Material enjoyment! Simply a waste of time.

dehädibhir daiva-tantrair

ätmanaù sukham éhataù

duùkhätyayaà cänéçasya

kriyä moghäù kåtäù kåtäù

 

Translation: The living entity tries to achieve happiness and rid himself of the causes of distress, but because the various bodies of the living entities are under the full control of material nature, all his plans in different bodies, one after another, are ultimately baffled.

 

Purport: Because the materialist is in gross ignorance of how the laws of material nature act upon him as a result of his fruitive activity, he mistakenly plans to enjoy bodily comfort in the human form of life through so-called economic development, through pious activities for elevation to the higher planetary systems, and in many other ways, but factually he becomes a victim of the reactions of his fruitive activities. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated as the Super soul within the cores of the hearts of all living entities. As the Lord says in Bhagavad-gétä (15.15):

Sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo

mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” The desires and activities of the living being are observed by the Supersoul, who is the upadrañöä, the overseer, and who orders material nature to fulfil the various desires of the living being. As clearly stated in Bhagavad-gétä (18.61):

éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà

håd-deçe ‘rjuna tiñöhati

bhrämayan sarva-bhütäni

yanträrüòhäni mäyayä

The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, and as one desires, the Lord gives one various types of bodies, which are like machines. Riding on such a machine, the living entity wanders throughout the universe, under the control of material nature and its modes. Thus the living being is not at all free to act, but is fully under the control of material nature, which is fully under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

As soon as a living entity is victimized by material desires to lord it over material nature, he is subjected to the control of material nature, which is supervised by the Supreme Soul. The result is that one again and again makes plans and is baffled, but as foolish as he is he cannot see the cause of his bafflement. This cause is distinctly stated in Bhagavad-gétä: because one has not surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he must work under the control of material nature and its stringent laws (daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé mama mäyä duratyayä [Bg. 7.14]). The only means of becoming free from this entanglement is to surrender to the Supreme Lord. In the human form of life, the living entity must accept this instruction from the Supreme Person, Kåñëa: sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja [Bg. 18.66]. “Do not plan to achieve happiness and drive away distress. You will never be successful. Simply surrender unto me.” Unfortunately, however, the living entity does not accept the Supreme Lord’s clearly stated instructions from Bhagavad-gétä, and thus he becomes a perpetual captive of the laws of material nature.

Yajïärthät karmaëo ‘nyatra loko ‘yaà karma-bandhanaù: [Bg. 3.9]) if one does not act for the satisfaction of Kåñëa, who is known as Viñëu or Yajïa, he must be entangled in the reactions of fruitive activities. These reactions are called päpa and puëya—sinful and pious. By pious activities one is elevated to the higher planetary systems, and by impious activities one is degraded to lower species of life, in which he is punished by the laws of nature. In the lower species of life there is an evolutionary process, and when the term of the living entity’s imprisonment or punishment in the lower species is finished, he is again offered a human form and given a chance to decide for himself which way he should plan. If he again misses the opportunity, he is again put into the cycle of birth and death, going sometimes higher and sometimes lower, turning on the saàsära-cakra, the wheel of material existence. As a wheel sometimes goes up and sometimes comes down, the stringent laws of material nature make the living entity in material existence sometimes happy and sometimes distressed. How he suffers in the cycle of happiness and distress is described in the next verse.

Nature of devotees

Saintly & Demoniac people

We are reading today from Srimad Bhagvatam canto seven chapter thirteen, entitled the behaviour of a perfect person text thirteen. Prahlad maharaj, who is the king of the Daityas in this chapter travelling around this world seeking association of saintly people. His father, he had his army travelling around the world to find the saint people specifically to destroy them to subjugate them anyone who is not willing to accept him as the supreme in their life was his enemy everything was black & white there was little in between. either you surrender to him you do his will you say what he  you want you to say, you do what he want you to do, if so you  become his friend. If at any time you decide to act independently of Hiranakasipu you become his enemy. And he had simple formula; how to deal with his enemy.

Subjugate them, control them if they have any inclination to act out of their control they must be destroyed. So he slaughtered cows, he killed Brahmans he destroyed ashrams he burned them with fire, desecrated them. Because he knew that devotion to Vishnu could empower people to rise above him. And therefore his ultimate enemy was Vishnu, his brother Hiraëyäkña was almost equal strength to him. No one dared to challenged Hiraëyäkña, on behalf of his brother; Hiraëyäkña was ding like a universal yatra. He was travelling from planet to planet, & wherever he went either you surrender to Hiranakasipu or you die. Either destroyed them or they surrendered, & no one could stand before him.

