690218 - Lecture BG 06.25-29 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

690218BG-LOS ANGELES - February 18, 1969 - 44:44 Minutes

Prabhupāda: Page hundred and fifty-six.

Viṣṇujana: "Gradually, step by step, with full conviction, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing else." (BG 6.25)

Prabhupāda: Yes. The self. The mind should be fixed in self. We are self, and Kṛṣṇa is also Self. So just like if you fix up your eyes on the sun, then you can see the sun and yourself also. Sometimes in dense darkness we cannot see ourself also. That you have experienced. So I cannot see my body in dense darkness. Although body is with me—I am the body or I am whatever I am—I cannot see myself. That you have got experience. So if you are in the sunshine, sunlight, then you see the sun as well as yourself. Is it not? Therefore to see the self means first of all see the Supreme Self.

The Supreme Self is Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas it is said, Kaṭha Upaniṣad, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13).

The Supreme Self is the chief eternal of all eternals. He is the chief living being of all living beings. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to fixed up in self. To . . . the same example: if you fix up your mind in Kṛṣṇa, then you can fix up your mind in everything. The same example again—if you take care of your stomach, then you take care of all the bodily limbs. If your stomach is supplied nice, nutritious food, the stomach is cleared of all disturbances, then you keep good health. So if you pour water in the root of the tree, then you take care of all the branches, leaves, flowers, twigs, everything, automatically.

So if you take care of Kṛṣṇa, then you do the best service to all others. Automatically. These boys, they are going with kīrtana party. Because they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, it is not that they are sitting idly in this temple. They are going outside, preaching this philosophy so that others may take advantage of it.

So a Kṛṣṇa conscious person cannot sit idly. He thinks that "Such a nice philosophy of life, why it should not be distributed?" That is his mission. A yogī may be satisfied with his own elevation. He is sitting in a secluded place, practicing yoga, elevating himself to transcendental life. That is his personal concern. But a devotee is not satisfied simply elevating himself, his personal.

We offer our respect to the Vaiṣṇavas:

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

(Praṇāma Prayers 9)

Vaiṣṇava is he . . . devotee is he who is very compassionate to these conditioned soul. Kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca. Kṛpā means mercy, and sindhu means ocean. A devotee is ocean of mercy. He wants to distribute the mercy.

Just like Lord Jesus Christ—he was God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, but he was not satisfied in himself. If he would have continued his God consciousness alone, he would not have met crucification. But no. He want to take care of others also, the others should be God conscious, others should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. He was forbidden by the king not to do that. So at the risk of his life he did it. That is the nature of devotee.

Therefore the preacher devotee is the most dearest devotee of Lord. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. They are going outside, they are preaching, they are meeting opposing elements. Sometimes they are defeated, sometimes disappointed, sometimes able to convince; there are different kinds of people. So, not that every devotee is very well equipped. There are three classes of devotees also. But that endeavor that, "I shall go and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness," is the best service to the Lord, because they are trying in opposition to elevate people to the highest standard of self-realization.

So one who has seen, one who is in trance of self-realization, he cannot sit idly. He must come out. He . . . just like Rāmānujācārya: he declared the mantra publicly. His spiritual master said that, "This mantra . . ." Just like that Maharshi came in your country. He wanted to give some private mantra. If that mantra has any power, why it should be private? If at all the mantra has any . . . why not it should be publicly declared, so that everyone can take advantage of that mantra? That is real. It is cheating, you see?

So here is no cheating process. We say that this mahā-mantra can save you; we are distributing publicly. No . . . (indistinct) . . . free, without any charge. But people are so fools, they are not prepared to take this. They'll hanker after that mantra, after Maharshi: pay thirty-five dollars and take some private mantra. You see? So people want to be cheated. And here, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, these people are preaching without any charge, declaring in the street, park, everywhere, "Come on, take it." "Oh, this is not good." This is māyā. This is called illusion. This is spell of māyā. And if you charge something, if you bluff, if you cheat, oh, people will follow.

Sacha bole to mare lathha jhuta jagat ghurai dhanna kali-yuga dukh lalge has pai. This is a Hindi verse by one devotee, that this Kali-yuga is so abominable that if you speak truth, then people will come with some rod to beat you. But if you cheat them, bluff them, they'll be bewildered; they'll like it. If I say: "I'm God," people will say: "Oh, here is Swāmījī, God." They won't inquire that, "How you have become God? What is the symptom of God? Have you got all the symptoms?" Nobody inquires.

So these things happen, unless one is not fixed up in the self, unless one does not understand what is real self, unless one does not understand what is Superself. So yoga means to understand this self-realizing process. That is yoga.

Go on.

Viṣṇujana: Verse twenty-six: "From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self."

