Bhagavad-gītā Seriatim #1

Bhagavad-gītā Seriatim #1

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Dhamma-namo natto saha-viryaṁ kara-bhāvahaih Edas-vigā-bhakti-tam-astu-mādhi-viṣāvahaih O Śānti, Śānti, Śānti Om naya śrī -kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi -gaura-bhakta-vinda Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare Now we’re going to begin this bhakti-śāstra study course. So basically how it’s functioning is that the academy’s study, you know, for the Gītā and these connected literatures is actually a three-year course. That’s the same as what this is. Do you need this now? No, it’s the same thing here, OK. So the first year is what is, what would be, you know how you say, classically called the bhakti-śāstra course. So that’s a chronological study of the Bhāgavad -gītā, Nectar of Devotion, Īśopaniṣad, Upadeśa-mṛta. So you’re studying basically the Upaniṣadic philosophy, because Gītā is the essence of the Upaniṣads, Īśopaniṣads considered the foremost of the Upaniṣads. And then you’re studying the science of devotional service in Nectar of Devotion and Upadeśa-mṛta. So Nectar of Devotion is the book that defines devotional service, right. And Bhāgavad-gītā and Īśopaniṣad, they define your fundamental philosophy, right. So basically anything else will be based on this, right. It’s not that, okay, well there’s some other books. No, it’s based on this. It’s just expanding all the works of the ācāryas in that they are, how do you say, expansions of Nectar of Devotion, when they’re giving their definitions of the devotional process, it’s not something else. They’re just taking like a verse from there or a concept from there and then writing a whole work on that. So this is your fundamental. But it’s a chronological study, starting at the beginning of the work and going to the end, right. So that’s what’s done in the first year. And if you understand this nicely, see the connections nicely, then you’ll have a good solid foundation in Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy.

The second year, then, that is analysis of these same scriptures.

As Prabhupāda says in studying that there’s two aspects. You read the book and you study the book. So reading means you start from the beginning and you go to the end. Study means you see the connecting points that go throughout the work, right. There are certain points that are being made, certain themes that are being made, right. And so these have to be studied, right. So like you see in a work, because you’re introducing a subject, you’ll give the basic elements of the subject in the opening. Then you’ll start to deepen on those, you know, one after another or all together. But in any case you go and then you’ll take something more and more. So at the end of the work, then you understand what is being discussed, right. Now what’s being discussed at the end and what’s being discussed at the beginning are the same thing, just it’s in a more developed stage. So that means that the points that are being made there have been developed through the work.

So the analysis of it means taking those themes and seeing how they’re developed in the work. What is the fundamental point of that particular theme? What’s its expansion? What’s its conclusion? Does it make sense? So that’s why it’s a different study. So then that’s what will be in the second year. So the second year is the analysis of Bhagavad Gita. This analysis was written by Srila Prabhupada in the fifties. It’s very little known. Devotees may have seen it here and there. It comes up in the Vyasa Puja book occasionally.

But most haven’t seen it. It’s there in the folio, but most don’t notice it. But his actual analyzation of the Bhagavad Gita in the Upanishadic format is broken up into the parts like is being broken up in the Vedanta Sutra. Because the Vedanta Sutra is the study of the Upanishads, a very analytical, thematic study of the Upanishads.

So that same formula has been used by Srila Prabhupada to analyze Bhagavad Gita.

So in other words, Vedanta Sutra is that analytical study of the philosophy of the Bhagavata. So this is the analytical study of Gita, of the Upanishads. Because the Upanishads are the essence of the Vedas, and from that you’ve got Vedanta Sutra and the Bhagavatam. So the Vedanta Sutra will be that analytical study, and the other will be more of a conversation, that nice pleasant presentation that you’re able to catch things as it goes.

Then Upadesa Amrita will be studied according to the Tattva Sutras. Bhaktivinoda Thakur established the Upanishadic, our philosophy, the Bhagavata philosophy, presented according to the Upanishadic formulas in the Tattva Sutras. So then that is being applied to the Isopanishad, right? Nectar of Devotion, then it has, its analysis then we see is accomplished in so many of these works of the acaryas. They go through in so many different themes and ways of studying the themes that are there. And then the Upadesa Amrita, that itself is actually the essence of the Nectar of Devotion. So that will be the second year where one learns to analyze the philosophy. Then the third year will be seeing the essential points of the philosophy, understanding the various Vedic ways of approaching the philosophy, and also a study of the, an overview of the Vedic literature. So you actually know what are the scriptures that the Gita is the essence of.