Unless favoured by the supreme lord one can’t be successful in one’s endures, despite being the most powerful

He went to Varuna; Varuna said I’m a old man I can’t fight with you. But there is someone who wants to fight with you & he directed him to Varäha Dev, who is Vishnu himself .When the lord wants to humiliate someone he realy knows how to do it. Here is Hiraëyäkña he has Indra down to his knees, he has all the devatas at knees to please him, begging for mercy from him. The greatest warriors the greatest devatas and now here he’s fighting with all people a boar it’s a wild pig. Although he has his mighty weapon, his armour, he is ultimately killed by the hoof of a boar. Now if you understand he is Vishnu, then it’s glorious, but if you are an atheist like, Hiraëyäkña and his colleagues, not a very glorious death. It’s like a world war two. One of definitely the greatest most heroic generals of American army. He was a person who actually went in a front line with his soldiers & fought, some of the bloodiest battles. And he helped to lead victory in world war two in some of the worst battles. Risked his life constantly, & after they won the war; he went on a hunting excursion just for fun & accidently his gun went off shot & he died. Hare Krsna… not a very glorious death for Shatriya. Hiraëyäkña was killed by this boar. Now Hiranakasipu understood this is Vishnu, he is the only person who can stop me. And Hiranakasipu understood the scriptures, he was a learned scholar, he was a mystic yogi he had everything except devotion… we read where he is preaching to his relatives after Hiraëyäkña died. He is speaking, very very powerful philosophy, in fact even great acharyas to this day millions, of years later quote him! They tell the same story, he tells. Because he was just so shaastric, so précised, so logical, so real about the difference between the body & soul. So he knew that, if you perform Yajïa this is satyayuga, you do meditation, you perform Yajïa you attract Vishnu’s powers. But what did he do?… made law no Yajïa, no meditation, no pious activities. He was so powerful; he had so much control over the universe, that he actually was changing the laws of karma. If you do sinful activities you get rewarded with good results, & if you do pious activities you have to suffer miserably. This was his intention, & he really believed he could do it. So much arrogance. So yes he & his army are hunting for saintly person to make them surrender & die. And here his son Prahlad roaming around the world looking for same saintly people with a desire to surrender to them to learn from them to be blessed by them.

 

Devotee is always humble & grateful to Krsna and his spiritual master.

Prahlad & Hiranakasipu are very much personified in the contrast between the material consciousness & spiritual consciousness. They are both epitomies of the principles.  Hiranakasipu, I’m the controller, everything is mine. I’m independent. And prahlad I’m nothing; I’m just insignificant servant of the servant of the servant of my guru maharaj. Nothing is mine everything is krsna’s & I’m simply his servant of the servant of the servant. Then when we evaluate our own life, when we inspect our own motivations we can see, are they leaning towards Hiranakasipu’s side or Prahlad’s side? Hiranakasipu wanted to destroy his enemies; Prahlad wanted his enemies to get liberation. Hiranakasipu was not respectful to anyone, Prahlad was respectful to everyone. Hiranakasipu always boasted’ I’m the doer. Prahlad gave all credit to his guru & Krsna, never took credit for anything even when he was the king. Hiranakasipu wanted to show his might in front of others, his intelligence, his strength, his ability, and his accomplishments. Prahlad just wanted to glorify others & seek their blessings. So every one of our actions, every one of our decisions are going to be leaning on Hiranakasipu’s side or Prahlad side?

 

We will always become those, whom we follow.

A devotee takes Prahlad,

mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù

Follows in the footsteps of mahaajans, like Prahlad. There is a beautiful purport which Srila Prabhupada explains, that every class of human beings has their own set of mahaajans. That they are following the footsteps of. There are bollywood mahaajans, there are cricket player mahaajans, there are scientist mahaajans, there are industrialist & business mahaajans, and there are politician mahaajans,

mahat-seväà dväram ähur vimuktes

tamo-dväraà yoñitäà saìgi-saìgam

 

We follow in the footsteps of saintly people; the doors to liberation are open. If we seek out the association & want to serve great souls the doors to highest perfection are open wide. But we if seek the association or try to follow the lead the example of materialistic people, then we go high down into ignorance. This is inevitable. In many ways everything about our destiny is very much determined, by who we model our life after. Everyone models our life after someone, or some people. We could be devotees & we could be very proud of being devotees or we be very much be inclined towards this spirit of Hiranakasipu. You can be a temple president or you could be sankirtan leader, you could be a GBC, you could be guru, you could be anything.

