721109 - Lecture NOD - Vrndavana

Lectures by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

721109ND-VRNDAVAN - November 09, 1972 - 35:38 Minutes

Pradyumna: (reading) "Furthermore, a person engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, acting in devotional service, can develop all the good qualities that are generally found in the demigods." Oh.

Prabhupāda: Read "In Kṛṣṇa consciousness . . ."

Pradyumna: " 'Happiness In Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are 1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, 2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and 3) happiness derived from Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

"In the Tantra-śāstra, Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' "

"Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest, because it is eternal. But the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior, because it is temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: This we have explained last night, how the . . . a person enjoying happiness as Brahman realization . . . there are many examples, both in the East and the West, that . . . in our Eastern countries, the Māyāvādī philosophy is very prominent, and their basic principle is, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The world is false, and Brahman, that is truth."

But we have practically seen many sannyāsīs, they renounce this world as mithyā and take to Brahman realization path, but after some days, they come down to politics, sociology, philanthropy. Why? If Brahman is satya, jagat is mithyā, false, then why they, from the platform of satya, they fall down again in the mithyā? This is our question.

To open hospital or to open a school or similar philanthropic activities are generally being done by persons who are embarrassed with this mithyā world. Why the sannyāsīs, who left this world as mithyā and went to the platform of Brahman realization, and why they come to this platform again for opening school, hospitals? What is the answer? Is there any answer?

Acyutānanda: They can't remain there. There is no happiness . . .

Prabhupāda: Uh? That means they could not realize the happiness of Brahman. What is your opinion, gosāi? If they would have derived any happiness from that Brahman platform, then why they would come down to this platform which was rejected as mithyā?

So accepting that Brahman realization is real happiness, but they could not realize that happiness. Under the circumstances, they must come down to realize happiness in these varieties of material world. Because they found it better happiness by taking in politics and on political movements or opening school, hospitals. They found better happiness in these activities. Then why the . . . they say that this jagat mithyā? These are activities of the material world.

So the answer is given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that their such kind of Brahman realization is not fact. That Brahman realization is answered in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as vimukta-māninaḥ. They simply think that they have become liberated. Actually, they are not liberated. Otherwise, how they come down again to the platform of bondage? This is the answer. Ye 'nye ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. Vimukta-māninaḥ.

These impersonalist, they are thinking falsely that they have become Nārāyaṇa or liberated. Actually, it is not so? Why? Aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: their intelligence is not yet purified. Because there is material attachment, that means the intelligence is still materially affected. Otherwise, how they should be materially inclined and come to the material platform? The answer is aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ. The intelligence is not yet purified.

Why it is not purified? That is also explained: āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam (SB 10.2.32). By severe austerities, penances, they follow very strictly the rules and regulation of renouncement. That is called kṛccha sādhana, difficult procedure for self-realization. But despite all these endeavors, because their intelligence is not purified, they fall down. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padam.

They realize, actually, the impersonal Brahman, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ patanty adhaḥ. Again they fall down from that platform. Why? Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ: because they could not adore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. On account of their impersonal impression, they could not appreciate the transcendental, sac-cid-ananda vigraha (Bs. 5.1) of Kṛṣṇa, and could not surrender there. Kṛṣṇa therefore says, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). After many, many births of such struggle, when actually one becomes wise, jñānavān, he surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is the perfection of knowledge.

So impersonal Brahman realization, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana, is good attempt, but above that if one cannot make progress . . . brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is realized as impersonal Brahman, then Paramātmā, then the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So unless a wise jñānavān, jñānī, does not reach to the platform of understanding the personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his intelligence is still not very much purified.

ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ

tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ

āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ

patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ

(SB 10.2.32)

Because unless we get some shelter, we cannot stay in the impersonal feature.

Just like yesterday I spoke that you may go very high on your sputnik or airplane, but if you don't get any shelter in some planet, then you have to come back again on this planet. That is actually we are experiencing. They are trying to go to the moon planet, but because they are not able to stay there, they come back again. First of all, whether they are actually going in the moon planet, that is also a questionable thing. Anyway, even they go there, why they are coming back again? They cannot stay there.

So unless and until we have got a stay in the Vaikuṇṭha planets, which are situated in the Brahman effulgence, then simply in the impersonal Brahman effulgence we cannot stay, because there is no variety. Therefore to enjoy variety, one has to come down again to this material variety. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta, anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32).

