19820823 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46

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The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on August 23, 1982 – in Atlanta, USA. The lecture begins with a reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.46.

Jesus sam. Ram sam jam. Ram sam ram. Ram. Sam ram.

Jaitan. All glories to the Asimo devotees all glories to the Asemo devotees All glory is to Śrī Guru and Śrī Guru.

It.

Niravi seisha sunyavadi satan. Hari ramo hari ramon. Even. You could train Jagadish how to tape properly doesn’t have much experience.

You said.

Trained Jagadish how to tape Mimo and he sank your time leader. Text 46 chapter 2 can to 11 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam the great Purāṇa. Karoti karoti. Samadhima. Unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To persons who have taken fully to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Unto the neophytes or the ignorant to persons envious of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s devotees Ch and Prema Love Maitri friendship mercy negligence anyone who. A second cleft devotees translation of text 46 an intermediate or second class devotee called Madhyama Adhikari offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Translation with repetition an intermediate or second class devotee called Madhyama Adhikari offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Purport by Shila Charyadev According to Bhagavad Gītā, every living entity within the material world is eternally a minute fragmental portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Mama Evangso Jīva Loke Jīva bhuta Sanātana Gītā 157 but because of the influence of Māyā, the puffed up condition souls become inimical to the service of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees choose leaders among the materialistic sense gratifiers and thus engage busily in a useless society of the cheaters and the cheated, a society of the blind leading the blind into a ditch.

Although the community of Vaishnavas is sincerely eager to serve the conditioned souls by bringing them back to their constitution position by Māyā’s influence the materialistic living entity becomes hard hearted and rejects the mercy of the Lord’s devotees. According to Sila Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasati Thakpur, although a second class devotee is eager to preach to the innocent conditioned souls, he should avoid the atheistic class of men so that he will not become disturbed by or polluted by their association. Śrī La Viswanatha Chakravarti Thakur has confirmed that a vaiava should be indifferent to those who are envious of the Supreme Lord. It is practically seen that when such persons are informed of the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they attempt to ridicule the Supreme Lord, thus further deteriorating their polluted existence.

In this connection, Śrīla Vishwanatha Chakravarti Thakur is quoted from the 10th Canto of Śrīman Bhāgavatam 102036 Girayo Mumuchus Toyam Kwachin Namuchus Sivam yata Gyanam Ritanka. Sometimes in autumn the waterfall down from the tops of the hills to supply clean water and sometimes the water stops. Similarly, sometimes great saintly persons distribute clear knowledge and sometimes they are silent. In this regard, Śrīlajiva Goswami has mentioned that although the first class devotee of the Lord may at times exhibit apparent hatred towards the demons because of entering the mood of the Lord’s pastimes, the intermediate devotees should avoid such feelings. Furthermore, the intermediate devotees should not in any way associate with the powerful atheistic class of men because there is danger that his mind will become bewildered by such association.

According to Rla Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur, if a Vaiava preacher encounters one who is envious of him, the preacher should remain far away from such an envious person. But the Vaishnava preacher may meditate upon ways to save the envious class of men. Such meditation is called Sat achara or saintly behavior. Rlajiva Goswami has mentioned Prahlad Mahārāja as an example of a saintly person. In Śrīman Bhāgavatam 7943 there is the following statement by Prahlad the great devotee Naivodvi Jai para Durattaya Vaitaranyas Tadavirya Gayana Muhammachita Socheta Mukbimukhaya Baram Audu Wahato Vimudha O best of the great personalities. I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thought of your glories and activities. My concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness and maintaining their families, societies and countries.

And I simply am concerned with love and I am simply concerned with love for them. Although a Vaishnava preacher constantly meditates on the welfare of all living entities. He will not associate with those who are unreceptive to the message of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa in this regard, Rla Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur states that even Bharat Maharaj, Vyas Dev and Sukhadev Goswami do not exhibit their mercy indiscriminately. Sheila so let’s cover some of the things we read so far. Here. Maharaj Nimi, great ruler, great empire, emperor, thousands of years ago met the nine Yogendras. And the nine Yogendras were asked to tell him about the purpose of life, about the position of spiritual realization, position of Transcendentalists. What type of yogis are there, what type of gurus are there, what type of devotees are there? What’s the difference between one devotee and another?

This is the 11th canto of the Bhāgavatam. It’s already pretty advanced, detailed information about spiritual life. So here is discussing the types of devotees. Kanishta, Madhyam, Uttam Three types of devotees have been explained. Kanishta or the beginning devotee. Then Madhyam, which you’re reading today, the intermediate devotee, and finally Uttam, the Mahabhgavata or the top level devotee. So the Kanishta or beginning devotee, neophyte is considered to be materialistic devotee. They still have material conception, material attachments, but somehow another they are practicing devotional service and they’re becoming thus spiritually advanced. It’s like they still have part of their existence within the material world. They have not yet fully shifted their reference point to the spiritual world, but they want to achieve some kind of spiritual advancement.

