740103 - Lecture SB 01.16.06 - Los Angeles

Lectures by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740103SB-LOS ANGELES- January 03, 1974 - 40:14 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (devotees repeat) (leads chanting of vers etc.)

athavāsya padāmbhoja-

makaranda-lihāṁ satām

kim anyair asad-ālāpair

āyuṣo yad asad-vyayaḥ

(SB 1.16.6)

Prabhupāda: Who is that? Somebody is speaking behind?

(break)

Pradyumna: Translation: "The devotees of the Lord are accustomed to licking up the honey available from the lotus feet of the Lord. What is the use of topics which simply waste one's valuable life?"

Prabhupāda: The same last paragraph. The . . . yadi kṛṣṇa-kathāśrayam (SB 1.16.5). So the proposal was that, "We are interested to hear about Kali's being punished by Mahārāja Parīkṣit if there is some connection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that we shall not do anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One should be very alert, "I am going to do this. Whether it has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? I am going to eat this. Whether there is any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" In this way, we have got always some activities, some action of the senses, but if we test every moment, "Whether this has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa?" then you will remain safe. I am going to talk with you or somebody else. Whether that talk has got any connection with Kṛṣṇa? If it has no, then I am not going to talk. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.255). That is really renunciation.

Renunciation does not mean I change this cloth to another shape of cloth and another color of cloth. Renunciation means I will not associate with anything which has no connection with Kṛṣṇa. This is renunciation. Because for a Kṛṣṇa conscious person, to waste even a moment of life without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a great dangerous action. Not only . . . anyone who is interested for higher level of position, he should be very careful of using every moment of life. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's advice, moral instruction of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he says, practical proposition:

āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi

na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ

sa cen nirarthakaṁ nītaḥ

kā nu hānis tato 'dhikaḥ

He is advising that our duration of life, that is limited. It is, by destiny, limited. Therefore in the horoscope it is said that, "So many years this man will live." That's fact.

So any big scientist, big philosopher, they may be very, very big, big men, but the so-called scientist cannot increase even one day's life. That is not possible. You have to die. The moment you are destined to die, you must die. So not only day; even a moment you cannot increase. A moment you cannot increase. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi. We have got a certain duration of life. Now, what is gone in this life . . . suppose yesterday was 2nd January, 1974. This morning it is finished. Now it is 3rd January, 1974. Can you bring 1973 . . . 1974, 2nd January, again? No, that is not possible. It is gone forever. It is gone forever. Similarly, every moment of our life is going, forever, never to come back. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says, na labhyaḥ svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. If you request that, "Now my age is," say: "seventy-eight years." If I request somebody that, "I will give you millions of dollars, make my life seventy-seven years," that is not possible. Not seventy-seven years—even a moment. Therefore Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that every moment of life is sovaluable that you cannot get back it even offering hundreds and thousands and millions of dollars. That is not possible.

So if that moment is wasted for nothing, just imagine what is your loss. A thing which you cannot get back by paying millions of dollars, if that is lost unnecessarily, so how much loss you are suffering just imagine. This is material calculation. Why we keep some valuable things, some jewel, very carefully? Because we know, "If I lose this jewel, I will lose so much money." Similarly, we should always consider that. The modern civilization, rascal civilization, they do not know how to utilize life. So many days, so many hours, they are simply wasting, simply wasting. It is said that the sunrise and sunset, during this period, the sun's business is to take away the duration of our life, sunrise and sunset. That means twelve hours or thirteen hours which is gone between the sunrise and sunset . . . this is . . . sun's business is to take away the portion, the fixed-up duration of life which I have been given. That is, some of it is taken away. The same example, just like you have got a fixed balance in the bank. If you draw even ten pence, ten shillings, that means it is taken away. You have to replace it. But replacing is not possible. Bank balance you can replace, but the balance . . . suppose you have passed . . . I have passed . . . suppose if I live for eighty years or ninety years or hundred years. So this seventy-eight years is already taken away. It cannot be replaced. You cannot make the bank balance or the duration of . . . again complete. That is not possible. This is plain fact.