All the Vedic literatures are there, their essence is given in the Mahabharata, Gita is the actual essence of the Mahabharata. So what is it that is talked about in this Vedic culture? What is the breadth of knowledge that’s being given? So that’s what will be studied. So each of these years they carry their own degree, so they’re complete in themselves, but at the same time they’re a natural chronological study. So then what will be happening? And then the idea is also, since by observation most devotees aren’t here all the time, they’re much of the time out of Mayapur, they’re either visiting Mayapur, or even if they live in Mayapur, so much of the time they’re not in Mayapur. So what we’re trying to do is instead of running it at like the four, one, two classes a day, we’re going to run it for a shorter time, between now and Gaurapurnima, at four periods a day. So there’ll be two periods for the Gita, one for Nectar of Devotion, one for Isopanisad. The Upadesa Mita will be fitted in between the Nectar of Devotion and Isopanisad.

So that way then, in the four and a half months of this term, then one will be able to study everything that was planned, originally planned to be studied in this course, but to a proper depth and degree. So there is work to do, but it’s not more than one needs to do. I mean more than one can do. So Gita basically, tomorrow we’ll discuss it more, over this week.

We’ll present it for next week. But what is necessary, basically you’re studying a chapter of Gita a week, or a chapter of Isopanisad or Nectar of Devotion. Sometimes it may be a bit more, sometimes a bit less. So that’s not a lot of reading in a week. And for each of these, every week there’ll be an essay to be written. The essay is short, half page to one page. We don’t want more. One is you don’t need to spend the time writing it. And two is if you can’t write what you want to say, and half a page to one page means you don’t actually know what you want to say.

So this is not, let’s see your erudition and how much facts and figures you can pull together. We’re talking about do you understand the essence of the points we’ve discussed. So this is not an exercise in essay writing, creative writing, in preparing for writing doctoral theses that you have to have 300 pages, otherwise they won’t look at it. This is do you actually know what we’re talking about. Do you actually know what you’re trying to say. That’s why we’ve chosen half a page. You can say it in half a page means you know what you’re talking about. We’re not talking here about a full exposition on it. That will take many pages. That you can take books that we’re just saying do you understand the essence. So that’s what is there. It’s not being graded on your English, but it is being graded on the content.

So we don’t, no excuse why I don’t know English. It’s a matter of you get to the essence. I don’t care if it’s in pigeon English, but it better be saying what we’ve been talking about. It’s not an excuse. I won’t buy some shoes, I don’t know English. That’s not going to fly. We’re not grading it on your content, your language. Other courses and other schools do. You can’t write a nice essay, you’re not going to get very far. Here it’s a separate thing. Even for the boys, when they do it, it’s two things. They’re getting graded for their English. They’re getting graded for their philosophy. Adults will only worry about your philosophy.

Don’t worry about the English. But you have to say what you mean to say. So if you know what you’re saying, you’ll be able to write it. If you don’t know, you won’t be able to write it. Does that make sense? That’s why I always keep asking, when you have a question, say it in one sentence. These five-minute questions mean you actually don’t know what you’re talking about. Or you think you’re the only one that knows what you’re talking about, and so therefore you feel, unless I give the whole background, no one else will understand. No, we understand. As soon as the first sentence comes out of your mouth, we know what you’re talking about. We don’t even have to listen to your five-minute question. We can give you an answer. But because of the emotions, and you feel, unless I’ve spoken for five minutes, you don’t have the background, so you won’t understand the emotional angle I’m coming from, so therefore you won’t be able to answer my question. But this is not a psychoanalysis here.

Like that. If it is, then please deposit $300 before the session. That’s what we charge per hour.

That’s a standard rate. In fact, now most of the time it’s $500, but we know we’ll settle for $300.

You understand? So this is an intellectual understanding. If there are emotions involved, you have some misgivings, fine. But still, word your question according to intelligence, which means the point. Then once you’ve made the point, then if there’s need be, then you explain it. That is the Vedic system. Pancanganyaya means I know my point. I can explain my point, meaning just to expand. I can give examples to support my point.

Anything that opposes my point, I can absorb within my philosophy, my presentation, and I can bring you to a conclusion now that you can practically use. That’s jnana, that’s logic. All this talking around, this is the mind, that’s emotions. It’s not intelligence. We may use big words, fancy words, fancy references. It still doesn’t mean it’s just not fancy emotions.

That’s all. Does this make sense? Yes. I have a question from some of the correspondent students. Because last year there was a delay in uploading the classes.

That you would have to ask to Shankar Gopal. Like that, that kind of technical stuff you’re asking. Like that, you ask me about this, that, this. I wouldn’t know which end of the computer, you know, would be uploading or downloading your stuff. Yes. OK.

Yes. So basically is, there’ll be discussions during the week. You should have read the material before the discussion so that it has more relevance. At the end of the week, in other words, on the weekend you write the essay for the previous week’s discussions and study. And you study and read for the next week. If you want to do it during the week, however you do it, that’s there. We’ve also arranged that all the classes are in the morning before noon. So that the afternoon and the evening you have free. Because I know it’s much easier to focus if you don’t have to keep moving back and forth and worry about things. Everything’s in the morning, so there’s a lot happening. But then after that it’s free. So then you want to eat, you want to take a nap, you want to do whatever you want to do. You will be able to get the time. Well, we found that you keep going back and forth, back and forth. Somehow the time runs out. And as it is with the half of the day free, still the sun will set. And, you know, mongology will happen. So you still are on time. OK. OK.

