanting, you can come to the highest stage of perfection. In the beginning there may be offenses, but if we try to avoid the offenses, then it is nāmābhāsa. Nāmābhāsa means not actually pure name, but almost pure. Nāmābhāsa and śuddha-nāma. When one chants śuddha-nāma, name, holy name of God, then he is on the platform of loving platform with Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfectional stage. And in nāmābhāsa stage—not in pure; marginal, between pure and offensive—that is mukti. You become mukta, liberated from material bondage. And if we chant offensively, then we remain in the material world. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said, nāmākṣara bahirāya nāma nāhi haya. It is mechanical, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa," but still it is not Hare Kṛṣṇa. Nāmākṣara, nāma bahira haya, nāmākṣara, nāma nāhi haya (Prema Vivarta).

So we must be purely chanting. But we should not be disappointed. Even impure . . . therefore we must have fixed chanting process. Because we are not in the pure stage. Therefore, by force . . . just like a boy in the school. We had this training in our childhood school. Our teacher would ask me, "You write ten pages, handwriting." So that means practicing ten pages, my handwriting will be set up. So even if we do not follow sixteen rounds, where is the question of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa? So don't be artificial; don't be, I mean to say, a show bottle. Be real thing. And that is wanted. If you want real benefit of spiritual life, don't be show bottle. Do you know show bottle? The medical shop, a big bottle. It is full of water only. And color is red or blue or something like. But the real medicine does not require . . . (aside) No, not now. Real medicine does not require a show bottle. A small . . . if one can chant purified offenseless once kṛṣṇa-nāma, he is free from all material bondage. Once only. Eka kṛṣṇa nāme yata pāpa haya, pāpī haya tata pāpa kari baro nāhi.

So śaucam. Śaucam means inward cleanliness and outward cleanliness. Śaucam. Inside, we should be pure, purely thinking, no contamination. We should not think anyone as my enemy, "Everyone is friend. I am . . . I am not pure; therefore I am thinking somebody as my enemy." There are so many symptoms. So śaucam: one should be clean, inside and outside. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā. That day I already explained. Dayā means to become compassionate to the fallen, one who has fallen, one who is in distress. So actually, the whole population at the present moment, they're fallen. Kṛṣṇa says:

yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya

tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham

(BG 4.7)

paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ

vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām

dharma-saṁsthāpanārthāya

sambhavāmi yuge yuge

(BG 4.8)

So at the present moment in the Kali, Kali-yuga, they are, practically, they're all demons. All demons. So if Kṛṣṇa . . . of course, sometimes it will come that Kṛṣṇa has to come here simply to kill the demons. That is Kalki avatāra. That is described by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. What is that? Keśava dhṛta-kalki-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Kalau, dhūmaketum iva kim api karālam, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalayasi karavālam. Mleccha, the mleccha, this word, yavana, these . . . there are words in Vedic language, mleccha, yavana. Yavana means meat-eaters. Yavana. It does not mean only Europeans are yavana, and Americans, not . . . Indians are not yavana. No. Anyone who eats meat, he's a yavana. Yavana means meat-eater. And mleccha means unclean. One who does not follow Vedic principles, he's called mleccha. Just like . . . as the Muhammadans say, kafir. One who does not follow Muslim religion, they are called kafir. That is religion point of view. And the Christians say: "Heathens." One who does not follow Christian religion, they are called heathens. Is it not? Similarly, anyone who does not follow Vedic principle, he's called mleccha. So time will come when nobody will follow Vedic principles of life. Therefore, mleccha.

