751101 - Lecture BG 07.05 - Nairobi

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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751101BG-NAIROBI - November 01, 1975 - 24:27 Minutes

Harikeśa: Translation: "Besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which are all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe."

Prabhupāda:

apareyam itas tv anyāṁ

prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām

jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho

yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat

(BG 7.5)

So the gross and subtle material energy are already explained in the previous verse. (child making noises) (aside:) The children must go. So the bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4)—earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego—these are all material energies. It has nothing to do with the spiritual energy. And because it is not spiritual energy, it is called aparā, inferior. Just like in our body there are some superior part and some inferior part. We have got the brain, that is superior part. But there are other parts, where we pass stool and urine. Everything is part of my body, but the position is different, superior and inferior. Similarly, everything is God—sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma (Chāndogya Upaniśad 3.14.1)—but still, there must be distinction between the superior and the inferior. Although it is Brahman, still, for practical use there is superior and inferior distinction. Those who do not make this distinction, foolishly, they are called nirviśeṣavādī, impersonalist, without any varieties. But there are varieties actually. Although the body is one, there is no doubt about it, but different parts of the body are considered as superior and inferior.

This is called acintya-bhedābheda philosophy: simultaneously one and different. As part of the body, the anus or the genital, it is part of the body, and the brain is also part of the body. Both of them are part of the body, but still, brain is superior than the anus and genital. So in this way, and upon this philosophy . . . It is called acintya-bhedābheda. Bheda means distinct, and abheda means one. We should not take one part of the philosophy, that "Everything is one." No. Everything is one, that is a fact, and still, they are different. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Thirteenth Chapter. Mayā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā: "In My impersonal form I am all-pervading," jagad avyaktam. "But," mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni, "everything is maintained by Me." Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni nāhaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ (BG 9.4), "but I am not there." Just like the jail department is also part of the government, but the president does not live in the jail. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni. If the president says that "The jail department is also my department," that does not mean that president has to live in the jail. It is a gross example.

Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, God, is everywhere. Not everywhere; His energy is acting everywhere. The superior energy and the inferior energy, this is the material world, combination of two energies. Just like this body, your body, my body, everyone's body. What is this? The combination of these two energies, the superior energy and the inferior energy. The inferior energy, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ, the gross body—earth, water . . . This gross body means earth, water, air and ether, and then the subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—these eight combination. So this is not actually I. I am soul. Therefore this is aparā, inferior. But what I am, that is superior. That is explained here, jīva-bhūta. Beyond these two gross and subtle energies there is another, superior energy. Apareyam itas tu anyām. Anyām means another. Itas tu . . . Apareyam itas tu anyām prakṛtim. Another prakṛti, energy, is there. Viddhi me parām. That is superior. What is that? Jīva-bhūta, that living being which is within the gross and subtle body. That living being.

So the modern scientists, they cannot understand this. It is clearly stated, distinction between the inferior energy and the superior energy. Both of them are energies, and Kṛṣṇa is the energetic. It is, everything, coming from Kṛṣṇa, energy, just like heat and light come from the fire. The fire is distinct from the heat and light.

eka-deśa-sthitasyāgner

jyotsnā vistāriṇī yathā

parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktis

tathedam akhilaṁ jaga

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.22.53)

Just like fire is there, we can see. If you study whatever God has created, if you simply study, you become a philosopher. Just like the sun is situated in one place. Every day we can see. It is agni, fiery substance. So heat and light is distributed, and through the heat of the light, heat and light of the sun, all other planets are created and the vegetation and all products are being coming out. Without sunlight you cannot do anything. Heat and light, it is essential.

Similarly, the whole material world or any world, spiritual world, they are manifestation of the supreme energetic. The energies are coming. Energy . . . You have got also energy; I have got my energy. You cut your hair; automatically the hair will again grow. Do you know what is that energy? But there is energy. Otherwise a dead man shaved will not grow, will not grow any more hair—finished. But a living man, because he has got that energy, so today you shave, again tomorrow there is hair. This is called inconceivable energy. Even I do not know what is that energy, you do not know what is that energy. We can talk foolishly some bombastic word, "These cells and this and that," and so many things, but it is not in our control.

So these two energies, material energy and the spiritual energy—one is superior and one is inferior—they are working within this world, mixture. And the spiritual world means there is no material energy, simply spiritual energy. There is no material energy; everything is spiritual energy. There is no material body, there is no . . . This bhūmi . . . The land in the spiritual world is not land like this land.

cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-

lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam

lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.29)

The Brahma-saṁhitā. This is the description of the spiritual world. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. There are also buildings, but that buildings is not like this building, bricks and stone. Cintāmaṇi—touchstone. Cintāmaṇi-prakara. Prakara means houses. Sadmasu kalpa. There are also trees, but those trees are spiritual tree. How? Now, kalpa-vṛkṣa. Here go to a mango tree, you get mangoes, but there to go any tree, you ask for mango or any fruit or anything—it will be supplied. That we cannot imagine, that how one tree can supply everything. Yes, that can, because they are spiritual. Spiritual. Just like my disciples, if I say, "Bring mango," so he'll go anywhere and bring mango because he is spirit soul, living. But if I ask this pillow, "Bring mango," it will not be possible. (laughter)

That is the distinction between material and spiritual. And these foolish, they are trying to prepare spiritual energy by combination of material energy. Just see their foolishness. They are trying to create living force by chemical combination. So therefore sometimes we say . . . I do not say; Kṛṣṇa says, that mūḍhāḥ, rascals. This is not possible. You cannot manufacture life by combination of material chemicals. That is not possible. Here it is said that aparā. The material ingredients—chemical is also material ingredient—you cannot produce. It is a different thing, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho. How it is superior? Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). Because the spiritual energy is there, therefore this world is important. Otherwise it has no value.

