19940725 Bhagavad-gītā 12.5

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on July 25th 1994 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The class begins with a reading from The Bhagavad-gītā chapter 12 verse 5.

Jayapatākā Swami:  (leads chanting of the verse) (devotees repeat)

kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām
avyaktāsakta-cetasām
avyaktā hi gatir duḥkhaṁ
dehavadbhir avāpyate

Translation: (Jai Śrīla Prabhupāda!) For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.

*Translation with repetition*

Purport: (Jai Śrīla Prabhupāda!) The group of transcendentalists who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme Lord are called jñāna-yogīs, and persons who are in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogīs. Now, here the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely expressed. The process of jñāna-yoga, although ultimately bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically understand that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogī accepts the Deity of Kṛṣṇa as worshipable because there is some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship. There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may be saguṇa or nirguṇa – of the Supreme possessing or not possessing attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguṇa worship, for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.

A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes, they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty. But any old box, or an imitation which we may find somewhere but which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the Deity form, which is called arcā-vigraha. This arcā-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service through that form. The Lord is omnipotent, all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arcā-vigraha He can accept the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for the man in conditioned life.

Jayapatākā Swami:  It’s been long purport so will explain something and I come back to the purport.

So here in this verse are the difference between jñāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga is explained. I think you all can remember jñāna-yogī, they are attached to the impersonal truth, in nirākāra, the formless, light or effulgence known as brahma-jyoti and in order to achieve that brahmā-jyothī they try to conceive) everything material.

Neti neti neti in the process, this is not it, this is not it, this is not absolute, this is not absolute, this is not absolute. They don’t have, until finally by negation they come to one is eternal. But by that negative process they can only get to the impersonal truth.

In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam first canto it is explained that Param Brahmā is non dual substance and is manifested in three different aspects ‘brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate,’ as the Brahman, as the Paramātmā and as the Bhagavān. The Brahman is impersonal feature, eternal, all pervasive, sat. The Paramātmā is present in every atom, in everyone’s heart, in the planet. These planets are floating because Paramātmā is residence in itself, the atoms are holding together in the nuclear because Paramātmā is there and within everyone’s heart Paramātmā is also there guiding us. That we have to tune it and hear His guidance, we recept to tune it. So that is called sat cit form, knowledge and eternity. And then the full form of the absolute truth is known as Bhagavān or sat cit ānanda vigraha.

Bhagavān is residing in Goloka Vṛndāvana, in the spiritual world. At the same time He is all pervasive through His expansions Paramātmā and brahma-jyoti and many other expansions, energies. Bhagavān is always accompanied with so many devotees just like we sing vraja-jana-rañjana, He is beloved by all the Vraja-jana, all the residents of Vṛndāvana.

So, in Kṛṣṇa you see all the pictures of Kṛṣṇa, He’s never alone, He is always there with the cowherd boys. Here is lifting the Govardhan Hill with so many residents of Vṛndāvana, here He is speaking Bhagavad-gītā in Kurukṣetra, dharmakṣetra, like that everywhere He is always with, mother Yashoda, He’s always with His devotees. So Bhagavān relating that His devotee has the aspect of ānanda, bliss. So these three sat-cit-ānanda are fully manifest in Bhagavān.

But in the jyoti which is His impersonal aspect is not different from Kṛṣṇa, it’s part of the total manifestation of Param Brahmā, but it is not the total. But many people think that Bhagavān is coming from the jyoti.

But in Bhagavad-gītā 14th chapter, Kṛṣṇa clearly says ‘brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham’, I am the foundation of the impersonal Brahman. The jyoti is coming from Kṛṣṇa’s body, it is His own bodily effulgence. The effulgence coming like sun light from the sun, coming from the Vaikunṭha lokas, that is the brahma-jyoti.