Prabhupāda: This is the process. This is yoga system. Suppose you are trying to concentrate your mind on Kṛṣṇa, and your mind is diverted, going somewhere, in some cinema house. So you should withdraw, "Not there. Please, here." This is practice of yoga: not to allow the mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa. If you can practice this simply, don't allow your mind to go away from Kṛṣṇa . . . and because we cannot fix up our mind sitting in one place in Kṛṣṇa, that requires very high training. To sit down in a place and always fix up in Kṛṣṇa the mind, that is not very easy job. One who is not practiced to it, if he simply imitates, then he will be confused.

We have to engage ourself always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything we do must be dovetailed in Kṛṣṇa. Our usual activities should be so molded that it has to do everything for Kṛṣṇa. Then your mind will be fixed up in Kṛṣṇa. Artificially, when you are not advanced, if you try to fix up our mind in Kṛṣṇa, that yoga practice as it is recommended here: that you have to sit down in this way, straight, you have to concentrate your eyesight on the tip of the nose in a secluded sacred place. But where are these chances? At the present moment, where is the chance of all these facilities?

Therefore this is the only method, that you chant loudly and hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. If your mind is in other things, it will be forced to concentrate on the sound vibration "Kṛṣṇa." You haven't got to withdraw your mind from other—automatically it will be withdrawn, because the sound is there.

Just like the motorcar sound is going on, automatically our attention is diverted. Similarly, if we chant "Kṛṣṇa," so automatically my mind will be fixed up. Otherwise I'm accustomed to fix up my mind in so many things. So yoga practice means to withdraw the mind and again fix up in Kṛṣṇa. So this vibration of chanting automatically helps us in that yoga practice.

Go on.

Viṣṇujana: Purport: "Nature of the mind is flickering and unsteady. But a self-realized yogī has to control the mind. The mind should not control him."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the yoga success. At the present moment the mind is controlling me, go-dāsa. Mind is dictating me that "Please, why not see that beautiful nice girl?" and I go and . . . "Why not drink that nice liquor?" "Yes." "Why not smoke this nice cigarette?" "Yes." "Why not go to the restaurant, nice?" "Why not do this?" So many things mind is dictating, and we are following.

So this present stage is I am controlled by the mind. The material life means one is controlled by the mind or by the senses. Mind is the center of all senses. So to become controlled by the mind means to be controlled by the senses. Senses are subordinate assistants to the master mind. Master mind dictates, "Go and see that," my eyes sees.

Therefore my eyes . . . the sense eye is under the direction of the mind. My legs go. Therefore my sense organ the leg is under the direction of the mind. So to become under the direction of the mind means to become under the direction of the senses. So if you can control the mind, then you'll not be under the control of the senses.

So one who is under the control of the senses, he is go-dāsa. Go means senses, and dāsa means servant. And one who is master of the senses, he's gosvāmī. Svāmī means master, and go means senses. You have seen the gosvāmī title. The gosvāmī title means one who is the master of the sense. One who is not the servant of the sense. So long one is servant of the senses, he cannot be called a gosvāmī or svāmī. Svāmī or gosvāmī, the same thing, means one who is the master of the senses.

So unless one is not master of the senses, his accepting this title of svāmī and gosvāmī is cheating. One must be master of the senses. That is defined by Rūpa Gosvāmī, gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. They were ministers. When they were ministers they were not gosvāmī. But when they become disciples of Lord Caitanya, Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rūpa Gosvāmī, and was trained by Him, they became gosvāmī.

So gosvāmī is not a hereditary title. It is a qualification, under the direction of spiritual master. One who attains perfection in controlling the senses, he is called svāmī or gosvāmī. So one has to become svāmī, gosvāmī; then he can become spiritual master. Without being svāmī or master of the senses, to become a spiritual master is bogus. That is also defined by Rūpa Gosvāmī. He says:

vāco vegaṁ krodha-vegaṁ manasaḥ-vegam

jihvā-vegam udara-vegam upastha-vegam

etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ

pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt

(NOI 1)

He says there are six impetus, pushing, vegam. Pushing. Vegam, you can understand: just like you are called by nature, you have to go to the toilet room. You cannot check; you have to answer. That is called vegam, pushing. So there are six vegam, pushing. What is that? Vāco vegam: vegam, pushing of talking, unnecessarily talking. That is called pushing of the talks. Krodha-vegam: There is sometimes pushing of the anger. If I am very much angry, I cannot check myself; I do something which I ought not to do. Sometimes in anger kills his own men. This is called vegam, pushing. So pushing of the talking, pushing of the anger.

Similarly, pushing of the mind. Mind dictates, "You must go at once there." Immediately. Pushing of the talking, pushing of the mind, pushing of the anger. Then jihvā-vegam. Jihvā-vegam means tongue. I want to taste such nice thing, some sweetballs or something else which I like very much. So one has to control this. One has to control his talking unnecessarily. One has to control his mind, dictation of mind. The yoga practice only on the mind.