Because we are living entities, part and parcel of the supreme living entity, Param Brahman, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa, so, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa is by nature joyful, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), similarly, we are also joyful. We are also seeking after that joyful life. That joyful life is eternally possible when we dance with Kṛṣṇa, not dance alone or dance with anyone else. So unless we get that position, there is no actually happiness. Because variety is the mother of enjoyment. That is an English proverb.

Just like when we eat, we eat the same thing, grain and milk product, but when it is made in varieties, lucī, halavā and other things, the same milk preparation and grain, but it is made into varieties, it becomes enjoyable. Variety is the mother of enjoy . . . if I give you a lump of milk, or lump of grain, that is not enjoyable. When it is made into varieties, it is enjoyable. Similarly Brahman manifested in varieties, that is enjoyable. That you cannot have in the impersonal Brahman. When we approach the personal Brahman, Param Brahman, that variety is available, and there we can enjoy. From there we do not return. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).

So simply impersonal Brahman realization, that happiness is not perfect, neither this material varieties are perfect. So brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. When we are fed up with these material varieties, we try to enter in the impersonal Brahman. But even in the impersonal Brahman, when there is want of varieties, then again we come back to these material varieties. Therefore we see so many learned scholars, sannyāsīs, they give up these material varieties as mithyā and enter into the impersonal Brahman, but without variety there, they come again to the material variety for opening schools and hospitals. This is the fact.

So āruhya kṛcchrena paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Because they have no information of the spiritual varieties in the Vaikuṇṭha planet, in the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, they come down, because there is no bhakti. In the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, nobody can enter unless he's a pure devotee.

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti

yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ

tato māṁ tattvataḥ jñātvā

viśate tad-anantaram

(BG 18.55)

When one understands Kṛṣṇa in truth, then he's allowed to enter; otherwise, he cannot enter. He remains outside. Just like if we have got capacity to enter into the sun planet then we can enter. Otherwise we remain in the sunshine. To remain in the sunshine and to enter into the sun planet is not the same thing. Although the sun and the sunshine are light, illumination, still there is difference between the sun and the sunshine. Similarly, impersonal Brahman effulgence and Vaikuṇṭha planets, both of them absolute, but still Brahman effulgence and entering into the Vaikuṇṭha planets or Goloka Vṛndāvana planets are not the same.

Or, in other words, those are not, those who are not devotees, but impersonalists, they can stay outside the Vaikuṇṭha planet in the Brahman effulgence, but they cannot enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planet. Anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. Because they have not adored or glorified the lotus feet of the Lord, they are not allowed into the Goloka Vṛndāvana or Vaikuṇṭha planet. And they cannot remain perpetually in the impersonal Brahman effulgence. They come down again to these material varieties. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They cannot go upwards. They come . . . come down.

That we have practically seen. All big, big svāmīs, all Vedāntists, but they could not find. Even big, big svāmīs, they are now taking to Bhāgavata and other Vaiṣṇava literature at the present moment, because their own literature is finished. How long they'll simply call for Brahman? Unless they come to Kṛṣṇa, there is no varieties of enjoyment. Therefore here it is said that, "There is no . . ."

Go on. What is it?

Pradyumna: "There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."

Prabhupāda: Every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness. That spiritual happiness, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. Nirbheda: without any distinction. That is not real Brahman happiness. Brahman happiness means that there must be a distinction. The distinction means Kṛṣṇa is predominator and everyone is predominated. Just like the gopīs. Kṛṣṇa is the predominator, and the gopīs and all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—Nanda Mahārāja, Yaśodā and the cowherd boys, servant, trees, plants, flowers, water, animals, cows—everyone is predominated. Kṛṣṇa is only predominator. That is real happiness.

Whenever there is any trouble in Vṛndāvana, they approach the predominator, and immediately the predominator takes care and they're happy. This is Vṛndāvana life. As soon as there was torrents of rain, the . . . all the inhabitants, inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they approached Kṛṣṇa to give them protection, and Kṛṣṇa immediately gave them protection by lifting Govardhana Hill. So they were confident that, "Kṛṣṇa is there." They did not know Kṛṣṇa as God. They simply loved Kṛṣṇa, and they were confident that, "So long Kṛṣṇa is there, we are happy, we are out of danger." That is the conviction of the vṛndāvana-vāsī. They simply concentrate on Kṛṣṇa.

