19911105 Bhagavad-gītā 12.1

The following is the class given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on November 5th 1991 in Zurich, Switzerland. The class begins with a reading from The Bhagavad-gītā chapter 12 verse 1.

arjuna uvāca

evaṁ satata-yuktā ye
bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate
ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ
teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ

Translation: Arjuna inquired: Which are considered to be more perfect, those who are always properly engaged in Your devotional service or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?

Purport: Kṛṣṇa has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and yogīs. Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist also engages himself, not directly in the service of Kṛṣṇa but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested.

We find in this chapter that of the different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth, bhakti-yoga, devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service.

Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Kṛṣṇa indicates in this chapter that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is the highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead.

In the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Lord explained that a living entity is not the material body; he is a spiritual spark. And the Absolute Truth is the spiritual whole. In the Seventh Chapter He spoke of the living entity as being part and parcel of the Supreme whole and recommended that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. Then again in the Eighth Chapter it was said that anyone who thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the time of quitting his body is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord clearly said that of all yogīs, one who always thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself is considered the most perfect. So in practically every chapter the conclusion has been that one should be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa, for that is the highest spiritual realization.

Nevertheless, there are those who are not attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. They are so firmly detached that even in the preparation of commentaries to Bhagavad-gītā they want to distract other people from Kṛṣṇa and transfer all devotion to the impersonal brahma-jyotī. They prefer to meditate on the impersonal form of the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the senses and is not manifest.

And so, factually, there are two classes of transcendentalists. Now Arjuna is trying to settle the question of which process is easier and which of the classes is most perfect. In other words, he is clarifying his own position because he is attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. He is not attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know whether his position is secure. The impersonal manifestation, either in this material world or in the spiritual world of the Supreme Lord, is a problem for meditation. Actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore Arjuna wants to say, “What is the use of such a waste of time?” Arjuna experienced in the Eleventh Chapter that to be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa is best because he could thus understand all other forms at the same time and there was no disturbance to his love for Kṛṣṇa. This important question asked of Kṛṣṇa by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.

Thus, end the Bhaktivedānta Swami translation purport to chapter 12 text 1 of the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is entitled Devotional Service.

Spoken this 5th day of November in the 505th year of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā, Prabhupāda mandira at Zurich, Switzerland.

Oṁ Tat Sat!

Jayapatākā Swami: So, in this verse, Arjuna is inquiring which process is more perfect. And Śrīla Prabhupāda has explained, how already in Bhagavad-gītā there are many teachings that Kṛṣṇa has given which indicate.. the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is recommended. However, Arjuna just want to really be clear, so in next few verses Kṛṣṇa will explain this basic point. The impersonalists have a difficult time to realize the absolute truth. This also explained in this chapter, impersonalists face lots of difficulties. And for the devotees it’s relatively easy the practice of devotional service. If we have the right source, if we get a good association of devotees. Then it’s very easy to progress in our devotional service. When we preach, especially in India, this impersonal idea is very prevalent. And many people they have this impersonal idea, very firmly embedded in their brain. When you try to preach to them, they have very difficult time to understand. For instance, in the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā, last verse Kṛṣṇa explains

brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham
amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya

sukhasyaikāntikasya ca

“I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.” Kṛṣṇa is the basis for the impersonal Brahman. But I remember one time I was preaching to, in India to one person who was practicing the Māyāvādī philosophy. But he was life member and was always very favorable doing some service for the temple. So one day we are having a discussion in philosophy and he was always maintaining that the impersonal Brahman is the main thing. So then I showed that verse in the 14th chapter that Kṛṣṇa, He is the basis of the impersonal Brahman and that person he became shocked. Really! He couldn’t believe it. So, this completely changes my whole outlook. He didn’t know how to adjust.

Next day I came back to see him, he was completely blissful again, very happy. I said oh! Person how are you? That very good, now, I have understood that what you said is not correct. I have called up one of my friends in the university, Sanskrit scholar, that what is this? All my life I’m believing impersonal brahman is the basis and here in Bhagavad-gītā is saying brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham, and I am the basis of impersonal brahman? Is Kṛṣṇa is the basis, how is that? And then my friend, the sanskrit scholar he said, no no who’s saying all this?