So mleccha-nivaha, when all the people will become mlecchas, nobody following the Vedic principles, mleccha-nivaha-nidhane, at that time there is no more preaching, simply killing. Nivaha-nidhane kalau asi karavālaṁ. In this age a very fearful . . . not feature, but action is very fearful. Mleccha-nivaha-nidhane kalau asi karavālaṁ dhūmaketum iva (Daśāvatāra Stotra 10). Just like now they are apprehending the appearance of a comet. So Kṛṣṇa will appear just like a comet. Dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva, dhūmaketum iva. Kalau ati karavālam. So that is the end of Kali-yuga, that people will be so mlecchācāra, unclean habits, they, dull . . . now they have already become, already become. They have no brain. Even big, big, so-called . . . (break) . . . mahā-vadānya, very munificent incarnation. Or magnanimous. Mahā-vadānyāvatāra. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema . . . He is giving kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. You . . . one cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, it is so difficult.

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu

kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ

kaścin vetti . . .

(BG 7.3)

To understand Kṛṣṇa is not easy job. But Kṛṣṇa in the form of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so compassionate, not only He's giving Himself, Kṛṣṇa, but He's giving kṛṣṇa-prema, love of Kṛṣṇa. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's avatāra. Dayā. Mahā-vadānyāvatāra. So whatever Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is going forward, it is due to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's magnanimous compassion for the poor people suffering in this Kali-yuga. Otherwise, to become Kṛṣṇa conscious is not very easy job. Is not easy job. So those who are getting the chance of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious by the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they should not lose the opportunity. It will be suicidal. Don't fall down. It is very easy. Simply chanting by Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—not always, twenty-four hours, although Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommends, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31), always chant; that is the principle. But we cannot do that because we are so much overwhelmed by the influence of Kali. So at least sixteen rounds. Don't miss this. Don't miss this. What is the difficulty, sixteen rounds? Utmost it will take two hours. You have got twenty-four hours. You want to sleep; all right, sleep, ten hours sleep. That is not recommended. Don't sleep more than six hours. But they want to sleep. They want to sleep twenty-four hours. That is their desire in Kali-yuga. But no. Then you'll be wasting time. Minimize eating, sleeping, mating and defending. When it is nil, that is perfection. Because these are bodily necessities. Eating, sleeping, mating, defending, that is bodily necessities. But I am not this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāram . . . (BG 2.13).

So that realization takes time. But when we are actually advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we must know our duty. Sleeping not more than six hours. Utmost eight hours. Utmost, those who cannot control. But not ten hours, twelve hours, fifteen hours. No. Then what is the use of . . .? Somebody went to see one advanced devotee, and at nine o'clock he was sleeping. And he's advanced devotee. Eh? Is not that? So what is . . .? What kind of devotee he is? Devotee must rise early in the morning, by four o'clock. By five o'clock, he must finish his bathing and other things. Then he takes to chanting and so on . . . twenty-four hours' business must be there. So sleeping is not good. The Gosvāmīs used to sleep only two hours. I also write at night book, and I also sleep not more than three hours. But I take sometimes little sleep more. Not like . . . I don't imitate the Gosvāmīs. That is not possible. But as far as possible. So everyone should try to avoid. And avoid sleeping means if we eat less, then we'll avoid. Eating, sleeping. After eating, there is sleeping. So if we eat more, then more sleeping. If we eat less, then less sleeping. Eating, sleeping, mating. And mating should be avoided. That is a great stricture. Sex life should be minimized as far as possible. Therefore we have got this restriction, "No illicit sex." Sex life, we don't say . . . that you cannot do, nobody can do. Therefore sex life means married life, a little concession. A license, "All right, you take this license." But not illicit sex. Then you'll never be able.

So eating, sleeping, mating and defending. And defending, we are defending so many ways, but still, war is there, and the onslaught of material nature . . . your country is defending so nicely, but now the petrol is taken away. You cannot defend. Similarly, everything can be taken away at any moment. So depend on Kṛṣṇa for defending, defenses. Avaśya rakṣibe kṛṣṇa (Śaraṇāgati). This is called surrender. Surrender, means . . . Kṛṣṇa says that, "You surrender unto Me," sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). Let us believe this, that "Kṛṣṇa is asking to surrender. Let me surrender. He must protect me in danger." That is called surrender, "Now I am surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, but for my defense I'm making another arrangement." Then I have no faith in Kṛṣṇa. If I believe in Kṛṣṇa, then we must believe that Kṛṣṇa will . . . ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi. Believe. Satyaṁ śaucaṁ dayā kṣāntiḥ. Kṣānti means toleration? What is that? Hmm? See kṣānti.