So, we leave the material universes as the border called the viraja, beyond that is the ocean of light which is called brahma-jyoti. Even that, beyond that brahma-jyoti there is spiritual planets known as Vaikuṇṭha lokas and in those Vaikunta lokas, Nārāyaṇa is residing. Amongst all the Vaikunta lokas there is one planet called Kṛṣṇa loka, where Kṛṣṇa resides. That is bigger than all the other Vaikunta lokas together, that is the Supreme Abode. The Kṛṣṇa is the original form, then Nārāyaṇa, then the Viṣṇu form, these all Bhagavān aspects and Viṣṇu in the heart of living entity is Paramātmā aspect.

Jai Kṛṣṇa Balarām ki!

Devotees:Jai!

The jyoti is the all-pervasive eternal feature. So, all the three combined, which is the Param Brahmā three manifestations. Now the jñānīs, the jñāna-yogīs, they want just to realize the light. But for them it says here, kleśaḥ, adhika-taraḥ, it’s adhika means very extreme suffering. Too much suffering, why anyone want to take too much suffering? It is very difficult. Kṛṣṇa say, although they also there trying to achieve absolute truth, their goal is also beyond the material realm. Beyond transcendentalist, they are not mundaners, they are transcendentalists. But their path is very difficult, very difficult, going also just to the tip of the transcendence, the very border region, only to that effulgence. They are not going to the ultimate destination. Now because these jñāna-yogis they only know that light, they think that in this material world all is one. People, trees, planets, so many things, these all temporary, this is māyā, this is false, this is that conclusion.

And the light, the jyoti, that is sat, that is eternal, so ‘brahma satya jagat mithyā’ this is their slogan. That they assume that any form must be temporary, but that assumption is incorrect. There are two type of form, there’s material form, but there’s another higher form which is spiritual form, they don’t know about that. Because they’re only leading up to the border region, they have not entered into the planets of Vaikunta, you see the form of Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa is sat cit ānanda, here His form is eternal. It is not in the rajo tamo form of material world.

So, because all the shastras glorifying Bhagavān, so sometime the impersonalist they speculate that Bhagavān must be a form of pure goodness coming from the impersonal. But they are not able to answer the question that how something can come from nothing. The impersonal is the nothing, no form, no quality, so how something is coming from nothing? Why there's the whole creation?

Why are we, have varieties, if the absolute truth is only impersonal, it doesn't compute at all. But you see, they don't have to compute for them if they’re going for different rule, they're just going neti, neti, this is not it, this is not it. So, when they get to the impersonal, they see what this could be, but if you see objectively from the Vedas, define 'brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate,’ the three combined are the Param Brahman and the Param Bhagavān is sat cit ānanda. Rigveda say

*śloka*

Sat cit ānanda brahman, He has quality of sat cit ānanda. It does not say that Kṛṣṇa is sattva-guṇa, it says sat cit ānanda guṇa.

So, the impersonalists they’re trying to make everything one. If they think that are, the impersonal is the truth. Bhagavān is coming from the personal, we are coming from the, we must also be Bhagavān, everyone is Bhagavān, everything is one ‘eko brahma dvitīyo nāsti’. But their interpretation is something like the example of the yoga dvaita.

You know that example? You see one time, one Vaiṣṇava bhakti-yogī was discussing with this jñāna-yogī. That man what he was saying everything is one, everything is one, we’re all God, we’re all God [Devotees laughing]. So then when it came time to the dinner, he gave all the nice preparations but at the end it came time to the pāyasam. So instead of giving the pāla-pāyasam the milk pāyasam, he gave

(aside:) What you say in kannada? Milk pāyasam is what?

Devotee: Haalu

Haalu pāyasam [Devotees laughing] haalu. And gobar what we call cow dung?

Devotee: Sagini.

Jayapatākā Swami:  Sagini, so sagini pāyasam [Devotees laughing]. He came out with the sagini pāyasam [Devotees laughing], with that nice.. [Devotees laughing], instead of he use sagini [Devotees laughing], cow dung. So that jñāna-yogī was looking what is this? He said cow dung pāyasam [Devotees laughing]. But what am I to do with this [Devotees laughing]?