You don’t understand the meaning of sanskrit. What is brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham, I am the basis of Brahmā, the four headed Brahmā. This is means four headed Brahmā, so now have you see everything is alright? You didn’t understand. I said what’s the use of talking him

[Devotees laughing]

So, brain will short circuit [Devotees laughing] they’re not able to understand. Here it saying amṛtasyāvyayasya ca that this is imperishable, immortal. But Brahmā is not imperishable, not immortal, not anywhere here is discussing about Brahmā, four headed Brahmā. He’s talking about level of Brahman. So, some people they’re so attached to the impersonal conception of life. They cannot suddenly change.

Prabhupāda told us that we should engage such people in devotional service, don’t talk with them. One should realize that they got the short circuit. There’s no use in arguing, you just engage them in cleaning the temple or doing some service for Kṛṣṇa. And gradually they get purified. After about six years one day that person came up to me and said, "You know I’m starting to understand, Kṛṣṇa is the basis"

[Devotees laughing].

Six years! You know, Sorry prabhu you know

[Devotees laughing]. So, it’s very difficult because they get completely locked into this idea, everything is one.

One devotee was preaching in India and he met one Māyāvādī with a big turban. And he was saying everything is one. You are God, I am God, everyone is God, everything is one. So, everything is one? Yes! Everything is one.

So, after a long time he couldn’t get any satisfaction in discussing with him, he took off his turban and threw it in the river

[Devotees laughing].

My turban! What are you doing, it’s a valuable turban, you threw in the river!

Everything is one

[Devotees laughing].

So on your head or in the river, it’s all one

[Devotees laughing].

No No! That’s my turban. So what their philosophy, is not actually practical. They say everything is one but there’s two, it’s different for them. If turban is on head or river, it’s different.

So that’s why Lord Caitanya, He warned His devotees, not to listen to the discussions of the impersonalists. Because they’re very expert at word jugglery. And if you ever figure out what they’re saying, then it’s very hard because the only way you can figure it out, cause it doesn’t really make any sense. It’s they have to speak long enough to kind of make a short circuit. And once your brain is shorted it’s very hard to understand again devotional service, takes a lot of purification. So it’s better not to let them start messing around with the wiring in your brain, so to speak.

So Lord Caitanya said māyāvādī kṛṣṇe aparādhī.

There’s that story in the life of Rāmānuja, how he was, his Sanskrit Guru was a Māyāvādī. And he was massaging the leg of his Sanskrit guru. And then when he was just a boy and the guru was giving some Sanskrit commentary from one verse which is actually glorifying the lotus eyes of Viṣṇu. Comparing them to a lotus floating on the, on the pond. But the Sanskrit, the Māyāvādī, he said yes in the eyes of Viṣṇu they’re just like the red ass of a monkey. And then when Rāmānuja heard these offensive things he started crying. And the tears are falling on the Sanskrit teacher’s leg. He says, “what’s this water on my leg? So why you’re crying?”

He said because what you did said. How can I tolerate to hear such a thing? What I just gave that translation of the verse, what do you mean what I said? You have a better meaning?

And then Rāmānuja explained his understanding of the meaning, it didn’t mean monkey, it meant lotus. A lotus flower floating on the cool water, like these, the beautiful lotus eyes of the Lord are very soothing to those who behold.

So then that Sanskrit teacher he realizes that this student is too expert. He is very dangerous; in future he’ll defeat all the impersonalists. So, then he made a plot to kill Rāmānuja.

One day when all, he says today, we’re gonna go out for a picnic, tour. We’re gonna go out and preach in the villages, we’ll go in to the jungle. But the cousin brother of Rāmānuja, he smelled the fish, or he so to speak

[Devotees laughing].

He suspected there was some foul play. So, he told Rāmānuja, that I think that everyone’s being very nice to you, but they actually they want to finish you out.

So, when they went in the forest, the two escaped and went back to the city. And then the other said oh, they’ve disappeared, they must have been eaten by a tiger. They said oh very good. They done the work for us, so they thought that Rāmānuja was dead. And when they came back after some days from their outing, they saw there he was in the temple chanting. He didn’t go back to the Sanskrit teacher, then they’re upset.

Of course, later after many many years that same Sanskrit teacher surrendered to Rāmānuja and took dīkṣā from him. And became a very renowned Vaiṣṇava. So, there’s hope but it requires some very strong preacher and some strong realization.