Pradyumna: (reads) "Self-control even if there is cause of anger."

Prabhupāda: Yes, tolerate, yes. Kṣānti. We should not be intolerant. Even somebody has done some wrong unto me, tapasvī. Kṣamā-rūpa-tapasvinām. Tapasvī, those who are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, undergoing tapasya, austerities, their first qualification is to forgive the offender. This is the qualification. Tapasvinām. Kṣamā-rūpa-tapasvinām. Then tyāga. Tyāga means to give your energy for Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is giving energy for his sense gratification. When we give our energy, Kṛṣṇa . . . parārthe prajñā utsṛjet. This is Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Sannimitte varaṁ tyāgo vināśe niyate sati. Sannimitte varaṁ tyāga. Tyāga means to give in charity for others' benefit. That is called tyāga. So what is the best tyāga? When you give up everything . . . (break) . . . there is no question of such thing. You do your best, but depend, the result, on Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. If somebody comes to attack you, you must also attack. You first attack. But you should not think that, "I am so powerful, I can gain victory over you." Depend on Kṛṣṇa, do your best. Yudhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). This is our policy. When there is question of fight, we have to fight. Just like in Bombay we fought, but the result, we depended on Kṛṣṇa. We have come out victorious. There was no hope of getting that land. It was regular fight. The whole Bombay city became agitated. Yes, in Bombay. But we are victorious, because we depended on Kṛṣṇa. I thought . . . simply I prayed to Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Lord, You are seated there on that place. If You are removed, then it will be suicidal. You must remain there." My only prayer was that, "I don't care for this land, but You are seated there, I cannot tolerate this insult that You will be removed from there." So Kṛṣṇa saved our face. He's still remaining there.

So we should be like that. We should fight to our best, but depend the result on Kṛṣṇa. Don't try to take the credit for yourself. That is wanted.

Devotee (1): So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, should devotees in ISKCON, should a certain section of devotees in ISKCON be trained as kṣatriyas? Should they be specially trained?

Prabhupāda: Well, a devotee is neither kṣatriya, neither brāhmaṇa; he's servant of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. These "brāhmaṇa," "kṣatriya," "vaiśya," "śūdra," they are on the material platform. On the spiritual platform, there is no such distinction. Spiritual platform, the master and the servant. You remain a servant. If you have to act as kṣatriya, act like that. If you act as a brahmin, act like that. If you . . . that is our superficial. A devotee's always servant of God. Whatever service is required, as a brahmin, as a kṣatriya, as a vaiśya, it doesn't matter. We are ready. It does not mean that because we are fighting, we become kṣatriya. No. Sa guṇān . . . these are the division of the three qualities. But a devotee's above . . . (break) . . . all these things. Kṛṣṇa's devotees are above all these things. You have to become a pure devotee, not a kṣatriya, not a brāhmaṇa, not an all . . . that is not required. All right.

Devotee (2): One question: You said that one mistake of the neophyte devotee is to think that he is suffering under some condition, some distress, and that it is due to the circumstances under which the distress occurred. And my question is, Can the change of one's service . . . can changing the type of service one's performing, can that help him to achieve the desired perfection in relationship with the spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: So what is the real proposal? I do not follow. Why don't you say frankly? This is . . . why in a (laughs) jugglery way? State what is the fact?

Devotee (2): Well, like, if one is in a big temple, he's a cook in a big temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In a big temple, the cooker and the man who is worshiping the Deity and the man who is sweeping over, they're all one. There is no distinction. There is no such material dis . . . in the material world, if somebody's doing nice job, he is greater, and if somebody's not nice job, he's smaller. In spiritual world, there is no such distinction.