They don’t have the requisite knowledge, requisite spiritual asset to actually fully be able to distinguish between what is materialistic and what is spiritual. Therefore, sometimes they get a bit off target. But here, maddyamarika, or intermediate or second class devotee, we can say that he’s pretty much on target, that he knows where to repose his love. Love, after all, is the most intense emotion, favorable emotion, and it’s directed to a person. Love is always directed to a person. People talk about loving nature, loving a certain mountain. Of course, that’s not. Love means a reciprocation. One can sentimentally say that I love the Smokies, but the reciprocation with the Smokies won’t be there. What one means to say is one appreciates or likes, has some kind of attraction for a particular place or thing, but actually love indicates a reciprocation that requires Personality.

So in this world, people are loving their fathers and their mothers and their loving their children. They’re loving their husbands and their wives and they’re getting some kind of reciprocation. But basically that reciprocation is on the level of sense gratification, type of also business arrangement. In many cases, although not mother to son is considered to be the least mother to child is considered to be the least businesslike, the more pure of relationships. Because there’s nothing that the parent gets in return from the child, simply giving affection. Of course, nowadays you’d be surprised that india because like in the west, were just discussing yesterday that here in the west we have old folk homes. In fact, I think our president’s wife is gone for the grandfather’s funeral. He was put in a old folks home.

As soon as he, the day, the minute hour he got there, he died. It was so depressing. They’re just a move now that they want to start the first old folks home india. 600 million people. Up to now they don’t have any old folks home because all the parents are maintained by the children. If a mother or father get old, naturally the children, they will think that they have to maintain their parents. So what happened is that now with the onset of Kali Yuga, the parents are thinking that I have to train up my son, I have to fix him up so he will maintain me in my old age. So that when a devotee comes, when a young man wants to become a devotee, a priest. Previously every family would want to give one son should become a devotee.

That way the whole family was considered to be purified by that. If one son became a sadhu or a fully dedicated preacher practicing yogī, they were considered to be a very great thing for the family. Everyone boasts that their grandfather was a great saint, a great yogī. Usually they will have a picture somewhere where he’s in meditation or with his japa. But now, because they’re thinking that in my old age, who will maintain me? If my son doesn’t have a good job, he doesn’t get married, have a family, how I will be maintained in my old age. So in this way they actually are opposing in many cases that their children should become devotees due to this type of materialistic idea, which wasn’t there before. Before the parent would be more concerned with the welfare of the child.

Of course, in the west at a certain point people become more and more selfish and they don’t really worry so much about Relatives and friends and it becomes more and more limited to very close relations or just one’s own self and one’s own happiness sensually and other considerations are gradually reduced. So in any case here it’s saying that one should offer his love to the supreme personality of Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa or God is the one person who doesn’t have any need. It’s not that God requires anything from us that we have to offer him our love because he needs it, because he is lacking because he has something to gain from us. Even if parents may have well in the old age you might maintain me of course if a well to do parent is there he doesn’t actually need the son.

So only this comes up in the middle class upper class people doesn’t make much difference what the children do they have enough of their own finance middle and lower economic stratum They’re a bit concerned india but whatever the case may be in regard to Kṛṣṇa, he doesn’t need anything from us. He’s completely atmaramastha munaya he’s completely self sufficient naturally he’s maintaining everything. He’s maintaining everything and everyone. So it’s not that he requires to get some kind of obedience or service from us for his own selfish interest rather it’s to our benefit. So many people flock around the presidents and prime ministers in the world it’s not all that they have so much to offer but in many cases, in most cases they have something to gain from those great personalities.

Once one wants to get voted of course he wants so much support when he gets in office and everybody wants from him something or her as the case may be. So this is the situation is that actually Kṛṣṇa doesn’t come into power because he was voted there. He’s always there. So he doesn’t need any help from anyone to secure his position Rather he’s already in whatever position he is in eternally and it’s simply a question of human beings understanding who is God, what are the human beings, what are living entities in general, what is this material universe? So we need his help so that help we can take to have knowledge. We can have his help to satisfy our inquiries we can have help to solve our economic needs or we can have help to help us in some kind of a distressful condition.

This is normally what people approach God for but here intermediate devotee rather he’s going beyond that and he is approaching God, approaching Kṛṣṇa to give him love. That means he is not giving any conditions. This Makdhi Malikari is a very Advanced state. He’s not giving any condition to that service. He’s giving the love because he knows it. Says homage. It’s required, it’s what’s due. We are an infinitesimal part of God. He is the complete whole. We should be subservient to Him. That’s our natural condition. Because we’re rebelling against him constantly. Therefore we’re constantly suffering in this material world. Therefore, the intermediate devotee has become so advanced. He’s become so clear on his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That he has stopped all type of activity which is not pleasing to Kṛṣṇa. Thus he is offering all the activity in a loving way.

