750811 - Lecture Arrival - Paris

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

750811AR-PARIS - August 11, 1975 - 38:47 Minutes

(devotee translates into French throughout)

Prabhupāda: (leads chanting of Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava) (prema-dvani prayers) All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much. (devotees offer obeisances)

Devotee: Guru Gauranga?

(05:16)

Prabhupāda: So I am very much pleased to come to this village of France. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma . . .. Grāma means village. Sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126). Everywhere the glories of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu will be spread. So by His grace, we are doing that in America, in Europe, Africa, Australia. Village to village, town to town, we are preaching the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

So why we are preaching? What is the necessity of preaching? The necessity is to make them happy. If we follow the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's instruction, then our life will be successful and we will be happy. And the process is very simple: chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no very hard-and-fast rule for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In any position, in any place, in any circumstance, you can very easily chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Even small children, they also take part, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and dance with the elderly father and mother.

So there is very good potency if we simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. The potency is, the first benefit is, that our dirty heart becomes cleansed. We have accumulated many dirty things within the heart on account of bad association. The first dirty thing is to accept this body as self. This conception, bodily concept of life, is existing amongst the animals. It is existing amongst the animals that "I am this body." So actually, I am not this body; I am spirit soul. I am embodied within this body, material body. This is the fact. If we simply become aware of this fact, that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. I am living within this body," then immediately we become liberated from this material world simply by this understanding. And this can be understood by any sane man without any study of philosophy, simply by common sense.

The simple philosophy is that the child is now possessing a small body, then he will possess a big body, then another big body. In this way the child is there, the body is changing, that's a fact. And the body changes so long the soul is there. Therefore, the conclusion should be the body and the soul, they are different. It is very simple truth, but because we have accumulated so much garbage dirty things within our heart, we cannot understand even this simple thing. We are advancing education in civilization and so many big, big words, but we are so dull that we cannot understand this simple thing. And to understand this simple thing is the beginning of life. Otherwise, without understanding this simple thing, to exist is just like the cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they have no such thing as nationalism, this ism, that ism. They simply eat, sleep, have sex and defend.

So this understanding is the first understanding for spiritual life, that "I am not this body." That is the beginning of spiritual life. And when we nicely understand this fact, that is called brahma-bhūtaḥ, or self-realization stage. So what is the difference between self-realized stage and doggish stage, means bodily concept of life? The difference is that as soon as you become self-realized, you become jolly. This self-realization is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

(BG 18.54)

This self-realization means as soon as we understand that you or I am not this body, I am spirit soul, then immediately we become jolly. And what is jolliness? Na śocati na kāṅkṣati. A jolly person never lament nor desire. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He has no want and he has no loss. Material life means always want and always loss, and spiritual life means no loss, no desire, no hankering.

So one can distinguish his spiritual life and material life by simple formula. This simple formula: material life means always in want and always in lamentation. And spiritual life means no hankering and no lamentation. When one is fixed up in spiritual life it is said, guruṇāpi duḥkhena na vicālyate (BG 6.22). When there is very, very acute reverse condition of life, one is not disturbed. That is spiritual life. And samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, at that stage only there is possibility of so-called unity, fraternity, friendship. Your France, you have got slogan, what is that? Fraternity, friend . . . (devotees suggest other words) No eternity. (laughter) Equality, fraternity, and what other thing?

Devotees: Liberty.

Prabhupāda: Yes, go on. So France is very cultured country historically, but where is fraternity? The history will read there was seven years war with England, hundred years war with England. Then Napoleon, he conquered, so all the parts. Where is fraternity, eternity? Last time when I came in your country in Paris, somebody showed me one church that from that church there was ringing of the bell, and immediately people would come and kill the Protestants or something like that. Is it not a fact?

So anyway, on the material platform, there is no possibility of equality, fraternity or nothing. It is not possible. Unless you come to the spiritual platform, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54), there is no question of equality, fraternity. So in the United Nation, they are trying for that unity, united nation, but where is unity? Every year there is a new flag. There is no question of fraternity or equality. Just like in animal life, there is no question of fraternity or equality. Similarly, if we keep ourself in the bodily concept of life, that is animal life. So long we keep ourself as "I am French man," "I am German man," "I am English man," "I am Indian man," or so many there are nationalities, there cannot be any fraternity, equality. We have come to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or brahma-bhūtaḥ, then there will be fraternity, equality. And factually you can see in this movement all classes of men, all nationality, all religion, all color, they are coming together and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing. This is wanted.

