19880819 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.19.18

The following is a lecture given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on August 19th 1988 at New Tālavana farm, Carriere Mississippi. The class begins with a reading from the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 8th canto, chapter 19, text 18.

Translation: [Bali Mahārāja said]: O son of a brāhmaṇa, Your instructions are as good as those of learned and elderly persons. Nonetheless, You are a boy, and Your intelligence is insufficient. Thus You are not very prudent in regard to Your self-interest.

Purport: The Supreme Personality of Godhead, being full in Himself, actually has nothing to want for His self-interest. Lord Vāmanadeva, therefore, had not gone to Bali Mahārāja for His own self-interest. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (5.29), bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram. The Lord is the proprietor of all planets, in both the material and spiritual worlds. Why should He be in want of land? Bali Mahārāja rightly said that Lord Vāmanadeva was not at all prudent in regard to His own personal interests. Lord Vāmanadeva had approached Bali not for His personal welfare but for the welfare of His devotees. Devotees sacrifice all personal interests to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and similarly the Supreme Lord, although having no personal interests, can do anything for the interests of His devotees. One who is full in himself has no personal interests.

Thus, ends the Bhaktivedanta Swami purport of text 18, chapter 9 or chapter 19 rather of canto 8.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vāmanadeva, in the form of dwarf boy approached the charity Bali Mahārāja said “All right, whatever you want you can have when he said all I want was, he said asking more he asked for too much was not appropriate. Once you take whatever he needs, all I want is, the steps of three pieces of land that I can face off with my feet. Since he was a small dwarf boy it appeared that he can only face off maximum four to five or six feet, three yards of land. What could someone do with that small quantity of land?

So, Bali Mahārāja thought that this boy is not very intelligent, coming to such a very wealthy person like me, who is the ruler of the whole universe. I can give so much wealth to this boy, so much land if he wants land. Why he only asked for such a small quantity of three steps of land. My dear boy, obviously you are not very bright. You haven't understood that you can get much more from me.

Actually, Prabhupāda that said if you go to a wealthy man, you should ask something appropriate for him. He was going to be big multi-millionaire and saying please, my dear sir, I want to ask you something. So yes, what would you like? I'd like the cigarette ashes from your desk. He would say "What's the use of that? I can give you so much." Like that if you go to Kṛṣṇa, you should ask appropriate charity. Some people go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they say, give us our daily bread. I'll give us. In India they have different forms of the Lord are different extensions of His energies, in the form of demigods. So, people go to them at different junctures in their life. Versus before the final exams and every high school and college. All the young boys and girls they line up to worship Mother Sarasvatī, the goddess of learning to get good grades in the exams. So that everyone is busy thinking about why I have to take the exams? Let me get the blessing from the goddess of learning.

Well, young girls, they may not devotees, they worship Lord Śiva in order to get a good husband. And we find that the old ladies, the married women, they worship Kṛṣṇa and Kaliyā demon, a special mūrti of Kṛṣṇa dancing and the head of Kāliya and they pray that although my husband is not a devotee, even though he's a demon, but just like you delivered Kāliya please deliver my husband. [Guru Mahārāja and Devotees laugh].

Give us.. these all the materialistic material, pious worship for people who don't know what's actual thing to pray for. So, they go on as for some temporary thing, just like that yogī who got the benediction of the touch stone from Sanātana Gosvāmī, but later, he wanted to know the real valuable thing and then Sanātana Gosvāmī gave him Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. He gave him the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.

So, when we go to someone who's powerful, we should have something appropriate. We go all the way to Kṛṣṇa. We go to the Supreme Personality of God, what is the use if you asking for some temporary thing? What is the use for asking him for something, which will not last? The idea is that you shouldn't go to the Supreme Person and ask something and again, again, you have to keep going back. You should take what you need one time and that should be enough for ever.

So, Bali Mahārāja is presenting like that you gonna come he asks little bit now he is going to come back and asks for little bit again. Rather I got enough to give you ask what you one time whatever you need, and you don’t have to come back again. That was his idea.

So, when we go to Kṛṣṇa, we should ask him for that thing which if we get it, we don't have any more need. Of course, in the material world, no matter how much one has, he is not satisfied. If he doesn't have control sense because senses it will always want more.

Indra had to leave heavenly planets with some time and he gave over the whole upper planetary systems under the charge of another demigod, believe is.. what was his name, Nahuṣa or Nakula forgot. And although this demigod had that power of managing the entire upper planetary systems which given control over all of the planets in one sense. He was not satisfied. His senses became uncontrolled, he wanted to enjoy the life of Indra also, but that he didn't have the right to do. So, he tried to cheat the wife of Indra through mystic power, taking the form of Indra. Then trying to illicit relation with Indra’s wife. But then he got cursed. So, even you have the entire universe, if the senses are uncontrolled, you still won’t be happy. You want more and more and more.

So actually, the purport is that if you go to the Supreme Lord, if you ask anything material that won’t satisfy. Although some one may think, oh! No, a million dollars that, I'd be satisfied. But that many people had million dollars, not enough, I buy a house for half a million I buy out for a quarter million, I only got we have not left for a car and broke. [Devotees laughs] I really need five million and it doesn't end. Somebody is in charge of one country wants to take over a little bit of the next country, they actually be satisfied that we should approach Kṛṣṇa and ask something that which will completely satisfy.