You can enjoy it eat [Devotees laughing]. But you said you’re giving the pāyasam made from milk only, why made with cow dung? Because it’s all one, I’m hearing all this, everything is one. So, on the respect to your philosophy, I have produced to you the gobar, this one sagini pāyasam [Devotees laughing]. Milk and cow dung is all coming from the cow!

So, what is the difference? [Devotees laughing] it’s all one [Devotees laughing], why you differentiate. That is why, it’s all one, it’s all coming from the, from the cow. You don’t know what, this is not very tactical for me I think I.. [Devotees laughing]. Then what man you’re not following your philosophy. So, this, they say everything is coming from absolute so everything is one, it’s different! Just like there is material energy, there is spiritual energy, there is varieties of energies.

So the upaniṣads, it explains ‘parasra shaktir vidhinaya sūyate’ that the Lord has got varieties of energies. Which is not one, varieties, vividhā, varieties of energies, varieties of existences. So therefore the monistic concept everything is one practically doesn’t hold, doesn’t, not sustainable. Just like, normally cow dung is pure but no one wants to take cow dung pāyasam, did differentiate. But the pala and the milk pāyasam is very tasteful.

Even Caitanya Mahāprabhu when He was one, two and half years old He was playing in the garden of the, of His parents’ house. That time mother brought out some sandeśa, you know sandeśa? This is named special milk sweet, even Bangalore they introduced here down street, it’s the famous bengali sweet made from paneer. And some sugar put together, like rasgulla, sandeśa. There are famous bengali sweet. I think here there one store they’ve started.

But Caitanya Mahāprabhu He didn’t take the sandeśa, He took the dirt, He start eating dirt. So, mother Śacī, mother was saying what you are doing? Why you’re eating dirt? He says how can be dirt, sandeśa only matter, it’s only the earth, this is earth, that is earth, it’s all earth, it’s all mud, so I’m eating the dirt, what is the problem?

So, mother Śacī, she never expected a little baby giving out this Māyāvādī philosophy [Devotees laughing]. So, she had to clearly explain that this philosophy is present, not practical. So, she brought one clay pot and brought, she put some water in the clay pot, you see in the form of a clay pot, this will hold the water. When you take the dirt, you put water and what happen? It became mud. So, earth in different form has got different purpose and different use. So as the dirt will not be suitable to hold water, but clay pot can hold the water, that’s a fired pot, ceramic, it will hold the water.

Like that food in the form of various cooked food like sandeśa, rasagullā, this one idli, doṣa, sambar and chutney, rasam. Various type of rice and all these things, this one you can eat. But the dirt if you eat you get sick, you shouldn't eat the dirt, you should eat the sandeśa. This form is edible, that form is not edible. Then Lord Caitanya, why didn’t you tell me before? You never explained it’s different, I just thought this is all one, all dirt.

So, like that we may think everything is Brahman, but Brahman manifesting in various aspects, not the same. So Kṛṣṇa is the origin of Brahman, the various energies all different. So, the bhakti-yogī mainly see that everything is energy of Kṛṣṇa, everything is not one, some is my energy, some is spiritual energy. Any energy used in Kṛṣṇa’s service it becomes spiritualized. So, for the bhakti-yogis they don’t reject the material energy but they use it in Kṛṣṇa’s service. By using it in Kṛṣṇa’s service it becomes spiritualized.

Just like electricity, the same electricity can run a fan to cool it down in the warm heating of the summer or that same electricity can be producing heater in the cold winter. So it could be cooling like AC or heating like a heater, so electricity can be used in various ways. If we offer the energy to Kṛṣṇa it becomes spiritualized, if we use if for own sense gratification it becomes source of bondage.

That’s why in the, early in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa explains ‘yajñārthāt karmaṇo’, all work should be done as a sacrifice to please me. ‘anyatra’ otherwise any other work, ‘loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ’ will simply be a cause of bondage to the people. We should do as an offering, everything we do, to Kṛṣṇa, all result. We don’t have a right over the result, only the work. ‘mā phaleṣu kadācana’. We offer the fruit to Kṛṣṇa, then we’re freed from the bondage of the karmas. Why?