 

Krsna always fulfil your desires.

If you want to control… as Hiranakasipu did. If you want to control your false ego…. Prahlad!  He was king as a king he had to control. But he always did it in a spirit of real genuine service. So here is Prahlad, the great king travelling around, looking for saintly people & if you are really looking for something & you could recognise when it comes, if you are sincere. Krsna reveals according to our consciousness

ye yathä mäà prapadyante

täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham

As you surrender to me, I reveal myself accordingly. That means Krsna speaking about how he reveals himself accordingly; personally & directly, but also through others & through material nature. If you’re surrendering to Krsna, you see Krsna everywhere. You see Krsna teaching you a good lesson how to be a devotee everywhere.  If you are seeking something else, your own ulterior motives, your own agenda, then you are going to see that. But Prahlad was really looking for saintly people, therefore Krsna was revealing in his heart, which saintly people really were, in the strangest type of person he had to come upon.

This person, who is just lying practically naked. Just laying underground, covered with dirt & dust it looked like, he hadn’t even stood up for a long time. And he was just staying there like an animal. For most political people would say Varun get a job, you are young, you are strong; you are wasting your life just laying there? Hare Krsna. But Prahlad, he was looking for a saintly person therefore he detected something. He is lying underground; he doesn’t even get up to look for something to eat. Whether it is raining or snowing, or whatever is happening he doesn’t even get up to find a covering for himself. Some people they detach themselves from world & they live in a cave, to protect themselves from the burning sun, from the rain, from the elements. But this person he didn’t even go to cave, he just laid down on ground whatever happened, didn’t even matter. But from material perspective he was the ultimate example of a lazy man.

 

If we see through a red glass, everything will only appear to be red

Yes, but Prahlad detected that, he was kind of heavy sac. He wasn’t skinny, he was little fatty. Now most of us, we were listening, lazy person by his actions. But he saw the fact that he is little fatty means Krsna is providing for him, even despite him just laying here all the time. So he must be a saintly person. That was his logical deduction, because he was looking for saintly people Krsna was revealing who is saintly to him. Many examples, Sukadev go swami, he was topmost saintly person & he was wandering through forest, people thought he was a mad man. Young children’s were making fun of him, they were throwing things up at him, they were ridiculing him, and they were just criticizing him. They thought he was a joke, because they were not looking for a saintly person. They were on the bodily concept, they saw him in the bodily concept & they had just no respect at all. But as soon as he came to the bank of Ganga, all the greatest saints & rishis from the universe assembled, they all stood up & honoured him. Because these men were looking for the essence, they were ‘saragrahi’. So what you are looking for, Krsna reveals to you, everyone. If you really want to find fault in someone, Krsna is going to reveal faults aren’t even there If you want to believe something, even if there is no evidence at all, you will believe because you want to. Shishuapal, he was not just manufacturing criticisms of Krsna. He was actually seeing these things. He actually believed it, he really believed, and that Krsna was a…… I can’t even say what he was believing. He believed that Krsna was really a bad person. Where he was constantly storing krsna’s faults & the amazing thing that all those people around Shishupal were convinced to everything he said. It’s not that they were thinking, oh! This Shishuapal just has some kind of ego tripper. This Shishupal he is just mäyä. His associates believed him. He convinced all of them about Krsna’s faults. Even other kings they were willing to fight with him against Krsna. So this is the principle, you will see the eyes through lens of your motivations. Everyone sees the world differently. Like in Kashmir there is so much conflict. Now Indian Hindus are seeing through a certain lens, but then the Islamic extremist are seeing through another lens. And I do not believe they are just taking or making these things up. They believe these things, they sees these things. Who is Wright…?  Second World War, people who were fighting under Hitler, really believed what he was saying is true. He believed that certain minorities were so dangerous to the earth that they must be killed; & they were killing them by the millions. But other people, they saw exactly the opposite, it was cold blooded murder. They were saying that it was just a necessary ecological social purification. That is what they were thinking. The caste brahmanas they really thought that HariDas Thakur was just a Malaicha, therefore destroying the Vedic culture by his actions. They really believed it… Many of them…  Whereas the Vaishnavas & the innocent people saw him as the greatest saint, the very crest jewel of the Vedic culture. So very much we see tings according to our conditioning, according to our motive.

 

There is no end to material problems, unless we understand our real identity & our relationship with God.