So, Kṛṣṇa, is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekeha kuru-nandana. Someone is single point headed in in devotional service, and loving devotion, He is totally satisfied. But for those who are, their mind is pinpointing on another for someone who has material desires, bahu-śākhā hy anantas ca His desires are multifaceted. They have all types of desires. It's not that once you decide to enjoy material things, it's not that it's just one thing. It's everything. So many types of things. It's not you just want a car, you need a color TV in the house, need a little land, and then need a swimming pool, and it just goes on and never end. If the senses are uncontrolled. If the senses are controlled then one can be satisfied even with a very simple thing. But how does one control the senses, senses are only able to be controlled, if one is in pure devotional service, because then one is basically peaceful. So, they can be satisfied with a small amount of material possessions.

Sometimes, a person wants to simplify matters, it'll be a little lazy. They want to shortcut everything. They think that they make a solution to some problem. But that solution creates another problem. Little funny story. Once there was there was a sage and he was meditating on the side of the river. And then he would bath and his kaupīna, his loin cloth, then he want another loin cloth because one just was wet. So, he had two loincloths. Then he thought this is a trouble that I have to personally go and hang up my loincloth. If I had someone to help, it will be a lot easier. So, then he got a wife so that the wife could hang up the loincloth. So then the wife needed a house, then he had to work and get a house for the wife. And then the wife was hungry, so he had to get some land to grow some crops. And they got goat or a cow for milk. And then like these things start to expand. Very soon he had a whole house, little farm, everything and children, the wife said, I want children to help me to maintain all these things. So, this way he became completely entangled. And then finally he thought, all this is because I want an extra pair of kaupīna. [Devotees laugh] wasn't worth it. Then he went off and took sannyāsa. So, the material solution itself is another problem.

In Hawaii, they had a problem of rats, I think. So, they decided to import Mongoose to take care of the rats. But the scientists made a mix up and they realize that mongoose are day animals and rats are night animals. So, the mongoose in the day never saw a rat. [Devotees laugh]. And the Hawaiian Rats come out at night and it never saw mongoose. [Devotees laugh] So, the rats grew and the mongoose grew. So when Mongoose need some food so they start eating no snakes there, they start eating chickens and other things. So, then they had Mongoose problem. There was a suggestion to bring some kind of leopards to kill the Mongoose so then they though that might become another problem. So, one solution it makes another problem.

The material life we keep on making solution, we need electricity. So they make it nuclear plant And they have a nuclear plant, then they don't know where to put the nuclear waste. So, they're trying to ask different states, will you allow us to put our nuclear waste in a dumping ground in your state. Nobody wants to have a nuclear dumping ground. Because eventually those things break and then it causes a nuclear problem. So, this is going on.

The modern world we keep making new solutions, but their solutions create another problem. We wanted to get around faster we had the automobile, but then the automobile required roads. Now we have the super highways. But on the highways is more people dying the highways and died in the whole set in here in the whole second World War. So, the solution for getting around was automobile but that's causing a lot of deaths.

And even the car manufacturers say well we cannot neglect safety but there's no solution for the accident. So, like that you'll find that always in the world that purely material solution which creates another problem. It just postpones the problem. The real solution has to be integrated solution which includes the material, spiritual all the aspects, then it's an actual solution. There was another person, sādhū.

There was one householder and he said that he was having a problem in his house was just too crowded he just had one little house. Something like some a little houses we have here a little cottage and he thought that it's just not enough room I have a wife and two children and it's too crowded. Say went to one stage and said what to do I need a blessing or something, my house is too crowded. I got little house one room and a wife and two children it's very crowded and he said “Alright, the solution is bring the cow inside your house."

Then he went, took a cow got it inside his house. But this is even more difficult. Went back to the sage and said its really crowded now what to do? He said “Well. You take the goat and bring it inside your house [Devotees laugh] He went and brought a goat insidethe house. He said “Oh! it’s really crowded now”. Went back. He said “This is supposed to be a solution. But it's even worse.

Why don’t you bring tulasī plant inside your house. He went and brought the tulasī plant inside the house. Like this the sage keep saying bring one more thing inside the house finally. There is no move we can’t take even a move. Alright, take it all out again. So, he took it off the cow and the goat and the tulasī plant and all the other things that had taken inside. Then he came back in the season. How is your home now? Oh, so much room. [Devotees Laugh]

So, because of relative viewpoint, sometimes we think that all the solution is we have to do this, you have to do that. But we got relative from that position, you think this will be enough and but not be able to need more and more. But actually, the sages has the reverse psychology you think that this is not enough. All right You’ll make it more crowded then afterward you take all the animals Oh, no. I have so much now.

Actually, if we have a proper perspective, even more we have is sufficient. If we get more automatically, we work and we do the more without sacrificing our spiritual life. That's all right. Everyone has a particular destiny. Someone may be very wealthy or someone may not be. But by giving an honest day's work, whatever the return is, when I should be satisfied with that. That's the brahminical system, not to sacrifice one spiritual principles in order to just accumulate more and more was never going to be satisfied anyway.

Actually, you find that just like people say, Well, let me go out and do some independent business. And I'll get some donations to Kṛṣṇa in the future. Just like they sacrifice their devotional service sometime they also sacrifice their spiritual practices, neglecting their japa chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa, or neglecting morning programs. And they think well, I'll do this now or later on I'll you know, go but then they get out of the habit. he becomes spiritually weakened, and they become susceptible to māyā.