There was one Māyāvādī who was lecturing on Bhāgavatam in the Kuliagram on the island of Koladvīpa, Māyāpur during the time of Lord Caitanya. His name was Devānanda Paṇḍita and he was regularly lecturing. But he would always give impersonal conclusion, which is very hard with the Bhāgavatam. But he would really, was very creative.

So, he would always find some way to bring it around to impersonal idea. One day Śrīvasa Paṇḍita came by and he just happened to sit there, but he was in the beginning of the lecture and he just was hearing the pastime and he start remembering Kṛṣṇa and he became very ecstatic. He was crying or something in the back. Devānanda Paṇḍita, nobody ever cried in his classes. So, he thought this is a disturbance, why you’re crying? When everything is one there’s no need to cry, throw him out. So, his students picked up, Śrīvasa Paṇḍita and threw him out in the street. So, Lord Caitanya heard, of course he chastised Śrīvasa, why you’re going to this Māyāvādī class? But he was still very angry at Devānanda pandit.

So, one day He met Devānanda Paṇḍita and He really chastised him that you’re a rascal, you think you’re big paṇḍita and just, He really blasted him. You offended Śrīvasa, offended a devotee, you don’t have any devotional qualities. And I believe it was Vakreśvara Pandit was a relative of Devānanda Paṇḍita. And somehow by the mercy of Vakreśvara Pandit he was able to humble Devānanda Paṇḍita and bring him around to see that actually Lord Caitanya was giving him some special mercy and then he was really off.

So, because of the preaching of, an association of Vakreśvara Pandit, then Devānanda Paṇḍita he became purified, by serving a Vaiṣṇava. So eventually Devānanda Paṇḍita got forgiven of his offences and became an associate of Lord Caitanya. But it’s very difficult for the impersonalists, but sometimes even the impersonalists, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya they also get the mercy. But for the beginning devotees we shouldn’t listen actually to what they say.

Just like somehow one of our congregational members in India, South India went to one lecture given by an impersonalist. And he had very hard time to understand what he was saying. But this is a normal thing, usually if you ask people coming out from the lecture by these impersonalists.

You ask to, how did you like the lecture? Oh Fantastic! Really, what did Swamiji say?

What did he say?

You expect that ordinary person like me to know what a great Swamiji speaks?

[Devotees laughing]

I cannot understand what he says but he said it so beautifully, it was a wonderful. But I don’t know what he said, but it was a wonderful thing, it was just like trickling in the ears. They say so much word jugglery that in the end you don’t know what he said but you know it was really far out

[Guru Mahārāja & devotees laughing]

Yes, the window is God and the plants are God, the floor is God, then you offer the plants on the floor and the floor and the window and then again

[Guru Mahārāja & devotees laughing].

So, so this congregational member at the end he asked that why is that you say that, that, you can only get, that we should only do this impersonal realization? We’re seeing the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, they’re chanting

Hare Kṛṣṇa hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

They’re getting so much ecstasy; they’re dancing in the streets and they’re really happy. So, then the Māyāvādī said, he became very angry you know, why bringing up this, he said, you don’t think that they’re feeling ecstasy because of the names Hare, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, it’s because of the little voids between the names [Devotees laughing]. It’s the void that gives the ecstasy, meditate on the nothingness, that is where is that, you see

[Devotee laughing].

They don’t need to refer any scripture, any, they can just say anything you know, there’s no rules by the, you know we have to everything we say, with the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. They just say anything, whatever feels good do it, you know they, say is very difficult to discuss even with such people you know. And maybe we would say they would argue on the Vedas, but now they do complete word jugglery. So, one has to be, to just debate with them you had to be very quick to argue but they’re not very fruitful.

So, Lord, generally, Lord Caitanya recommended to avoid. Of course, if we had to, we can defeat the impersonalist, if they’re willing to discuss properly.

So Bhagavad-gītā is recommending the personal form of worship through and throughout. And Prabhupāda gives so many references here. But if we’re going to discuss, discuss with someone actually they had to, had to be willing to, to listen. And there’s a story once by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Thakur that there was once a village of brahmins, or in this village there was some group of brahmins. But these brahmins had become very degenerated, they all become very weak. They weren't studying anymore; they weren't practicing much.

So, one of those villagers, he thought, let me bring a real brahmin to come in to preach to these people. He can establish what is the real standards, so he brought in a really pakkā brāhmaṇa, first class, sanskrit everything.