Because Kṛṣṇa is Param Brahmā, we offer to Him then He absorbs all karma and we are freed. It becomes a yājñika karma, work of sacrifice. So the jñāna-yogīs they’ll say give up all work, because work is bondage. But Kṛṣṇa says don’t give up work, do work as sacrifice then you’ll not be bound.

So here, this way the deity form is also being mentioned here, arcā or vigraha, arcā-vigraha. It’s now apparently material elements of panchaloha or aṣṭa-dhātu, different elements. But when deity is installed just like Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, we have an installation ceremony was performed here in Bangalore, in Uḍupī. So that time was Pejāwar Swamiji's (not clear 24:19). And he was also performing (not clear 24:22), this installation ceremony and Uḍupī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were brought right from Vṛndāvana, they’re brought into the deity here. They’re not different of Uḍupī Kṛṣṇa. Very powerful deities Kṛṣṇa and Balarām.

Someone may think oh that is just an idol or a doll, that’ll be very offensive. Padma-purāṇa explains, if someone thinks that this deity, the mūrti, the vigraha, the worshipable deity is a stone or metal or someone thinks guru naraṁ api. That Guru is the ordinary person or vaiṣṇava jāti budhi, or that a devotee. A Vaiṣṇava is belonging to some specific caste or nationality, that this mentality is hellish, the hellish mentality, not, not a proper vision. The Lord is everywhere, we install deity Lord is present, there’s no.. Worshipping this deity, the worship is directly accepted by Kṛṣṇa.

There’s some, just like previously in India some rulers were there who were smashing the deity. They thought if I smash deity, I’ll kill Kṛṣṇa. You don’t have to kill Kṛṣṇa, you smash deity. Somebody took a car, he went into the post box, that doesn’t mean post department is finished, most of all they can replace the box, no problem. But we smash the box, we may be punished by the government, why you’re destroying government property?

Even if they smash the deity again the deity can be installed. Kṛṣṇa is still there, only that representation has become made invisible. Again it can be brought by prayers, by the ācārya, he can again request Kṛṣṇa to come.

So, the demoniac people they’re trying to destroy Kṛṣṇa but Kṛṣṇa cannot be destroyed. We should not think that deity is mundane. It’s the opportunity for us, someone may say why I cannot see Kṛṣṇa. Cause you don’t have that vision, we don’t have the spiritual vision. We need to get the divine vision and we can see Kṛṣṇa. In the meantime, He has come in a visible form which we can offer prayers. We can offer sevā, we can build temple, we can offer garland, offer fruits and flowers and various offerings we can get the full blessings from the deity. This is one of the avatāra, visible avatāra for our benefit.

So Prabhupāda continues here

Purport: So, for a devotee there is no difficulty in approaching the Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following the impersonal way to spiritual realization the path is difficult. They have to understand the unmanifested representation of the Supreme through such Vedic literatures as the Upaniṣads, and they have to learn the language, understand the non-perceptual feelings, and realize all these processes. This is not very easy for a common man. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the bona fide spiritual master. Simply by offering regulative obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead very easily. There is no doubt that the impersonalists are unnecessarily taking a troublesome path with the risk of not realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end. But the personalist, without any risk, trouble or difficulty, approaches the Supreme Personality directly. A similar passage appears in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is stated there that if one ultimately has to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead (this surrendering process is called bhakti), but instead takes the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is not Brahman and spends his whole life in that way, the result is simply troublesome. Therefore it is advised here that one should not take up this troublesome path of self-realization, because there is uncertainty in the ultimate result.

Jayapatākā Swami:  You see in the Śrīmad, in the impersonal form they’re not finished completely, then there’s no realization, but we find in the personal path of bhakti-yoga. Even the neophyte, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, by taking Kṛṣṇa-prasāda, bowing down to Guru and Kṛṣṇa we’re getting some immediate experience. Immediate experience, even western people, Chinese people, people of Africa, people anywhere chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa they can feel some change in their mind.