So now I don’t know. But, you know, this we’re going to start discussing the introduction. So then it would be best is that today that is read. Then it will make some more sense. Because in the class we’re going to go through and hit the main points. You’re going to have the study guide that goes with it. So you’re going to read and look at the study guide so you understand what you’re reading. You know. How you want to read. Do you have any recommendation on that? Read the study guide. Don’t read the thing. Don’t read the thing. Read the study guide. Read them together. Don’t read them. Huh? Together. OK. So basically you’ll find out what works for you. Because what is being given here is what are the essential points. Interesting is as these points go through, Prabhupada in his presentations is so analytical exactly when he goes through that it exactly follows in that order. It’s not like there’s a little here, a little there. No, it just exactly goes. The fun part is that this is taken from, the introduction is taken from a lecture that he gave. And the lecture is so analytical and so progressive, naturally, chronologically progressive that you can, when we say here the spirit of Gita, that’s the first point. You’ll just go through and then you’ll say, so the spirit of Gita, and then you’ll just talk. And then the next point, the purpose of Gita. Therefore, the purpose is like this. It’s very, very nice. So this is what we’re trying to learn. It’s not just a matter of memorizing philosophy. And this is not memorization. Here is what is understanding. Even better is realization. Realization is up to you. Realization comes by understanding and contemplating the philosophy and practicing it. Right? You practice the philosophy that you contemplate, you get realization. You don’t practice it, you’ll get understanding, right, if you’re sharp. Like that. But doing service and studying the philosophy together, that gives realization. If you only do one or the other, you won’t get realization.

So that’s why somebody, a great scholar that doesn’t seem to be well-situated devotionally, because they don’t connect it to their life. Right? So it doesn’t have any, they don’t get realization, so it doesn’t change their lifestyle. Or you have a devotee who very nicely practices, but he’s not philosophical, doesn’t analyze what he’s doing. Therefore, his sentiment is very strong, but something happens, he gets distracted.

You understand? So you, in your own life, may have seen examples of both of these. This is why. They have to be combined. You know? So, since you’re not in the school, we can’t oversee that you’re working in this way. Does that make sense?

But that’s actually sense, because it’s happening. Just tell them we’re down here and so on. Tell them it’s, we’re very nice to know that they’re, you know, busy, you’d say. Language, so that they’re busy in language skills. Otherwise, they should move to the next floor up.

Okay, so now, what’s going to be given? So, the introduction of the Gita is giving an analysis of the main points of the Gita. And the main points that you have to understand to actually be able to study properly the Gita. So, as we discussed, have discussed in the past, this is all based on, philosophy is based on the principles defined as Vastu Traya. Vastu means substance, Traya means three. There are three substances. You have your Sambandha, Abhidheya, and Prayojana.

So, what all the aspects of these, you understand that, you actually understand what’s going on. You don’t understand all of them, you actually won’t fully understand. You may know more than others, you may be able to quote more verses and this and that, that’s nice. But you should fill it out and complete it by actually understanding all the aspects. So, your Sambandha is going to establish the field of activity, which includes yourself, God, and the material energy that’s there, whatever you’re dealing with. So, material energy is a nature and all aspects of it work according to the same fundamental principles. Detail will be different. You’re working with a brick, you’re working with a rock, there is a slight difference. You can build with both of them, they’re both hard, like this, but there is a slight difference how you deal with them. You’re building a rock wall, it’ll be different than a brick wall. But the point is, you can build a wall.

So, you have to understand who you are, who God is, and what the material energy is. So, that establishes your identity. What is the proper relationship? Who are you, who’s God, and all this? What’s the material energy? What’s your relationship?

Then you have to be inspired, you have to know what’s the proper mood in approaching it. You have to know what your goals are. You have to know the process to get the goals. So, all this is what is included within sambandha.

In other words, it is the knowledge of the relationship and everything about the activity and results you’re going to get. But there’s no action here, it’s simply the intellectual understanding and your commitment to it. In other words, intellectually analyzing and the mind being convinced, so it also is partnered to the whole process. So, then that is focus. Then abhidheya will be the actual application, the techniques of application. And your prayojana will be your results.

What will be the experience of that benefits of that?

Does this make sense? So, if you’re analyzing it, basically it’s sambandha. Unless you’re analyzing how exactly the process works, that will be abhidheya. Like nectar devotion is the science of the application.

But it’s based on the field which is defined in the Hari Bhakti Vyasa. Hari Bhakti Vyasa defines the field of devotional service.

But nectar devotion defines how you deal with that field. That’s why Rupa Goswami then refers to Sanatana Goswami in the sixth chapter, saying that all these principles of devotional service are mentioned in the Hari Bhakti Vyasa. He is giving the essence. Does it make sense? Do you understand how this works?