So from that standard of happiness nobody falls down. But other spiritual happiness derived from impersonal Brahman effulgence or localized Paramātmā connection . . . because that is not complete connection, complete relationship with the Supreme Brahman. Partial. Sac-cid-ānanda. Because unless we approach the Personality of Godhead there is no question of ānanda. You can achieve partially sat portion, you can achieve partially cit portion, sac-cit, but unless you come to the platform ānanda—the real ānanda is with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana—so there is chance of falling down.

One who does not endeavor to approach this platform of ānandamaya, ānandamaya 'bhyāsāt, where everything is simply ānanda . . . even the birds and beasts and the flowers and the water, they are also enjoying that blissfulness. So that is required. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Śukadeva Gosvāmī says about the cowherd boys, kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. Sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ.

itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā

dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena

māyāśritānāṁ nara-dārakeṇa

sākaṁ vijahruḥ kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ

(SB 10.12.11)

Unless one has accumulated volumes of acti . . . activities, of pious activities, one cannot enter into the Goloka Vṛndāvana platform and enjoy with Kṛṣṇa in so many capacities—śānta, dāsya, sākhya, vātsalya, mādhurya rasa. That is required.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "It has been seen that great Māyāvādī, or impersonalist, sannyāsīs—very highly educated and almost realized souls—may sometimes take to political activities or to social welfare activities. The reason is that they actually do not derive any ultimate transcendental happiness in the impersonal understanding and therefore must come down to the material platform and take to such mundane affairs."

Prabhupāda: The material variety is the perverted reflection of the spiritual variety. As it is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, Fifteenth Chapter: ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham (BG 15.1). This tree, this material world compared with a aśvattha vṛkṣa. The root is up, upstairs, upwards, and the branches and leaves are down, downwards. Why? Because it is reflection, chāyā, or māyā. The real tree is in the Vaikuṇṭha planet or in the spiritual world. It is only simply a reflection. Just like a tree standing on the bank of reservoir of water, on the bank of a lake or a river, you'll see the tree is reflected downwards.

So this description in the Fifteenth Chapter, of this material world, downwards . . . ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha means this is only a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. The real tree is in the spiritual world. The other day . . . who was asking about this question? Some of our . . .? Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākha? Who was asking me? Eh? Oh. Gopāla. He's not here. All right.

So adhah-śākha ūrdhva-mūlam. This means this material . . . all the varieties, here is also representation of śānta rasa, dāsya rasa, sākhya rasa, mādhurya rasa, vātsalya rasa. Here is also the reflection. We see, just like we are sitting on this ground underneath the tree. This is the . . . the earth is serving us in śānta rasa. Similarly, we have got our servants. That is dāsya rasa. We have got our friends. That is sākhya rasa. We have got our parents. That is vātsalya rasa. And we have got our lovers also. That is mādhurya rasa. But it is only reflection.

It is compared with the mirage. Just like the desert, there is reflection of water. Actually there is no water. Similarly, all this perverted reflection of śānta rasa, dāsya rasa, sākhya rasa, this is just like mirage. It is simply a reflection. It has no actual fact. Here nobody's friend, nobody's servant, nobody's parent, nobody's lover. It is simply a bondage of some self-interest. The servant is not actually serving the master; it is serving the money which the master gives him. As soon as the payment will be stopped, there will be no more service.

Therefore it is a perverted reflection of that service attitude in the Vaikuṇṭha planet. And similarly we have seen there is . . . there was high-court cases between mother and the sons, and they spent lots of money. Still they could not come into conclusion. The motherly affection, the paternal affection, just simply a shadow. It appears to be true, because the truth is elsewhere. Just like in the desert it appears there is a great, vast mass of water, but actually there is no water. But that does not mean there is no water. The impression of water is there because there is actually water somewhere.

Similarly, we are trying to taste the five rasas in this material world. Because actually these rasas are there in the spiritual world. This is only reflection. Ūrdhva-mūlam adhah-śākham (BG 15.1). And because in the spiritual world it is a fact, we are taking these false things as fact, these temporary things as fact. Actually it is not fact.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "There are many instances, especially in India, where these Māyāvādī sannyāsīs descend to the material platform again. But a person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform. However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can be compared with the spiritual activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

"The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogīs are eight in number. Aṇimā-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc. So aṇimā-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of the yoga siddhis, or perfections, are material arts."