So, when the other brahmins saw, oh no! He’s a really pakkā brāhmaṇa coming, they went to the head one. The head, an old brahmin and they said oh there's a very big, you know paṇḍita come here. He’s going to discuss with you, aren’t you afraid? what we gonna do? Said no, no I have no problem, I know Sanskrit everything, I’ve no problem.

So, then this paṇḍita came to see this old brahman and he said kashtam, which means how are you. Or who are you, how are you whatever. So just like in the Sanskrit, in english you have A B C D E F G, in Sanskrit the alphabet called Ka Kha Ga Gha kna, Ja Jha Ca Cha Ina

[Devotees laughing],

This is a, the alphabet. So as soon as he said kashtam, so then the old pandit who said, oh he said kashtam kashtam kashtam kashtam kashtam jashtam jashtam castham castham nastham chastham, he was going to the A B, adding just like A B C D E F G, he’s going like you know hastham bhastam ṣaṣṭham dastham like that, but in Sanskrit you know

[Devotees laughing].

So, this other paṇḍita, what’s this guy doing? You know..

[Devotees laughing].

Someone is like gibberish you know, so this is no use talking with this person. He doesn’t know anything you know, he just walked off and then the other, see, I defeated him

[Guru Mahārāja & Devotees laughing].

So previous ācāryas they say that. Just like that, people don’t what to actually come to a, a proper discussion, then what’s the use. They may think they’re defeating but they don’t actually want to discuss.

Devotional service can only be understood by oral reception. Someone gives a submissive question, hears the answer, tries to understand, in this way there’s actual communication. For the impersonalists better not to communicate, just word jugglery until your mind becomes bewildered and it’s all one, ya, forget about it you know. But for devotees we want to know what is the absolute truth? Who am I? We want to know everything very clearly. And the devotees therefore they have, their communication to understand, Kṛṣṇa requires very careful concentration, hearing.

So, in this way one has to be very, know, very straightforward and simple. You see, sometimes someone may be little proud that they know a lot. So they don’t really want to listen, but they did not know the actual purport.

For instance, once there was this brāhmaṇa who was very good Sanskrit scholar, of grammar. But he didn’t know much about the Vedic ślokas or philosophy. So, he was going back home, crossing through the village and he met, and then one villager ask him where you’re going? He said I’m going home to my village. He said, don’t go in to the forest, go the long way around to the village. So why?

Cause there’s a tiger been seen in the forest. Arey tiger! I’m Sanskrit scholar. You know the Sanskrit meaning of the word tiger in Sanskrit? Tiger is called ‘bhagra’, so this is comprised of many letters like ‘bha’, ‘agra’. So ‘bha’ this means auspicious and so many nice meanings like Bhagavān, so ‘bha’ is very auspicious, powerful, opulent. Also ‘agra’ means that someone who is a very enthusiastic, energetic.

So, what we are not worrying about tiger is so many good qualities are there in a tiger.

[Devotees laughing].

So, the villager said, well I, I don’t know all the Sanskrit grammar

[Devotees laughing]

but this tiger you see, they’re very hungry

[Devotees laughing]

and are known to sometimes eat people. So, I thought that better you go the other way. No, no I’m a brāhmaṇa, my life is meant for others. So, if that tiger eats me what’s the harm? I’m feeding the tiger, isn’t it serving others?

Well, I don’t know I have brahmins are meant to be tiger’s food my dear paṇḍita [Devotees laughing]. But I’m just advising you, you know everything but if you can come through the village is safer, that’s all. No no it’s alright, thank you very much.

Then that paṇḍita went into the forest, thinking of his grammar. You see, it was quite dark in the forest, the bamboos and some bushes and. Ah!

(Guru Mahārāja:shouting)

[Devotees laughing],

The tiger leaped out and grabbed him by the leg and start chewing ah!

[Devotees laughing].

Then the Sanskrit paṇḍita he’s starts thinking, oh! My goodness, I just remembered another meaning of the word tiger in Sanskrit

[Devotees laughing],

One who devours others. Why didn’t I think of that earlier?

[Devotees laughing].

So, the moral of the story is that, we have to be very practical, utility is the principle. Sometimes someone they become very preoccupied with superficial arguments. Sometimes you hear people, no no I don’t have to worry. I’m older devotee, māyā would not get me, you don’t know what is the meaning of māyā, this that all. They may come up with some philosophy just like that sanskrit paṇḍita. But the reality of the tiger is different. You see, the tiger will leap when he gets the chance. Māyā will also attack us when it gets the chance, when she gets the chance.