So, now then, the first point is then the spirit in which the Gita should be approached. So, in other words, if you don’t have the right attitude, it means you don’t understand who you are. You don’t understand what you’re dealing with. You’re dealing with a little kid, there’s a mood that you deal. You’re dealing with an adult, it’s different. Somebody respectable, it’s different. Somebody who you should be very careful of, it’s different again.

Does it make sense? So, there must be the proper spirit. You must know how to approach it. Because here the spirit means you’ve included the mind. So, the place we’re going in is you have to be inspired to be involved. If you’re not involved, why will you go to the trouble to figure out everything else?

Does it make sense? Now, this is a way of analyzing the whole thing. This isn’t just arbitrary things. These points here are what you should know.

Any subject matter will be approached in this way. So, it’s being given in the Gita. That’s why this is the first course. This is what establishes the method.

Don’t put it on my desk. Does this see that one?

Let’s just say… No, this is one.

It’s the other one. Other one? Yeah, the other one.

So, that’s the first thing. You know there’s a field. You’re inspired to be involved in it. That’s the first thing. The second thing is then you have the purpose. What you’re trying to get to. Now, being involved with this, what results will I get? What will be the purpose of being involved in this? What will I get from it? So, unless you can understand that, then you’re not going to be inspired. So, you know… Okay, I want to be involved. This is what I can get. Or this is what’s available. Then the third point is the actual subject matter itself. That will be then the… How do you say?

The subject matter itself means what is the body of work? In describing specifically Sambandha, but also anything to do with the Abhidheya approach. That’s just what it is. In other words, what is the topic?

So, that’s the main. But we can see that’s the third thing. Then the fourth will be the process of understanding it. Now, actually applying it. What will be that process by which you can gain it? Then the fifth will be the result of understanding it. You have, okay, the field will do this for me. By chanting Hare Krishna, I’ll develop love of God. Okay?

That’s the purpose. But the result, not developing love for God, what will that be? Right? Then you go back to God.

You understand? There’s a difference here. That’s why it means, in other words, don’t take these parts lightly.

Because this is what you’re going to be dealing with. This is how you break things down and analyze it. Then the sixth is how to practically apply this knowledge to attain the desired result. Right? So, we have the process of understanding, but then you have to have a practically apply it. Right? So, we see is that within Sambandha, there is the understanding of all three parts. But then you actually have to be able to apply it and get the result.

Right? So, in the Sambandha element, then you’re going to be dealing with the spirit, the purpose, the subject and the process. Right? Analyzing that. What will be the mood? What will be the purpose? What’s the subject and what are the processes?

Then you have the result and then you have how to practically apply this. So, you’re going to see, even in the Bhagavatam, in the Chakra Shloki, it uses the same formula.

The first verse, Krishna is everything. The second verse, then what’s important to you, that’s what is Krishna. So, that’s going to be your, what is it you’re looking for and everything. So, the spirit is, everything is Krishna.

Right? Then the purpose is, you’re obtaining your values. Then how to understand God in all these different aspects. Like this.

In other words, be a devotee. Then you can understand the process. Result, then you’ll be able to interact with God face to face. Then the process, how to practically apply that at every time, place and circumstance, you try to apply this knowledge.

In other words, the Abhidheya is always trying to apply this knowledge of Sambandhan Prayogam.

Who you are, what’s your relationship with the Lord, what is the result from interacting in that relationship, what is that process, trying to apply that, that’s Abhidheya.

So here, Prabhupada has taken the Sambandhan, divided it up into four. Generally we’ve seen it’s divided, just as a basic, it’s divided up into two. Here it’s made into four. So you’re getting the spirit, the purpose, the subject and the process.

Actually, you get all three. Purpose, subject, process.

But here then the mood is being given. Does this make sense?

This may, within the Sambandha it may be.

Yeah, you could say within Sambandha then you can apply all four of the Cakravihara. So the spirit would be Prajumna, the purpose would be Aniruddha, Sankarsana, and your process would be Vasudeva. So you have all four within there. Then you have the actual application, then is, but all that will be within. And then you’ll have five, that will be your result, and then six, the practical application. So those are, it means observable. You’re performing the activity, you’re getting results.

Can you explain what is the difference between interest in the field and the knowledge of the result? Interest in the field means you’re inspired to take part in it. But by taking part, what will be the result?

You know what I’m saying? And the field itself, you have the field.

What it is, what do the various aspects of the field, what do they give?

You know what I’m saying? Like you’re chanting, then that puts you in contact with Krishna, and you become purified by being in Krishna’s association. Therefore, then that will bring you, elevate you to the platform of understanding yourself and the relationship with the Lord. Those are your purposes. In other words, you go into a kitchen, what is the purpose of a pot or a spoon or the fire? What are the results you can get?

