740614 - Lecture - Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel - Paris

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740614LE-PARIS - June 14, 1974 - 63:59 Minutes

Prabhupāda: (sings Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (leads prema-dhvani prayers)

śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya

(I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.)

(break)

(translated into French throughout by Jyotirmayī dāsī)

Prabhupāda: . . . kindly taking part in this saṅkīrtana movement. This saṅkīrtana movement means vibration of the transcendental sound. In the beginning of creation, (disturbing noises from audience) sound is the origin of all creation. That is admitted in the Bible also. (aside) Where is that paper? Yes. Read it. We are reading a passage from your Bible.

Nitāi: The Gospel according to St. John, Chapter One. "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not."

Prabhupāda: (aside) Where it is? So the same thing explained in the Vedic literature. Here it is said that, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." So God being Absolute Truth, there is no difference between God, His form, His qualities, His word and everything relating to God. That is also God. Just like in the material world the name and the subject, or the substance, they are different. Just like when you are thirsty, you simply utter the word "water, water," it will not quench your thirst. But in the spiritual world, the name "God," or "Kṛṣṇa," and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are the same. Just parallel to this Bible passage I'll quote one Sanskrit verse from the Vedas. Therefore it is said:

nāma-cintāmaṇi-kṛṣṇa

caitanya-rasa-vigrahaḥ

pūrṇaḥ śuddho nitya-mukto

abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ

(CC Madhya 17.133)

Namely, the name of God is as powerful as God is Himself. It is called pūrṇa. Pūrṇa means complete. And śuddha. Śuddha means without any material contamination. Pūrṇaḥ śuddha nitya. Nitya means eternal. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ means without being different from the person whose name we are chanting.

The idea is that when we chant the holy name of God—just like "Kṛṣṇa"—Kṛṣṇa is present there. As soon as you chant God's name . . . not necessarily that he will have to chant the name Kṛṣṇa. Any other name which you know that it is God's name, you can chant it. God has got many names, and they can be chanted by different languages in different country. The effect is the same. Practically, God has no name, but His name is given according to His activities. Just like we are chanting God's name "Kṛṣṇa." Kṛṣṇa means "all-attractive." So God is all-attractive. We can have the idea how we consider attractiveness in this material world. One is attractive in this material world if he is very rich, if he is very powerful, if he is very wise, if he is very beautiful. In this way, in six ways one becomes the most attractive. The statement is there in the Vedic literature:

aiśvaryasya samagrasya

vīryasya yaśasaḥ śriyaḥ

jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva

ṣaṇṇāṁ iti bhaga ganā

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47)

Means God is all-attractive by six features: that He is the richest of all, He is the strongest of all, He is the most beautiful, He is the most wise, He is the most renounced order and He is most famous.

So our position, we all living entities, all the living entities or the human being who are sitting in this hall, we are all sons of God. (someone calls out "No") (chuckles) It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that . . . (aside) You find out this verse:

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

sambhavanti mūrtayo yaḥ

tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

Read it. You read it.

Nitāi:

sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya

mūrtayaḥ sambhavanti yaḥ

tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma

ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā

(BG 14.4)

"It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."

Prabhupāda: So according to Vedic conception, any living entity, in any form of life, they are all part and parcel of God. (someone yells out "No" and yells some things in French) Your Bible says that in the beginning there was word only, and the word is God. So before the creation, the God was there. Then all the created creatures, wherefrom they came? They came from God. It is clearly stated in this verse, "All things were made by Him." So original creator of everything was God. "Everything" means including all, not only a certain person or certain thing. "Everything" means everything, all. So all things were made by God means . . . "made by Him" means that all these creatures . . . there are different creatures, 8,400,000. They were created by God. One who creates, He is the father, just like in the material sense also, a father creates his children. So how can you say "No"? Because here in the Bible it is said that, "All things were made by Him, created by Him." Therefore He is the father of everything. (more yelling) "And without Him was not anything made that was made."