So don't be misled by the leaders of so-called eternity and fraternity. It is not possible. That are called andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānā (SB 7.5.31), just like a blind man is trying to lead other blind men. So come to this platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this eternity, uh, fraternity and equality, also eternity. Eternity means that we living entities, we are eternal; we never die or never take birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Now we have got French edition of Bhagavad-gītā, you will find there. Have you got that book here? No. You will find in that book, na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). You will find this verse that we living entities, we have no birth and no death. Na jāyate. You can read that verse in French. In the Second Chapter you will find. (Yogeśvara reads Sanskrit verse and translation in French) Purport is there? Go on. (laughter) Do serious; don't laugh. (Yogeśvara reads purport in French)

So if we simply understand one verse. There are seven thousand verse? No. Seven hundred, yes. Seven hundred verses. If we simply understand one verse only, as we have explained, then immediately we become brahma-bhūtaḥ, liberated. And that is the perfection of human form of life. A dog cannot understand. If I say to the dog that "You are not this body, you are spirit soul, you are eternal," he has no power to understand. And a human being can understand. He has got the capacity. So we are trying to educate all people, all nations of the world to understand this one verse, that's all. Na jāyate vā mriyate vā kadācit. If he simply understands this one verse, he immediately becomes liberated. And actually, human life is meant for understanding this philosophy or this truth. Then his life is successful. And as soon as we understand that we are eternal, we are not mortal, then naturally our inquiry will be, "Where we can live eternally?" That will be the inquiry. In the material world, as you are forced to take birth and death, so similarly in the spiritual world, the first advantage is there is no birth and death—just the opposite. So our process is to train people how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the only education required in this human life.

So now, by the grace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this movement has come to your country, and especially in a nice village like this, utilize it properly. It is a very ideal place. Not only this; there are many thousands of places like this. People should take advantage to live in such nice place, produce their necessities of life, and keep them fit and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and realize self. We don't say that you starve or become weak in health or weak in intelligence. No. You remain quite fit in intelligence and health. But don't be unnecessarily in need. The difficulty of the modern educated person is—not educated, but so-called educated—they are attracted in the city for so many things unnecessary. Just like the club, the restaurant, the liquor and the cigarette, so many things. But if your attention is diverted to Kṛṣṇa, you will not feel inclined to enjoy all these unnecessary things. That is the test of spiritual life, that bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt (SB 11.2.42). Bhakti, advancement of devotional life, means no more taste for all these nonsense. That is the test.

So you will see practically these boys and girls, they are young men, young girls, they have got so many desires, but they have given up, and they are able to continue like that because they are making progress in spiritual life. So read our books, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, live very simple life, produce your own necessities. Don't go to the town. Of course, for selling books we can go. (laughter)

Devotee: Haribol!

Prabhupāda: Our policy is not that to decry material advancement of civilization, but our instruction is that do not forget your real business, self-realization. Unfortunately, material attraction is so strong that it makes us forget, forgetting our spiritual necessities of life. So this human form of life is given by nature for fulfilling our spiritual necessities. But if we neglect, then . . . Read this verse from Bhagavad-gītā. Who will read? Where he has gone, Yogeśvara? Yes, read that. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Find out this verse and read it. Eighth Chapter, I think. (Yogeśvara reads Bg. 8.6 and translation in French) There is purport? No? (Yogeśvara reads purport in French)

So in the Western countries, they are very much fond of keeping best friend, the dog. (aside) Yes, go on. So at the time of death if you think of your favorite dog, then in next life you become dog. But you cannot surpass the nature's law. This is the nature's law. So one gentleman, what is his name? Fisher? In Detroit, he had two dogs, and he buried them in silver casket. So he was very rich man and his house is very big palace. But at the time of death, if he was thinking of this dog, and if he becomes dog next, then what is the value of this material advancement? Therefore, intelligent man shall always think of Kṛṣṇa, so that at the time of . . . if he is able to think of Kṛṣṇa, his life is successful. So instead of loving dog, if you love God, Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. (aside:) I think this one.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end).