So, the no circumstances is there anything worth sacrificing our spiritual life? We're born in the world. We're born in ignorance. We don't know who we are. We don't know that we're not this body, we think we're the body, we grow up. Normally people they stay for some time produce our offspring get old, then gradually die. Then again, they take rebirth and this way they go to birth, they go through disease, old age death again rebirth.

And it's very difficult for anyone to figure out what is the real purpose of life? vast majority of people, they normally are just in totally ignorance. There is not much difference between them and the animals except they're a little more sophisticated. Animal sleeps in the ground, they sleep on the bed. Animal makes a fag.

In India, some of the birds I showed that there was a gurukula that came to Māyāpur for they probably can confirm this, that how the birds are making a little palm tree, their special nests. They make a special nest with a long entrance, so only the that particular bird can go inside.

Crows and other enemy birds can’t go inside that inside the nest they have a little compound a little apartment there. Because the way the nest is constructed, it’s very dark inside. So, what the bird does is he takes some mud and clay put it inside his house and he catches a lightning bug. And he's fixed the head of the lightning bug inside that clay and the little rear ended this goes on blinking for about three, four days. [Devotees laughs]. So, that provides illumination. [Devotees laughs]. Then, not only that, they also build a little little bungalow. Little mother bird has a little stick in the bottom and it's just for swinging. And the mother and father bird they sit down with the little they swing back and forth in the warm weather. So, the bird is so much intelligence, I mean, to do all these things. It's not that even a bird is doesn't have practical intelligence.

So sometimes, of course, we say human being is more sophisticated, but even then, the animals, some of them have a certain degree of sophistication also. But as a general rule, you can say human beings are more sophisticated. Than us they have more Toys and More different inventions. But it's simply a degree of complication. Even the animals are quite practical and quite ingenious in different ways.

So, what is the big difference between the human being and the animal? The difference is human being can understand what is the purpose of life. If you go to the normal human being and the material world is conditioned to say what is the purpose of life? They don't have the slightest idea, make money, be happy, wander around, listen to music, die. They don't have any idea. Is there an overall scheme? Is there a grand purpose to life? have become with any higher purpose. They don't know. But a human being has intelligence to know that there is a purpose to life. We can be freed from the loss of the material world we can utilize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We can go back to the spiritual world in this lifetime. That is the real purpose of human life.

But instead, people just imitate other people that are born in a particular culture, or particular materialistic religion. And it is to continue to practice without ever considering that there's a highest purpose. Even though all the religious texts says there's a spiritual world there is the kingdom of God. There's higher place to go to. The real happiness is a spiritual happiness. The real love is love for God. So many different advices that people make material world their condition and they don't pay so much attention to these aspects. So, in this way, they actually gradually day by day, their valuable human life is wasted, spoiled. And again, they take birth, and another conditioned birth.

So here in New Tālavana, to have a school to educate the children. So that's five years of age, they can start to understand what is the purpose of life? Prabhupāda wanted to have a Brahminical group of brāhmaṇas, a group of spiritual teachers would educate the world. And that's where the people become, educated in a spiritual priority and automatically society to be organized by varṇāśrama.

First we require brāhmaṇas. Persons who are dedicated to spiritual realization. So brāhmaṇa means that they have controlled senses. They realized the real priority of life is to be Kṛṣṇa conscious to be God Conscious. They can see that, this is like Prahlāda Mahārāja said that the society at large they don't know. The smarter the team. Śrī Viṣṇu. They don't know that Śrī Viṣṇu the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the real objective of life, that’s the real purpose. So, they go on acting like animals, and in a sophisticated way. The difference is that animal does not responsible. So, the animal doesn't have to take that the reaction for what it does. But whatever human being does, he is responsible, under the laws of karma.

The brāhmaṇa knows what are the laws of nature, knows how to be in harmony with nature, knows how to avoid those activities, which will further entangle. And knows how to guide others to remain to become free from the stringent laws of the material world.

Just like a small child is locked up in the little playpen given by their parents. It’s actually not free to go out everywhere. Similar condition, soul is bound so many stringent laws., They think that they are free because of their ignorance. Little baby in the play pen and thinks that this is my domain, I can move here, I'm totally free to pick up this little plastic toy and this little ball and chchu.. Sometimes the ball goes outside the playpen, they cry, attend, those are back in and they are very happy. This is a limit of the babies, that ability to see the world.

Even a big so-called philosopher are not able to see beyond a very limited sphere. In the modern world. They only able to see matter. And only aspects of matter. Not all able to see the Spirit or the spiritual world, the material world. This is their limitation. So, they want to play and manipulate with matter.

So then that nuclear weapons, so they invent different things. What is the practical value if it doesn't lead people closer to their spiritual emancipation for the spiritual realization?

Therefore, in spite of having so many new inventions, people are still not happy? Because people are living with control senses and harmony with nature. More and more the diseases are always coming. Before there wasn't so much Tuberculosis or cancer, there wasn't any AIDS. Now these things are coming one by one. This is all due to the reaction of the laws of karma through the uncontrolled senses. So, in spite of so-called material progress, are people really happier? It’s a very essential question.