I talk to one deaf devotee, he is chanting but he cannot hear, he’s only mentally chanting. I ask him what do you feel? He’s not able to speak, that when you were chanting what you experience?

So, in sign language he showed me said [Devotees laughing] that they didn’t require any words (not clear 30:19) [Devotees laughing]. You’re feeling a right thing [Devotees laughing]. So, this is a universal path that even for very short time one can get very big change in their consciousness.

But the impersonal path may take many many years which where one may not be able to speak it out. Ultimately that one is successful there is a way to reach the absolute. It’s a very tough way, why, why unnecessarily take a tough path? You can get from here to Madras by walking, but when we’ve got overnight train or plane why should we walk? Unnecessarily taking the trouble.

But if you want to go from here to America you can swim also but who can do it, practically. You have to fly a ship; ocean is so hard. But maybe I heard that there’s a way, if you want to you can go there by land.

You have to go over the Himalaya, over China and over the whole Siberia, Russia, then over to that. This one, some state what that called the, there’s some island it’s way of the Alaska there is one, in the winter that’s all covered by ice. You can cross by ice walking over the ice and you can reach America that way and go. Cheaper to buy airplane ticket. [Devotees laughing]. Or take a ship; that’s much easier. So obviously who will take very dangerous route to go there.

Now bhakti-yoga is therefore the recommended by ācāryas just like Rāmānuja, Madhva, Nimbārka, all ācāryas have recommended. Nimbārka, this one Vallabhācārya, everyone has recommended, state of bhakti-yoga. The bhakti-yoga is suggested path for everyone, because it’s simple doesn’t mean it’s not good, so that I want take the tough path. Soon or later prepare before taking it but that doesn’t mean just because they take the tough way that they are necessarily they’re getting better. Rather they may be wasting their time also. And according to Kṛṣṇa they are, they’re taking unnecessary trouble. He has given them the easy way, someone does not wanted to do bhakti He has given them the other route, that route is very difficult. But if they do bhakti He says very easily they can reach Him.

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

Crossing over the māyā is very difficult, it’s my divine potency, but if someone surrenders to Me, I easily bring them to Me. So, in conclusion then Prabhupāda he gives here, the last paragraph

Purport: A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of his original nature, but the blissful portion is not realized. By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly learned in the process of jñāna-yoga, may come to the point of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble, because he cannot give up the idea. Therefore, an embodied soul is always in difficulty with the unmanifest, both at the time of practice and at the time of realization. Every living soul is partially independent, and one should know for certain that this unmanifested realization is against the nature of his spiritual, blissful self. One should not take up this process. Period. For every individual living entity the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which entails full engagement in devotional service, is the best way. If one wants to ignore this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to atheism. Thus the process of centering attention on the unmanifested, the inconceivable, which is beyond the approach of the senses, as already expressed in this verse, should never be encouraged at any time, especially in this age. It is not advised by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedanta Swami translation and purport to text 5, chapter 12 Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.

Jayapatākā Swami:  So, the jñāna-yogis, they’re not able to understand what bhakti yogīs are doing, because they analyze according to their limited idea. They’re seeing everything is one, the jyoti this is everything we all, so they can’t understand why the devotees are chanting, why they’re dancing and why they’re offering the pūjās, why they are so blissful, they’re thinking this must be all māyā. There’s something like the example of the crane and the swan.

(aside:) You know that example? You know what a crane is? What they called crane in

Devotee: Kokkare

Jayapatākā Swami: Kokkare. They are standing in the water eating fish, they stand very straight looking white, generally white.

(aside:) Then you know the swan? What do you call the swan?