That’s directly what you get. But the point is, ultimately, then having that cooked food, what will be the result? That’s why there’s a slight difference between the sambandha analyzation of results and the actual result. Because when you have the food, you’re going to do something with it, feed the devotees and interact and all that. So in other words, the cooking process is going to get you cooked food, but dealing with cooked food, then you’re going to have social interaction.

So there’s something like that. So the spirit is that you go into the kitchen, you’re cooking for Krishna, not cooking for yourself, or not that you really hate to be in the kitchen and you have to be there. So right spirit, the right mood is that I’m cooking for Krishna, I’m doing some nice service for Krishna. The purpose is that then I can produce something that is cooked nice for Krishna. It means the subject matter, the processes of understanding is that how to go about, how to see that it works. How can I analyze? Is it cooking properly? Does it make sense? So you’re seeing all that. Then you can deal with the result of understanding and how to practically apply it.

The point is, all six of these are still with me, but it’s dealing with all this.

OK, the spirit of Gita.

Krishna is the Supreme Lord, Bhagavan.

Can one revive one’s relationship with Krishna? C. Only by the process of devotional service can one revive one’s relationship with Krishna. D. Therefore, Gita should be taken up in the spirit of devotion. Krishna is the Supreme Lord. Then only by having a relationship with Krishna can it be understood.

Therefore, only through devotional service can you develop that relationship. So therefore, you should have that devotional understanding to take it up. Does that make sense?

Kind of? In other words, Krishna is the Supreme Lord. Only devotees can understand the Supreme Lord. So if you want to understand the Supreme Lord, then you have to take it up as a devotee.

So we see he’s giving the exact here. The Supreme Lord is here. Gita is understood by a devotee. But it’s only by devotional service can one have that relationship with Krishna.

Therefore, Bhagavad Gita should be taken up in the spirit of devotion. In other words, logic means you have A and A is related to B.

Then you establish B is related to C.

Then you can say because A is related to B, B to C, A is related to C. This is proper logic. The example given is connected.

Does that make sense? So fire means mountain.

Excuse me. There’s smoke on the mountain.

So you have mountain, you have smoke. So the smoke and the mountain are connected. But smoke and fire are connected.

If you can establish that, then that means the fire and the mountain are connected.

Does that make sense? This is logic.

This is if you can catch this, then you’ll be able to think and deal with things logically. This is all. It’s that simple. Nyaya, it’s basic is A equals B, B equals C. Therefore, A equals C. That’s what you’re trying to do. You’re inferring what’s there. So Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So now, Gita is understood by a devotee who is in a direct relationship with Krishna. So you can understand Gita only through a direct relationship with Krishna. Right? So the next point is that only by devotional service can one have a direct relationship with Krishna. Right? So that means we’ve said Gita is understood by a devotee. You can only be a devotee who has a relationship with Krishna. So therefore, only through devotional service can you have a relationship with Krishna. So only those who are trying to have a relationship with Krishna can understand the Gita.

Clear?

Clear? Okay. So then the point is we should at least theoretically accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And then, otherwise, we’ll not be able to understand Gita. So at least in theory, we have to accept. Otherwise, we can’t understand Gita because Gita can only be understood by someone in a relationship with Krishna. So unless you accept the process to have that relationship with Krishna, you’ll never understand Gita.

Right? So it means as with time, this will become more easily understandable. It’s this process. But this is what you’ll learn. In other words, you may go to other courses of Bhakti Shastra, and you’ll go through the book. You’ll learn a lot of material. There’ll be a lot of understanding or realizations. But here specifically, we’re trying to learn the philosophy to practically use it in yours and others’ life. You understand analyzation, then you can see where either your own or others’ practices or understandings are wrong. Then you can correct it.

If you can just drive your car and if something goes wrong, you know nothing about the car, can you fix it? No. You can drive the car, but if something goes wrong, you can do nothing.

So in the philosophy, we know the basic points. And so therefore, we’re involved in the philosophy.

But the problem comes as if we don’t understand how to analyze the philosophy. If there’s some problem there, we won’t be able to deal with that.

And that may distract us or it may make us not so effective in our preaching.

Does that make sense? So this is what we’re trying to gain here. That’s why I’m saying it’s not a matter of memorization. It’s a matter of having an understanding of what is actually going on in this.

What is the philosophy that’s been given? Because Gita is Upanishad. We say in the Vedic, when you say something is foundational, it doesn’t mean it’s for babies. It means it is the essence. And from the essence, you can expand unlimitedly. Right?

Does this make sense? Right? So just like, let’s say, in a kitchen, are the pots and pans and fire and all that, are these like, because that’s what you have to start with, so is that for babies? As you become more advanced, then you don’t have pots and pans.

Do you understand? No. More advanced means you can do more things with those pots and pans.

That’s what it means.

In Gita, as you advance, you can do more with it. So anything else is based on that. It’s a very difference in approach between the modern and the Vedic. Because in the modern, what you learn in your lower grades, they don’t worry about that in the higher levels. At the same time, in the lower levels, they’re trying to deal with higher level stuff, though they haven’t taught you the basic stuff.

