760620 - Lecture SB 07.06.04 - Toronto

Lectures by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

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760620SB-TORONTO - June 20, 1976 - 26.12 Minutes

Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. (Devotees repeat) (leads chanting, etc.)

tat-prayāso na kartavyo

yata āyur-vyayaḥ param

na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ

mukunda-caraṇāmbujam

(SB 7.6.4)

Translation: (02:35) "Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one's endeavors are directed toward Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development."

Prabhupāda:

tat-prayāso na kartavyo

yata āyur-vyayaḥ param

na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ

mukunda-caraṇāmbujam

(SB 7.6.4)

This is the essence of instruction of all Vedic instructions. What is that? Na tat prayāso kartavyo. Everyone is engaged for developing economic condition. The whole world is engaged how to develop economic condition. There were so many empires, especially in the Western countries. The British Empire, what was their aim? To develop economic condition. Bring money from all over the world in London, and become lord, baron, this, that. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't endeavor for all these things." Don't endeavor. "Why not? Shall I not?" "No," he said. "No, you should not." Why? Yata āyur-vyayaḥ. "You are simply wasting time." Wasting time. The so-called economic development may be temporary. Actually, you cannot improve. We can see practically, so many people, in big, big cities, they are trying to develop their economic condition to improve their status of life, but do you think that everyone is successful? In big, big cities, in our country India, Calcutta, Bombay, at least, we have seen it that everyone . . . there are so many millions of people, they are trying, but still you'll find somebody is living in palace building and somebody is living in slum. "Everyone has got equal chance in big, big cities. They can improve." No. That is not possible.

In Western countries, when I did not come to your country I thought USA or in Europe, there is no poor man. I was thinking like that. But when I came, I actually saw there are so many poor men. Why they could not take advantage of the facilities in the Western countries and be equal? No, that is not possible. According to the nature's arrangement, there are three modes of condition: sattva-guṇa, raja-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So every one of us is under either of these sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So always you'll find three classes of men—first class, second class, third class. Also fourth class, fifth class. But we are taking the first three. Or, in other words, some class richer, some class middle-class men, and poor men. Everywhere you'll find, all over the world, either in USA or in Europe or in India, or in . . . you cannot change that. That is not possible. But because we are not educated in the aim, understanding what is the aim of life, we are misled.

That is also, Prahlāda Mahārāja says in another place, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇoḥ durāśayā ye bahir-arthah-māninaḥ. People, general, people in general, they do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life is this: back to home, back to Godhead. This is aim of life. There is no other aim. Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūraya. That is the aim of life: how to reach viṣṇu-pada. And here it is also said, mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. This is aim of life. Without attempting how to regain the shelter of mukunda-caraṇāmbujam, if you simply waste your time for economic development or improving the standard of your living, it is simply waste of time. This is the law of nature. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, tat-prayāso na kartavyo. Tat-prayāso means in the previous verse it is said that sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā. Everyone is trying. Why they are working so hard? Sukham aindriyakam. Just to get some sense gratification. That's all. This is the only aim.

In another place, Ṛṣabhadeva says,

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma

yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti

na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam

asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

(SB 5.5.4)

The real problem is that how to stop to get another material body. Where is that education? They do not know what is material body or there is spiritual body. No knowledge. Big, big scientists, philosophers, but they have no knowledge even that "What I am." Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." And in the śāstra, if anyone is thinking like that, he's no better than the dogs and cats, because dog is also thinking like that.

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ

yat tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij

janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ

(SB 10.84.13)

Animals. Go means cows and khara means ass. So without self-realization, without understanding what I am, whether I am this body or something other than the body, without this knowledge, it is animal civilization.

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "Don't waste your time in the matter of animal civilization." Na tat prayāso kartavyo. "Don't waste your time." It is very important verse. Everyone is trying to improve the condition of animal life, that's all. What is animal life? Eating, sleeping, sex and defense. Our big, big states, big, big countries, especially nowadays, USA and Russia or China, manufacturing atom bomb. So what is this atom bomb? Defense. Defense. How to get out of fear. Āhāra-nidra-bhaya. Bhaya means fearfulness. So why they are manufacturing this atom bomb? To get out of fearfulness. That you may try, but it will never be successful. You may waste your time, but you'll never be successful. Bhaya will always be there; either you have got atom bomb or any big type of defense, when death will come, it will not defend you. By force. That is God. You may try to make very good arrangement for defending, but your life will never be saved. Mṛtyu-sarva-haraś cāham. The atheistic class of men, they are trying to make arrangement for defending his life, but Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll come to you as death. I'll take out all your possessions." Mṛtyu-sarva-haraś cāham. "Whatever defensive measure you have made, I'll take everything. You'll be alone." "No, my nation, my country, my society, my wife, my children, my bank balance, they will save me." No, that will not save you.