Devotee (2): So one is like that, in a comfortable situation . . .

Prabhupāda: Comfortable situation is also sense gratification. Any situation, we shall have to serve Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not that, "If it is comfortable to me, I shall do it." That is sense gratification. That is sense gratification. That is not spiritual, that is material. "Comfortable or uncomfortable, it doesn't matter. If Kṛṣṇa wants it, I must do it." That is wanted. That is wanted. As soon as I discriminate, "This is comfortable, this is uncomfortable," that is material.

Devotee (3): Prabhupāda, how can we know what type of service Kṛṣṇa . . .

Prabhupāda: Therefore you have got spiritual master. Why he is there? Therefore you have to accept spiritual master who will give you direction. You cannot do it. If you manufacture your own way, then go to hell. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ (ŚU 6.23). Kṛṣṇa is there; guru is there. Why should you manufacture your own way? If you are sincere, Kṛṣṇa will dictate from within. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. Find out this verse. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam, buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam.

Pradyumna: (aside) 10.10

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you instruction. The spiritual master is ready. Why should you do at your whims, and do something wrong and go to hell? Yes?

Bali-mardana:

teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ

bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam

dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ

yena mām upayānti te

(BG 10.10)

"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

Prabhupāda: That's all. Kṛṣṇa is within you. He'll give you. As soon as you become a pure devotee, all dictation will come from within. And besides that, Kṛṣṇa is helping, inside and outside. Outside is spiritual master; inside Kṛṣṇa Himself. Where is the difficulty? Simply you have to become sincere. That's all. Everything is there. But if we become cheaters, we do, say, something before Kṛṣṇa, before spiritual master, before fire, and do something else, then there is no question of dictation from Kṛṣṇa. You do your activities. Sva-karmaṇā, by your own work, you suffer or enjoy. There is no enjoyment, simply suffer. That's all. Material world, there is no question of enjoyment. Simply we concoct, "This is enjoyment." This is not enjoyment. It is suffering.

Devotee (4): Śrīla Prabhupāda, you spoke about the three stages of chanting? And you were speaking about the middle stage, the clearing stage? Is that . . . I didn't quite understand how that was explained. Is that like we're trying not to be offensive. It's offensive, but we're trying . . .

Prabhupāda: No, you do not try to be offensive, but because your past habit, you become offensive. Therefore ten kinds of offenses should be avoided. That we speak and give in list when initiation. There should be . . . ten kinds of offenses should be avoided. Guror avajñā śruti-śāstra-nindanam, sāmyaṁ śubha-kriyā api pramādaḥ; nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ (Padma Purāṇa, Brahma-khaṇḍa). These are things. The most offensive is that, "Kṛṣṇa . . . by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, I become sinless. So in the morning let me do, or in the . . . at night, let me do all sinful activities; in the morning I shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and it will . . . everything will be nullified." This is the greatest offense. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. "Because I am chanting, therefore I can do anything sinful. It will be counteracted." This is the greatest rascaldom, sinful activities. Yes. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. Pāpa-buddhiḥ. Nāma . . . by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra we become immediately sinless. That's a fact. But why shall we commit again? Just like the Christian people, they go to the church, confession,

"Sir, I did this, all these sinful activities last week." "All right, pay me something." Again, from Monday, beginning sinful activities; come on Sunday. These are not allowed. You can be excused, but don't do again. If you continue to do it, that is not very . . . then you have to suffer. Once or twice, you may be excused. But if you continue to do that, you must be punished. Nāmno balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ.

Devotee: (indistinct question)

Prabhupāda: Yes, everything under the direction of the spiritual master. Why you are asking? . . . (indistinct) . . . you do not know these things? Why do you ask this question? It must be, according to the direction of the spiritual master. Why do you ask that question? Therefore, ādau gurvāśrayam. Whatever . . . (break) (end)