760708 - Lecture CC Madhya 20.103 - Washington DC

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760708CC-WASHINGTON DC - July 08, 1976 - 20.46 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Prabhupāda and devotees repeat) (leads chanting, etc.)

'sādhya'-'sādhana'-tattva puchite nā jāni

kṛpā kari' saba tattva kaha ta' āpani

(CC Madhya 20.103)

Translation: (01:58) "Actually I do not know how to inquire about the goal of life and the process for obtaining it. Being merciful upon me, please explain all these truths."

Prabhupāda:

'sādhya'-'sādhana'-tattva puchite nā jāni

kṛpā kari' saba tattva kaha ta' āpani

(CC Madhya 20.103)

The injunction in the Bhagavad-gītā is that tad viddhi, try to understand. Not try, but must try. The human life is meant for understanding tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is the special advantage of the human life. If a human being does not inquire or he's not trained up to inquire about it, it is a great disadvantage and it is enviousness. In the human life, the chance is there to make a solution of the whole problem, struggle for existence, survival of the fittest. This is going on life after life. Now here is a chance, human life, he can understand what is the goal of life and how to achieve it. He can be trained up.

So if that opportunity is refused to the human society by the guardians, by the government, it is a great, I mean to say, misservice, a great disadvantage. To keep them in darkness of animal propensities . . . because we are changing our body. Here is a chance, after many evolutionary process, many thousands and millions of years. We are going to the park. How many plants and creepers are there, how many animals, how many aquatics? We have to come through all these processes, evolutionary process. So here is a chance. Therefore for the human being it is advised that try to understand the goal of your life. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). That is Vedic instruction. Must try. So from the very beginning, if children are not trained up to inquire about the goal of life, they are kept in darkness, simply eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, that is not civilization. They must be trained up. The opportunity must be given so that he can inquire more and more about the goal of life.

The goal of life is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu will explain, that we are intimately related with God. Someway or other, we are fallen down in this material world, and we are by mistake accepting this body as self, and we are being trained up also only to see the bodily interests, just like cats and dogs. The animals also, they are interested with the body only. They have no other interest. But if a human being is kept in the same darkness, simply bodily interest, that is a great disadvantage.

So Sanātana Gosvāmī, he understands that, because he has already begun,

'ke āmi', 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya'

ihā nāhi jāni-'kemane hita hara'

(CC Madhya 20.102)

There are so many things with which we have to struggle. This is called struggle for existence. Even the modern scientists, they call . . . it is not a very peaceful situation. The same question was raised by Sanātana Gosvāmī, that why there should be struggle for existence? Why not easy life, peaceful life? Why some outer elements, they are giving us opposition? I want to be happy, but there is opposition. That is struggle for existence. This question should be there: "Why?" Even with a fly we have to fight. I am sitting, without doing any harm to the fly, but it attacks, bothers. There are so many. Even if you sit down without any offense . . . just like you are passing on the street, there is no offense, but from one house all the dogs begin to bark: "Why you are coming here? Why you are coming here?" There was no cause of his barking, but because it is dog, his business is, "Why you are coming? Why you are coming?" Similarly, we have no freedom to go from one place to another at the present moment. There is immigration department: "Why you are coming? Why you are coming?" In many places we have been refused to enter. We have been refused from the airplane: "No, you cannot enter. Go back." So I had to go back. So, so many disadvantages. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām (SB 10.14.58). In this material world, you cannot live very peacefully. Not very; not peacefully at all. There are so many impediments. The śāstra says, padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām: every step there is danger. Not only from these lower animals, but from the human society, by nature, on which we have no control. So in this way, our life is not very happy in this material world, and we should be advanced in inquiring about it, that "Why there are so many impediments?" That is human life. That is human life.