So, we have to be very practical, we had to really understand what is the real meaning and not used to word jugglery, not get some kind of very impractical philosophical idea. So that’s where devotional service is very pragmatic, practical, telling us this is the. This is the Supreme personality of Godhead, this is the material energy, this is what you can do this is what you can’t do. This is recommended for devotees and this is not recommended. And we follow the principles, then we’re safe. Otherwise, we get into difficulty. Just like the man who wanted to get the jackfruit but got oil on his mustache instead.

Jayapatākā Swami: (aside) You know that story? You know what jackfruit is? So big fruit like this, like a watermelon in size, but it’s tropical fruit, grows higher in the tree and it’s very sweet, it tastes. It has a smell something like bubblegum, I’ve so hard only I’ve not explain it, it’s a very, very sweet kind of smell.

So, this one man he was walking down the road and he could smell the jackfruit. Oh! (smelling) Jackfruit! My favorite! And he saw in this big orchard in the top of the tree there was a very big jackfruit.

So, he thought, oh! I love jackfruit. I want to eat that jackfruit. He looked around and said nobody here, somebody is just leaving their field, aren’t taken care of. So I can just go and get the jackfruit. You see inside the jackfruit there’s a very thick skin. When you open the skin inside there’s small small little pieces of jackfruit. And there’s inside, and that’s packed with some other fibers. And there’s some kind of sticky substance is there. So, it gets very, like gum.

So, he had a big mustache, so he was afraid, if I eat the jackfruit it will get all stuck in my mustache. So, he went to the store and got some oil and he greased up his mustache. Because when he eats the jackfruit it won’t get stuck in the, it won’t get stuck because of the oil. So, he came with his mustache all greased up, looking up the tree then he start climbing up the tree.

Just a drool is coming down and he was Ah! jackfruit, finally gets almost up to the jackfruit, Oh! (shouting), the branch broke, boom, he fell on the ground, oh! His arms broken, his back is bruised, he's lying down, he’s just looking up, at the jackfruit

[Devotees laughing].

But his mustache is oiled, then he’s screaming, oh! Then the gardener for the garden, he hears, what's going on? He came running jackfruit thief! Plough plough he starts hitting it with his stick, his.

So there’s a moral to this story

[Devotees laughing].

If we try to get love of, fruit of love of Godhead, but we don’t wanna go through the guru-paramparā, we don’t wanna go the proper way, we may just be very proud, I don’t need guru, I don’t need devotees, I can do it on my own, you see. We may think, I’m gonna taste it any minute, even put a little oil on our mustache, but that’s all the courses we get.

Instead, we get broken bum, we get smashed, we get beaten by māyā. And when we can look at the fruit, we can rub the mustache but nothing, only pain. If we want to get the fruit we have to go the proper way according to the scriptures, according to the disciplic succession. So, like this our previous ācāryas have told many little examples which are very interesting. They illustrate, how we have to be very straight forward in our devotional service. That, devotional service if we perform it properly, it’s not difficult, it’s very straight and you see. But devotees have one way of solving their problem, they have the, a way of solving the problem according to sādhu, śāstra and guru.

The Māyāvādīs they have another way of solving the problem. And the materialist they have another way of solving their problems. So, which is the real solution that actually works?

(aside) You know the story about the boy with a boil?

So once there was a ten-year-old boy, and he had a boil.

(aside) You know what boil are? They have boils in Switzerland?

*His Holiness asks in local language [Devotees laughing].*

Jayapatākā Swami: So this was in the back, very big one. You know the kind that throb boom boom boom boom with a blood which is like throbbing. Mommy mommy! It hurts, oh my back, oh my back, mommy, do something.

So, the mother came, what to do? Here the boy is in complete pain. So, she knew naturopathy, she went to the forest and got some leaves soaked in the water. Put the cool leaves around the boil and the sister, she came in. she starts to blow on the boil. Ah! Relief, the boy felt relief for at least five minutes. But then again it started to hurt. So, mommy it’s hurting again, so sister ofuu, ofuu, ofuu she’s trying to blow hard you know. More leaves, this way was not very effective. He couldn’t sleep, how may long could they go on put the leaves, just 10, 15 minutes, 5 minutes it give relief.