So Prahlad is humbly inquiring from this avadhut about the highest truths of life. And here the avadhuta is explaining, how in his observation of the world the living entity tries to achieve happiness & rid him of the causes of distress. But because of the various bodies of the living entities; are under the full control of material nature, all his plans in different bodies one after after another are ultimately baffled. Many years before Shri Prahlad Maharaj spoke the same principle in his prayers. People are, due to being under the influence of mäyä they are making so many grand plans, to try to deviate stress & solve problems. But unless they understands how things really works the solution they create, create bigger problems than the original problem. And what a prophecy that was, look at the world today; nobody knows what to do with the problems they have created. And they are all created by manufacturing of things that we enjoy & that we feel are the solutions to problems. Wars over oil, & what to speak of future would be, if we don’t change our consciousness. Whole economic situation is based on oil, oil is becoming scarcer. You have to dig deeper because it is not so easy to get.  At one time America had so much oil, now they are depending on the middle-east & the middle-east have their own ideology. Dependent. Otherwise economic collapse. And in the process of consuming these oils, sky has been polluted, the oceans, the rivers, the lakes, the lands…. so global warming. Very difficult! How to solve problem like this? All because, instead of lighting a lantern we wanted to solve the problem and just make a switch and the lights go. Instead of riding on oxcart, we wanted a tractor…. solve the problem. But actually with the oxcart everyone was living pretty peaceful life. Now so many cars, so many people jamming into the trains people. Evacuating the villages & coming to cities. Fifteen million people in this city of Bombay. And was probably designed for one million. But now you know the progress is one bridge is building on top of another. No matter how many bridges & flyovers…. they call it flyovers, but I don’t see anybody flying over. During the rush hours it’s crawl over. People just crawling over them. I’ve seen we have these big big BMW’s Toyotas, Hindustani motors, vehicles with big engines. And I see during the traffic, the rats are moving faster than us. And the rats are smiling going, very difficult so much anxiety so they just breathing in the city is like smoking two packets of cigarettes in a day, according to health survey. So much health problems everything else, Prahlad maharaj was correct, that the solutions that we make to problems, if they are not in perspective of the holistic truth, the thougt was what is the jiva, what is the paramatma & what is prakriti, what is material nature. Unless we understand these principles & how they work with one another, then all of our so called solutions become serious problems.

 

Submissive hearing – one of the most important things on the path of self realisation.

So here the Avadhuta is explaining, how Prahlad, he spoke the same thing now interesting this Avadhuta is basically saying the same thing that, Prahlad said when he was five year old. Now just see the quality of Prahlad, Prahlad didn’t tell him after hearing this, I already know that. Look a few chapters earlier in the Bhagvatam; I already said the same thing, I know these things. In fact I said even better than you, more people quote me than you. This is nature of great soul. Even though he knows it, he is eager to hear. If a new devotee tells…. he is giving a class & a senior devotee is there, & the new devotee tells you are not this body,

dehino ‘smin yathä dehe…

Some people will sit there & think. I know that. In fact I thought him when he was a bhakta. But Srila Prabhupad would sit and ask his own disciple to give class & they would say,

dehino ‘smin yathä dehe…

& Prabhupada was, yes this is very important. He was eager to hear, because it is Krsna word, it is the truth. He was eager to hear from his own disciples. There are story where new devotees, who were just devotees for a couple of month & Prabhupada would say, give class. And he would really enjoy listening to their class. This is the quality of a great personality, were eager for the truth. But the false ego gets in the way. Great souls are great according to how they conquer the false ego. So Prahlad is hearing the same thing that he heard from his guru, the same thing that he spoke when he was just a little child; now he is an adult, a king but he is listening attentively & he is feeling himself being enlightened & purified by hearing this message. Why? Because he was looking for Krsna. He was looking for truth & therefore, he was finding it. And it was exiting; it was stimulating, he was ecstatic. He wasn’t looking to prove himself, he was not the centre; Krsna was the centre. When Krsna becomes the centre everything becomes extraordinary.  When we make ourselves the centre, we just block so many opportunities, which are always coming. But what is it mean, to be a Vaishnava? These are some of the qualities that are fundamental, foundational to being a Vaishnav.

 

With pure love for Krsna only, we can overcome mäyä.

