740802 - Lecture BG 04.10 - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740802BG-VRNDAVAN - August 02, 1974 - 42:58 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā

man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ

bahavo jñāna-tapasā

pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

(BG 4.10)

Bhāvam means nature also. Just like we call nature sva-bhāva, sva-bhāva. So mad-bhāvam . . . this is one nature, this material nature. This is also Kṛṣṇa's bhāvam, means Kṛṣṇa's nature. Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa, but this is external nature. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ . . . (BG 7.4), bhinnā me prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. Bhinnā means separated energy. The energy is working. Although it is Kṛṣṇa's nature, still, it is separated nature. Just like I am speaking; it is being recorded. When it will be replayed, you will hear the same sound, but still, it is separated from me. Similarly, this material nature is also Kṛṣṇa's nature. Nothing is beyond Kṛṣṇa. There are two nature, the spiritual nature and material nature. So material nature means external energy, and spiritual nature means internal energy. And we, we are also spiritual nature, marginal. We can remain either in the material nature or in the spiritual nature. Therefore we are marginal nature. There are three natures: external, internal and marginal.

So, so long we are in the material nature, external nature, we are unhappy. This is the position. Just like a fish, when it is put into the land, it is unhappy, or death. Similarly, if you, the creature of the land, if you are put into the water, you are unhappy, and death. So because we belong to the spiritual nature . . . as it is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that this material nature is aparā. Aparā means inferior, not fit for us. Therefore we are unhappy. So long we shall remain in the material nature, we must be unhappy. Just like this body. This body is made of material nature, and we are within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). So long we have got this body, material body, we must be unhappy. First of all, we must try to understand why we are unhappy. We are unhappy because we are in this material body. And the . . . what is the unhappiness? It is ending in four principles: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). To take birth and again to die, and so long we live we must suffer from some disease and we must become old. Plain truth.

Therefore intelligent person must be aware of the miserable condition of this material existence and try to get out of it. Is there any doubt? Eh? This is the fact. So our only business is how to get out of this material existence. That is our only business—not that how we can adjust things here and become happy. That is called karmī, fools. It is a fact that so long you'll be here in this material world, however you may try to adjust things to become happy, it will be never possible. It will be never possible. They are trying to be materially happy in the Western world. They do not know actually what is happiness, but material happiness means sex life. So sex life they are every day enjoying. And still, they go to the naked dance to see if there is happiness. Why there will be happiness? There cannot be any happiness. But this is adjustment. They are trying this way or that way. That's all.

Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). In the Bhāgavatam the answer is they . . . they're all self-interested, but they do not know what is self-interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Bahir-artha. Bahir-artha means external energy, material energy. They are thinking by material adjustment they will be happy. But they do not know that self-interest is how to be again connected with Viṣṇu, svārtha-gatim. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Or to become Vaiṣṇava. Viṣṇur asya devatā iti vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava means one who has accepted Viṣṇu as everything. As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is our business. But nobody is interested. Na te viduḥ. They do not know that this is the interest. This is the only interest, how to become reconnected with Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Therefore we have started this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They do not know. Everyone, cent percent, the whole population of the world, they do not know. So rascal, so fool, they do not know their interest. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). Durāśayā, with the hope against hope, which will be never fulfilled. Therefore it is called durāśayā. Why? Bahir-artha-māninaḥ. They are interested with this external energy.

So this is our problem. But the rascals, they do not know. Śāstra . . . therefore we have to consult śāstra. What is our problem, we have to consult śāstra. And śāstra, how we can consult śāstra? Śāstra, we have to go somebody who knows śāstra. Therefore the Vedic injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet, śrotriyam (MU 1.2.12). If you want to know what is your actual interest, then you have to approach a guru. And who is guru? Śrotriyam: who knows śāstra. Śrotriyam. And not only knows, but the result must be there: brahma-niṣṭham, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Brahma-niṣṭham means fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. We must know, we must find out guru who knows śāstra, the essence of śāstra, Vedic, Vedas. What is the essence of Vedas? Vedānta. Vedānta means to know Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). Kṛṣṇa says. All . . . there are different types of Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛk, Atharva. Then hundred and eight Upaniṣads. Then Vedānta-sūtra. Then Purāṇas, Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata. And the viṁśati, twenty kinds of dharma-śāstra, Manu-saṁhitā. So many things. So what is the purpose of all these śāstras? Kṛṣṇa says: "The purpose is to know Me." And in Vedānta, the Upaniṣad confirms it, yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati (Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 1.3).