So, they’re trying to help the son but, then one uncle came. He was the uncle who travel far and wide but he had then too bad in different places so, the uncle came. So, they ask the uncle please, what’s the solution? Our boy here is got the boil, it’s hurting him so much. So he looked. Yes, I have the perfect solution, just kill the boy [Devotees laughing]. Then there will be no more problem for boil [Devotees laughing], all the problem will be solved.

In fact, there is no more problem at all, all the problem of life will be finished just, why bother [Devotees laughing]. But the mother didn’t appreciate neither [Devotees laughing]. So, little like eccentric this uncle.

So, then the father, he came and they asked please what to do though, your son is suffering so much. So, he thought, said, I’m gonna go get a doctor. So, he went out, found a good doctor. The doctor came, saw the situation, he opened up his little black bag, took out the surgical knife. And the boy saw the knife, he became very frightened. No, no, no. he’s gonna kill me, he’s gonna kill me with the knife,.I don’t wanna die, I don’t wanna die, no no, I don’t wanna die by the hand of this doctor, let me die any other way but not him, he’s gonna kill me, no no! He’s like a real hysterically.

But the doctor, he didn’t pay any attention, he went to the back, he just saw, so be quite hold on a second. He just lanced, cut the top of the boil and with hot compressors took out all the dirty blood and the pus and all those things that are inside boil. And then he put antiseptic and nice bandage and very soon that boy felt relief.

So, then the father apologized for his son, please my dear doctor, you did a wonderful job. But please forgive my boy, he was so naughty, he was criticizing you and accusing you. Doctor said this happens sometimes, but we can’t take it seriously. We had to do our duty, we had to help people who are in suffering, so it’s alright. So, he packed up his bag and he left.

So, here we had three different people who tried to solve this problem. The boy was in suffering, the mother and the sister they put the leaves and blowing, then the uncle who said to kill the boy, then the doctor who cured the disease. So there three different solutions, the mother and sister what type of, their solution represents what kind of philosophy or like?

(aside:) Who can say?

Materialistic, exactly. They're materialistic, simply try to do the superficial recover it up. Your suffering, you should forget about it, everything would be alright. Alright your wife left you? Just get another one. Alright this is the problem you lost your job, go out have a good party, get drunk, forget about it. So many material solutions are there to just make you forget about the problem, but doesn't solve the problem. The sufferings of life, birth, death, old age, disease, so many other problems of karma, they're again and again coming. Just temporarily you forget, again it’s there. So this is the materialistic, they give some superficial, little relief is there, again the same problem.

(aside:) And the uncle? Who said just that to kill the boy, what is that philosophy like?

Māyāvādī, correct. There’s recommending a merge into the light, merge into the impersonal Brahman. So, this is like a spiritual suicide, finish it off, no more personal existence. So, all your problems are solved. You are suffering so much? End it, then end your existence as an individual, then no more problem. But this is very morbid, this is suicidal.

(aside:) And the doctor, who is that like?

Haribol! Ya, this is the saṅkīrtana devotees of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They’re going and they’re giving the actual solution. You see but sometimes people protest. Sometime when saṅkīrtana people, they don’t understand the, the parents they go after deprogram my child, they may become a devotee. They think oh the devotee is going to harm. They don’t realize the devotee is a real doctor who’s giving the actual cure. They’re acting as representative of guru and they are, they are to solve the problems of life, and they have the actual solution. But when the people take the cure of devotional service then they get relief from their suffering. Then they may appreciate at the end.

So, this saṅkīrtana is actually the time benediction for humanity at large. The saṅkīrtana devotees are giving but, sometime they, some people don’t appreciate, sometime they appreciate, that depends. But they know there, their duty and they go out to help the conditioned souls. Even here the little boy is thinking otherwise, but the doctor has to save him. So all those some materialist they don’t understand what the devotees are doing. Once they become Kṛṣṇa conscious then they can appreciate. We have to cure them somehow or another. This Bhagavad-gītā is filled with so much wisdom, this is the nectar of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to give out this mercy to everyone. And then by doing that, then actually people are, can achieve the highest benediction of life.

Otherwise, people are facing so many difficulties in their life, without any solution. They may come up with so many different ideas and speculations, but doesn’t really solve the problem. So, the saṅkīrtana devotees, Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s followers, representatives, they have the actual solution.