Therefore here it is said that those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they must weight, measure, every moment, "Whether this moment has been spent without Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" That is the criterion. Avyartha-kālatvam, nāma-gāne sadā ruciḥ (CC Madhya 23.18-19). This is the test of advanced Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rūpa Gosvāmī gives avyartha-kālatvam. Avyartha-kālatvam means, "Whether my time has been spent uselessly?" One should be alert, "Whether my time has been used . . . has been uselessly spent by talking nonsense?" In another place Rūpa Gosvāmī says:

atyāhāraḥ prayāsaś ca

prajalpo niyamāgrahaḥ

laulyaṁ jana-saṅgaś ca

ṣaḍbhir bhaktir pranaśyati

(NOI 2)

By six kinds of activities you will lose your holding in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What is that? Atyāhāraḥ, too much eating. Āhāra means collection or eating. So either too much collection. Our Society, international Society, we must collect thousands and thousands of dollars, but for spending it for Kṛṣṇa, not for keeping in the bank. That is not our business. We must collect as much. Suppose for doing some business . . . we are constructing our temple in Vṛndāvana. We require fifty lakhs. That is required. But I shall not collect more than fifty lakhs even one cent. This is atyāhāra. Similarly, if your body can consume foodstuff one kilo or half kilo, you can eat. But not even an ounce or even a, what is called, grain more than that. That is atyāhāra. You eat. It is not forbidden to eating. But you must eat as much as you can digest very nicely; not more than that. This is against bhakti principle, eating too much or collecting too much. Atyāhāra.

And prayāsa. Prayāsa means do something with extraordinary endeavor. So, of course, we have to do sometime, but it is the general principle. We shall accept . . . suppose you are constructing a temple. If it is . . . suppose two millions of dollars required, or, say, five millions of dollars. If we cannot do that, we shall not attempt. That is prayāsa, unnecessarily endeavor. Which is within your control, you should act. Atyāhāraḥ prayāsaḥ. And prajalpa. Prajalpa means talking all nonsense. Suppose politics, "What Mr. Nixon did yesterday, or what did he say?" So what interest we have got in this Mr. Nixon? We shall not waste our time talking this politics, that politics, this sociology, this cinema, this affair. No. We have nothing to do with that. That is called prajalpa, unnecessary talking. Talking means decreasing your duration of life. Talking. So why should you decrease your life unnecessarily? Every moment you have to utilize, "Whether it is used for Kṛṣṇa?" This is sādhana. This is sādhana, practice. Unnecessary talking, unnecessarily making enemies. Unnecessarily, "You are my subordinate; I am your master." Who is master? Everyone is subordinate to Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is master. Why you talk unnecessarily?

So therefore it is said that, kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. Asat. Asat means that will not exist, and sat means which will exist. That we do not know, which will exist. But we know that this body will not exist. That everyone, we know. And what is that thing which will exist? That we do not know, the soul. That we do not know. We know what will not exist. That everyone knows. And in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam (BG 2.17). Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Everything is there. We know that this body is asat, antavanta. Antavanta means "Which has got an end." Antavanta ime dehāḥ. This body has got an end at a certain date. Everyone knows. But the, the other is nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ. But within the body, which is the living force of this body, which is moving this body, that is nitya. Two things are there: my body and the force within the body. Everyone knows as soon as the force is withdrawn or gone away that this body has no more movement, it has no value. That everyone knows. But they will explain in different way. But according to our Vedic knowledge, that which is moving this body, that is eternal. That is not finished. "The . . . after the end of this body, the body is burnt into ashes or into . . . buried into the earth, and still?" Yes. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

In this way, every step, svayaṁ bhagavān is personally . . . Kṛṣṇa is instructing us, and we are so fool, we cannot understand. We cannot understand. Big, big politicians, they read Bhagavad-gītā, in our country. But by their action it is seen they did not understand even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Even a word of Bhagavad-gītā. Big, big politician. They became very big, big mahātmās or great men, but they tried for this body, which is to be finished. Antavanta ime dehāḥ. Nobody tried for that thing which will never be finished, that is eternal. You find from their life, they never instructed about the soul. They dealt with politics very nicely, to give bluff that, "Within one year I shall give you liberation and this and that," about the . . . what is the value of this liberation? Because they did not know the thing which is not perishable, they are after this body, which is, liberated or not liberated, will perish. They are busy. They are busy with the activities of this body, which is surely perishable.

What is the value of our independence? Can you avoid death? Suppose you are independentness. What is the meaning of this independence? When death will come, will catch you by your neck and throw you away, your independence, nonsense independence . . . what is the value of this independence? Be independence from the clutches of māyā. No more death—that is independence. That is independence. No more birth—oh, that is independence. No more death. Otherwise, what is the meaning of independence? You are not independent. You are under the clutches of māyā. You are struggling. You are struggling to get out of the clutches of māyā or the material nature, external energy of God. You are trying to make nice medicine to get out of the attack of disease. But you can manufacture a better medicine, but you cannot get out of disease. That is not possible. This is struggle. Now we have manufactured such a nice medicine that cancer or any other disease will not attack us. That is very nice. But find out some medicine that death will not attack you, "Oh, that is not possible." Then where is the meaning of your advancement?