This is a point that Prabhupāda made, that people are not happy. Because it's imbalanced. It's not properly balanced. You can use all these things in Kṛṣṇa service, if you have the higher objective. So, these are like so many zeros, you have to put the one in front of it. By putting one then it all has meaning, without one without the Supreme Absolute Truth, that everything is simply zero. And the end of all is perished.

So, Kṛṣṇa Conscious devotees have a great responsibility to practice what they preach. To lead their lifestyle that a brāhmaṇa should live, to teach by example, to others, what Caitanya taught that once you teach others by his own example. Let's say he was very strict and someone was taking up a particular role and he didn't maintain that example. He didn't appreciate that.

This way, he became very heavy with Choṭā Haridāsa for not following strictly. Because Haridāsa Ṭhākura took the vow to chant every day, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and he would never fail. Therefore, he was very dear to like to Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya made him the ācārya of the holy name or nāmācārya, because he practically taught by example, how to perfectly chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was because he was although he was born in a Muhammadan family, he was considered the greatest of all the Vaiṣṇavas.

When Advaita Gosvāmī was performing that ceremony for the departed soul of his father, the śrāddha ceremony. It's customary that that one offers a very big feast to Viṣṇu and then feast is offered to the first brāhmaṇa present and then offered for the departed soul of the deceased relative. So that by getting that spiritualized food stuffs, in case the spirit soul has taken a lowly birth, or stuck up in the subtle body as a ghost or something that they can be delivered. And be able to go on and take the next birth. So after offering the whole pūjā and everything, it was time to offer the mahā-prasāda to someone. So Advaita Gosvāmī said, 50 or 100 brāhmaṇa’s are present, So, Advaita said, I want to offer this to Haridāsa Ṭhākura because he's a great Vaiṣṇava. Therefore is the greatest brāhmaṇa greatest spiritual teacher. But the objective, some of them say, Well, how can that be? He's not born brāhmaṇa. He's not born in that particular role as a teacher he was born rather as a meat eater, mleccha, you see yavana, Mohammedan.

But Advaita Gosvāmī said “No, he's the, I still say that he's a purist of all the brāhmaṇa’s here”. So, if you don't believe according to the sastra, brāhmaṇa simply by his birth, by his by mantra, he can ignite fire. So, which of you brāhmaṇas can ignite fire to prove your brahmanical teja, or potency? Previously by mantra, various things could be performed like lighting fire. But today, the brāhmaṇas are reduced in their potency, and materially, they're not able to perform these types of mystic feats so easily.

So, Advaita offered the pile of wood before each of the brāhmaṇas, and they were shhh. blowing and saying mantra. But no one could get the wood to ignite. And in fact because of their offense to Haridāsa Ṭhākura the whole city, and scientists were nobody could light any fire, though they didn't have any matches, so they would take place. And they had flint and some it was steel or something and tuk tuk tuk then here is my first spark in a piece of cotton, they found the cotton, and it was a whole thing just to start a fire. But nobody could start fire. The whole nobody could cook any food because they had offended Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So then finally, after all, the brahmana is trying, no one could ignite a fire, they brought the wood before Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura and chanted

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

[Guru Mahārāja sounded ussh] lit up fire. Then everyone inspired and Haridāsa Ṭhākura took the first prasādam, mahaprasādam offered.

So, because one is stick to their vows, then they get all potency, they get all respect. So brāhmaṇa, they live by the standard of simple living. Their purpose is to teach others that one thing you get real satisfaction with a basic minimum of material facilities, but by spiritual practices. Actually, without the spiritual practice, without the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, life is very dry, it’s very empty. By trying to please the senses, and the mind is a very limited kind of happiness one gets. It's not that one doesn't feel happiness, certainly there's happiness in the material world. But then happiness is very infinitesimal, It’s very limited. It's not enough to satisfy. We have desires as big as the ocean, but the mind and the senses are like very small containers, like small bottle.

So, you cannot fill an ocean of desire to a small bottle. This is because the senses are limited. The mind is bigger than the senses. But the spirit is even greater than the mind. So, if we are spiritually satisfied, this mind and senses are automatically satisfied. So how can the senses gratify, ultimately the mind, the mind has a much bigger desire. Just like we say that sometimes someone's eyes are bigger than their stomach.

They may see a huge feast of prasādam. Sometimes Prabhupāda Vyāsa pūjā in Māyāpur, we took 1200 preparations, they fill up 2030 tables, eight feet by four feet long by two feet wide. Filled with preparations that whole half of this quarter of this room will be filled with offering for Śrīla Prabhupād. But even if you see that, if you think I like to take one of every preparation, you couldn't even take one piece or spoon of preparation, [Devotees laugh] It will be mountain of preparation like that. Even sometimes someone will try to take a little pinch or each one just to respect. Practically it's impossible. So many preparations. So, someone may have a desire you see to enjoy, but there's a limit to how much your body can take. So, with this limited instrument that we have, is that possible to actually satisfy all the aspirations of the mind. Somewhere we have to put a limit.

Years ago, in the 1960s, a big rock and roll star was Janis Joplin and she was a person that wanted to really enjoy life to the maximum. But she has ended up overdosing in drugs. You always want a little more and more and more finally she overdosed. So, people are always overdosing in sense gratification. And overdosing produces disease. Because of uncontrolled desire. It's one more one more and eventually, they get into various kind of even perverse activities and ultimately, they create some kind of imbalance in nature to causes diseases in society. So, one went to higher intelligence can understand that ultimately, I'm never going to be satisfied simply by this body. Therefore, let me realize there is spiritual satisfaction. That is that we can be satisfied spiritually.