If you try to know Kṛṣṇa . . . if you try to know Kṛṣṇa, then . . . or if you understand Kṛṣṇa, then you know everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. This is the knowledge, to understand Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa also confirms this, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9): "Simply if one understands tattvataḥ, in truth, what I am, why I descend, why I become a child of Yaśodā, why I become son of Vasudeva, janma, and why I act, why I take part in the battlefield . . ." He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, Veda says. The Supreme Lord has nothing to do. Why He has to do? He's full, complete. He has nothing to do. He has nothing to aspire. There is nothing wanting. We are working for . . . because we want so many things. But He has no want. He's ātma-tṛpta, fully complete. Thus He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. This is description of God. He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8).

There is nobody equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him. This is the Vedic description of God. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate, na tat-sama . . . sama means equal. And adhika. Adhika means greater. Here you will find somebody is equal to you, somebody is greater than you, somebody is lower than you. Three positions. Everyone. Nobody can say that, "I am the final." Anybody, beginning from Brahmā down to the ant, everybody you'll find that somebody is equal to him, somebody is greater than him and somebody is lesser than him. But Kṛṣṇa, nobody is equal to Him, nobody is greater than Him, but every everyone is lesser than Him. That's all. This is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is lesser. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate na tat-samaś cābhyadhikaś ca dṛśyate.

Now you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, studying, of course, so many books. Have you found anyone who is greater than Kṛṣṇa or equal to Kṛṣṇa? No. We can find one greater than . . . Rādhārāṇī is greater than Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) Yes. That is out of love. Actually, Rādhārāṇī's also lesser than Kṛṣṇa. She's dāsī, maidservant. She's always thinking how She shall be perfect dāsī. She's not thinking that . . . Kṛṣṇa sometimes makes Rādhārāṇī greater than Him. That does not mean Rādhārāṇī thinks like that. Rādhārāṇī always thinks, "How I shall become perfect maidservant of Kṛṣṇa?" That is the real position, everyone. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta you'll find how everyone is thinking of servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is our real position.

But Kṛṣṇa sometimes elevates some of His devotees. Just like Mother Yaśodā. He's thinking, "Mother Yaśodā is greater than Me." Or He is making Rādhārāṇī, I mean Mother Yaśodā, feeling like that, that "I am protector of Kṛṣṇa. If I do not feed Kṛṣṇa nicely, He will die." This is called vātsalya-rasa, paternal feeling. So nobody is greater than Kṛṣṇa actually. And she is feeling greater than Kṛṣṇa as also maidservant that, "I must serve Kṛṣṇa. I must timely give Kṛṣṇa food. I must timely raise Kṛṣṇa." Always taking care, always anxious that, "Kṛṣṇa may not be in danger. Kṛṣṇa is crawling—He may not go to the water. He may not be attacked by the monkey. He may not be . . ." So many. (S)he's always anxious. (S)he's doing his (her) household work, but (s)he's always anxious how to protect Kṛṣṇa. So she is thinking, she is thinking that, "Unless I give protection to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa may be facing with so many dangers." But Kṛṣṇa is doing His business. Rādhārāṇī . . . uh, Mother Yaśodā, keeping Kṛṣṇa underneath the cart, and Kṛṣṇa is breaking the cart, killing the Śakaṭāsura. And Mother Yaśodā thinking Kṛṣṇa is saved. Then when the cart was broken, the utensils scattered and she became anxious. This is Kṛṣṇa's enjoyment, to deal with His devotees in different rasas and enjoy. Sākhya . . . Śānta, dāsya, sākhya, mādhurya, vātsalya. In this way Kṛṣṇa is always enjoying. He has no other business than enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He's by nature simply enjoying. Enjoying. That is Kṛṣṇa.