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that medicine by which you can conquer over death. Therefore this is the best medicine. Bhavauṣadhi. It is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, bhavauṣadhi. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānāt . . . (aside) You can stand on the wall, not in the middle. Nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād bhavauṣadhi (SB 10.1.4). This word bhavauṣadhi means the panacea for all material diseases. Bhavauṣadhi chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. Parīkṣit Mahārāja says that, "This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it is chanted by whom?" Nivṛtta-tarṣaiḥ, one who has finished his hankering after material pleasure. Nivṛtti. Nivṛtti means finished, no more. There are two ways: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. I want to smoke—that is called pravṛtti. And when I give up, that is called nivṛtti. Pravṛtti and nivṛtti.

So there are two things: pravṛtti and nivṛtti. But asuras, demons, they do not know "In which way I shall guide my pravṛtti and which way I shall guide my nivṛtti." This is the paśu, "In which way I will . . ." Pravṛtti and nivṛtti, these two things are there, but the difference between a demon and demigod is that a demon does not know how to direct these two propensities, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. And a demigod knows how to guide these two things, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. These two . . . one who does not know . . . pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā (Manu-saṁhitā). Śāstra says that these things . . . just like, loke vyavāyāmiṣa-madya-sevā nityā hi jantu na hi tatra codanā (SB 11.5.11). This eating, sleeping, mating and defending, every animal, every small animal, knows it very well, how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex intercourse and how to defend. These four things, everyone knows by nature. So this is called pravṛtti. Pravṛtti. But it has to be made nivṛtti, stop. They do not know what is the perfection. The perfection is . . . the pravṛtti, propensity is eating, sleeping, mating, defending. And when you make it just the opposite—no more eating, no more sleeping, no more mating, no more defending—oh, that is perfection of life.

Who knows this? Ask any scientist, philosopher, of this world that, "Can you show me anyway: no more eating, no more sleeping, no more mating and no more defending?" That is spiritual life. Therefore we have to reduce it. It is not possible, but there is possibility. Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he made it in his life, during Caitanya Mahāprabhu's . . . even after departure of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, about four hundred years ago. He was a very rich man's son. Very good wife, very good state. He left everything, and ultimately he made these things, even eating, nil. He was eating every third day a small quantity of butter, nominal. Yes. Otherwise he gave up eating. So it is possible. It is not that, "How one can give up eating and live at the same time?" That is possible. By the life of Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī we see.

So actual civilization means to deny material conveniences. That is actual civilization. That is perfection of civilization. Otherwise the cats and dogs, they are also after food, after sleeping, after sexual intercourse, after defend. Then what is the difference? The difference is the animals after it and the human beings should be not after it. Negation. That is perfection of life. So how we can negate? The Māyāvādī philosophers, they want to negate. Or the Buddhist philosopher: "Make it zero. Make it zero." Śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi and śūnyavādi, almost the same. So they are after negation. But that is not possible. Artificially, if you negate—"I shall not eat"—you cannot continue it for very many days. That is not possible. That is not possible. Similarly, eating, sleeping, mating—everything—artificially you cannot do. But you can do it as perfectly, as much possible, simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore it is said here that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. If we do not . . . if we stop Kṛṣṇa talking, then that is negation. If we stop artificially these mundane talks, that will be artificial. You cannot sit down. If I say that the so-called meditation . . . so meditation is artificially stopping these mundane activities. That is meditation. But how long you will do that? He is becoming suffocated, "When I shall talk? When I shall talk? I am meditating, meditating, meditating." But how will it stop? That is not possible. Just like these Māyāvādī philosophers, they say: "Become desireless, no more desire." That is not possible. I am a living entity. How can I be desireless? It is not possible.

So this negative process will not help us, śūnyavādi. Śūnyavādi. Nirviśeṣavādi. It will not be helpful. Therefore in the śāstra it is said that āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). The same example I have given several times, that these rascals, they are going to the moon planet and sun planet, but they do not get any shelter, and they come down again. Their advancement means go to some extent and again come back again, earthly planet. When the Russian aeronauts was flying, he was seeing, "Where is my Moscow? Where is my Moscow?" The anchor is there. The attraction is there in the national, in the country, in the city, in the home, in the wife, in the cats, in the dogs. And he is trying to go up. So that is not possible. Just like a vulture: he goes three miles up or more than that, but his aim of life is to find out a dead body. That's all. He is finding. He has gone so up. You can say that advancement of going up, but the business is to see where is a dead body so that he can eat.

So this kind of artificial going up and making things negation will not help us. That is not possible. Therefore they are failure. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ (SB 10.2.32). These Māyāvādī philosophers, they may go very high by knowledge, by speculation, but they will again fall down. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: "Because they could not get the shelter of Your lotus feet, therefore they will fall down." That is not secure. Because a man cannot remain without any activity, without any desire. That is not possible. A man, animal, any, even insect, he must be doing something. I have got practical experience. One of my son in child . . . when I was young man, he was very naughty. So sometimes we used to put him on the rack. He could not get down. So he was feeling so uncomfortable because his activities stopped on the rack. So you cannot stop activity. That is not possible. You must give better activity. Then you will stop. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59).