Because Kṛṣṇa is much greater than ourselves, the soul. Therefore, we can be satisfied by Kṛṣṇa. But this mind can never be satisfied by the body, not be the mind satisfy the soul, but the soul can be satisfied by Kṛṣṇa, because we are part of Kṛṣṇa. So, spiritually as an eternal living entity an eternal soul through the process of Kṛṣṇa conscious, haṭha-yoga, meditation, to devotional service to chanting, we can be satisfied.

In the past, so many great sages, so many great devotees, they all become satisfied. Lord Caitanya explained it

bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’
kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’

Those who desire liberation, sense gratification, or mystic powers, they're all this they're ultimately not satisfied. They're all un-peaceful. But someone was engaged in pure devotional service was a pure devotee, they are always satisfied. Therefore, they are peaceful. They don't have any other separate desire. Because, we are part of Kṛṣṇa is natural for us to serve Kṛṣṇa. The desire to serve Kṛṣṇa to be with Kṛṣṇa is not a foreign or extraneous kind of desire. It is  a natural desire. Therefore, one is very peaceful, even in desiring. But any other type of desire, leaves always want unfulfilled.

And even when one achieves the object of the desire is still not complete. Our complete situation is to be in connection with Kṛṣṇa. The way that this Viśvāmitra, the great sage. He was kṣatrīya, but he saw the brāhmaṇas of more powerful so he wanted to be a brāhmaṇa. Then he did tapasyā to become a brāhmaṇa and he became a brāhmaṇa. Then he thought that he saw Viśvāmitra was more powerful than me Vaśiṣṭha, [Guru Mahārāja corrects], So I want to be a brāhmaṇa. So he became whatever other reasons also. He became a brāhmaṇa. But then he was still less powerful than Vaśiṣṭha.

Vaśiṣṭha was a more powerful brāhmaṇa. And like this Viśvāmitra, he would go from one level to the next. So being a brāhmaṇa you get in a fight with another brāhmaṇa that brāhmaṇa has mystic power more than he would get frustrated. He did more tapasyā more austerities and more practice of yoga they get more mystic powers. There's different types of yoga, there's mystic yoga, there's yoga of knowledge and there's devotional yoga so even that mystic yogīs they always tend to get more and more powers. Viśvāmitra, that time he wanted to one śūdra came to him and said I want to go to Indra loka. And he said I'll even go to Indra loka explain to me for any standing up in the Indra loka by mystic power.

Just like Vāmanadeva now is in Indra loka with Bali Mahārāja. Bali Mahārāja conquered Indra loka, conquered the entire planetary systems of the universe. So, this vision he sent many people like to go to the other planets. They see there's so many other planets what's there. There are many wonderful planets in the universe and some of these planets is much better than here and here it's not very nice at all whereas seventh grade planet their first second third grade planets where people don't have any suffering to speak very little suffering, very opulent. This second-grade planet the śūdra wanted to go to Indra loka. The first grade is Satyaloka is difficult to get there but he wanted to go to the Indra loka, second grade.

So Viśvāmitra sends him by his mystic power, here this is ordinary labour he comes walking in, you know like steel workers something you know. śūdra walks in and here you Indra is there the complete opposite everyone is all you know. Heavenly people on and all sudden this guy comes in and then you know imagine somebody coming.. What are you doing here? Viśvāmitra send me here. What. You don’t have the What you don't have the qualification to come here you get back. He just kicked him off from his planet and sends him back down to earth. This Viśvāmitra says you know this Harīścandra coming back down. And he said “What's going on?

Oh, get back up Indra his mystic powers pushing him up and then Indra’s mystic powers pushing him down. Like this Harīścandra just floating in outer space. You can't go up or down because two mystic powers opposing. But Indra’s mystic powers is actually writing is not good just to austerity and it's due to his position and everything so he has a greater reserve. Gradually Viśvāmitra is getting depleted his mystic powers going out. So if I'm not not be able to sustain this forever so instead he misused his mystic powers to pay them another Indra loka or planet planetary system. Then he put Harīścandra there or you can be in charge of that there. Now you happy? He was going happy, but there was original now duplicated it was just as good. Now then Indra thought What's going on here?

Now I got a whole competitor planetary system. This is going to create a lot of disturbance in the universe it's like unnecessary chess he went down to Viśvāmitra and said I look at I'll make a deal. I'll take your śūdra to my planetary system, will you wind up your additional planetary systems? He said alright. They made a deal, that took Hariścandra wiped out the śūdra, wiped out the other planetary system.

But then Viśvāmitra it was all that you know, didn’t have any more mystic power, it was like his batteries run down. He had to do again and again more and more austerities to build up is, this mystic power. Then Indra said “No. he Is building up his mystic power.” , you see. Indra offered this word. Is there any girl and you're going to go down there and just stop this guy? Because if he gets his power again who knows what is the going to do in the next time? So, then he got Menakā to go down there, and she had mystic ankle bells, which could break yogi's meditation. So, he's meditating you know. she just walk. Chinch chinch… [Devotees laugh]. His eyes are closed, in the meditation but he can hear the sound. Then you know next thing you know, it cracks eyes when opened and it was all over. She was so beautiful.