Jayapatākā Swami: The haṁsa. So, the haṁsa, the swan their group of cranes may be here, they were just in some lake, pond like a river or some what we call fountain. And this is, this crane, this is story in bengal. I don’t know the crane here the same, crane must be same but [Devotees laughing]. So, fountain in bengal and that swan had come down from the Himalayas, those Himalayan swan, the Mānasarovara, higher in the Himalayan range near the Tiber border. That’s in Tibet, Mānasarovara is that India or in Tibet. (devotees answering Tibet)

So that cranes they’re talking; they saw the swan and they were talking amongst themselves. What is that? Then one crane said, yes very strange looking bird got a bent neck, not beautiful like us we’ve straight neck. The crane talk that because they got straight necks feeling like they are very beautiful. And because the swan looks beautiful, the swan have the bent neck, they thought some deformation. [Devotees laughing] not beautiful like us. So, they’re giving all their value judgement based on their own perception, of reality. So, they ask this haṁsa that, my dear sir who are you and what do you come from? What kind of bird are you?

Said, I am a haṁsa, rājahamsa, I am the swan, I come from Mānasarovara. There’s a beautiful large lake in the mountains, this got so many beautiful trees, lotus, is growing there very clear water all around you can see the mountains. The cranes are talking what this guy talking about?

What my dear sir, I just have one question to ask you. In that lake you’re talking about, are there any snails? You know the black ground crawling snails, eats the scum and the flesh, the scum sucking snail?

Do you have any juicy snail there? He said no, like this we don’t find so many snails there, I don’t think there’s any snail. It is very beautiful place there is nothing for snail to eat, very pure [Devotees laughing]. Then that cranes start talking, then what is the use of if?

A hopeless place [Devotees laughing]. But there’s no snail, listen you have to change the place, because the crane, they’re loving to eat that snail digging out of the muck, the muck, they’re just eating the snail. So, when they heard that was nonsense coming from such a place there’s no scum, no snail, then get it, what is the use of such a place [Devotees laughing]. So, they were not at all impressed.

(aside:) So you understand that example? So who is the rājahaṁsa, who is the swan, who are the cranes. Bhakti-yogis are swans, and cranes?

Devotee: Jñāna-yogīs [Devotees laughing], obviously

Jayapatākā Swami: The Māyāvādīs as well as the materialists, they also the cranes. When devotees are trying to explain though wonderful we’re chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, taking Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, like you get a, and impersonalist what is all this?

It’s all anitya, all stinks, just want to be in the one, they don’t appreciate. Then if you go to materialists they say, what no drinks? [Devotees laughing] no we don’t want that, like no games! No boyfriends, girlfriends. No no, there is dancing, we get married. Marriage! No one likes, no one wants to get married, this is so much Kali-yuga has progressed at. In Finland they’re not having any babies, I mentioned this they are afraid by year 2020 the fins will be finished.

The government is offering 5000 krones bonus if any lady will have a baby [Devotees laughing]. So that the fins will not be finished and they give 13-month full pay leave, still they’re not having. They don’t like why all the trouble, sickness, disease, get big, for there, they’re going extinguished, they’re going, they’re becoming endangered country [Devotees laughing]. Because no family life, no proper marriage, no training like that, only for the senses they are doing, so they don’t want to go to the trouble.

So, this kind of materialistic society is doomed, now they’re facing the trouble. They’re going about population explosion; they train the people how to be only after sense gratification. Not understanding everything we do, all the pleasures we have should be offered as a service to Kṛṣṇa. We should do in such a way that Kṛṣṇa is authorized, that gives us a really deep spiritual progress and happiness we want. In, but the crane like people they won’t understand. When the swan is talking it doesn’t enter their brain.

The Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He wanted to create the swan like people, His program is transformation of crane to swan. People should come from materialistic vision, impersonal vision and get to the spiritual Kṛṣṇa conscious vision. Then we can have a better world, otherwise the world will not get better, because the values are being wrongly placed due to poor fundedness.

That’s how we need the support of all the presidents present here and Prabhupāda wanted everyone to take up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness fully and help to spread it to everyone.

Caitanya Mahāprabhu desire was to everyone could achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness and He promised that anyone who take up this process that they would be successful, simply by following His instructions. There’s no guarantee that one will be successful by the jñāna-yoga process, it’s very difficult, they didn’t sense it, difficult, it is not for everyone.

