751206 - Lecture Initiation Sannyasa - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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751206LE-VRNDAVAN - December 06, 1975 - 14:13 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Etāṁ sa āsthāya. Etāṁ sa āsthāya. (SB 11.23.57) Next?

Akṣayānanda: Parātma-niṣṭhām?

Prabhupāda: Parātma-niṣṭhām. This sannyāsa life means simply devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no other business. We have got, according to our varṇāśrama system, varṇa and āśrama: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra; and āśrama, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. As we were discussing, viṣṇoḥ pādopasarpaṇam. The whole system is how to approach the lotus feet of Viṣṇu. So this is the last ceremonial performance. Etāṁ samāsthāya parātma-niṣṭhām. Parātma-niṣṭhām, Viṣṇu, to keep firm faith in Him. So it is not a new thing. Pūrvatamair upāsitāṁ mahadbhiḥ. Before us there were so many exalted ācāryas—Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, Nimbārka and, in our line, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So our process is to follow the predecessor ācārya. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That is the way. So although you are young men—there are many difficulties to keep sannyāsa—but if you keep faith, full faith in Kṛṣṇa, the māyā will not be able to touch you. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā is very strong, but if we—mām eva ye prapadyante—if we keep ourself fully surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, māyā will not be able to counteract this process.

So you should always keep yourself fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not very difficult. Strictly follow the rules and regulation and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra as many times . . . For a sannyāsī, you should increase. Then you will be fixed up. And go on preaching. Preaching is also not very difficult, because you haven't got to manufacture anything. Everything is there, and it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's order. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also took sannyāsa very early age, twenty-four years old only. So He has practically shown by His activities how to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. And He gives order to everyone, āmāra ajñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128): "In whichever country you may live—it doesn't matter—try to deliver them by becoming their guru." The sannyāsa is supposed to be guru of all other divisions—brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Sannyāsa is the topmost stage. So if you become guru, teacher, remembering the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, then you will never fall down. He will save you.

And how one becomes guru? That is also very easy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You haven't got to manufacture anything. Simply you try to repeat the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, kṛṣṇa upadeśa. Not only Bhagavad-gītā; there are many other instructions. Especially Bhagavad-gītā. So if you simply carry the message of Bhagavad-gītā, then you become guru. Don't manufacture anything. Then it will be spoiled. Simply stick primarily . . . Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī mām namaskuru (BG 18.65). You can . . . everyone can say this. Kṛṣṇa says that "You always think of Me." So you can repeat only. You can say to others, "My dear sir, please think of Kṛṣṇa." It doesn't require very much education. Simply just like a peon carry the message: "Sir, you always think of Kṛṣṇa." Man-manā. Then you become guru.

If you follow it strictly—you also think of Kṛṣṇa yourself, and you teach others, "My dear sir, my only request is that you think of Kṛṣṇa"—nobody will kill you. Everyone will . . . If he doesn't follow, he will appreciate you: "Oh, these sannyāsīs are very nice. They are advising to think of Kṛṣṇa." Then you become guru. Simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. And anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa, gradually he becomes a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī: "You worship Me." Here is the temple, and anyone can worship Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is satisfied simply with a little flower and little water. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati (BG 9.26). It is not expensive. Anyone can bring little flower, little fruit, little tulasī leaf, and offer to Kṛṣṇa. Māṁ namaskuru. If you cannot do anything, simply offer your obeisances: "Kṛṣṇa, I am so poor, I cannot even secure a little fruit, flower and water." That is not possible. Everyone can secure this patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam and offer to Kṛṣṇa and offer your obeisances.

So you have to teach only these things. Where is the difficulty? You do it personally and teach them. Then you become guru. It doesn't require to learn big, big, I mean to say, grantha like Vedānta. This is not possible in this Kali-yuga. If possible, you can study Vedānta and other. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu has taught us . . . When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī inquired from Him that "You are a sannyāsī. You are not studying Vedānta, and simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. What kind of sannyāsī You are?"—this question was put by Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī to Caitanya Mahāprabhu—Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "My dear sir, I am a great fool." Guru more mūrkha dekhi karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71): "My guru saw Me a great fool number one; therefore he has chastised Me." What is that? That " 'You cannot read Vedānta. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' So My Guru Mahārāja has ordered Me like that. But by chanting only, I get ecstasy, I realize, like that."

The idea is Caitanya Mahāprabhu was not a mūrkha, fool. He is God Himself. And besides that, even in His līlā, pastimes as human being, He was a great learned scholar. His name was Nimāi Paṇḍita. He was not ordinary. He's paṇḍita. His education is proved when He explained ātmārāma śloka in sixty-four ways.

ātmārāmāś ca munayo

nirgranthā apy urukrame

kurvanty ahaitukīṁ bhaktim

ittham-bhūta-guṇo hariḥ

(SB 1.7.10)

This one verse He explained in sixty-four ways. Just see His learning. Not only that, when He was sixteen years old only, there was a great paṇḍita came to Navadvīpa. His name was Keśava Kāśmīrī. He conquered over all parts of the country . . . India at least, because there was no possibility to go outside India. But He defeated him in one śloka when He was a boy. So He was not a fool, rascal. That is not the fact. But He represented Himself as a fool because we are fools. In this age we are all fools and rascals. What we shall read Vedānta and understand Vedānta? We have got practical experience how the so-called Vedāntists go to foreign countries and mislead them, and they learn how to eat meat and wine. This is their Vedānta knowledge. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu knew it very well that all the rascals, they will call them vedānti and do all nonsense. So don't become falsely a vedānti. Real vedānti means vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). If you simply know Kṛṣṇa and surrender unto Him, then you become a vedanti, real vedanti. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).

So always keep . . . This kind of duty was entrusted by Caitanya Mahāprabhu to the Indians.

bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra

janma sārthaka kari kara para-upakāra

(CC Adi 9.41)

This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission, that every Indian should learn what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and preach it all over the world. That is His order. But our Indians are not taking care of it. Therefore it doesn't matter, Indian or European or American, who will carry the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he will be benefited, he will be glorified. So don't be hesitating, because the soul is neither Indian or American. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Every one of us, we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and our position is Brahman. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). So from that platform you go on preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By executing the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you'll be glorified, the country will be glorified, the whole world will benefit.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. . . (end).