Then what is that verse?

dehāpatya kalatrādiṣv

ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api

teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramatto

paśyann api na paśyati

(SB 2.1.4)

Everything is discussed. Everyone is thinking that "I have got a very strong body. I run five miles a day. So I have made a so strong body, I'll never die." "That is not possible, sir. You have to die." So dehāpatya. "Now, my sons are very well educated. They are holding big, big post, minister. They will." Deha-apatya. "No, sir. They'll not be able to." Dehāpatya kalatra. "My wife, it is so sincere, so faithful. She will give me protection." "No, sir." Dehāpatya kalatra ādiṣu (SB 2.1.4). "Then, kalatra, myself, united, then sons, grandsons, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, so many, they will give." "No, sir." Dehāpatya kalatra ādiṣu. We are thinking ātma-sainya: "They are my soldiers. I am struggling for existence, and these soldiers will give me protection." So the Bhāgavata says, pramatto teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ paśyann api na paśyati: he's so mad that he knows that "These things will be finished. Nobody will be able to give me protection," still he is after that. Pramattaḥ. Pramattaḥ means mad.

So these attempts will not give me protection. And as soon as this body's finished, another body's ready. That you do not know what kind of body you are going to get. That you have to know by your work. Urdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ (BG 14.18). Now if this time, this life I may become a prime minister and big, big man, but when I come in politics I have to deal with so many people in so many nefarious ways and lives that out of my karma, I'll get the next body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). You'll get the next body according to your karma. Now if I've acted just like menial animal, then next life animal. If I become a dog . . . this life I am minister, prime minister, and next life I become a dog, then what is my profit? But that is nature's law. There is no consideration that "You are a prime minister then you, oh, you respectable post." No. Daiva-netreṇa. The superior management will see in which way you have acted—either as a dog or as a god. That will be taken into consideration. Not your position.

But these rascals, they do not understand that everyone is strictly under the laws of nature.

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni

guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ

ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā

kartāham iti manyate

(BG 3.27)

This is the position. Independently doing everything; irresponsibly doing everything; do not care for sinful activities. This is implication, entanglement. Therefore Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā: yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you do not act for yajña . . . yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called yajña. (aside to devotee) What is that exercise?

Devotee: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: So, yajñarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam karma bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). The . . . here Prahlāda Mahārāja says yajña means to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma, according to Vedic civilization,

varṇāśrama ācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇu-ārādhyate puṁsāṁ

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

The human life is meant for viṣṇu-ārādhanam. That is therefore the varṇāśrama: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. The aim is viṣṇu-ārādhanam. Viṣṇu-ārādhanam param. We are flattering so many people to get some benefit. Everyone has to flatter. Businessman has to flatter his customer; a servant has to flatter his master; and so on, so on, some friend, some minister to get some favor. But Lord Śiva says, "So why don't you flatter Viṣṇu?" Viṣṇu-ārādhanaṁ param. Tadīyānām ārādhanam. This is the śāstric injunction.

So we must take to śāstra-vidhi, means this is the actual advancement of civilization. Because life after life we have forgotten about our relationship with God, and this is the only chance, human form of life, we can revive our relationship with God. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said that anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. Why these Veda, Purāṇas are there? Especially in India, we have got so many Vedic literatures. First of all, the four Vedas—Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva. Then their gist philosophy, Vedānta-sūtra. Then Vedānta explanation, the Purāṇas. Purāṇa means supplementary. Ordinary person, they cannot understand the Vedic language. Therefore from historical references these Vedic principles are taught. That is called Purāṇa. And the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is called Mahā-purāṇa. It is spotless Purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, because in other Purāṇas there are material activities, but in this Mahā-purāṇa, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, simply spiritual activities. That is wanted. So this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was written by Vyāsadeva under the instruction of Nārada. Mahā-purāṇa.

So we have to take advantage of this, so many valuable literatures. The human life is meant for that. Why you are neglecting? Our attempt is, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to spread this knowledge of the Vedas and the Purāṇas so that the human being can take advantage of it and make his life successful. Otherwise, if he simply labors hard, day and night, like the hog . . . the hog is day and night working very hard to find out, "Where is stool? Where is stool?" And after eating stool, as soon as they get little fat . . . the pigs are fatty, therefore, because stool contains all the essence of food. According to medical science, the stool is full of hypophosphates. So hypophosphate is good tonic. So one may try if they like. (laughter) But actually this is the fact. The pig becomes very fatty because it is stool.

So this life is not meant for becoming a pig or hog. One should become a saintly person. That is human civilization. Therefore in the Vedic civilization, brāhmaṇa, the first-class men. There is no first-class men now in this society. Everyone third class, fourth class, fifth class. Satya-śama-dama-titkṣa ārjava jñānaṁ-vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). This is first-class man: truthful, very peaceful, full of knowledge, very simple, tolerant, and believer in the śāstra. These are the symptoms of first-class men. So where is that first-class man throughout the whole world? So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to create at least one section first-class men so that people may see, "Oh, here are ideal men." Therefore my request to persons who have joined this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, they should very carefully keep them as first-class men. People will appreciate, and they will try to follow. Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). If there is a class of men first class, then people will appreciate. At least, they will try to follow, even though are unable to become first class. They will try to follow. Tat tad eva, sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate. So that is first-class man required. If he acts, then others will follow. If a teacher does not smoke, the students also will stop smoking, naturally. But if the teacher is smoking, how the students . . .? They are also smoking in the class. I have seen in New York. At least in India this is not yet begun. It will begin, because they are also making progress. (laughter) These rascals are making progress, going to hell. (chuckles)

So, Prahlāda Mahārāja advises, don't waste your valuable time in so-called economic development and nonsense activities. Try to become a devotee of Mukunda. Then your life will be successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya! (end)