Or at least he’s trying in that way. So to do that, naturally one becomes friends with other devotees who are also doing the same thing. And the third part that’s mentioned is one gives mercy to the innocent. Shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent. There are many people. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know who is God. But they’re not inimical. What does it mean, innocent? Innocent means I don’t just someone is very envious. I don’t believe in God. God is dead. This, that, whatever. So many things some people may say out of bitterness, but they just may be deluded. Someone may be able to also bring such a person back. That some people are actually insidiously against any type of spiritual activity. So those people want a voice because they will simply. If you tell them anything about spiritual life.

They may become more. Vocal about the whole thing. And simply because of that, they will create for themselves various obstacles. They will create more offenses which will rather hold them up in their path to spiritual realization. So in a spiritual realization there are various paths. Some are trying to mechanically control the body and mind. And thus come to a realization of the spiritual essence in the. In the. The body which we are. This a very mechanical and tedious process. And ultimately doesn’t give one a full conception. So here we see that this devotee is going right to the very top. He’s going to the perfect conception. What is the absolute truth? Hearing it from the spiritual master. In disciplic succession. Just like we bow down before the spiritual master, he bows down before his spiritual master. His spiritual master is bowing down before his spiritual master.

In this way, every spiritual master is bowing down. The original spiritual master is bowing down before God. God is self, sufficiently supreme Lord. So that way we worship the spiritual master as a representative of Kṛṣṇa. At the same time, you know that he considers himself to be the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, the servant of the servant Dasanudasa. So the Madhya Manikari devotee is very clear who is the supreme personality of Godhead, who are the other devotees, who are innocent people and who are demonic people. And accordingly he behaves in society. So he’s already offering loving service to Kṛṣṇa. He’s making friends with devotees, he’s trying to help innocent people. And when he encounters extreme demons, he just avoids them. So this is basically what were discussing here. There’s another category of devotee which we describe in detail later called the first class devotee.

The first class devotees, they are constantly aware of their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, of their connection with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it’s harder for such first class devotees to become polluted by material association. Therefore they are given some greater scope for preaching, even to envious people. Although generally a first class devotee may also simply be engaged in serving God, sometimes he may also be engaged in preaching. In that case, the question was brought up that whether a first class devotee, if he engages in preaching, does he become angry? Someone asked last night. Here we find that yes, sometimes they may exhibit hatred toward demons because of entering in the mood of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. They see demons are hurting other people, that they’re causing various spiritual obstructions to other spiritual progress.

They may hate him, may oppose him in a specific mood, but that’s for that person’s benefit and for the benefit of innocent people. But because this first class devotee is so firmly fixed in his relationship with the Lord, he doesn’t fall or become misled because of that. Ultimately he will be able to either purify the that person or to in any case protect innocent people. We find that Haridas Thakur one time was traveling and there was a snake charmer who was playing a flute and he was. There was a cobra was dancing. This was near Fulia, where later Haridas Thakur, he built a cave there, or he went into a cave and he just sat and chanted a gopha.

So this snake charmer started to sing the pastime of Kalia how Kṛṣṇa is dancing on the snake of the Kalia serpent, that serpent that attacked the residents of Vrindavan. And Kṛṣṇa started dancing on his head and killed him, or didn’t kill him, but deliver him. So when he started to describe the pastime of Kalia and how Kṛṣṇa was so kind that he was blessing the head of this serpent with his lotus feet, Haridas Thakur became completely absorbed in ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa. And he started to Dance in ecstasy, jumping up and down and dancing wildly, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and dancing. And he was completely oblivious to. There were so many Brahmanas and there are so many people were there public. They were all observing everything. So it was quite inspiring for them to see Hari Das Thakur dance like that.

They recognized that he’s a great devotee and so they came and offered him respect. They bowed down to him, but he wasn’t aware at all what they were doing. He was simply absorbed in this ecstatic dancing. Because the snake charmer was a period, was a pure devotee himself of Madhyamla level. He already had tasted ecstasy. He knew to some extent what was devotional real feelings. And because he was a pure devotee, his singing was able touch Hari Das Thakur’s heart. The Prabhupāda said that pure devotees are three categories. There was one non devotee there, Brāhmaṇa, who was witnessing the whole affair. And he became very envious. Siddhayima Brāhmaṇa My caste is a priest. I should be worshipped by people or they should respect me. Now Haridas Thakur was born a Muhammadan. He was dark in color.