So Śakuntalā was born. Then after that Viśvāmitra figured out what happens that I got cheated, this was a trick by Indra. So then again, he went back into his meditation like this, you guys even go step by step and to finally reach that, you know, very exalted planet.

But then he was, he was told that look at this process of mystic yoga, ultimately, you can get to one point, but then you can’t get beyond it. If you want to go beyond that, ultimately, you have to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Then you can actually be transformed to transcendental. Mystic power is your ability to manipulate the material world by your own psychic spiritual potency. But to actually go beyond the material world you have to become a pure devotee. And I waited all this time, and I'm still not in the top positions. He said, NO.

So, in this age of Kali who has the force to do all this kind of austerity and get mystic power. Some people do a little austerity to levitate me. They have to have a rubber cushion, because we get up about three inches and they get they get so whatever, affected by their levitation that they did suddenly break the meditation boom then they flopped down on the ground. So, they break their bones.

So, they have to have like a rubber foam to stop there and fall.. Another way it is not very effective. Even if you go up six feet. This Viśvāmitra could create planets. He could go on any planet he wanted by his mystic powers. But still he wasn't satisfied in the end. Therefore, the real solution, of course, is not to try for mystic powers or today the new age group, they're looking at crystals, they want to read other people's minds, they're trying to do any little thing. It's all very, very my new little minute mystic powers. Nothing compared to the great yogis of the past.

Rather than waste time, and all these things are trying to ensure that for us life, and also material side, they want to do the same thing in different way. They fly to other planets where they use jets. This was a thing that Prabhupāda explained that one German scientist came and he was in India and studying. And he said, what are you most impressed by? So, I'm most impressed by your devotion to Kṛṣṇa. So why is that? You're not impressed by the mystic powers of the great yogīs in India they're able to levitate and go to other planets and do great things.

He said no, because I see that the mystic powers, they want to be able to say something at a distance, scientists want the same thing. We have do that by telescope, they can become very small, we do the same thing by microscope. They want to go to other places by their mystic powers. We do that by Jet. So, it's the same thing. we do by mechanical means they're doing by their psychic or own, but it's the same basic purpose. But I see the devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is actually to actually develop the eternal relationship with the Supreme Lord, to go to the spiritual world. This is something beyond the material ability.

So, brāhmaṇa came he came to Bali and asked three steps of land. Bali said “You're a little bit foolish, you could ask me for so much. We cover the human form of life. We come to the association of devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we can get different things from Kṛṣṇa. But if you go to Kṛṣṇa, you can get the greatest thing and that is actually Kṛṣṇa himself. Once we have a desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, once you have a desire to know about know about and all about the spiritual world, that is actually a very, the most important thing.

But māyā will always try to distract us, by these other lesser benefits. We have to be fixed in our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness not to be distracted. Otherwise, it's like the child who has a valuable thing but he gets cheated by someone offering a lozenge, a sweetmeat and giving away a valuable thing. We are the valuable jewel of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in our hand, we can achieve love for Kṛṣṇa we can achieve the spiritual world we can help living entities to come out of their ignorance. To come out of there bewilderment that this material body and to be able to realize that they are eternal living entities all this ability is there, but māyā will try to distract us by various tricks. We should avoid that.

You should go to Kṛṣṇa and ask Kṛṣṇa for the greatest blessing

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

Any question?

Devotee: I have some. [Inaudible – 00:44:15]

Guru Mahārāja: If you're uncontrolled, if your senses are uncontrolled you can be materially satisfied. If you're spiritually satisfied, if your senses are controlled. Then you can be materially satisfied with a very little bit. There any ideas that I'm gonna be happiness means to gratify the senses. Then you can be materially satisfied the senses are always wants more. It's like there is a big feast. You may want to eat so much as an example, but you cannot eat more, your belly has got a limited capacity.

The Romans, they used to be, they used to eat, remain will take a feather stick in their throat and then they vomit. And then again eat, and then vomit, like that they were just they wanted to go on eating. So maybe the desire whether it's eating or whether it's sex, or whether whatever this ultimately the desire we have our body cannot be even meet up with a desire. So, the senses are uncontrolled, then there's no satisfaction. But if you're spiritually satisfied, then you can be materially satisfied with very little. With some prasādam, with a regulated, with a family, can be satisfied with little. We don't need so much.

Correct! But if you are spiritually satisfied you can be materially satisfied. Because you're not attached to trying to this unlimited enjoying the senses, you know that materially, you just regulate yourself according to what is actually necessary for a healthy, peaceful life. And you know real satisfaction is from the spiritual, materially you are content. But as soon as you think that I have to whatever my senses want I have to give that to them. Let me become go-dāsa or become slave to the senses. And the senses are always wanting something, something we don't have.

So, like a little child, when they're three, four years old, they want something they give me the moon, father. I want the moon yeeee [Guru Mahārāja mimicking a child crying] I want the moon. How the father can give the moon to the child, he want something that's impossible. Later, as they grow up, they know about the moon, he can't give me maybe give me this little they started a little more realistic in terms of the materials here. Because I know we want things. The senses are always demanding. But I know not possible. This not possible. So, by spiritual development, and they can see what is really needed. What do we need? How much food do we need? How much sleep do we need? Each person is different.