So, yes the basis of material existence is spoken in this little verse. People are trying to deviate the cause of distress, & trying to seek happiness, through means without understanding how material nature is working. And therefore they are baffled again & again & again…  everyone is baffled.

daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé

mama mäyä duratyayä

mäm eva ye prapadyante

Maya etäà taranti te

Krsna tells us so clearly, this material nature which is constituted by these three modes of nature, the ‘gunas’ is very difficult to overcome. Satvaguna, rajoguna, tamoguna activated by time are so powerful. Maya is the lord’s external potency, just as Srimati Radharani, the internal potency, the pleasure potency conquers Krsna.  Yes… we read about how Srimati Radharani conquers Krsna by the power of her love. She is pleasure potency of the internal power of the lord. But she is manifested in material nature as mäyä. If she has the power to conquer Krsna, what is our position…

mamaiväàço jéva-loke

jéva-bhütaù sanätanaù

We are just infinitesimal little sparks of Krsna.

nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm

eko bahünäà yo vidadhäti kämän

that there is one supreme & there are unlimited eternals souls & they are always subordinate to the one supreme soul. So the spiritual energy conquers Krsna, who is controller of all controllers…. MahaVishnu just by exhaling the entire cosmic manifestation comes. And then he just inhales everything is destroyed. Now who can control him? And he is doing all of it in ‘yoga nidra’…. he is in a divine sleep state. Now what do you accomplish when you sleep? Amazing… & the cause of MahaVishnu, the cause of all causes, sarva karan karana is Krsna.  And he is conquered by the love of Shri Radha   internal pleasure potenc\\\\\y, ädéni Shakti. And Shri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed to Paravati, you are the mäyä energy, you are Radharani, in this field of material energy. So this energy can conquer Krsna; what is our position? Therefore Krsna tells, he is never under the influence of mäyä

mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù

süyate sa-caräcaram

He is always on the spiritual platform supreme. This material nature is working under my direction & therefore unless you surrender unto me, you will be baffled, you will be defeated in due course of time.

 

In the gambling match of mäyä, the winner is ultimately a looser.

And mäyä so expert, if she really wants to defeat you; she will make you think you are winning. That’s what she does, just like these gambling houses, the casinos in Las Vegas and all these places of Atlantic cities. People who run them, when they see someone winning a lot of money; which means they winning money from them, they are happy. They are actually exited, when they see someone winning money. That’s the way the whole gambling house is build, the odds are always in their favour, they cannot loose. Set up that way, & more you win, more you become addicted to the intoxicating experience of winning. Something cheap & quick. It’s really a sense gratification, an intense sense gratification. Just winning a lot, quick & easy. You just put your money down & someone throws a ball on a wheel and all of a sudden it stops & you have hundred thousand dollars. May have taken you, years to make that just struggling in market place & working. But the taste of that mäyä it’s mode of passion, rajoguna; that’s really what’s happening. As you win you are just being devoured by rajoguna & then you are being addicted to that. I won once, that means I can win again. And then you win second time ha… and then you win third time ha…. and then you lose & you think, I won three times. And then you lose hundreds time & you think I won three times, until you lose everything. So, they like to see you win. Like a fisherman, you know the fisherman like to see fish eating the worm. And the fish after eating the worm, somebody saying you know there is a hook in there. And he say, well look I’m swimming away, he can’t get me, swimming away, swimming away, swimming away… see, I ate it & I’m still swimming away see… why should I listen to these Hare Krsna people? And the more he swims away the fisherman is happier, because as he is swimming away, he is swallowing deeper. Deeper…  deeper… deeper until it is really deep .And then it is really deep, the fish really thinks that I got away with it. And then it’s finished. That’s what happens. Material nature, we try to enjoy, we become addicted to that enjoyment & then we become trapped. We try to solve our problems, but in the process we just are caste into fever of material entanglement.

 

Maya the servant of Krsna

Maya is always there to delude us.

Now we are talking about gambling house, but factually the entire material existence is created exactly the same way. Gambling houses I do not advise you go there, you could just listen. And the good ones it’s not like a sleazy, dirty place with all these guys with long moustaches and greasy hair aah….a. They spend billions of dollars on these rooms. They are the beautiful place you can imagine. They have wonderful chandeliers & marbles walls & gold leaf columns & people are dressed really nice. You can’t go in unless you are dressed really nice & good ones. Ladies are in night gowns & they have their little glasses. And the men are famous people all over the world, you see there, really look prestigious, very opulent, extremely opulent, some of the most opulent places in the world. They put more money in making casinos opulent than they do temples & churches. Yes… so you go in & think my God this is high class. This is wonderful. Just see everything about it, the music playing, sometimes they have the famous band playing & you are just thinking this is….. This is…  I went to visit my aunt a few years ago, aunty as you would say. And she was in the outskirts of Las Vegas, that I drove by… Gary took me & the amazing thing is how many Indians were there. Amazing! I saw dozens of ladies with expensive saris going into the casinos. Of course the men were not in Dhotis. Amazing when you go in & you hear the music, you smell the fragrances, & you see the spectacular wealth…. of chandeliers & marbles & jewels & the kind of people & how they are dressed. You think I’m in Vaikuntha. That is the illusion. And even a devotee would probably think that way, if he really doesn’t chant good rounds that moment.