He was considered outcast by the strict Brahmanas in the caste conscious India of the time of Lord Caitanya 500 years ago. So in this way that Brahmin, he became envious that I should be getting the worship, why they’re worshiping this outcast, why they’re worshiping this non Brahmin. So he said, I will also, I can do the same thing. He jumped up. No, actually just completely cold minded, you know, just he thought that well, I can do that same thing. And he started to dance or just jump and move around and make believe as if he was actually feeling ecstasy from within. Well, actually he was just doing it from his mind.

See, when actual devotees chant and as their soul, as their covering from the soul is removed and they become pure and pure, then actually from the ātmā or the soul itself, they’re able to experience transcendental ecstasy as their realization increases. But here there was no question of coming from within. He was just showing, he wanted to show all these people, look what I am doing now. You worship me. So he jumped up and he started moving his hand. But it’s much different. Even though our devotee sometimes dances madly because it’s completely coming from the soul, it has some even in its apparent disharmony or sometimes even frenzy or madness, it has its own beauty and complete harmony with Kṛṣṇa. One can feel that there’s something Very natural. Especially devotee can pick up immediately when someone is just putting on a show.

One can immediately see that there’s something wrong with the whole mood. So this snake charmer, he could pick up that this Haridas Thakur is a great devotee, that somehow I just started singing about Kaliya and he’s become ecstatically absorbed in a love for Kṛṣṇa. And here, this Brahmin has become envious of him. He’s putting on a show just to attract and get the cheap worship of these people because they see that they’re worshiping Haridas Thakur. So then he told all the people that this. And then the Brahmani just fell down and was shaking and pulling on the whole show as if he was stunned in ecstasy. You know, there are eight ecstatic symptoms. Crying, becoming crying, tears coming from the eyes, hair standing on end, becoming stunned like that. There are so many symptoms.

So he tried to imitate that he became stunned and unconscious. So the bravo. This snake charmer told the people, this person is an imposter. He’s just trying to cheat you. This Hardy Das talker is a real devotee. But this Brahmin. And so the people became so angry, they started to beat him and kick and whoa. He screamed and just ran off. No question of ecstasy. It went in five seconds. First person gave him a punch and he just ran off. So in this way, that Brāhmaṇa, you see, he was discovered as being a complete bogus. So this happens sometimes india. We’re doing Kīrtana, you see. Sometimes someone will come up and they won’t be chanting. They will have their mouth tight. They will just be jumping and trying to imitate the devotees to show off to their friends.

Look it, I am as great a devotee as anyone else. It’s very. One feels very. It kind of ruins the whole mood. Rather, once you go on chanting, repeating the mantra and hearing the mantra, trying to bring back the mind to the mantra, and automatically from a spontaneous effect, one will be able to feel ecstasy. It can’t be imposed just by forcing it or by some. Of course, one might just dance a little bit, try to not wildly damage it, try to move the body a little bit, dancing to and fro to help to concentrate. But automatically one will feel like jumping. Sooner or later, one will feel some enthusiasm. And then from there it will go up and up into different realms of realization spontaneously. Not that one should force it artificially.

So these great devotees that have achieved this type of spontaneous realization, so they have a little bit more scope for preaching, but even they are very careful not to offend other devotees, not to criticize, not to overextend themselves. They have a little bit more scope because they’re able to by constant practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or by their spontaneous realization, or by being nitya siddhas or eternally liberated souls. They’re always aware of their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, thus they don’t become affected by the association of materialists. So we could read a little more here. Up to what point do we go.

(Side B of the Cassette)

Just also see the mood here of Prahlad Maharaj. Oh best of the great personalities. I am not at all afraid of material existence. For wherever I stay, I am fully absorbed in thought of your glories and activities. You see Prahlad, who was only five years old, his father wanted to kill him because he became a Hare Kṛṣṇa devotee. His father was king of all the demons, was always inimical. His brother had been killed by Vishnu. So he always hated God. He wanted to do anything he could to stamp out any type of religion which worshiped the supreme God. He didn’t mind religion for religion’s sake as long as it didn’t have God in it. Just like we find in some of the countries today in Eastern blood.

They don’t mind if there’s religion as long as it’s all the priests are trained up by the communists, then there’s no God. That’s alright. But if there’s any worship of God, then they don’t like it. So the same thing here. He didn’t mind if there were priests and there was some religion. But as long as there was some nebulous concept of God. No one worshiped any supreme God, but just worshiped nature and so many other things. That was alright. So his son was completely dedicated to worshiping the supreme truth. That’s one thing that’s important to know. A Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have so many, of course, rituals that we have carried over from India. They help us to concentrate, they’re very effective. But the basic thing is that it’s simply based on the truth. There’s nothing that’s dogmatic.