So you cannot deny the authoritative statement of Vedas or Bible by your whimsical way. When you go to your church, you ask, "Father, give us our daily bread." That means He is father of everyone. This is perfect knowledge, that God is father of everything that is made. Here it is clearly stated, "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." That is also statement of the Vedānta-sūtra, the most perfect philosophy of Vedic language. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā, means "This human life is meant for inquiring about God." So the first understanding of God is that He is the creator of everything.

So the present Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for understanding God. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started not now, say, in your country, Western countries say, for the last six or seven years, but the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is on this planet for the last five thousand years. When I say: "Kṛṣṇa consciousness," it means God consciousness. So human being, human life, is meant for understanding God and become God conscious. In the animal life there is no possibility of understanding God. When we invite by advertisement, "Please come here in this meeting. We shall discuss something about God," the human being comes, not the cats and dogs. This is . . . (loud applause) So human being is the chance given by nature to understand about God. If we do not take chance, if we do not fulfill this chance—that means we have got this chance to understand God—then our next life may not be human being. The soul is within your body. The soul is the part and parcel of God. If you try to understand what is the soul, then partially you understand what is God. If you study yourself, then you study to some extent what is God, because you are the sample of God. It is also stated in the Bible that human being is made under the image of God. So if you study yourself—that is called meditation—then you can understand what is God.

Therefore the yoga system is recommended. Those who are in bodily consciousness of life, for them, this meditation yoga, or to understand oneself, that is very important thing. If you try to understand yourself . . . very simple method: You take your finger; you ask yourself whether you are finger. The answer will be "No, I am not finger. It is my finger." Everyone will say, even a child will say: "This is my finger, my hand, my leg, my head." Nobody will say that, "I leg," "I finger," "I head." Nobody will say. Therefore the conclusion should be I, the soul, is different from this material body. The material body changes on account of presence of the soul. Just like a child gets a different body like a boy, a boy gets a different body like a young man—similarly, young man gets another body as an old man. Every one of us can consider that, "I had a small body of child. I had a small body of boy. I had a youthful body. Now I have got this old body." By this simple study I can understand that I am different from the body. And because I am eternal, in all forms of body I was existing. That I can understand also.

Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20): "After the destruction of this body, I, the soul, I am not destroyed. I continue to live." The soul is eternal. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: eternal, very old, still, after the destruction of the body, the soul is never destroyed. Death means destruction of this outer, gross material body. Every day, every night we have got experience—the body lies down on the bed, but with my subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—I dream and I go somewhere else from my bedroom. So this is going on daily in our experience, that I leave this gross body, I take my subtle body, and I do something else, although my body is here. The conclusion is therefore that I, the soul, am changing my body from the gross to the subtle, from the subtle to the gross. In our daily life we have got experience that I accept this subtle body—the subtle body is there; there is no question of acceptance—but with the subtle body I dream, and again when the dream is over, then I come to this gross body. So death means when the subtle body carries the soul to another gross body, not this gross body, that is called death.

So this subtle body—means mind, intelligence and ego—that carries me to another body according to the nature of my mind. At the time of death, as the mind is absorbed, I mean to say, full of thoughts, according to that full of thoughts, we are given another gross body. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that anta-kale . . . yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Bhāvam, the attitude, the modes of the mind at the time of death, will carry me to the next gross body. Therefore it is necessary to prepare ourself what kind of body we are going to get after death. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "After death, the soul," tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), "gets another body." Now we can see in our experience, there are so many different types of bodies. There are 900,000 species of bodies in the water. There are two million different types of bodies in the vegetable kingdom, means the trees and plants. There are eleven hundred thousand species of life in the insect kingdom. There are one million types of bodies in the birds kingdom. And there are three million types of bodies in the beast life. And there are 400,000 species of body in the human society. Out of them, the civilized man is considered to be perfectly in bodily situation.