But the bhakti-yoga process as given by Caitanya Mahāprabhu is for everyone, except the very atheistic envious people, for them they have their alternative. So, we hope that you all help in spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness as Prabhupāda said chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy and make others happy.

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

You shouldn’t, India shouldn’t be following anything the west. They should be leading the world. India, India we should lead the world what is the right way of having human civilization. We may import some technology but we should not import the way of life.

We should export, as the Prabhupāda did, he exported, Indian way of life. People are yet not understanding immediately, gradually they’re understanding this is the better alternative. This is the way human beings should live. Nice families, nice individuals, spiritually developed, all this type of, this ideal way of human society. They install some spiritual purpose, higher purpose to life, that is the greatness of Indian culture. In a not just the dry culture but it has a very deep significance and meaning to it.

So, we shouldn’t get impressed simply by living flashes and Hollywood techniques that are coming out and think that that’s viable alternative. They are looking for the solution for the violence and the drugs and the problems. India had the solution but they don’t have the sole confidence that their culture, that our culture is the solution, many don’t have that confidence. But by Kṛṣṇa conscious we can give the whole continent here the confidence to spread this all over the world. Prabhupāda had that confidence, every devotee has that confidence, that is the hope for the world.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Any question?

Question: How to get happiness in this material world full of miseries?

Jayapatākā Swami:  How to get real happiness in the material world which is full of suffering, you transcend the material world. Just like Kṛṣṇa, He’s in the material world but He’s not in it, He created but He’s not in it. If we are enacted with Kṛṣṇa we transcend the material suffering.

Although we are living here, we are not, there’s even St Mary, there’s I think that credit can be given to Lord Jesus for everything like, we live in the world but God be out the world.

Same thing is there in Bhagavad-gītā, we use the material nature but we use it for Kṛṣṇa, therefore we’re not worried, then we transcend. That's why Kṛṣṇa again and again says be a yogī. If you’re bhogī then happiness we are speaking to enjoy that causes our own suffering. So, he said don’t be a bhogī, don’t be a sense enjoyer, be a yogī, control the senses, regulate them for the higher purpose. Moderation and recreation, moderation in eating, moderation in resting, moderation in everything, not too much, not too little that’s yogī. That a yogī gets minimum suffering and maximum transcendental bliss.

The bhogī repeat their mind to enjoy more but they get maximum suffering and instinct they get karma clearly. And in the end they suffer more, so bhogī becomes rogī. So, we have to get people to yogī, bhakti yogī means you’re getting yogī in your home ‘Grihe tako, vane tako, sadā Hari bole tako’, you’d be yogī in ashram, you’d be yogī in the home. Arjuna was a home yogī, he was that also there, was son also there with his, Abhimanyu great hero of Mahābhārata, in injustice killed by improper process.

So Kṛṣṇa never told him to give up the battle, go to the fight, never told to give up his family, that you fight, stand for dharma you’d be yogī. Bhakti-yogī means that where ever we are, we were household or brahmacārī whatever we are, we stay in that position and we serve Kṛṣṇa accordingly. Then where is the suffering. Suffering is due to attachment.

Prabhupāda says those who are worshipping the deities, those who are cooking for the deities they were most fortunate people, they're able to simply worship Kṛṣṇa. But sometime due to our pūjārī, I went in one temple in Tamilnadu. The pūjārī asked me, that here I have one son, could you send him to America he gets a good job, I don’t want him to be a pūjārī like me. I have another son he is foolish guy; he doesn’t have educated; he can be pūjārī [Devotees laughing].

Now we think if we have education, we should get a good job somewhere, and if we are foolish okay then be a brāhmaṇa [Devotees laughing]. But we need highly qualified brāhmaṇas to guide the society, not that white collared śūdras or just trying to do the ordinary type of activities. And the society is all, that is entangled.