The whole philosophy is one of a way of life, how to lead a spiritual life, how every activity should be connected with spiritual life. It’s completely different concept than the west where one leads materialistic life and once in a while does something religious just to reinforce his material life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Rather, one’s whole life is geared toward the ultimate objective of returning back to God. Therefore everything within their life is not alienated from the spiritual practice. Because if one alienates from the spiritual practice then he becomes bound up by this law of karma, of cause and effect in the material world. And one cannot go back to Godhead. One will not be able to realize the spiritual world. So Kant is not based on dogmatism, but it’s based on truth. Everything that’s said is. Is very.

Not only logical, but many of the things can actually be scientifically or subjectively. Subjectively everything can be realized and many of the things can be also scientifically confirmed, those which are discussing the material aspects. So here, Prahlad Maharaj, he wasn’t concerned with what his father was trying to shove down his throat. He was concerned with what the truth was. And so his father told him that you shouldn’t worship any God. But he said that, well, there’s a supreme truth. Everything is coming from a source, including yourself. And his father would never accept that. He said, I am just born from sex. There’s no question of any supreme truth. And I produced you from sex. Sex, everything like that. They’re basing everything on their sex life, everything on the material world. They don’t want to see any higher spiritual source.

There’s such type of people who have this bias. They’re called demons. So because Prahlad, even though he was in association with the greatest demon of his time, he wasn’t affected. He was always going on preaching. He was always connected. So he’s saying that I wasn’t afraid of the material existence because I am thinking of your glories. But what is my concern is only for the fools and rascals who are making elaborate plans for material happiness for maintaining their families, societies and countries. And I am simply concerned with love for them. In other words, those people who are acting, he calls them fools and rascals because they are completely neglecting the most obvious fact that we have come in this world empty, we’re going empty. That there’s a supreme absolute truth. There’s a supreme person. There’s a supreme source to everything, supreme reality.

And they’re completely neglectful of that. They’re simply acting as sophisticated animals. Ants are building their houses. Tigers are raising their cubs. Every animal is having their nest. The birds are having their nest. The things are so there. Human beings are going out, simply building their houses, raising their families and dying. They’re never thinking that what is the purpose of life? Where am I going? Why AM I leading 75 years, 80 years, 60 years, 50 years? However many are 40, 30. We may even die tomorrow. 20, 15. Whatever one age may be when they leave this world, they’re not thinking that where am I going? What is the overall purpose of I am just living to eat and produce some by products from this body and then die. Finished. What is that? This is life. Doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. But people are so foolish.

They’re such rascals. They don’t even want to meditate on the thing. They’re just thinking, well, only of tomorrow. Just how to somehow or another maintain. And if they have any conception of spiritual life at all, it’s generally very materialistic. Their idea is somehow to be rejoined with the same materialistic family that they’re so attached to in this world. In the spiritual world, this material family is so filled with defects. Why do we think that such defects will be existent in the Kingdom of God? There everything is perfect that is scientifically described. So Prahlad Maharaj, his concern was for these people who are making so many plans for material happiness, for maintaining their families, societies, countries, but they’re now making this one plan to realize who they are. So this type of materialistic societies have become rampant over the whole world.

Unfortunately, even India is at the same materialistic society. They’re imitating the west since the British rule and since the rule of the Moguls for thousand years, practically speaking, they become fallen still. They have some traditions, they have some, they have. The knowledge is there, but there no one’s using it now. And what to speak, in the Western countries, there’s no concept at all about any spiritual goal for life. So as a result, people are going on building their atomic weapons, going on with their defense plan, going on with their plans for increasing the hedonistic propensities of mankind, and the whole world is going to help.

So Prahlad Maharaj, he was of such a mood that although he had the highest understanding, he didn’t want to be a recluse from society, but rather he was concerned how to change the course of society since it was misdirected. So he is praying to Nirshinha Dev, the incarnation of God, that I am concerned with these people, how they can return back to you, how they can become aware of their real purpose for their life. And human life is not meant for being wasted like animal life. It’s meant for becoming spiritually awakened, for becoming Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God conscious. So some discrimination is given by the madhyamadhikaris. And that discrimination doesn’t is described here in this purport. Rla Bhakti Siddhānta Sahaśrī Thakur has given an elaborate explanation to prove that the discrimination employed by a madhyam adhikari preacher does not at all show a lack of mercy.

He states that upeksha or neglect, as mentioned in this verse, is the proper medicine for those who are inimical to the Supreme Lord and his devotees. Indifference in the preacher checks feelings of hostility on both sides. Although there is a Vedic injunction that one should cut out the tongue of a person who offends the Supreme Lord and his devotee. In this age, it is best to simply avoid potential offenders and thus prevent them from committing further sinful activities against the Vaiavas. It is the duty of a Vaiava preacher to point out the futility of any process besides surrendering to the Supreme Lord. An envious person, however, will resent such strong preaching by Vaiava and disrespect him. Considering the devotee to be unnecessarily criticizing others, such a person who cannot appreciate the mercy of Vaiavas should be neglected.