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that you get better activity. Therefore you can give up the inferior activities. Otherwise, simply by negation it is not possible. We must work. We must work for Kṛṣṇa's sake. We shall go to the Kṛṣṇa's temple, or we shall go for selling Kṛṣṇa's books or meeting some Kṛṣṇa devotee. That is nice. But you cannot stop working. That is not possible. Then your idle brain will be devil's workshop. Yes. Then you will fall down, "How to go to that woman? How to go to that man?" If you stop working, then you have to work again to sense gratification. That's all. Similarly, you take any sense; you cannot stop it, but you have to engage it. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You engage your hand and engage your legs, you engage your eyes, you engage your ears, engage your tongue—simply in Kṛṣṇa. You can engage everything. For eyes, instead of hankering after some beautiful man or beautiful woman, just see Kṛṣṇa, how nicely dressed. Then you will forget these other seeing. For tongue, you engage your tongue simply for chanting, then your nonsense talking will automatically stop. You engage your tongue eating very nice prasādam of Kṛṣṇa, offered to Kṛṣṇa, then you forget to go to restaurant. In this way our time should be utilized. As it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpaiḥ. We should not allow our senses to be engaged in such thing which will never exist. That is the criterion. Simply engage yourself in such things which will continue, will exist forever.

Just like we are learning here Kṛṣṇa's service. So Kṛṣṇa's service is here, and if you are perfect, then Kṛṣṇa's service is there after death also, the same thing. Therefore it is said, māra vā jīva vā. One saintly person said to a royal prince, rāja-putra cirañ jīva. Cirañ jīva: "Oh, you are the son of a king. You live forever." Muni-putra, muni-putra mā jīva mā jīva: "Oh, you are the disciple of a saintly person, brahmacārī, you please die immediately." Just see. Rāja-putra cirañ jīva. He is blessing rāja-putra, "You live forever." And muni-putra, the son of a muni, or the disciple of a muni, he says, mā jīva, mā jīva: "You don't live, you die. You die." And that thing . . . that, what is called? This butcher. Butcher, he is advising the butcher, jīva vā māra vā, "Either you . . ." No. He is advising butcher, mā jīva mā māra: "Don't die, don't live." And to a sādhu, saintly person, he is advising, jīva vā māra vā, two things.

So what is the purport? The purport is that this prince, he is enjoying material enjoyment, but next life he will have to become a dog. "So better you live with your enjoyment," cirañ jīva, "Because as soon as you die, you are going to be a dog. So better you live. So long you will live it is good for you." And muni-putra, a brahmacārī, his business is fasting and go to collect for Guru Mahārāja, and then whatever he takes, he offers to the guru. Then the guru says that, "You can eat," he can eat. It is hardship, but by this hardship he is now prepared to go back to home, Godhead. So he says: "You immediately die so you can go to Vaikuṇṭha immediately." And the cruel butcher, he is advised, mā jīva mā māra: "You don't live and don't die. Because your living condition is so horrible that every day, morning, you have to kill so many animals and see bloodshed and this. It is a horrible life. Your occupation is very, very horrible. Therefore you should not live. But at the same time, if you die, then you are going to suffer all this suffering yourself. Then you don't die also." So this is the position. And sādhu, those who are saintly person, devotee, he is advised, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you live or either you die, your business is to serve Kṛṣṇa. You are serving Kṛṣṇa now, and after death you will serve Kṛṣṇa. So there is no question of your death, neither there is no question of your birth." So these are some moral instruction.

So here it is said that kim anyair asad-ālāpair yad . . . what is that? Avyayaḥ, asad-vyayaḥ. What is the meaning of vyayaḥ? Asat, "Unnecessary waste of life." So unnecessary waste of life, we should be very careful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the criterion of Kṛṣṇa conscious life. We should not waste our time. That is advised by Rūpa Gosvāmī also. Avyartha-kālatvam (CC Madhya 23.18-19). We should be very cautious not to waste a single moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we have got so many activities. If we have no activities, then we can polish the floor of the temple. That is not very difficult. If I am illiterate, I have no interest in reading books, I have no interest in chanting or I cannot do it constantly, then take something and mop over the temple and cleanse the temple. That is also service. It is not that one who is engaged in the Deity worship, he is better engaged, and one who is polishing the floor, he is less engaged. No. Both of them will get equal benefit. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice. So find out some business for Kṛṣṇa. Don't waste time. That is the perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (break) (end)