But our Kṛṣṇa conscious practice . . . except mind, there are so many other things, just like anger, tongue, then jihvā-vegam, then udara-vegam. From tongue come little down. Udara means belly. The belly is already filled up; still I want to fill it more. That is called vegam, pushing of the belly. And when there are so much pushing of the tongue and pushing of the belly, the next underneath the genital, there is force of the genital. Then I require some sex. If I eat more, if I use my tongue unnecessarily, if I allow my mind to do anything and everything, then I cannot check my genital also. There will be sex urge which I cannot check. In this way there are so many pushings.

Rūpa Gosvāmī says one who has control over all this pushing machine, he can become spiritual master. Not that spiritual master is manufactured. One has to learn this, how to check the pushing of these things. Etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ (NOI 1). One who can control over these pushing and remains dhīraḥ, steady, pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt: he can make disciples all over the world. Open. Yes.

So everything depends on training. That is yoga system. Yoga means . . . the whole yoga system means training—our senses, our mind, our this, that, so many things—then we are fixed up in the self. Do you think that simply by fifteen minutes' meditation we realize? And do all nonsense all the day? No. It requires training. You are going to solve the problems of life, you want to do it very cheap? No. Then you'll be cheated. You have to pay for it. If you want the nicest thing, then you have to pay for it.

But by the grace of Lord Caitanya, the payment has been made very easy: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything becomes very . . . all this controlling system, perfection of yoga system, becomes very easy. That is the mercy of Lord Caitanya. Ihā haite sarva-siddhi haibe tomāra (Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya 23.78).

Lord Caitanya has blessed that if you follow this principle, chanting, then you'll get all the perfection of self-realization. That is a fact.

So for this age, when people are so much fallen, no other process will be successful. This process is the only process. It is very easy and sublime and effective and practical, and one can realize oneself. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam (BG 9.2).

In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that you can practically experience. In other system, you do not practically experience how far you are making progress. But this system, if you follow for a few days, you realize, "Yes, I am making progress." Just like if you eat, you understand that your hunger is satisfied. Similarly, actually if you follow this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, you'll see yourself that you are advancing in the matter of self-realization.

Go on.

Viṣṇujana: "One who controls the mind, therefore the senses as well, is called gosvāmī or svāmī. One who is controlled by the mind is called go-dāsa, or the servant of the senses. A gosvāmī knows the standard of sense happiness. In transcendental sense happiness, the senses are engaged in the service of Hṛṣīkeśa, the supreme owner of the senses, Kṛṣṇa. Serving Kṛṣṇa with purified senses is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the way of bringing the senses under full control. What is more, that is the highest perfection of yoga practice."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Viṣṇujana: Verse twenty-seven: "The yogī whose mind is fixed on Me verily attains the highest pleasure. By virtue of his identity with Brahman, he is liberated, his mind is peaceful, his passions are quieted and he is freed from sin."

Twenty-eight: "Steady in the self, being freed from all material contamination, the yogī achieves the highest perfectional stage of happiness in touch with the Supreme Consciousness."

Prabhupāda: So here is the perfection. "The yogī whose mind is fixed on Me." "Me" means Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is speaking. If I am speaking, "Give me a glass of water," it does not mean that the water should be supplied to somebody else. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and He says: "Me." "Me" means Kṛṣṇa. This is clear understanding. But there are many commentators, they deviate from Kṛṣṇa. I do not know why. That is their nefarious motive. No. "Me" means Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always in yoga trance.

Go on.

Viṣṇujana: Verse twenty-nine: "A true yogī observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, "A true yogī observes Me in all beings." How he can see? They interpret that all beings are Kṛṣṇa, so therefore there is no use of worshiping Kṛṣṇa separately. They take therefore to the humanitarian activities. They say this is better. "Why Kṛṣṇa shall be worshiped? Kṛṣṇa says that one should see in every being Kṛṣṇa. So let us serve." But they do not know the techniques. That requires training under bona fide spiritual master.

This, "A true yogī observes Me in all beings . . ." A true yogī, devotee. Just like these devotees are going to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness outside. Why? They see Kṛṣṇa in all beings. How? Because they see that, "All beings are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. They are under forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. So let us awake them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." A devotee sees others who's not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . . just like sometimes some missionary activities are there to give education to the uneducated community. Why? Because they see they are human beings; they should be educated, they should know the value of life. That is their sympathy.

Here also the same thing, that everyone should know that he's part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Forgetting this consciousness, he suffers. That is to see Kṛṣṇa in everything. Not that everything has become Kṛṣṇa. Don't see like that; then you'll be mistaken. Every being is . . . just like if I see somebody that, "This boy is the son of such-and-such gentleman." That means I see such-and-such gentleman in this boy. Is it clear? If I see every living being is son of God, or Kṛṣṇa, then that means I see God in every being. Is there any difficulty to understand?