You know what I’m saying? They try to teach you creative writing. You don’t actually even know grammar.

Does that make sense? So in other words, it’s an art. So they’re just trying to… The Vedas are science. So the foundation, because it’s descending knowledge. So Krishna is the origin. That’s very simple. It’s one point. But he expands into the whole cosmic creation. That’s unlimited. So there’s one fundamental point. There’s unlimited expansion of that point.

Does it make sense? Yeah? So are all these kind of deadpan faces because you’re thoughtful in thinking, or it actually doesn’t mean anything to you, one thing. What is this guy blabbing about?

Thoughtful. Any other opinions? That’s the preferred social standing to take? Okay. Just to make sure. Okay.

So now the spirit is there. If that right mood is there, then you can do it. In other words, if the mood’s not devotional, it’s not going to work. So that’s why the materialist, he can have the same thing. He has a different spirit.

He’ll get a different result. He can memorize Gita. He can know all the shlokas. He can analyze it, take words, and do all this and that, go on forever. But he won’t develop a relationship with Krsna. So since we’re studying Gita to develop a relationship with Krsna, therefore then we have to follow that devotional process. Right? So we can see that we’re trying to understand Krsna, to submit to Krsna. You’ve got it. You understand Him, you understand everything. Prabhupada says, when the sun comes up in the morning, then you can see yourself in the mirror.

Right? So we are reflecting that mood and that relationship that Krsna has with the devotees. We can reflect that.

Does that make sense? You know, it’s mentioned, I think it’s Narottama dasa Thakura in his song to Rupa Goswami, that he is serving Radharani and Krsna so nicely. So that service then will reflect on him. Right? You can reflect that and reflect that back. So their nice mood and service, you can reflect that to enhance their service.

Does that make sense? You know, it’s just like you look fine. Right? But you look in the mirror and appreciate how fine it is, you’re happier.

You understand? So that’s the point, that Jivas can reflect that mood that is there with Krsna and the direct associates.

You understand? We can reflect that. It’s not us. It’s not our devotion.

Right? Radharani, she has devotion. We can reflect that devotion. It’s not that it’s now. It’s our devotion.

You understand? So that’s why it’s always been said, we’re a servant. We’re serving this service. So we serve by reflecting.

Does that make sense?

So to understand how Krsna is in everything, then we have to, that can only be done by someone who is a devotee of Krsna. Right? So that means only by the process of devotional service can you become a devotee. So therefore to understand the Supreme Lord, I have to accept the mood of devotional service.

Does that make sense? Right? We catch that in logic. So when we say logic, I don’t just mean, when we say it’s chronological, it means it has to connect. Yes? Why is it that only a devotee can understand that Krsna is the origin of everything? Why only a devotee can understand? Because Krsna is a person and He doesn’t like to be, how do you say, analyzed by someone who is not favorable. You know, it’s just like if someone starts looking at you and checking you out and walking around the back, you’re going to feel uncomfortable. Why? Because there’s no relationship. It’s just their own intellect. Why would they want to know? Just for their own intellectual purpose. You’re a person. So you don’t mind somebody knowing who you are if there’s a relationship. So if they’re willing to have a relationship with you, you don’t mind them knowing through devotion. Therefore, only through devotion means through the devotional process can you know. God can be known only by devotees. Devotees means they practice devotion. So only by devotion can you know God. Does that make sense? So now that we have that spirit, that spirit is there, then the purpose is there. Yes?

Gandhi won’t accept it. That’s why it’s being presented in this logic. Devotees sometimes have this, in their whatever reason, their unintelligentness or foolishness or whatever kind of lack of faith that may be there, that Prabhupada’s books are very basic. Right here is given the logic that probably still you’re all struggling with to understand. And it’s the first point of opening in the introduction that when you’re speaking to those who don’t accept the Vedic literature, then the only recourse is logic. Because they don’t have faith in Krsna. They don’t accept the Vedic literature as authority. So therefore, jnaya or logic has to be the basis of your presentation. And so here we have a perfect example of that logic.

Right? Prabhupada’s explained it there. So this is the point. You learn this, you can always explain it. Prabhupada could explain anything to anybody because he understood these points. He understood what is how the philosophy works. How logic as a presentation of the philosophy works. Because you have philosophy and you have logic.

So they’re technically two different things. When philosophy is applied logically, it means philosophy is mimamsa. For us, this is Vedanta. Then you have logic, which is jnaya. When jnaya and mimamsa are combined, it’s called anvikshiki.