So this human form of body is given to us by nature to understand God. In other forms of life there is no chance of understanding God. Therefore it is our duty, everyone's duty, before the next death comes we must understand what is God. If we simply misuse this body like cats and dogs, then we are missing the chance. We cannot say that we are free. That is not possible. We are completely under the control of the material nature. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇair karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

iti manyate mūḍha

(BG 3.27)

That we, every one of us, at the present moment in our conditional state of life, we are completely under the, I mean to say, mercy or care of the material nature. There are three modes of material nature, namely goodness, passion and ignorance. When we are under the control of this material nature, we associate with either of these qualities. If we associate with the quality of goodness, then we are promoted in the higher world. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā

madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

(BG 14.18)

Means "Those who are associating with the modes of material nature goodness, they will be promoted to the higher planetary system. Those who are associating with the modes of passion, they'll remain in the middle planetary system." (break)

So as it is said that in the beginning was the word, that means before the creation there was the transcendental sound. So that word, or transcendental sound, is not like the material sound. If we associate with the transcendental sound Hare Kṛṣṇa, then we become purified to become transcendental. Just like we can have a crude example—you take one iron rod and put into the fire. The iron rod will be warm, warmer, and gradually it will be red hot. When it is red hot, then it is no longer the iron rod; it is fire. So how it has become fire? By association with the fire. Simply, therefore, if you simply keep yourself touch with God by this vibration of transcendental sound, gradually you become godly. So as soon as you become godly, you become the same quality—aiśvaryasya samagrasya (Viṣṇu Purāṇa 6.5.47): full riches, full power, full strength, full knowledge, everything full. Therefore the Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't keep yourself in darkness. Come to the light."

So our only request is at the present moment, the whole world is for want of godly understanding. They are in darkness. So our duty is, when we have got this privilege of this human form of life, we should not keep ourself in darkness. Darkness means without any knowledge of the soul and God. So long I am thinking that, "I am this body," it is in darkness. Except the human being, any other living being, they are all in darkness. Therefore human being's business is not to keep himself in darkness, but come to the light. So long we have got this material body, there are four necessities of life. They are eating, sleeping, sex intercourse and defense. So the cats and dogs, they also eat, they sleep, they have sex life and they can defend also. So therefore a human being should not be educated only for these four principles of animal necessities. The human necessity is to understand God. Therefore in civilized human society there is some system of religion. Either you call it Christianity, Muhammadanism or Hinduism, in civilized society there must be some form of religion. And a human being is supposed to follow the principles to have complete knowledge about God and himself, to know, "What is the relationship between God and me?" and "What is the goal of life?"

So it doesn't matter whether you are Christian, Hindu, Muslim. The real purpose of life is to know God. And in the Vedic literature it is said, dharmaṁ tu sākṣāt bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19): Dharma, or religion, means the codes given by God. Just like in the state we have got practical experience. We, if we abide by the laws of the state, then we are good citizen, peaceful citizen. (yelling and applause in the audience) (aside) What is that?

Jyotirmayī: They don't like this, because they don't like the laws of the state. So when we use the example of the state, they don't like it.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) You may not like, sir, but if you do not follow you will be punished. (boos and yells) Anyway, if you do not follow the codes and laws of the state or God, then certainly you will be punished. (yelling) You may declare independence, but there is no, I mean, the possibility of such independence. That requires knowledge. (yelling)

Jyotirmayī: He is saying that there are some people who would like to ask some questions.

Yogeśvara: They can ask after.

Prabhupāda: So immediately if you want to put some question, then I can stop. Or if you want me to go on speaking, I will speak. As you like. (more yelling) We can stop speaking? (indistinct discussion between devotees about having questions)

Jyotirmayī: I can say that afterwards . . .

Yogeśvara: Bhagavan just said that we'll have questions after the lecture is finished. We can have kirtana.

Prabhupāda: No, we can finish it now.

Jyotirmayī: (French to audience)

Prabhupāda: So now let us conclude that there is God, and God's word, or God's vibration, means God is person. As soon as we accept the word of God, then we have to conclude that God is a person. Just like you are vibrating some words, I am vibrating some words, this means both of us, we are all persons. So the word of God and God is not different. But God is person, and He speaks. If He speaks, then He hears, He smells, He eats—everything. All the activities are there. If He cannot hear, then our prayer to Him, "O God, give us our daily bread," is useless.