Viṣṇujana: Is this an association, or is this a vision?

Prabhupāda: No, this is a fact. (laughter) It is not an association or vision; this is a fact. When you see a cat, when you see a dog, you see Kṛṣṇa in him. Why? You know that, "Here is a cat, living being. He, by his deeds, past deed, he has got this body cat, forgetfulness. So let me help this cat, give it some kṛṣṇa-prasādam, so that in some day he will come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness." This is to see in him Kṛṣṇa.

Not that "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa; let me embrace this cat." This is nonsense. Here is a tiger, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa; come on, please eat me." (laughter) This is rascaldom. You should take sympathy with every living being, that he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca (Praṇāma prayers).

Not that we shall embrace him, "Come on, Kṛṣṇa."

So, "The true yogī observes Me in all beings." This is the seeing. Why we are welcoming these children? Because he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are giving them chance to, as much as possible, to take part in the kīrtana, to taste the prasādam. That child who comes, imitates like this, oh, don't think that it is going in vain. Something done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, knowing or not knowing, it will have its effect.

These children who are bowing down or trying to vibrate "Kṛṣṇa" or clap, these things are being accumulated in bank account of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like if the child touches this fire, it will act. It will not excuse the child, that "Oh, he is child—he does not know." The fire will act. Similarly, if Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Spirit, a child who may take part in it, Kṛṣṇa will act. You may know it or do not know it, it doesn't matter—because Kṛṣṇa is there.

So it is so nice. Therefore every living being should be given chance. These boys are inviting outsider, "Come on," this Love Feast. What is the idea? The idea, let them come, take little prasādam, and it will act someday in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It will act. So that is their propaganda. They are seeing everyone, Kṛṣṇa . . . they are seeing Kṛṣṇa in everyone, in that way. Not that everyone is Kṛṣṇa. Don't make this mistake. Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. Why in this human being? He is there in the atom also.

Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35), you'll find in the Brahma-saṁhitā.

Paramāṇu means atom. So He's there within atom also. Why not every living being? You should have that knowledge.

So "The true yogī observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me." How "in Me"? Because everything what you see, that is Kṛṣṇa. You are sitting on this floor, so you are sitting on Kṛṣṇa. You are sitting on this carpet, you are sitting on Kṛṣṇa. You should know it. How this carpet is Kṛṣṇa? Because carpet is made of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

There are different kinds of—parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.8, CC Madhya 13.65, purport).

The Supreme Lord has various energies. Out of those various energies, three divisions are primary: material energy, spiritual energy and marginal energy. We living entities, we are marginal energy. The whole material world is material energy. And there is spiritual energy, the spiritual world. And we are marginal. So we are sitting either in the material energy . . . marginal means this way or that way. You can become spiritual or you become material. No third alternative. Either you become materialistic or become spiritualistic.

So, so long we are in the material world, we are sitting on the material energy—therefore we are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. Because energy is not separated from Kṛṣṇa. Just like this light, this flame, there is heat and there is illumination, the two energies. The heat is not separated from the fire, and the illumination is not separated from the fire. Therefore in one sense the heat is also fire, the illumination is also fire. Similarly, this material energy is also Kṛṣṇa. So we are thinking that we are sitting on this floor, but actually we are sitting in Kṛṣṇa. This is philosophy.

So, ". . . and also sees everything . . . every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere." That is seeing everywhere. To see every being, everything, in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that means you see Kṛṣṇa everywhere. As it is taught in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya (BG 7.8):

"I am the taste of water." Why water is drunk by all living entities? The animals, the birds, the beasts, the man, human being, everyone drinks water. Therefore water is needed so much. And Kṛṣṇa has stocked water so much. You see? Water is needed so much—for agriculture, for washing, for drinking. So if one does not get a glass of water in due time, he dies.

That experience one has got in the war field. How much valuable is water they can understand. In fighting, when they become thirsty and there is no water, they die. So why water is so valuable? Because there is nice taste. You are so much thirsty, you drink one sip of water, "Oh, thank God." You see? So Kṛṣṇa says: "That taste I am. That life-giving taste of water I am," Kṛṣṇa says.

So if you have learned this philosophy, whenever you drink water you see Kṛṣṇa. And when do you not drink water? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). "I am the light of the sun and the moon."

So either in the night or in daytime, you have to see either sunlight or moonlight. So how can you forget Kṛṣṇa?

Either you drink water or see the sunlight or see the moonlight, or you hear some sound, śabdaḥ khe . . . there are so many things, you have read it in the Fourth Chapter, how Kṛṣṇa is all-pervading. So one has to see Kṛṣṇa in that way. Then you'll get perfection of yoga. Here it is stated: "A true yogī observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. Indeed, the self-realized man sees Me everywhere." Hmm. (cut) (end)