 

Material glamour is like Maya’s web & the condition soul is like a ignorant fly.

But it’s all orchestrated just to make you lose. That solve. Everything is orchestrated meticulously just to baffle you, bewilder you & exploit you. And that’s exactly what will happen.  The more you win, the more you are going to be exploited. You lose the first time; you try again & again. Let’s get out of here there is no hope. But if you win a few times it is addicting. Very dangerous the whole material nature is created just like that, like a model. Material nature, all the glamour, all the beauty, everything around is actually created for the purpose of exploiting you, bewildering you or as Srila Prabhupada is saying baffling you. They are suffering here. But all around we are seeing, so many ways to try to resolve suffering; & every single way except surrendering to Krsna is only meant to further entangle you. Therefore Krsna says it very playingly

daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé

mama mäyä duratyayä

That this material nature with these three modes is very difficult to overcome, only if you surrender to me can cross beyond it.

 

What is sarva dharman parityaja? Give up “sarva” all attempts to become happy.

There is no other solution; Srila Prabhupada in his purport gives an amazing translation to   sarva-dharmän parityajya

mäm ekaà çaraëaà vrajahaà

tväà sarva-päpebhyo

mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù

The literal translation is, abandon all varieties of religions, dharma & surrender to me, I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear. But Srila Prabhupada in his translation give the purport, what is this abandon all varieties of religions means. Prabhupada translates do not try to achieve happiness & drive away the stress; you will never be successful. Do not plan to achieve happiness & drive away the stress, you will never…. Krsna doesn’t say you will not, Krsna says, you will never be successful. Simply surrender unto me. To keep our faith in the fallible soldiers of material manipulations is the cause of repeated birth & death. Srila Prabhupada often really challenged material energy & challenged our faith in material energy.

 

Real problems but unreal solutions of material science.

Sometime when Prabhupada, with Bhaktivedanta Institute or his own morning walks, he would really challenge material scientist. Sometimes devotees thinking, why Prabhupada so much like this? Srila Prabhupada… he in essence once explained his purpose. He said whether, they are right or wrong in their findings, they can’t help you to be free from birth, disease, old age & death. And that is the basic foundational problem of material life, birth old age disease & death. They have no clue of how to resolve that problem. So even if they may be technically right or wrong this or that, if you put your faith in them, you will never solve the problem. You have to put your faith in the words of God. Now for scientist as faith in the words of God & using scientific technology, & scientific experimentation & scientific discoveries, to help people to actually solve the real problems of life, that is wonderful. But unfortunately when they are making false promises, that in future we will make things better, when they do not even know what the real problem is?.. Birth old age, disease & death. And they distract us from our faith in God, unless we are very careful.

 

If we have the currency of holy name of lord, we’ll never be a loser in casino of mäyä.

daivé hy eñä guëa-mayé

mama mäyä

That Krsna says that, unless you surrender to me, you cannot cross beyond the problems of life.  You do not even know what the problem is… so Srila Prabhupada was very very forceful & very strong to keep our consciousness focused on the absolute truth that is spoken, by Bhagavaan, by Krsna. If we take Bhagavad Gita & accept it as truth, then through business, then through science, through politics, through education; you can use  all these technologies, all these skills, all of the findings, & use it for the ultimate purpose of really solving the problems of life. But unless we accept the Bhagavad Gita, the truth of Bhagavad Gita & build whatever we are developing on that foundation; then we are just in the gambling house, the casino of mäyä. It’s amazing… I even saw a casino named, mäyä. And it’s just so obvious, but people do not understand. But there is a simple solution, Krsna is no different from his name. If we just have faith, that Krsna is our ultimate shelter, Shri krisna çaraëaà mäm, Krsna is our real shelter, Krsna is our only shelter. And Krsna has manifest himself within is name.

 

Krsna is seeing us all the times, we too can see him through his holy name.