Otherwise, according to Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswithakur, his cheating mentality will increase day by day. In other words, some people, they’re inimical. So if we go out in opposing with them, then it just feeds their fire to become more inimical. Just like Thailand has got this very accommodating political nature. For Thailand means the free land. They have never been under foreign rule for thousands of years. Somehow or another their diplomacy and their military might combine is that they’re able to somehow another. They were once ruling Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. And the French came and they conquered over a certain portion of the Indochina continent. So what happened was Thailand could see the writing on the wall that eventually they would also be conquered. So they made a deal with France that we won’t fight you don’t fight us, you can also take Cambodia.

And that’s how that whole peninsula became friends. But then they were protected also by the French. Like this. Now the Vietnamese just came up. There was the domino theory. That’s all the papers that every country bang, bang. Then Thailand’s going to fall. But Thailand, they were very close with America during the Vietnam east conflict. But I preach in Thailand, I know that as soon as the Vietnamese got to the border, they came forward friendship pact with the Vietnamese. It’s very hard to punch someone in the face when he’s, you know, like when you’re both like this, you can, you know. So Thailand said actually were just forced into this thing with America. We’re very friendly, we’re forced because Vietnam has as many warriors soldiers as the whole United States. They got a huge build up. A huge whole country is army.

So Thailand, they somehow just turned around and became a little friendly with Vietnam. Although they’re completely different political, but just they started to no, we have no gripes and that they became a little bit low key and somehow the Vietnamese are pulling back now. So this type of tactic is being recommended here in a certain sense. Alright, some demon is there, alright? If you just neglect him, just avoid somehow neglect him or whatever, then it’s harder for him to just go on opposing when you’re not neglecting. But if you go on confronting a very powerful demon, then it gives him more fuel to just fight you. And instead of actually the real issues, the real issue, just like there’s so many demons that are somehow another deluded, they are trying to bring up so many irrelevant issues.

These deprogrammers are trying to bring up irreverent issues to distract the people. When the real issue of becoming spiritually awakened, the real issue of redirecting the misdirected civilization, all the real issues, those things are neglected. So rather than in many cases where we may expand energy and uselessly opposing in a wrong angle, if we can bring up the real issues, it’s all right. But if it’s just in some kind of a confrontation on irrelevant issues, then there’s no use to that. So here it’s saying that the preacher, he knows when to just avoid powerful demons who are going to simply bring out the revelant issues. In India, in Sankirtan it’s like that. We preach and thousands of people come to us. And sometimes you just get some demon, he will come up and say, you’re all CIA, you are financed by the Americans.

Of course, I wish the Americans knew that india they think that we’re the CIA. Not every, but there are some young people that come up, the establishment, they appreciate us, the established people appreciate us. And some of the youth, they come up and say you are CIA because they can understand that, well, why would a American become a devotee? You see, they can’t understand that it’s a challenge to them. So sometimes they make up some excuse. Well, they must be CIA. They have come to take over India because we’re so popular. They think that, well, they must be taking over by being a sia. This is the British came with East India Company, they say they took over by business. The Hare Kṛṣṇas are going to take over by religion, they frankly admit.

So it’s practically useless to discuss with such a person because it’s not an intellectual discussion. Of course, if they’re very insistent, we have to rebuttal. There’s no problem that even in America we’re persecuted. How do you think that? We’re siite. So in that sense your persecutions here are beneficial to our preaching there. When they accuse us of being CIA, we can say no, just see they give us so Much trouble. We’re trying to preach God consciousness in America. We always occasionally are meeting this problem. If were actually backed by their government, then why would they give us this trouble? But basically you can’t have an intelligent discussion with such a person unless he cools down and actually wants to realize what we’re doing. What’s the purpose, what are our activities? So like this, there’s always very inimical wild people everywhere you go.

And if you just get angry with them, then it creates the whole thing. Unless a person is advanced enough that he can cool headedly, systematically, somehow another reach that person not become affected by that person’s talking, then it’s very dangerous. So these practical things are given there three type of devotees. Beginner, middle and advanced. So this whole Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is based upon bringing people up to at least a middle level and to gradually bringing them up to the advanced level. So we hope that devotees will encourage the people, innocent people, to engage in devotional service and help them to come up to this advanced level of devotional service. Then that will change the whole course of the world and bring the people actually in touch with the original consciousness that they always were hankering for.

Sat Chit Ananda eternally blissful and filled with knowledge. Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Hare. So, are there any questions? Yes.