But for an individual person, how much sex do they actually need this to be? This is all given by the yoga process. What we what was the minimum? What's the basic norm that is sufficient for us to be materially peaceful, if we spiritually satisfied? Materially. We're always going to have demands as long as we have a body the body has to eat as sleep etc how much? So therefore, the yogi is regulated. Regulates his material activity, literally becomes content because spiritually satisfied. The feasible thing is, the spiritual satisfaction.

To say whatever if someone gets a million dollar, he takes what he needs for himself. For his basic requirement he would give the surplus to Kṛṣṇa, you would give a certain percentage based upon the advice of the ācāryas to Kṛṣṇa. Someone gives another way to do the same thing. We have the grandson of Henry Ford. Alfred Ford, Ambarīṣa Dāsa, he's got many millions of dollars. Prabhupāda never told him to throw his money away. He is said to him, go on investing it, uses money for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. He just contributed million dollars to the temple. I live at Māyāpur for building our Memorial, finishing memorial to Śrīla Prabhupāda Samādhī. Get another million will use it for the same purpose. We want to build it out 30 to $60 million dollar temple in Māyāpur. So, we have plenty of room for millions of dollars [Devotees laugh]. The point is that we don't want to use that money to increase our living standard, then we're going to continue to eat the same Kṛṣṇa prasad that we're eating now.

Somebody gets a million dollars to build up the facility so that millions of people can come and stay and learn about Kṛṣṇa. We like to build the Caitanya world. Like a Disney World, the Caitanya world. But there we were to give instead of Mickey Mouse and things we would have Kṛṣṇa Conscious thing part. Kṛṣṇa Conscious rides, things that will give you like the world of time, world of karma. World of nine different worlds, I forget what they all are. One of them is like showing us the spiritual world, showing Vṛndāvana, , Dvārakā, Ayodhyā and there you can get blessed by big Hanumans to go around and play with kids [devotees laugh].

So, we have plenty of, here in this project if someone gives a million dollars, you see. We have some of the mortgages so we haven’t need to pay so much interest to bank to build a memorial for Prabhupāda, build a nice gurukula school, build a nice facility so that people can come and stay. Maybe they'll also have special auditorium for multimedia. And cinema shows too. So, people can come and see Kṛṣṇa conscious presentation. Even in the future, we could have the theme park here, they had enough money. Disney world apparently only at 125 acres. So, we got plenty of those here.

But the devotees they don't after certain point, they no need to complicate their life anymore. They don't need to increase it anymore. But if you're a Henry Ford grandson and you have that particular villas and good apartment. He has a nice car. Yes, he you know, he flies probably, I don't know how he flies out.

But I don’t know anyway but they give there's a there's a particular for people get millions like that. There's a they do their particular devotional services guided under the guru. The guru advises them how they can use the money and not be entangled in māyā. We don't believe in throwing things away for ourselves, they will refuse it but because we have so much work for Kṛṣṇa will accept and give it to Kṛṣṇa

For ourselves, we take what we need. But for Kṛṣṇa, we can accept.

*indistinct conversation*

Maybe not. Prabhupāda explained that, say a child is born in the family of devotee because of their good karma, they get such a birth of sukṛti. They may be that even in a few years they're able to finish up the whatever balance karma they have. And so they don't need to live long to go back to Godhead, they go they'll fall in māyā to get a new karma. So, they're that time but seeing a few āratīs, by taking some caraṇāmṛta they already finished their business. They go back. Just like Srivas’s son, died when he was about 12 years old Gopāla and the wife is crying and why is this happening and everyone was crying there was so upset. Of course, then Lord Caitanya brought his son back to life and the son spoke to them and told them “How he had already gone on to a better place and how he was taken by Kṛṣṇa. Why they want to bring him back again, stop up his progress. And they were all shocked, they were also satisfied that, you know, it's not like our son is dead. He's gone out and eventually they go off, they get a job they got a house they go on. So, it's like that. He's already going on to his next development. He was in his family for this period of time. He benefited by that and he went on.

So of course, Śrīvasa Ṭhākura had the benefit of what Lord Caitanya bring his son back from that. Mother, the wife of Śrīvasa rather odd after seeing that , they have no more question they are completely satisfied. They said, alright, you can go on. I'm sorry for calling you back. We won't interfere your progress. Love you, you know.

So, we may not know have that anyone to bring back from death and become and have them speak like to educate their son, or like Śrīvas’s pandit’s son. We know that philosophically what is the meaning of it?

Māyā is always there giving her ideas. And Kṛṣṇa’s ideas already there in śāstra and they're from the guru. We have to take our intelligence from the spiritual sources and then we won't be affected. That's the test that māyā is always there. Kṛṣṇa is always the test is that any circumstance you have to take Kṛṣṇa and reject māyā. Whether it's the māyā is offering sense gratification or that there's some apparent material misfortune that happens if we remain fixed in our devotional service. That's we have to do our duty. You're not an ultimate control of our situation. So, in every circumstance, we have to remain fixed and fulfilling our duty with Kṛṣṇa and guru. I don't know how to categorize exactly like what māyā’s test or Kṛṣṇa’s. Everytime māyā tests Kṛṣṇa is watching. Māyā is offering sense gratification. That's her test. And maybe sometimes Kṛṣṇa puts a devotee takes away something from a devotee.