Srila Prabhupada  tells it… he said fifty years ago, when he was a grahasta he had a young son & he was walking down the street with his son; & his son looked up & said, father why is the moon following us wherever we go? And they walked few blocks down the road, & the son said, look the moon is still following us. And they walked somewhere else, & then the son said the moon is still with us. The moon is following us wherever we go. And Srila Prabhupada he liked that story a lot, he said the moon is just a little planet in this world. Krsna is the supreme absolute truth, he follows everywhere; if the moon can follow us or the sun can follow us wherever we go, Krsna is the source of sun & moon. In fact the sun & moon are just the eyes of the lord, giving us vision as well as seeing us. We can’t see without the light of the sun & we are also being seen through the light of the sun. We can’t recognise Krsna being with us, unless we are in proper state of consciousness. And Krsna makes himself accessible always to be there to help us, to guide us, to save us in the form of his name whenever we chant & wherever we chant sincerely.

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.   Much louder,

 

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

What is the use of so many devotees, if you can’t fill the world with the sound of

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare.

Good decibel…. is there any question?

Question: Maharaj, wonderful description of casino. We are seeing a spiritual casino here, at Radhagopinath Mandir such a wonderful temple. Everybody wants to come & see this place, but… you know Bhagvatam is asking us to… we should regularly hear

Nasta prayeshu abhadresu nityam bhagwata sevaya

Bhagawati uttama sloke bhaktir bhavati naishthiki.

We should come here. People come here; many people have come from different places to attend this class of yours. People come for two hours… three hours, they give their time. After hearing this class, when we go back, after hearing so many classes for last so many years, I don’t feel there is any change in that consciousness, that we get involved again in the same activities again & again, why this is happening so?

Ans: Thank you Mahaprabhu… for carrying on your tradition. It is quite obvious why it happens, because we have chronic conditioning, we have long standing habits that may have cultivated for many births. So we have these inclinations… but we always have free will. Krsna consciousness can be an extremely gradual process or could be a very rapid process.

Tapo divyam putraka yena sattvam

Human life is meant for austerity. Austerity means to make the right choices. That solve. Austerity doesn’t mean going to the peaks of mountains in the Himalayas & submerging yourself for six months in the water of Ganges. Real austerity means, making the right choices. Even in Bombay, you can make more spiritual progress in Bombay if you just make the right choices. So we learn & we see that, we have these habits, we have these conditioning, & just by coming regularly & trying to become more pious & trying to apply Bhakti  to our, life will make gradual progress. But to extend, we really refrain from those activities, that entangles in material nature, & we really take shelter of holy name, the Srimad Bhagvatam, & the association of devotees & worship the deities,& doing the devotional service, we will make very very fast advancement. So theta is our choice… or we should encourage on whatever level that they are taking something of Krsna consciousness. In Bhagavad Gita Krsna tells the highest truth, just surrender to me, but he also says that if you can’t do that give some donations. You can always remember me at various levels to come up. So most important thing is that we never give up. And some of the brahmacharis they are literally giving everything. They have nothing except Krsna, which is the rare thing. But even brahamcharis, some of their habits, their personality habits, getting angry & things like that are still there. But by right means & humble service they gradually become purified of that. And for grahastas, the more we come to the temple, the more we invite sadhus to our home, the more we really trying to krishnize our homes, the more our homes becomes Vaikuntha.  Otherwise the conditioning is, our home is place of material enjoyments. So by our free will we have to transform the environment of our home, we have to transform the quality of our relationships, we have to transform the quality of our activities. Even if the inclination is there, tapasya means making the right choice. Is that answers your question? Ananda Vrindavan Prabhu.

Question: Hare Krsna. Maharaj as you have said in the class that, Material nature is baffling us again & again & again, so I will give my hardcore experience as well as realisation also. Like many of the devotees they come to us, specifically they come to me & they make very it clear about it, that I would like to accept, I want to plan my life in a nice way, that at the right time I want to accept vaanaprasta life & give my hundred percent commitment to Krsna consciousness, I’m talking on a finance way. So definitely they planned it, but because they wanted to get it as quick as they can so that they can give hundred percent commitments to Krsna consciousness, a little bit here & there we have to take some risks, so everything goes alright & at the right time they can come & give hundred percent commitments. But material nature as you said it baffles, the way the crises right now it is there, the economical everything has been shackled. In that situation the same devotee, maharaj instead of considering as Krsna’s view & considering as Krsna’s choice they do not take it on that bases & they say my figure is not sufficient enough to accept vaanaprasta life, I would like to work more now & I want to hang on to more working, so my figure  I’m  able to reach it. I use to tell them, just accept it, it’s Krsna’s will & wish & how can you give a guarantee that, after some point of time the same crises will not come again. Just accept it & take it as Krsna’s mercy & have a simple life. But it is extremely to make it convince, & the sad point of it, is they again go on working the same way; more & more years in same schedule. By that time the death is coming nearer they are missing the bus. In that situation Maharaj what should we tell to that devotee to make it very forcefully to see to that whatever Krsna want, accept it & get out from this mess & keep hundred percent commitment to Krsna consciousness?