Prabhupāda: Yoga siddhis, they are simply material arts. Just like one example is given, that aṇimā siddhi, aṇimā siddhi means to enter into the stone. So we see in the Western countries they are boring big, big hills and entering in the stone. So that aṇimā siddhi is being possible . . . is made possible by modern scientific researches. So all the siddhis—aṣṭa siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, prākāmya, īśitā, vaśitā—these all siddhis are material; they are not spiritual. But people do not know what is spiritual perfection. They become amazed by seeing some magic by these yogic arts. They're simply material arts.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "For example, in one yoga siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern scientists. They are flying in air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water. After comparing all these mystic yoga siddhis to materialistic perfections, it is found that the materialistic scientists try for the same perfections. So actually there is no difference between mystic perfection and materialistic perfection."

"A German scholar once said that the so-called yoga perfections have already been achieved by the modern scientists, and so he was not concerned with them. He intelligently went to India to learn how he could understand his eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord by means of bhakti-yoga, devotional service."

Prabhupāda: So therefore, bhakti-yoga is the greatest science. Other things, the yogic perfections, can be achieved by the materialist scientist. So that is not very great art. The greatest art to learn is how to learn bhakti-yoga and understand Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55).

evaṁ prasanna-manaso

bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ

bhagavat-tattva-vijñānaṁ

mukta-saṅgasya jāyate

(SB 1.2.20)

When one is freed from material contamination, then one can understand the science of bhakti-yoga. So, some way or other, if we try to understand bhakti-yoga, that is the greatest science. That is the . . . to learn. If you actually want to learn something greatest in the scientific world, that is bhakti-yoga.

Go on.

Pradyumna: "Of course, in the categories of mystic perfection there are certain processes which the material scientists have not yet been able to develop. For instance, a mystic yogī can enter into the sun planet simply by using the rays of the sunshine. This perfection is called laghimā. Similarly, a yogī can touch the moon with his finger. Though the modern astronauts go to the moon with the help of spaceships, they undergo many difficulties, whereas a person with mystic perfection can extend his hand and touch the moon with his finger."

"This siddhi is called prāpti, or acquisition. With this prāpti-siddhi, the perfect mystic yogī can not only touch the moon planet, but he can extend his hand everywhere and take whatever he likes. He may be sitting thousands of miles away from a certain place, and if he likes he can take fruit from a garden there. This is called prāpti-siddhi."

"The modern scientists have manufactured nuclear weapons with which they can destroy an insignificant part of this planet, but by the yoga siddhi known as īśitā one can create and destroy an entire planet simply at will. Another perfection is called vaśitā, and by this perfection one can bring anyone under his control. This is a kind of hypnotism which is almost irresistible. Sometimes it is found that a yogī who may have attained a little perfection in this vaśitā mystic power comes out among the people and speaks all sorts of nonsense, controls their minds, exploits them, takes their money and then goes away."

"There is another mystic perfection which is known as prākāmya, or magic. By this prākāmya power one can achieve anything he likes. For example, one can make water enter into his eye and then again come out from within the eye. Simply by his will he can perform such wonderful activities. The highest perfection of mystic power is called kāmāvasāyitā. This is also magic, but whereas the prākāmya power acts to create wonderful effects within the scope of nature, kāmāvasāyitā permits one to contradict nature—in other words, to do the impossible. Of course, one can achieve great amounts of temporary happiness by achieving such yogic materialistic perfections."

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. He's also the master of all yogic mystic power. Therefore a bhakta, a true devotee of Kṛṣṇa, he does not endeavor personally to achieve all these yogic mystic power. He depends on Kṛṣṇa, and if there is necessity of exhibiting some yogic power, Kṛṣṇa will show. Kṛṣṇa will exhibit. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ hariḥ (BG 18.78).

So although Arjuna did not manifest any yogic power, but by Kṛṣṇa's grace everything was so wonderfully performed in the Battle of Kurukṣetra. Otherwise Arjuna was a insignificant warrior in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya. This is admitted by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, that it is simply by the grace of Kṛṣṇa that his grandfather came out victorious in front of Bhīṣma, Karṇa, Dronācārya and similar great heroes.

So if any heroic action has to be shown, the devotee does not endeavor separately for showing such heroic manifestation. Because he depends on Kṛṣṇa, if there is need, then Kṛṣṇa will show. Nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin (BG 11.33). Actually, the battlefield was conducted by Kṛṣṇa, and He owned the victory, but officially, historically, it is said that Arjuna owned the victory.

So a devotee does not require to acquire all the talents how to own victory. Kṛṣṇa will do that business. A devotee has only to surrender sincerely unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then everything will be done wonderfully.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee: Haribol.

Prabhupāda: Haribol. (break) (end)