So we are also Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel. Therefore in minute quantity we have got the same propensities how to enjoy life. This is . . . because we are Kṛṣṇa's part and parcel, the same . . . just like the drop of sea water has the same chemical composition. Analyze. The same percentage of salt, proportionately. Just like two upon fifty proportion, what is called, ratio. The ratio is the same, only in small quantity. Otherwise the percentage is the same, only in small quantity. So we are ānandamaya. Our nature is to remain always jubilant in pleasure. But because we are in this material contact, we are not jubilant. This is our problem. That Kṛṣṇa is suggesting here, how to solve your problem. He says, vīta-rāga. "Give up this attachment, sense attachment." Rāga. Rāga means attachment. Vīta-rāga-bhaya. And here we have got one quality, that fear, always fearing. Just like we are having these railings, why? We are afraid, we may not be attacked. The material life means āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca (Hitopadeśa 25). We must eat, we must sleep, and we must be afraid of, and we must have sex. This is material life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. And spiritual life means minus this: no more fear, no more attachment, no more sex life.

Just like in the life of the Gosvāmīs. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. Conquered. Conquered over these things, material necessities. So this is called penance. Here it is said. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā. First of all jñāna, understanding our position. This is called jñāna. And then practice tapasya. Tapasya means make these things, material necessities, zero. That is called tapasya. Tapasya. Because we are accustomed to all these things—eating, sleeping, mating and fearing. So to give up, it is not possible all of a sudden. That is not possible. Because we are accustomed. Just like the fan is rotating. You stop the switch, it will rotate, at least, for some time, because the force is there. Similarly, even if we accept that these things should be stopped—no more eating, no more sleeping, no more sex, no more fearing—that should be . . . there must be determination. But it may go around, because we are practiced to this. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, api cet su-durācāro bhajate mām ananya-bhāk sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ (BG 9.30). If we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully, even due to our past habits we are attached to all things, Kṛṣṇa says it doesn't matter. But you keep yourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

What is that? Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That will keep your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Bhajate mām ananya-bhāk (BG 9.30). He does not forget to worship Kṛṣṇa by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you do that, that . . . but don't be attached to all these eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But be detached, that "These things I do not require as spirit soul, but because I am in material condition, because I have got this body, to keep this body fit, I require these things. So minimize it. Minimize, it. Just like I am sannyāsī, somebody is sannyāsī. So sannyāsī, what is that sannyāsī? We are also eating, we are also sleeping. But there is no mating, no sex life. So one item dropped, at least. The very important item. So that is called vīta-rāga. And there is no fear. Vīta-rāga. Everything can be practiced. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). If we practice, then things will be all right.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that bahavaḥ, not one. Bahavaḥ. Kṛṣṇa says "many," many persons. We have got many instances in the śāstras, by tapasya, brahmacaryeṇa, tapasā, jñānena, yamena, niyamena, tyāgena. These are the different items. But either you practice the different items or simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these practices will be automatically done. Kecit kevala bhakti-yogena. Vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ (SB 6.1.15). If you become vāsudeva-parāyaṇa, then these things will be practiced. Just like everyone in this country . . . in the morning the manager of the Central Bank came. He was very much praising that how these European, American boys have become so nice. Because they have taken to bhakti-yoga. It is compared: nīhām . . . nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. Nīhāram iva bhās . . . nīhāram means . . . what is called? Mist or frost? The . . .? In the morning sometimes?

Devotees: Mist? Fog? Mist? Fog?

Prabhupāda: Fog. Fog, yes. The fog . . . we have got experience. When there is fog . . . I was, when I was going to your country, USA, I was on the ship. So there was all of a sudden fog cover, all over the sea. Anyone who has traveled in the sea, they have got experience. So you cannot go. Immediately the ship stops and horns, so that other ship may not collide. It becomes . . . so this fog . . . now, you have no instrument to drive away the fog. But as soon as the sun rises a little with strength, immediately fog is gone. So strong, but due to the sunshine, immediately it will go. Nīhāram iva bhāskaraḥ. This example is given.

Similarly, we may have so many bad habits, rāga, attachment. If you simply take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this will go, just like the fog—immediately. Immediately. So take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness very rigidly. That is called vīta-rāga. Simply by . . . this is the gift of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12) means to drive away the fog in the mind. That's all. Because we are covered by the fog in so many ways, and it is very difficult to drive away. But you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it will be driven away. It will be driven away. There is no doubt about it.