Ans: I can’t say it better than you just did. He is the stock consultant, so he knows frailties of human insecurities. But the problem is too much trying to find security through material adjustments. We have to have faith that real security is in, taking shelter of Krsna. The shastraas, the acharyas show how Krsna is feeding the elephant, who is eating hundreds of kilos a day & he is feeding the ants which is eating some grains a day. Yes he is supplying for all of them, he is supplying for all the trees, why will he not supply for a devotee who has surrendered his life or her life? Perhaps Krsna is not letting you get to that. Figure that in the bank account you want because he is testing; do you trust me or do you trust your bank account? And bank account…? These days your bank may go out of the business. Your investment may be nothing tomorrow. So many people are losing billons & billions of dollars. Insecurity in safe investments & then the investment is gone. Yes.. It’s happening everywhere. Is there any real security in that? And even if you somehow or other on the verge of getting that figure in your bank balance, & then somebody in Islamabad presses a button….. & huu…..u bhaam..  And you are thinking I’m almost there, Krsna just give me another few months & I’ll have the right amount in my balance. Then I’ll surrender.

padam padam yad vipadam na tesam

Truly amazing this material world is a very dangerous place. Where is there a not war for long? Even when Bhrigupati Prabhu, Chanakarta Prabhu, we were growing up in 1950’s & 1960’s in America. America was at its peak of economic development, prosperity, power in the world, but still there is always a war. Our parents were in world war two & when we were young there was Korean War, & when we were teenagers there was Vietnam War. And hundreds & thousands of young people who cared nothing about the politics, nothing about the war, were forced by the military to go to Vietnam & fight in the jungles with mosquitoes & snakes, and people shooting at you, dropping bombs at you in guerrilla warfare. These are people who are brought up in a suborns city, trying to mind their own business & they get a draft notice, go. People’s children being killed. India, three wars since independence. Material world….. Even the safest best countries are venerable to attacks. That’s nature of material existence. It’s always been like this, the conquerors & conquered

jévo jévasya jévanam

this is the nature of this place. And yet we are thinking, if I have a little bank balance I’ll be safe. Even the wealthiest people in the world…. some little enemy somehow or other gets into their bodies from somewhere & they get cancer, & it is incurable. And they are hauling & screaming in pain; & nothing & no one can help them. It happens all the time. Why should we depend on material arrangements? The house is on fire & we are thinking let me just make this arrangement & this arrangement & then I’ll go out. And the fire may not say get out now, come. So we have to take seriously. Yes it is the responsibility of grahasta to maintain financially, their family; it is a responsibility, it is a duty to God to that. But even in grahasta life, even though we are doing our duty, we can take shelter in these things. We have to understand this is my duty; I’m trying my best to financially maintain, & support & give security to the family. But essentially only Krsna can give me shelter, & when we come to certain stage in life before death actually comes, we want to…. ok Krsna I’ve done this other people can do it now. I’m your’s. The story of Kailash… mäyä will always provide a reason why it’s not the right time. But only time we have is right now. So according to our varëa, according to our ashram, according to our particular stage in life we are, we should be surrendering according to our duty now. Is that answers your question? I gave a very small purport to the sutras you already presented to us.

Thank you very much

Written by

Radhanath Swami

H.H Radhanath Swami is one of today’s most beloved and respected spiritual teachers. A Bhakti Yoga practitioner for 40 years, he is a guide, community builder, philanthropist, and acclaimed author.Born and raised in Chicago,at the age of 19 he discovered India's Mystical devotional tradition and now spread his message of compassion and love around the world.

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About Me

Radhanath Swami

H.H Radhanath Swami is one of today’s most beloved and respected spiritual teachers. A Bhakti Yoga practitioner for 40 years, he is a guide, community builder, philanthropist, and acclaimed author.Born and raised in Chicago,at the age of 19 he discovered India's Mystical devotional tradition and now spread his message of compassion and love around the world.