Jayapatākā Swami:

(aside:) Any questions? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: Just as in Bhagavad-gītā, in the 9th chapter, it’s called the most confidential knowledge. Actually, knowledge about personality of Godhead is the most confidential. It doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to come to impersonal idea.

Everything in this world is personal, you are suffering, so the solution must be that God is impersonal, not a person, and there’s no suffering. Day and night, white and black, they just take the opposite. They don’t have actually information about the spiritual world. Very, those who know about the incarnations of Godhead, they think that incarnations are coming from the impersonal Brahman.

In India this is the biggest we meet, give examinations for initiation or something, we always ask them what is the basis? Impersonal Brahman or Bhagavān? Bhagavān comes from the Brahman or Brahman comes from Bhagavān. This point people got confused, they think that the ultimately, everything is impersonal. Because they're using that logic, that I’m a person, so God must be impersonal. If Kṛṣṇa is a person means He must not be the full form of God, full form must be impersonal, this is their mistake.

So, in order to understand the actual philosophy of Vaiṣṇavism, of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, you had to have a bonafide guru. You had to come in the disciplic succession, you had to hear from the devotees or saṅkīrtana devotees. You had to, you cannot, they can’t figure it out unless they get it from you, as a devotee. On their own nobody can understand the real position of the absolute truth of personality of Godhead. That’s why they need a devotee to go out, saṅkīrtana devotees to go out and actually give them the mercy. Otherwise, they can’t understand.

So that big difference is they’re saying that everything is ultimately nothing or impersonal. Whatever we see is just illusion ‘jagat mithyā brahma satyaṁ’, it’s all false. And Prabhupāda says, they’re so busy with the false world. We don’t say this world is false, we say it’s temporary. It’s a energy of Kṛṣṇa, it’s asat, we don’t say nitya, we don’t say false but say it’s temporary. So, we use the temporary energy in the service of Kṛṣṇa, it becomes spiritualized. It becomes eternal. Materially speaking you can say that this book is made of paper and glue and ink and so on. But because it’s the words of Kṛṣṇa that we’re giving this as part of the saṅkīrtana-yajña, so this is actually transcendental. But the, the, the Māyāvādī they can’t understand this activity to be transcendental. Because their concept is completely different, they think everything that has form is temporary, only truth is the nothingness or the impersonal. So, there’s a very big difference.

So, in the beginning, in the basic things okay, karma, the ātmā, what is the self, what is karma. What is the universe, up to the point of impersonal Brahman we have a lot in common with the, the jñānī. When it comes to the understanding of, of the absolute truth and what is the relationship of this material world with the absolute truth, then there’s a big difference. If you think that absolute truth is impersonal, then you think you’re God. Where’s the question of bhakti?

Devotion can only be there when there is the Lord and there is the devotee, there’s the worship, worshiper and worship. But the impersonalist say everything is one, everyone is God. So, where’s the question of worship? So, they cannot be pure devotion for the impersonalists. They may, their idea of devotion is worship the guru, use his head like a stepping stone and push yourself up into the Brahman and become God. Worship the guru until you become God, then you’re as good as the guru. There’s no devotion about, in the higher sense. But they may use the ritual just as a meditation.

That’s, I don’t know if I could explain it, so you could understand. There’s very big difference. They may say some words that sound the same but their idea is different. When we say that Paramātmā is all pervasive, so we say Brahman is all pervading, we believe in Brahman, we don’t disbelieve in Brahman. But Brahman is coming from Kṛṣṇa, it’s Kṛṣṇa’s effulgence. They believe in Brahman, there’s nothing about Brahman. If Kṛṣṇa is below Brahman, everything is below Brahman, Brahman is the top, that’s impersonalists. We know Kṛṣṇa is the origin and from Kṛṣṇa, like this from sun there’s a sunlight, the brahma-jyotī is coming from Kṛṣṇa and His spiritual planets.

(aside) You understand?

Say about demons who were killed by Kṛṣṇa. And pretty lucky to be killed by Kṛṣṇa, pretty fortunate. But those who fully worship the unmanifested that which lies beyond the perception of the senses the all-pervading, inconceivable, unchanging, fixed and immovable. The impersonal conception of the Absolute truth by controlling the various senses in being equally disposed to everyone. Such persons engage in the welfare of all, at last achieve me.