So Kṛṣṇa is suggesting that first of all jñāna. The rascals have no knowledge how to become happy. They are thinking, "We shall . . ." they will be happy by drinking wine and eating meat and having sex life unlimitedly. They're thinking like that, so rascal. The whole civilization is condemned. They do not know how to become happy. They do not know how to become happy. Mūḍha. They do not know. The happiness is only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the fact. Kṛṣṇa assures that, that bahavaḥ, many; jñāna-tapasā . . . first of all, one must know that the way in which you are finding out, trying to . . . trying to find out happiness, that is nonsense. That is not possible. We have to give up all these things. That is tapasya. Voluntarily give up all these things. The more we are advanced means more we have given up all these things—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. This is the position.

So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ . . . (BG 2.56). So how it is possible? How to become detached? Man-mayā: "Always be absorbed in My thought." Or man-mayā means . . . man means "mine"; mayā, "of Me," "Thinking of Me." That is recommended. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). This is the process. Always think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manāḥ. This is easy. Just like you love somebody. So if you chant his name, if you think of him, then you'll always remember. Similarly, if you simply think of Kṛṣṇa, if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa name, then you remain man-mayā. So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). You should take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66): "You take My shelter." So of course, those who are thinking of Kṛṣṇa, it is understood that he has taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa. Man-mayā. Man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ . . .

So if you do these things . . . not only you, there are . . . there are many examples. Bahavaḥ. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja and Dhruva Mahārāja, all big, big stalwart devotees. Nārada Muni, Brahmā, Svayambhū . . . svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilaḥ, prahlādaḥ bhīṣmaḥ . . . (SB 6.3.20). There are big, big personalities. To follow them, how? Prahlāda Mahārāja was being chastised by his father, five years old, but he did not know how to protest. He was suffering and chanting, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," "Nārāyaṇa." What can be done? What can be done? He was completely dependent on his father. And father had no mercy. The only fault was he, Kṛṣṇa . . . turned Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the fault. And he was being punished. He was punished, punished. This is the world. Even father will be enemy, what to speak of others. If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will be your enemy. You must be prepared for that.

So therefore you require tapasya. Tapasya. Tapasya means voluntarily agree to suffer. That is called tapasya. Voluntarily. Suffering is there, but why not suffer for Kṛṣṇa? Everyone is unhappy. Everyone is in suffering condition. Who is not suffering? Everyone is suffering. Tri-tāpa-yatana. Adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Three kinds of sufferings are always going on. Why you are running fan? Because suffering; there is heat. So where is no suffering? This is called adhidaivika, the scorching heat, scorching, I mean, severe cold. There must be always. We are suffering now due to scorching heat, and when the . . . we are thinking, "If it is become cooler . . ." And when it is cool, then also we suffering. Then we think, "If there is some heat." When there is winter, we are hankering after heat, and when there is summer, we are hankering after cooling.

So this is going on. We cannot be happy. First of all we must know that. There is no question of happiness here. We are simply hankering, "If it would have been very nicely cool." And when it is cool, then you'll think, "If it had been nicely hot . . ." The same thing. Carvita-carvaṇānām. Carvita-carvaṇānām means chewing the chewed. We have tasted heat and cold both, but we are desiring, "If it would have been like this, if it had been like that, if it . . ." But never come to the conclusion that either heat or cool, we have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya. That is explained by Kṛṣṇa. So long you have got this, this material skin, then this heat and cold you'll have to suffer. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ (BG 2.14). The śīta, the summer, the winter, or the summer season, neither of them are sources of happiness. But you are thinking like that. "If it would have been like this, if it would have been like this."

Therefore kāṅkṣa, akāṅkṣa. So if you become transcendentally situated, brahma-bhūta, there will be no more akāṅkṣa. There will be no more hankering either for this or that, because he knows . . . that is called jñāna. So after jñāna . . . that is required. Jñāna, in the human form of life, this knowledge is required. The animals cannot have jñāna. The human beings can have jñāna. This is knowledge that, "So long I'll possess this material body, I'll have to suffer. I'll have to suffer." Unless you come to this conclusion, there is no progress. If we remain attached to these bodily pains and pleasure . . . of course, nobody wants pains, but for pleasure you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course, gradually you'll come to knowledge.