So anvikshiki, this is what is to be taught. You learn the two subjects, but you learn them connected to each other. Then there’s the meaning. What does that mean? Yes. Is there a need for us to study jnaya separately? To study jnaya separately means what fundamentals will be needed. That will come in the third year. Study it. But before that, you have to be understanding the points you’re going to work with. But all the presentation of any Prabhupada’s purport is always according to logic. As I mentioned, you have five points. Your logic means your modern will say you have your theory, you have what’s against your theory, and then you have your synthesis. That’s all the farther they go because they’re afraid of anything beyond that. Because the point is, in your theory, that’s the first point of logic. The second point is you expand on that just to explain it so that they’re clear what you’re talking about. So it’s like here.

But then it says Bhagavan.

That’s your explanation.

Because he’s the Supreme Lord, but there’s so many aspects of the Supreme Lord. So which one are you talking about? So Bhagavan.

Because otherwise, if you say Krishna is God, that’s the theory, or the thesis.

But what do they mean? What do you mean by God? So no argument comes up at this point. But then when you explain it, he’s God, he’s the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Then at this point, then you have your argument. Then you have your anti-thesis.

Because it’s a no, but God’s not a person. God’s the force, the Brahman, the Schwarz, whatever it is. Does that make sense?

So then that’s where you have your problem. That’s where it comes up. Now you give your examples to disprove your theory, and to disprove theirs. So they’ll bring up their problem with it, so they’ll have their theory, but they’ll also have to give their explanation, and then you have your examples. So that’s when it starts going. Synthesis means then you show what they’re saying is already in your philosophy. That’s why yours is greater. It means you’re saying 100 rupees, they’re saying no, 10 rupees, but then you have to prove to them that 10 rupees is already in 100 rupees. So they understand that they want the 10 rupees, but if they take your philosophy, they have 10 of their 10 rupees. Then the conclusion, this is where the modern stops. They stop before conclusion. They don’t want a conclusion, because conclusion means you have to apply it. How to practically apply this knowledge to obtain the desired result, that’s the conclusion. So how to take that theory and apply it.

Does this make sense?

This is Nyaya. Like that. Anything else is a detail on that. All the different ways that you can misrepresent. In other words, you say A equals B, B equals C, A equals C, but actually B doesn’t equal C. There’s something wrong there, you just simply say. There’s a jump there, there’s a gap. Generally you’ll find that there’s a gap, I think. There’s something wrong, it’s a fallacy, it’s not real.

You know what I’m saying? How do you say?

Yeah.

Something else?

I have a question about philosophy and logic are two different aspects. So, I don’t understand the difference between them.

Logic will be God and his creation.

Logic will be ways to intellectually present things that they have a natural connecting chronological order so that it makes sense. Because otherwise one can do it just by feelings. Right? Like generally you see most religions of the world they deal just with their feelings, their faith. You have faith. And if you have faith then that’s enough. But faith in what? That’s what the philosophy defines. So, they don’t analyze how, you know, why you should have faith in God. You know, what’s the reason? Just he’s bigger than you and if you don’t then he’s going to make trouble for you. That’s just like bullying on the block. You know, you don’t do what he says he’s going to be a problem for you. So, it’s basically just an element of control. He’s a bigger controller, you’re a smaller controller, so therefore you have to, you know, listen to what he says. Not that there’s something beyond that, just you get into trouble. And if you don’t get into trouble, you do what he says then he’ll give you a nice place to live.

Right? So, everything is based on the mind. It’s the feeling and you don’t want any trouble and if you behave yourself then you get better facilities. So, you have the fruitive element. You know, faith in the fruitive element. But there’s no real philosophy there. Otherwise, how do you define God? You know what I’m saying? Why do you have to worship God? How is he greater? What does he do? That they can’t explain. So, there’s these gaps and those gaps are filled by logic. That’s why the prominence is there because religion is important and there must be that faith and the mind is why you do things. So, focusing on that then world religion becomes very prominent. That’s why it’s called world religion. But the problem comes with time because there is no analyzation. There is no logic. Then people need some logic that the religion is not offering. Therefore, they turn to science.

But they don’t understand science is still just the is the analyzation of God’s creation.

It’s still the same thing. You’re still studying the same thing. But, to do that then because the religion is based simply on faith not on philosophy or logic then when logic is established it has to be established outside of the perimeter of faith.

So, therefore, science and faith become two separate things. Of course, people have faith in science but as far as religion goes then they may not dare and they have more faith in science.

Does that make sense? So, then it comes down to is that you have to be able to logically explain because the science is what you are living. That’s why it’s lifestyle. Realization means that science is a sign in your life.

Then it works.

So, is it the can you say that logic is proving the philosophy? No, logic is simply explaining it in a way that you can understand it. The philosophy doesn’t have to be proved like that. It’s come from God. But, in the minds of those who don’t understand it or don’t have faith it has to be proven to them.

Or to prove to yourself in areas where you haven’t applied it or analyzed it or where one may have some weakness. Like that. But the point is facts are facts. It’s just logic is an intellectual way of presentation. Now, as examples because you want to make it realistic for the person you are talking to you use examples that you are discussing with.

Does that make sense? Like that.