In one of the previous verses we pointed out about the term tabiya, the things in relationship to therapy. So we’re just wondering if you could explain a little bit more about tabiya, how it could beneficial and sensitive by means like the Lord’s charaphene.

Tadiya means those things in relation with the Lord. So the Lord’s devotees are in relation with the Lord. So we worship the Lord. The Prabhupāda gives example like a rich man may have a dog or have a small child, you pet his dog or you feed the small child with a lozenge. Even though he may be a multi millionaire, he can’t give him anything. The man who has everything, if you please his little kid, he becomes very happy, becomes satisfied. So it’s type of a higher understanding. If a person he has faith, well, God is there. There’s no conception what God is, who God is. This person with a higher conception knows that the Supreme Being has also got various spiritual energies, paraphernalia, associates, devotees. He’s so powerful that anything in connection with him is also spiritually opulent.

So when he says that you are respecting those things which are connected with him or those devotees who are serving him, then it becomes more valuable than a type of lip service that, well, I love God, but there’s no. It doesn’t take any practical form because God isn’t present in the world, you see, he’s only present, of course, as his deity form. Otherwise he’s not present here. But his devotees are here, his holy places are here. There’s so many things connected with him that are here. So if one, for instance, respects the temple of God, respects the devotees of God, respects the books of God, those things connected with God, so that has a more practical use also in the material world. And because of that practical and more broad understanding, Kṛṣṇa becomes more pleased.

So in this way, meditation on God is one thing. But even meditation on those things connected with God, his devotees, his paraphernalia, his activities, anything connected with him becomes more spiritually potent. That’s also due to his causeless mercy. It’s not all conceivable, but one can see that it has various benefits and it includes a broader conception of God. Therefore, naturally it will be more pleasing to him. Just like the Tulsi. We worship the Tulsi, that tulsi plant, because the Tulsi plant is described as a great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa doesn’t eat anything without that plant leaf being put in the preparation. That the plant is an incarnation of Vrinda Devī, the great devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So therefore we worship Vrinda Devī in the form of Tulsi plant. And that’s more pleasing to Kṛṣṇa.

The other thing is that devotees, they are more kind than Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa being the Supreme Godhead, he is very. The supreme Godhead is always in a very neutral position. He’s not taking. He doesn’t have anything to gain. Whether a person is in the material world or whether he’s in the spiritual world. It’s all within the domain of Kṛṣṇa. Ultimately, everything is under his ultimate dominion. But one in the material world, they’re a bit inimical, they’re independent, they’re rebellious. And in the spiritual world they’re completely harmonious and subservient. So this difference is there. So he prefers that everyone go back to the spiritual world and it’s for their benefit. But it’s not for his own personal any need that he wants it. It’s just a natural inclination for their benefit and because that’s the natural position.

But if Person says, I want to enjoy material life, I want to be Hitler, or something like that, Kṛṣṇa will give him the intelligence and give him the ability to do that. One wants to become a great musician, even if it’s punk rock, you see, he will give the intelligence to do that because he’s within the heart of everyone. As a super soul. He gives memory, forgetfulness and knowledge. Ganap ganam apo. Ghanam. What’s that verse again? So he’s giving memory, forgetfulness and knowledge. But. But he’s neutral. If you want to get knowledge how to grab a bank, he will help you to do that. You want to get knowledge how to go back to God, he will help you. So he’s not pushing in one way or the other. Although he comes down and he tells people, this is what you should do.

If you want to be happy, you should cooperate with me. But he doesn’t push them. He allows the material nature to go on mechanically and let people reap the results for whatever they’re doing. There’s an ultimate justice to every activity. The thing is that the devotees, they’re more compassionate. They go out of their way to tell these foolish people, and this is a special arrangement by the Lord, that he allows his devotees to take up this act. And the devotees, they go and induce the people by any means to go off of their suicidal course and to actually become cooperative with the will of the Supreme. Therefore, they are the dearest to Kṛṣṇa. It’s his ultimate desire and purpose that he wants that. But he doesn’t directly do it. He remains aloof in that regard. Unless someone requests his special help.

He’s not forcing people to become devotees. It’s a completely voluntary thing to go back to Godhead. If one wants to remain in the material world forever, you can do it. There’s no obligation. You have to go back to Godhead. Everyone has the choice to stay here or go back. Therefore, ultimately one should take the decision, yes, I want to achieve the supreme Truth. One should go on that path. If you’re not trying to find what is the ultimate truth, what is the use of being a human being? What’s the use of living in this world simply for eating and sleeping, producing by products, babies and stool? You see, the whole purpose is to achieve the supreme truth. Everything has to be dovetailed with that. Then if you produce by products or whatever you do, it’s alright, it can be properly adjusted.