That is not our aim. Our aim is that the pains and pleasure, so-called pleasure—actually pain—this will continue so long we have got this body. Therefore we have to practice tapasya, penance. Simple thing, no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication. This is tapasya, voluntarily accepting . . . those who are practiced to all these bad habits, so they will feel some pain, but you accept that pain. Then this pain will be over, this material pain. Just like sometimes for curing some disease the doctor says that injection or surgical operation. That is painful, but to cure the disease we should accept that thing. Similarly, if you want to become free from this material body, then you should accept, accept this pain. This is not pain; it is simply imagination. Actually, it is pleasure. So . . . because we have no knowledge, therefore jñāna-tapasā. And if there is knowledge and if there is tapasya, penance, then pūtā, purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ (BG 4.10). Then you come back to home, back to Godhead.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for teaching how one can be detached from this material existence and voluntarily accepting some so-called, I mean to say, sufferings. We should be steady. But actually, there is no suffering. It is simply imagination. Just like there are many meat-eaters. We do not eat meat. What is our suffering? It is simply imagination. If you ask the meat-eater that, "Don't eat meat," he'll think, "Oh, it is horrible." He'll say "Horrible." Yes, actually they say. Even big, big man, the Lord Zetland, he also said: "Oh, no, no, this cannot be done. This is our life." Lord Zetland to some of our Godbrothers, he said: "Can you make me Brāhmiṇ?" "Yes, we can make you Brāhmiṇ. You give up these . . ." "No, no. This is not possible. Horrible."

It appears to be horri . . . because we are so much absorbed in māyā, as soon as you ask anybody that, "You cannot eat meat," he'll think it, "Oh, it is horrible." As soon as you say: "You cannot drink, you cannot have any intoxication," he thinks, "This is horrible." But actually it is not . . . this is māyā. It is not horrible, but we are thinking horrible. We are not eating meat. Are you dying? No. We have got so many nice foodstuff. Why shall I eat meat? So paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). So our philosophy, our Vaiṣṇava philosophy, we do not say only that, "Don't eat this," but "Eat this." We do not enjoy this, but enjoy this. We give one alternative. We are not simply zero. The Māyāvādī philosophy is zero. We say that, "Make this side zero, and take this positive side." Just like here:

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā

man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ

bahavo jñāna-tapasā

pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ

(BG 4.10)

He gave up this, but that does not mean he became zero. Zero is śūnyavādi, voidism. No, you cannot remain in zero. That is not possible. If you accept this void philosophy, to make everything zero, that is artificial. Then again you'll fall down. Because you cannot remain in zero. The Māyāvādī philosopher, they want to . . . or the Buddhist philosopher, they want to make things zero. That is not possible. You cannot remain in zero, because you are ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). You want ānanda, pleasure. Pleasure cannot be in zero. That is not possible. Is it possible? To make things zero and you'll enjoy? No, that is not possible.

Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You can make zero automatically when you find better engagement. So we have to give better engagement. Then things will be zero. Because you have got better engagement, you are not interested to go to the hotel. There is hotel also, cinema also in Vṛndāvana. But will you go there? So if you become attached to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this hotel, restaurants and . . . and dancing, and this and that, they'll be zero. Automatically. But if you simply try to make it zero, that is not possible. That is not possible. Therefore paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you get better engagement, to try to engage yourself always in the better engagement, then these material activities will be zero. But zero is not our philosophy. Positive, not negative. They simply make negative. Negative will not help us.

Negative, there is of requisition negativeness. But here it is said that . . . "One is vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhāḥ (BG 2.56), or you have to be detached from all these nonsense things, but the result will be, by jñāna-tapasā, by knowledge and penance and austerities, when you'll be purified, then you'll come back to Me." This is positive. This positive . . . our philosophy's positive, not negative. Negative is, I mean to say, that is . . . what is called? Anya-vyatireka . . . sanskrit. Direct and indirect. This is indirect method. And direct method is positive. So you be positively engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in Kṛṣṇa's service, then you'll always remain on the transcendental platform, making the material activities zero. That is wanted.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)