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

Same idea, the point else who fully worship the unmanifest. Who control their senses and are equally disposed to everyone, doing welfare works for everything, eventually they can reach Kṛṣṇa?

But how they reach Kṛṣṇa is eventually they come to devotional service. It’s not that they reach Kṛṣṇa by impersonal practice. But by performing the impersonal practice fully, they're saying here fully. Just working for the welfare of others. Being fully absorbed gradually they get purified from their karmas and eventually they may come in contact with some devotee, or they come in, just like the four kumāras, they came in contact with Nārāyaṇa and they became devotees.

Or like Śukadeva Goswami, he was impersonalist, but he personally heard from Vyāsadeva and from Kṛṣṇa Himself when he was in the womb of his mother. So he became converted to become a personalist. So, when someone reaches the actual stage of realization, which is very long path. If they come in contact with the devotee then there is a hope that they can, they also become devotee.

(aside) Yes. How do they account for karma?

The karma is part of the material world. Everyone just like the buddhists, they don’t believe in God, but they believe in karma. So, laws of nature, karma, everyone is under karma. Just like see, the buddhists or the impersonalists. The buddhists don’t have any concept of getting free from karma. The impersonalists have a concept of liberation and freeing yourself from karma. The buddhists, see you suffer all your karma then you be, get nirvāṇa. But the Vaiṣṇava is not that, by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, by little devotional service one can be freed from unlimited karma.

(aside:) You heard the history of Angulimala? It’s a true story.

There was once a, a dacoit, the thief, or a robber. And he would, he would rob from people in the highway, steal their money. But he had a trademark, he would cut off the little finger and he dry it in the sun and he had a garland of people’s fingers. With this called, little finger is called ‘aṅguli’ and ‘mālā’ like, ‘mālā’ means garland, so Angulimala means finger garland [Devotees laughing]. So when people saw him, you know they’re so frightened, they just immediately know, he’d be going around with this finger garland. So he’d be very fearsome person you know. I mean you can imagine meeting a guy like that under subway or something [Devotees laughing]. But somehow, he met Lord Buddha and Buddha preach to him, they make a long story, short cause it’s very late, already.

Ah, kind of like Mṛgāri the hunter, or the dasyu Ratnakara who became Vālmīki. Like he preach to him, and actually convinced him to give up his sinful ways. So, he became a buddhist monk, a bhikkhu, and he start to beg from house to house. So, for years together, he did all the tapasyās everything. The buddhist monks are very austere like they did not, and they don’t so much anymore but.

So, then he went to one house and the person was giving charity in his begging bowl. But that person was missing one finger on his hand, that is one of the people he had stolen from. And then you know, you can imagine that person had a a very strong impression, you know losing your finger, so many don’t forget every day. So, then he noticed that this person who’s begging from me, he’s just same guy who cut off the finger. And the he became very angry and he just arrested this guy and start beating him. Say you’re the guy Angulimala, I remember you cut my finger and he beat him and killed him.

So, all the other monks, they really upset, they went to Buddha. He was doing everything, all the tapasyās and all the penances, so but why was he killed? Even after he surrendered and became a bhikkhu.

But Buddha said that in this process doing good works doesn’t counteract bad works. You have to suffer all your bad karma; you just stop doing more bad karma and you suffer. Now he’s freed from all those karmas, the next birth he’d be better off, to a Vedist. To suffer all the things, you’ve done. You do good works and then do meritorious work and then eventually you go back, you get nirvāṇa. You cease to exist. So, their process is seeing, very difficult. They don’t have any idea about how to get rid of karmas. So, they just say do good works and tolerate the suffering. But in the Vaiṣṇava, we understand, when we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, surrender to guru, we stop doing sinful activity while we do positive devotional service. Then we are purified with so many karmas. So that whole link with law of karma is changed.

So, the devotees they can by chanting one time the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offence, they can get rid of more karmas that what we can perform. So, the impersonalists they don’t, they don’t have such a easy way of getting rid of karmas as devotees. That’s why it’s very difficult path.

(aside) So who likes to practice the impersonal path? Who like to practice bhakti-yoga path? Haribol!

Devotees: His Divine Grace Prabhupāda Ki! Jai!

Second Level Proofer: Karuṇāpati Keśava das

Second Level Proofed on: 08-Jan-2021