Kṛṣṇa said “This is his test”. Sometimes he takes something away from a devotee some material opulence or something if the devotee is overly attached. If it's an obstacle, the devotees path. And then by doing that, then the devotee realizes that this is not so important. They realize that it takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa and not take shelter of this material objects. Kṛṣṇa says that the “This is not the greatest level of devotion. The ruler, the greatest devotee is one who even though they have all kinds of material facilities and opulences is that They are not falsely proud for that. They never waiver in their devotional service, even though they had material facility. Normally, we get material facility.

I know, I have a disciple South America is doing devotional service, he got an inheritance of $18,000 was down there is like a fortune. He left Kṛṣṇa consciousness and he just broke every principle conceivable and did so many sinful activities until all those money ran out. When he came back to the temple completely burned down wanted to get to get a present, you know, the real kind of like a pseudo type of mentality, get a little bit and then forget everything. Like the person that worked at work all month later, they get your pay check, they go out. First thing they do is they get this by the drug, you shouldn't be like that. You know. So here we have a little bit of opportunity for sense gratification, whoopee. forget Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Then after the materials, situation is finished again. At all. Suffering again, let's go back to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

There's a very lack of character. Like a lower than śūdra kind of mentality. Even śūdra won’t do that. Just like the government. Now if you win a lottery, they don't give it to you at one time,because people wasted so many times. So now they give it to you and 21-year installments. One year at a time. So, like that we need to regulate ourselves to protect it at one time we get illusioned. But a material devotee even do something like that. When they get some material facility. They realize that I can't allow myself to be intoxicated by this you know, use it for Kṛṣṇa properly. There are many devotees who are very strong. I know one devotee his father offered a million dollars if he was stopping being a devotee. But he refused. He stopped being a devotee, I will give you million dollars in the bank account. It’s yours. You just have to leave this Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Thank you.

Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, he was offered everything. You'll be the ruler of the whole universe. You just have to accept and give up Kṛṣṇa, and accept his father. He said “I'll accept everything you can say that but I can accept that. Because you're not the Supreme, how can I accept you are the Supreme? You are not. Your power comes from Lord also, Kṛṣṇa also.  We have to be mature enough to use it for sense gratification. We don't want to use one sense for sense gratification. We only want to do what's offered to us. Otherwise and get entangled with it in the material world. Therefore, we only want to eat prasādam, we only want to do devotional service. [Not Clear 58:44] With one another we can be able to practice our Kṛṣṇa conscious peacefully. More than that we don't need.. Just like I mean, we not only, Vaiṣṇava is not only greater than a brāhmaṇa. The Brāhmaṇas also have the same ethics.

Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was offered to be the prime minister of the entire empire of Candra Gupta, he was given a offered a huge palace, big salary. He said, “I'll become your prime minister, but under condition that I don't want to stay in any palace. I don't want any salary. I want to live in a grass hut outside the palace compound. And I'll just say, what do I need. I am a gonna become instead of being an independent thinker, I'm going to be obliged to you. Only be a prime minister, as long as I keep my independent status. I'm not dependent upon you, I'm only doing it because I'm concerned with the welfare of your empire with all the millions of people living here. So, they can be organized nicely for their progressive material and spiritual development. Otherwise I have no interest. I'm very happy living in my grass hut and I am doing my religious practice, my spiritual practice”.

That was only 2000 years ago and under the guidance of Cāṇakya criteria, Candragupta empire covered the entire northern-Southern Asia. The northern that when the Himalayas, the whole part by the Himalayas. The last great kings and that was that that was the ethics by which is brāhmaṇa lived. We want to the brāhmaṇa, we want to the respect of brāhmaṇa with the opulence of the kṣatriyā and you know financial independence of vaiśya and the habits of a śūdra. *laugh*

One who wants up pure devotee completely surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa directly controls everything personally with that devotee. One is not cent percent pure and to whatever extent are not pure devotee still have different desires and different attachments have different material conditionings, they are subject to the laws of karma. And then we have to suffer certain degree of reaction, and Kṛṣṇa reduces that makes it a token, he may want to organize what comes before, after, but it's really the suffering of the one indoors is due to one's own previous karmas or however reduced it might be.

So, it has the sanction of Kṛṣṇa I think happens without the sanction of Kṛṣṇa that sounds maybe a different category. Those things that happen due to our previous karma and sanction by Kṛṣṇa. So, therefore, depending on how we react to those things, you can also continue to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are some things which are directly done by Kṛṣṇa which is not according to their karma.

This is directly his own desire, this too and then of course, there's the normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa allows the karma to go on mechanically and normally doesn't interfere. He only interferes in regard to his devotees. Once someone surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, He takes charge of the karma. and He applies it still one's own karma must have suffering or enjoying?

When you're completely this out, there's one type of level of devotional service a devotee is, so completely surrendered the Kṛṣṇa that doesn't even know what his body is doing. The body is taken over by Kṛṣṇa. He is completely absorbed in in his relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

Some ācāryas like that, although they're physically visible in this world, they're spiritually, their consciousness is totally in the spiritual world. And their material body is trying to assist it in, as been directed by Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise it's like automatically just like your walk without thinking. Like they're walking or doing. It's just being handled by Kṛṣṇa. But everything you're doing is completely on the spiritual platform. So, they're not all preoccupied with the body. That stated, cannot imitate. There is such a state.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.