So how to inquire? How to become happy? What is the goal of life? Sanātana Gosvāmī . . . not only Sanātana Gosvāmī; he's representing us. We do not know. We do not know. So by the mercy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu or by the mercy of the servants of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, one can be enlightened as to the . . . what is the goal of life, why there is struggle for existence, why there is death. I do not want to die; why there is birth? I do not wish to enter into the mother's womb and remain packed-up condition for so many days; I do not want to become old man; but these things are enforced upon me. Therefore our business is . . . real business is how to solve these questions, not to arrange for economic development. Economic development, whatever we are destined, we shall get it. Either happiness or distress, we shall get it. Just like we don't try for distress, but it comes. It is enforced upon us. Similarly, the little happiness which you are destined to obtain, that will also come. That is śāstra's advice. Don't waste your time to get artificially some happiness. Whatever you are destined to get happiness, it will come automatically. How it will come? Yathā duḥkham ayatnataḥ (SB 7.6.3). The same way. Just like you don't try for distress, but it comes upon you. Similarly, even if you don't try for happiness, whatever you are destined, you will get.

So don't waste your time bothering about this so-called happiness and distress. Better engage your valuable time to understand what is the goal of life, why there are so many problems, why you have to struggle for existence. This is your business.This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that we are inducing people to understand the problem. It is not a sectarian movement or so-called religious movement. It is not a religion. It is educational cultural movement. Every man has to understand the goal of life. Every man has to understand why there is struggle for existence, if there is any remedy, if there is any process where we can live very peacefully without any disturbances, without any . . . these are the things to be learned in human life, and one should approach . . . just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was minister, very educated, well placed, but he has approached Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So we should approach the Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu or His representative and surrender. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). The way is not challenging, "Can you show me God?" These are challenges. Not this way. God is everywhere, but first of all make your eyes to see God, then you challenge, "Can you show me God?" No. This attitude will not help us. Submissive. Tad viddhi praṇipātena. This is the injunction of the śāstra. If you want to understand the science, transcendental science, tad viddhi—try to understand it—but praṇipātena, very humbly. Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting very humbly.

So tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena (BG 4.34). First of all praṇipāt, then paripraśna, questioning. Don't waste your time by questioning some spiritual master or somebody unless you have praṇipāt. You must be ready to accept the answer which he gives; then make inquiry. If you think that "I have to test his answer, because I am more learned or more advanced than him," then don't go there, don't propose anything or inquire anything. You first of all settle up, that whatever . . . "I am going to inquire something from somebody," so whatever answer he'll give, you'll accept. Then there is question of inquiry. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, here Sanātana Gosvāmī, he is completely surrendering. He said that "I am blank. I do not know actually how to inquire You. So kindly You speak everything, what is the subject matter of inquiry and what is the answer of such inquiry. I am completely blank slate. I am simply submitting to You." Sādhya, the goal of life, and sādhana, the process by which one can approach. So "I do not know anything about it, simply I'm depending on Your mercy." That is kṛpā kari. That is surrender.

In this way, we can make advancement in our spiritual education, and we must carry out the order of the spiritual master. Just like you are singing daily, guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete kariyā aikya āra nā kariha mane āśā (Prema-bhakti-candrika). Āra nā kariha mane āśā—do not think otherwise. Simply whatever . . . first of all, select who will be your spiritual master. You must know the preliminary law. Just like if you want to purchase gold, at least you must know where gold is available. If you want to purchase diamond . . . so you must know. If you are so foolish that you go to a butcher shop and ask him to supply diamond or gold, then you'll be cheated. Then you'll be cheated. You must know at least where to go and purchase gold or diamond. These are valuable things. So that requires little intelligence and sincerity. If we are sincere, that "I want to purchase gold or diamond . . ." This is crude example, but the spiritual inquiry . . . if one is actually serious about understanding the goal of life, spiritual knowledge, then Kṛṣṇa is situated in everyone's heart; He understands how this person is sincerely seeking. Then He'll give direction that "You do this." He is giving direction in every respect. We want to do so many things, so Kṛṣṇa is giving us facility.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

(BG 18.61)

He is giving all facilities. But when one becomes actually very much eager to understand Kṛṣṇa, God, He is very glad to give instruction, that "You go to such and such person and you submissively inquire, and you'll be . . ." Guru-kṛṣṇa kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). By the mercy of guru, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, one can make advancement in spiritual understanding. So one must be sincere. Then every direction is there.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)