In Africa, because the Europeans or Indians, they came here, they are spiritual energy. The Africans also spiritual energy. This is an example. But the advanced nation, they know how to utilize things, the matter. Therefore it is superior. The spiritual energy, living soul, knows how to utilize this matter. Yayā idaṁ dhāryate jagat. Jagat, this world, is made of material energy, but the spiritual energy, the living entity, he knows how to utilize this material energy. He knows how to utilize earth by making brick and making lime, and then they can construct a nice house. The controller is the spiritual energy. Therefore it is called parām, superior energy. This is also energy, but this so-called scientist, they are making material energy and spiritual energy the same. They have no brain to distinguish.

Here we have to understand from Kṛṣṇa; therefore Kṛṣṇa's instruction is so important. If you don't take Kṛṣṇa's instruction, then in spite of our so-called higher advancement of education, we remain simply mūḍha, rascal. Rascal. Mūḍha means rascal. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Those who are not aware of the spiritual energy and the material energy, they are called mūḍhas. If you understand what is spiritual energy, then you'll search out that wherefrom these . . .? Both of . . . Kṛṣṇa says, "Both of them are coming from Me." But if you understand the superior energy, spiritual energy, then it will be possible to understand what is Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa is full spiritual energy, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

(Bs. 5.1)

So this is the first education to enter into the spiritual understanding. Kṛṣṇa has begun from the very beginning in the Second Chapter that the spiritual energy is within this body.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe

kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir

dhīras tatra na muhyati

(BG 2.13)

So there are many evidences in the Vedic literature that the spiritual energy is different from the material energy. And if you understand spiritual energy, then you can understand what is God, because spiritual energy is the sample of God. Sample of God. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that mamaivāṁśaḥ. Here it is said, jīva-bhūta. What is the jīva-bhūta? He is jīva-bhūta, the living entity. Mama eva aṁśa: "They are My part and parcel, minute particle of Me." Just like father and the son. Son is part of the father bodily, not spiritually. Spiritually he is part of Kṛṣṇa, and materially he is part of the body of the father. So we are not talking of the material. That is going on, of course, but this understanding, Bhagavad-gītā, is completely spiritual understanding.

So this jīva-bhūta, that is controlling the material nature. And if you ask, "What is this mat . . . er, spiritual energy?" Living entity, that is already explained. Still further it is said in the Fifteenth Chapter that these spiritual energies, jīva-bhūta, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "These jīva-bhūta, living entities, they are My part and parcel." That means if you try to understand what is these living entities, then it is, being part and parcel, you can understand God. Just like a big volume of rice boiling. You take one rice and you press it in the hand; you can understand the whole rice pot is now ready. Similarly, if you thoroughly understand this spiritual entity, you can understand what is God. Just like you take a drop of ocean water and analyze it chemically, the combination, then you can understand what is the whole sea water. It is very easy. At least you can understand composition.

So if you study human nature, whatever there is, that is also there in God. But that is perfect and unlimited, and we have got all these chemicals qualities—very minute quantity. And in the material contact it is imperfect. So if you become liberated from the material bondage, then you become perfect. You can understand that "I am as good as God, but God is great; I am very, very small." That is self-realization. That is self-realization. If you think, "I am as good as God," that is your foolishness. You are as good as God by quality, but quantity, you are not as great as God. This is self-realization. Therefore śāstra says that "If the minute quantity of a spiritual spark would have been equal to the supreme whole, then how he has come under His control?" This is reasoning. We are under control. In the material atmosphere we are fully under control. But when we are spiritually free, still we are under control, because God remains the great and we remain the small.

Therefore in the spiritual world there is no disagreement. That God is great and we are small, there is no disagreement. That is spiritual world. And the material world means, "God is great, we are small"—there is disagreement. That is material world. Try to understand the distinction between material world and spiritual world. The living entity is very minute particle of God, but in the spiritual world everyone is aware of his position. The living entities, they know, "What is my position? I am a small particle of God." Therefore there is no disagreement. Everything is going on nicely. Here in this material world he is actually the small particle of God, but there is disagreement. He is falsely thinking that "I am as good as God." This is material life. And liberation means . . . When we are free from this wrong conception of life, that is liberation. Liberation means . . .

Therefore all the bhaktas who have basically accepted that "God is great; I am small, very small particle. Therefore, as the small serves the great, my real duty is to serve God," this is liberation. This is liberation. Therefore every bhakta who has taken to this principle that "God is great; I am very small. I have to render service to the great . . ." That is nature. Everyone is going to the office, to the factory, to the work. What is this? Going to serve the greater. Otherwise he might stayed at home. Why he is going to the factory, to the office? This is the nature, that small serves the great. So God, He is the greatest. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20). Then what is your business? To serve Him, that's all. This is natural position. In the material world he is going to serve somebody, ready(?), from somebody else for his bread; still, he is thinking, "I am God." Just see what kind of God he is. (laughter) This is rascal, he is thinking that he is God. If he is driven away from the office, he'll not get his bread, and he is God. This is material world. Everyone is thinking, "I am God." Therefore they have been called mūḍhas, rascals. They do not surrender to God. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15). Apahṛta-jñānāḥ. His real knowledge is taken away. He does not know that he is small, God is great, his business is to serve God. This knowledge is taken away. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. This is the sign.

And you can understand by the one symptom. Just like pressing one rice from the whole pot of the rice you can understand the rice is quite all right, similarly, by one symptom you can understand who is a rascal. By one symptom. What is that? Na māṁ prapadyante. He is not a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he's a rascal. That's all. Immediately you take it, without any consideration, that anyone who is not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who is not prepared to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, he's a rascal. That's all. This is our conclusion.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotees: Haribol. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya. (offer obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Question? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end).