Lecture Prabhupada: Kirtanananda Maharaja? You can sit down here. That’s all. No more want. Kirtanananda Maharaja feels inconvenience. Yes. So I thank you very much for you participating in this sankirtana movement. harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21] This is a verse from Vedic scripture, Brhan-naradiya Purana, that “In this age, if you want to realize yourself, then the simplest process is to chant this Hare Krsna mantra.’ ’ It has got so transcendental power that simply by participating in this chanting process, gradually you will come to the highest stage of transcendental position. How it happens? That is also described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti suhrt satam [Bhag. 1.2.17] Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is present before you in three features. Simply you have to make your senses perfect to perceive it. Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a person, a person like you, like me. Just like we are facing each other, similarly, when you are spiritually perfect, you will be able to see Krsna exactly like face to face. Krsna is not imperson. He is imperson also. He is present in three features: by His personal feature, by His impersonal features, and His localized feature. By His personal feature, He is always present in His abode known as Krsnaloka or Vaikunthaloka in the spiritual sky. And by His impersonal feature He is present as impersonal Brahman effulgence. You will find in the Bhagavad-gita also, brahmano aham pratistha: “I am the source of Brahman effulgence.” Brahmano aham pratistha. Similarly, in the Brahma-samhita it is stated, yasya prabha prabhavato jagadanda-koti-kotisv asesa-vasudhadi-vibhuti-bhinnam tad brahma niskalam anantam asesa-bhutam govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami [Bs. 5.40] Govinda, Krsna, He has got rays from His body. Just like you see the sunshine. The sunshine is the rays of the body of the sun-god. That you are seeing every day. You can see only the sun globe. But if you have got power, as you are trying to go to the moon planet, similarly, if some day if you get such scientific power and you can go through the sun planet, then you can see there sun-god. It is not imagination; it is a fact. Just like in every planet there is a predominating man. Take for example in this planet, the president of United States is to be a predominating personality. Similarly, in every planet there is a predominating personality, and the predominating personality in the sun globe is called Vivasvan. The name is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1] Krsna says that “First of all I spoke this Bhagavad-gita, bhakti-yoga, imam yogam, to the sun- god Vivasvan.” The name is there. Just like your president’s name is Mr. Johnson or Ni…, or…? Devotee: Nixon. Prabhupada: Nixon. Yes. (laughter) Hare Krsna. So similarly, in every planet there is a president, and this president is called Vivasvan. Vivasvan manave praha. And Vivasvan spoke this yoga system to his son Manu, the present Manu. He is present, the… The father of the mankind is called Manu. From Manu this word has come, “man,” or manusya. So vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave ’bravit: “And Manu spoke to his son, Iksvaku.” Evam parampara-praptam. In this way, by disciplic succession, either from the father to the son or from the spiritual master to the disciple, this knowledge is coming. Just like you know your forefather’s name—suppose the grandfather of your grandfather. How do you know? By the parampara system. Your grandfather’s grandfather was known to his son, then his son, then his son, then his son, then your father, then you are. You cannot know directly; you have to know by the step. Similarly, you have to know the previous personalities by this parampara, disciplic succession. You cannot speculate how is your grandfather’s grandfather. You have to hear from your father or grandfather. That is the process. Similarly, you cannot imagine what is God. You have to hear from the disciplic succession who is coming from God. Then you will understand what is God. So that is the personal understanding of God. Then impersonal understanding of God, just Brahman… Sarvam khalv idam brahma: “Everything is standing on Brahman.” Just like materially you understand: everything in the material manifestation, that is depending on the sunshine. The trees, as soon as there is sunshine, there is green foliage. As soon as there is no sunshine, there is no leaves, no greenness. So everything is depending on sunshine. The sunshine is also depending on Krsna; therefore Krsna is the original cause of all causes. That is Krsna realization. You can realize Him personally, you can realize Him impersonally, and you can realize Him localized. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati: [Bg. 18.61] “Arjuna, that Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated, localized, in everyone’s heart.” Just like the sun globe is there, and the sun globe’s effulgence is the impersonal representation of the sun-god. And suppose there are five millions of people standing in the sunshine, and everyone will see the sun is above his head. That is localized. You go five thousand miles away and ask your friend here, “Where is the sun?” Your friend will say that “It is on my head.” And you will also see it is on your head. As it is materially possible, why not spiritually? So spiritually, Krsna is within your heart. Simply you have to realize it. How you can realize it? That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah [Bhag. 1.2.17]. If you chant this Hare Krsna mantra, even if you do not realize, simply if you come here and chant and dance, punya-sravana-kirtanah, because you are chanting and hearing, you are getting piousness; you are becoming purified—simply by joining. This temple is situated just to give you facility for your purification. Why don’t you take advantage? I am very glad that you have all come, and it will be further our enjoyment and pleasure if you come and join. Please come here, join here. We have got very nice arrangement. We supply prasadam, we have got dancing, we have got chanting. Why you should deny it? (laughter) And if you join us, then gradually you realize what you are, what is God, what is this world, what is your relationship. Then your life becomes successful. You’ll not be confused. You will understand what is real life. Simply by the spell of the material qualities you have become covered. But if you come here, if you hear and chant, then gradually… Krsna is within you. He is sitting within your heart as a friend, not as an enemy. Krsna is always your friend. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. You are searching out friends to talk with, to joke with, to love. Krsna is sitting there for that purpose. If you love Krsna, if you make friendship with Krsna, if you love Krsna, then your life will be successful. You haven’t got to search out any other friend. The friend is already there. Either you are a boy or a girl, you will find a nice friend within yourself. That is yoga system, when you realize this friend. So this friend is so nice, as soon as you become little inclined to hear about Him, srnvatam sva-kathah—about Krsna, not any other nonsense talks, simply about Krsna—then Krsna will be so pleased. He is within you. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah, hrdy antah sthah [Bhag. 1.2.17]. Hrt means heart. Antah stho. Antah stho means “who is sitting within your heart.” So hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani. We cannot see Krsna, we cannot realize Krsna—He is sitting within my heart—due to my contamination, abhadrani. We have contaminated ourself with so many material desires. That is contamination. Krsna consciousness is pure. Just like you take the sea water—-it is pure. But as soon as it touches the land, it becomes impure, cloudy, muddy. Similarly, your consciousness, because you are part and parcel of Krsna, is as clear as Krsna, but due to this contamination with this material world, you have contacted the muddy things of three qualities: ignorance, passion, and goodness. So if you hear about Krsna, these muddy things will be precipitated and they will be separated. Then, gradually, as the…, proportionately, as you clear these muddy qualities of the material nature, you come to pure consciousness. First of all, you come to the goodness of consciousness. When you come to the goodness of consciousness, then you become a brahmana. What is the quality of brahmana? Satya sama dama titiksa arjava, jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. You come to the brahminical position, or stage. Then you will be truthful. First thing is truthful, satyam. Samam, self-controlled; damam, the senses are controlled, mind is controlled. We are practically driven by the uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled senses. So when you come to the brahminical position, then your senses become controlled, your mind becomes controlled. Just like our students, all our students, how they are controlling? They are also born in your country. They are also Americans. None of my students are Indian. But how they are controlling illicit sex life? How they are controlling not to drink, not to take any intoxicants? How they are controlling not to take part in gambling? No illicit sex, no meat- eating. You are born eating meat. How they have given up? Because they have come to the stage of this brahminical understanding— satya, sama, dama, titiksa. Titiksa means tolerance. Suppose any one of my students was practiced to all these habits and by my word, if they have given up, they may be feeling some inconvenience. Still, they are tolerating. That should be done, tolerating. Titiksa, arjava, simplicity. They have taken my words by simple faith, simplicity, arjava, sad-lata (?). Then jnanam, then their understanding what is Krsna consciousness; vijnanam, they are applying in practical life. Astikyam, they are believing in the sastras, in the Vedic literature. Brahma-karma svabhava-jam: “This is the nature of a brahmana.” Therefore, as soon as I see, I give him the sacred thread: “Yes. You are now recognized brahmana.” Then, from this brahmana stage you have to become a Vaisnava. That is transcendental stage. Simply by hearing… This chanting and hearing will raise you, higher and higher stages of life. Nityam bhagavata-sevaya. Nasta-prayesv abhadresu [SB 1.2.18]. By this process, when your contamination will be almost clear, not completely clear, almost clear… Completely clear is not possible because we are in this material world, we have got this material body. But Bhagavata says, “Even it is not completely cured, almost cured,” nityam bhagavata-sevaya… Nityam means daily, regularly. Bhagavata-sevaya. Bhagavata means in relationship with Bhagavan, Krsna. So these boys are engaged in reading Bhagavatam, in reading Bhagavad-gita and other literatures which gives them knowledge about Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And bhagavata means the devotee. They have accepted a spiritual master, as a good devotee, so they are serving, bhagavata-sevaya. Then bhagavati… Then, by this process, he becomes fixed up in the transcendental loving service of God. In this way, evam prasanna-manaso [SB 1.2.20]? “By this way, he becomes jolly.” Because jolliness is my original consciousness, but due to my material contamination I am not jolly, I am morose, I am full of anxiety. So as soon as you become freed from this material contamination… Evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah. How you can become such happy mood? Bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah: by the bhakti-yoga process. evam prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah bhagavat-tattva-vijnanam mukta-sangasya jayate [SB 1.2.20] Bhagavata-tattva… This is a science to understand God. Just like you have got different departmental sciences to understand perfectly a subject matter, similarly, this bhagavata-tattva, this truth of God, you can understand by practicing this bhakti-yoga, and you become jolly. (laughter) Yes. This is practical. So this is a great science. It is a great science. Don’t be confused and frustrated. Take this. Take this. It is very easy. You come to this temple and chant and dance and take prasadam and be jolly and be happy. Thank you very much. That’s all. Hare Krsna. Now chant again. (end)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
New Vrindaban, June 7, 1969