So from this statement of the scriptures, either you take it Bible or Bhagavad-gītā, it is understood that God is a person, like you. That is the statement of the Vedas, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13), namely that God means He is the Supreme Being. In the dictionary also it is stated, "God means the Supreme Being." We are all beings, but God is the Supreme Being. Just like in every state there are citizens, but there is one chief citizen. He is president or something like that. (noise in the audience)

Jyotirmayī: They don't like this government example.

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is not example; it is stated in the Vedic literature: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is the chief living being amongst all living beings. God is eternal; we are also eternal. God is also a living being; we are also a living being. This is the meaning. But God is one; we are many. And what is the significance of that one? That is stated, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one is maintaining so many living beings." That is God. So because He is a person, we are also person, but He is the person who maintains us. Therefore we go to God and beg for our daily bread.

So our constitutional position is that we are predominated, and God is predominator. We are very small; God is very great. At the present moment we are defying this position, therefore we are in trouble. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we are educating people that, "You are always subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. You surrender unto Him and you'll be happy. Do not remain in rebellious condition of life. Just surrender to God and you will be happy." That is the final conclusion of Śrīmad-Bhāga . . . Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). So you are planning, we are planning so many things to become happy, but everything is failure. But if you take this plan, "Let us surrender to God," then every problem will be solved. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not that, that "You are Hindu. You become Christian," or "You are Christian. You become Hindu." That is not our plan. Our only request is that, "Every one of you, you try to understand God, love Him and be happy."

The final conclusion in the Bhagavad-gītā is that if you want to be peaceful, if you want the peace of your mind, you should understand three things. That three things are that to understand that God is the supreme enjoyer. This is one. He is the proprietor of everything, and He is friend of everyone. If you learn these three things only, very scientifically, that God is the proprietor, God is the enjoyer and God is the supreme friend of everyone, then your life is successful. And these simple things will be understood by you by chanting God's name: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Hare means the energy of God, and Kṛṣṇa means God, all-attractive. Similarly, Rāma means God. So there are three words in this verse: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare: Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma. So anyone can chant these three names, Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, and make his life perfect. I hope you shall join us in this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

Audience members: (French—demanding to ask questions)

Jyotirmayī: They want to ask questions.

Prabhupāda: That you arrange. That arrange. No, you can ask. That's all.

French man: (French) (big applause)

Jyotirmayī: So he is saying that, "You have been explaining what is God according to Bible and Bhagavad-gītā." So he wants to know if to be able to talk in that way you have met God, you have seen God, and if God has given you the authority for being seated on this vyāsāsana and receiving the obeisances of all your disciples.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can also get this position. If you know God and if you can speak about God, then you are also welcome to sit here and speak about God.

French man: (French)

Jyotirmayī: (translating) He says that the only thing he can say about God is that he cannot talk about God.

Prabhupāda: Why? You can talk about everything, and why not about God?

French man: (French)

Jyotirmayī: (translating) "Because God is one who cannot be seen, cannot be taken to be understood."

Prabhupāda: But that is your statement. But the Bible statement, Bhagavad-gītā statement, is different. Why shall I take you as authority?

French man: (French others yelling, applauding)

Jyotirmayī: (translating) He says that God means freedom, and God will not be . . .

Prabhupāda: How do you know it? First of all let me know how you know it about God that He is freedom or this or that. How you know it?

French man: (French)

Jyotirmayī: (translating) "Because everyone has inside him knowledge of God, and one just has to listen within himself, and he will know."

Prabhupāda: So I have got my own knowledge of God, as you have got. Why you disagree with me?

French man: (French others yelling angrily)

Jyotirmayī: (translating) He says but he doesn't sit on a throne and he doesn't ask people to pay obeisances in front of him.

Prabhupāda: So if you want to hear me, I can get down from the throne. (big applause and yells)

(man makes an announcement in French; comments in French, and many people yelling things out from the audience, to general unrest)

Jyotirmayī: He is saying two things. He is saying that when one wants to understand, he must act as a student.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is good, very good. (people still yelling) Now let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Prabhupāda: Chant. (applause) (end)