So, this is the type of conditioning, it gets all one, we wiIl think oh, if I’m cooking for the deity it’s not very important. But directly it’s the most important, we won’t take any new person involved in the cook for the deity or to do pūjā, cause very direct personal service to the deity. But some people they’re not appreciating how important this service is. If we are fully absorbed in our service without allowing our mind to get out of the tangent, we’ll feel bliss, we’ll experience sat-cit-ānanda. But if we go in a mental platform, if we are thinking about material things actually that duḥkhālaya would be there. The process how to make our life doing more to Kṛṣṇa and little more detached from the material things. Because of attachment we’re suffering, when we’re attached to Kṛṣṇa then we get the spiritual happiness.

Any other question?

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Devotee: How is jīva created?

Jayapatākā Swami:  Kṛṣṇa is the creator of everything, he can create anything, therefore He can create jīvas. Kṛṣṇa say I don’t create jīvas, he expands jīvas, jīvas are just marked. We create a book, a table, we take some ingredients bring it together. And we take some, then we take it apart we destroy it, srishti sthiti pralaya. Jīvas are not created, He said that jīva is sat, it’s eternal, there never beginning or end to the jīva.

Right in second chapter Bhagavad-gītā clearly says all the kings that are present here they were always here they came now, they’d be all in the future and jīvas were always existing. Now there’s a difference between creation and the manifestation of jīva. Creation is the mundane thing, in the spiritual world there’s no creation, there’s no destruction, creation is only in the material, but jīva is coming from the spiritual world, jīva is not created, it’s the part of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa says

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke
jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ

Mamaivāṁśo, my amsa, my part is the jīva, the living entity, that spirit soul. Sanātanaḥ, is eternal, sanātanaḥ, no beginning no end. So, don’t, by logic you can’t think something which is not approved by sastras. You should understand that creation and (inaudible 51:49) material element, transformation of material energy. But jīva is coming from another dimension all together, jīva is the spiritual tatastha shakti, para shakti, and this material apara shakti, apara could be killed, apara could be its created and destroyed not the para could be killed, different nomenclature.

Is that clear?

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Devotee: How to overcome envy?

Jayapatākā Swami:  Kṛṣṇa says that by envy it destroy our bhakti. Envy is the worst enemy to the bhakta. By envy one becomes the Māyāvādī, by envy one falls from bhakti, envy has to be taken out from the heart like a weed is taken out from the garden. We should pull it out and throw it. If you want spiritual wellbeing as soon as you see the envy, you pull it out.

A person is envier, they’re in māyā, it’s a disease. Just say you cannot, someone come full of disease, you tell that person be healthy, cure yourself, take medicine. So, no one like to be like this, they don’t stay by envy, I don’t want to stay by you. Sometime people they may used to the envy that they think this is the natural thing. But it’s naturally in material life, but in spiritual life it is the obstacle. It must be seen as the vighna, that has to be taken out. It is the reason for coming in material world, you’re envious of Kṛṣṇa. And the reason for staying here, to be envious of others.

So, envy has to be replaced by compassion. If someone is lesser than we are, we should help them. If someone is equal, we should defend them, and someone is more than we are we should serve them and respect them. Shouldn’t envy any, why that person had to do I am on it and get them all in, you simply, simply create disturb, disturbance. We should think what, how I can improve my service for Kṛṣṇa?

Can I do more for Kṛṣṇa?

Am I doing as much as I can? Just positive.

That person is doing so much, can I do as much as that person, if somewhere I can increase my service, let me learn how that person is taking up so much nice responsibility. It can be, we can, in a positive way, right thing. That person has, why I don’t have?

I should stop that person, let me stole some false story about that person and disturb then people will see that I’m as good as he is. All this like we get involved in aparādha, an offence, we get, we destroy our total devotion. We’re not pleasing Kṛṣṇa, when we’re envious means simply on a mundane platform.

So, envy has to be avoided, we have to come to positive way, how we can improve. If we can be more than we are doing we can always present, I think I can do more service. We shouldn’t get down to the mundane level of envy. All material world is based on envy, that person, this, I mean envy is very common in the gṛhamedhi life. The gṛhastha who is based on spiritual level they avoid this envy.

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Okay thank you very much!

 

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 20-Feb-2021