But if there’s no higher objective, then it was just animal life. Whether you eat twenty dollar plates in the Holiday Inn or the Hiyat International hundred dollar plates, the advertising In France now $5,000 a night, you can stay in a hotel room, two living rooms, eight bedroom suites. So many bathrooms even have one suite with the bathroom in the middle of the room without any doors. It’s just a open room bathroom. Worshiping the toilet, the lavatory. So you can. But it’s all the same thing whether you’re a pig on the side of the river or whether. Or whether you’re living in a $5,000 room. If you’re just simply thinking how I can eat, how I can, you see, engage in all the different sensuous activity that are the same activity of the animals. It hasn’t actually progressed one iota spiritually.

So the devotees of the Lord who are connected with the Lord, they are taking that responsibility on behalf of the Lord, knowing it’s his desire to go out of their way to try to help people to become spiritually awakened. Therefore, if you respect those things and those persons connected with God, that is more pleasing to Kṛṣṇa because they’re practically in the field. Just like you pay your taxes in America. One thing. But say someone helps with some battle going on and you provide aid to the warriors in the field, they will consider that’s more benefit because they have to from here anyway, ship it over there. They have to provide it. It’s much more. You’re directly helping the effort on the field. That will be considered a much greater in. In. In India they give 130% tax exemption if yourself set up some research project.

Because if you give them the money, they’re setting up research projects. But by the time they get around to sending it up through their bureaucracy, it’ much time and energy that if you directly do it, they will give you 130% tax relief more than what you pay. You can get tax relief because they feel that’s a priority. It’s in the field. It’s directly a field worker that they want to happen. So it’s like that. This is helping in the field. You worship the devotees of the Lord in this material world. You worship the respect those things connected with Kṛṣṇa. It’s more beneficial. And also they know how to direct you further in your progress to Kṛṣṇa. Any other question? Yes. There’s Gatasukriti or Ghatasukriti. Knowingly or unknowingly, one can get spiritual benefit. Unknowingly, if you do something, you also get a benefit.

That benefit may be they will be of the same quality, but it may be proportionately less. If you do a spiritual activity, you get a spiritual result. If you do a materially good activity, you Get a good result, you do a passionate. You get a passionate result, you do ignorant, you get an ignorant result. So even if unknowingly you do a spiritual activity, you still get the spiritual result. There’s a. There’s a story in the Purāṇas, in the Vedas, how a mouse achieved. Either he was born in heavenly planets or he got liberation. That there was a gewig in the temple and the flame was coming down and down. And the flame was just, you know how when a GE wick almost goes off the oil, you know it starts to flicker and shoots up and then goes off. Shoots up.

It just, you know, a little small balloon, it kind of somehow comes up and down. It’s flickering like that, just about to go out kicking the last kicks, throws before it extinguishes. So that mouse at that time came up and wanted to eat the ghee in the wick. So it came to eat the ghee, but with its nose, when it went to eat the ghee, it pushed forward the wick because it burned down to a certain point. So because it pushed it forward, it shot up again the flame and it was the wick for the deity. And so then, just then, the deity was illuminated. So the mouse got scared and ran away. So because the mouse had done that, it was considered that was the type of like offering an aarti, like offering a light to the Lord. It was a service.

And because of that mouse was elevated and exper. Or like Sivananda Sen, the devotee of Lord Caitanya used to feed prasadam to the dog. Because of that, the dog was sent back to guide him. The soul is the same in every creature. It’s just that the soul goes from one body to the next. So whatever karmas were there that caused that soul to take the unfortunate birth as a dog, because the dog had got the prasadam, got all these spiritual food from the hand of Sivananda Sen. Ultimately Lord Caitanya threw him some prashad. He went completely purified from all his karmas. He went back to Godhead. Therefore we are just praying to get the mercy of. If Śiva Alma give the mercy to the dogs, then we undertake the humble position. Just give us even the scraps from his plate.

These things are not understood unless a person has a very broad understanding about what is absolute truth, what is the supreme personality of Godhead, who he is? The ordinary neophyte devotees, even they have some understanding. They believe in God finish. They don’t know all these things. Who is God unless one has a broader conception and knows a little bit about the spiritual reality, then it’s very hard to understand the importance of those things connected with God. One doesn’t even know who God is, what to speak of, how one can understand about anything connected with God. So they think God is only in the church, only in the Baptist church, only in the Methodist church.

He’s not in the Baptist church if you’re a Methodist, he’s only in that particular church or he’s only in the synagogue or he’s only in the mosque or the temple. The neophyte conception, then when one has a broader conception, you see God is everywhere. Still there’s a specific system how to understand God. This can only come if people actually understand spiritual life, get beyond their dogmatic, limited beliefs and come to a broader understanding. Hare Kae. Thank you. We do Prabhupāda pūjā daily greeting. Now they’re offering. Yeah, well, we.