So the mind is involved because what you are trying to do is they don’t understand it because the mind is blocking it. Otherwise it’s very logical.

Everything goes on perfectly and so that means organization means there must be intelligence and so it’s on such a grand scale there must be a superior intelligence. It’s very logical.

You cannot accept that. But otherwise it takes that much just that one point you should be able to prove to anybody with any kind of scientific feelings that there must be a God. If someone isn’t scientific they are only emotional but why is it everybody has the same kind of emotions and can relate?

Or stress or pleasure, pain these concepts why is it there? Why is it great masses of people they have the same concept of what is pleasure and pain? So that means there must be higher authority.

So very easily it can be established but people because of the mind the mind gets in the way therefore the logical process the mind can be controlled so using a process that’s intellectual but it includes those processes of the mind of accepting and rejecting that make it accessible to the mind because the mind has to be able to you are going to use it if your mind accepts it. It may be very logical these people smoke cigarettes these people died of lung cancer you smoke to smoke incense to get cancer in the lungs lungs caused by smoke so therefore the process of smoking cigarettes creates the cancer so therefore smoking is bad for your health cancer is not good for your health so therefore smoking creates cancer so therefore smoking is bad for your health but there are people who won’t accept that many people who smoke know that but they are attached to it who will say no I saw once an ad or a little short video of a lady who had what do you call it tracheotomy means they have to cut a hole here you can’t breathe through the mouth because she had cancer and had to have everything removed but she was smoking smoking here and saying that smoking doesn’t cause all this this is not my problem determined that means the mind hasn’t accepted it but others their mind accepts it it means logically it means that it’s logical but they don’t accept it as lifestyle there’s no realization so therefore they don’t stop smoking you know what I’m saying and then when their best friend who also smokes smoking buddy dies of cancer then he might get some realization because the mind has to accept so the process of Nyaya is how to convince the mind through using intellectual analyzation does that make sense ok second the purpose of Bhagavad Gita everyone is full of anxiety because of this material existence the cause of suffering and the actual destination of life are proper subjects for inquiry Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to answer these questions and to make Arjuna understand his position thus relieving him of all miseries so now we see here the logic is like one is full of anxiety because of material existence so now the cause of suffering the actual destination of life we’re dealing with material energy we’re suffering so how is it that we’re suffering what causes the suffering right so we see what causes the suffering then we see then natural will come with that understanding will be the principle of an actual destination because we’re dealing with material energy to be happy but in dealing with material energy we’re not happy we’re suffering so we’re trying to get happiness but the problem in material world is temporary the soul is eternal so this is going to be a major suffering is that all the happiness happiness that you want is temporary we’re eternal so that means there must be a situation in which we can be happy eternally because this situation doesn’t happen and so the cause of it will be how we deal with it we deal with material energy on the material platform it presents a temporary result therefore we suffer we deal with material energy on the eternal platform it gives us an eternal result we don’t suffer we go back to Godhead right so Krishna spoke Gita to answer these queries we’re full of anxiety we’re dealing with material world what’s the alternative so the Gita is to answer that right so then the study of Gita is to relieve one of all anxieties right so here catch the logic right again the three point ABC ok so means anxiety is coming because of material existence we’re only going to get rid of that material existence by understanding actually what it is so Gita how to go beyond so therefore you want to remove material existence the anxiety you have to study Gita so that’s the purpose does that make sense so with the overwhelming need for spiritual knowledge now in this you’ll find that like this just in this way it’s like getting through these first point took more time because we’re trying to understand the Bhagavad Gita so it takes more but now this one then it became easier because now we understand the process so that’s the idea that the Gita will come more slowly here like this some points will be slower then from that then you analyze it so you make sure you understand it in all the different ways then you understand its position in the Vedic literatures then you start studying Bhakti by Bhava and then what may take us an hour or days to deal with on this Gita level because it’s new on the Bhagavatam level you’ll be able to deal within 5 minutes that’s why it will take us a whole year to do one book Gita but we’re in Bhakti by Bhava you’re dealing with how many books 1 for 1, 2 for 2 3 is 2, 4 is 2, 5 is 2 I think 6 is 2 also isn’t it? so you’re dealing with 9 books in 3 times time so that means 3 books in a year does that make sense? but it will go quicker because this process will be easily understandable does that make sense?

so this first year will be much more seeming volume but it’s actually not it’s just it’s newness then when you get to Bhagavatam there you’ll be able to volume but it’ll be understandable so you’ll be able to go through more depth because the point is you’re learning more facts there’s no more facts to be learned in Bhagavatam what you’re learning is the depth of it right the process of how do you say? naiskanya of performing unattached work for elevation is described in the second chapter of the Gita right and then will be brought out more in the third chapter and in the fifth chapter then that is discussed in the eleventh canto of Bhagavatam but through much more analyzation it is also discussed in the third canto in computer movies discussions do you understand? so what philosophy you’ll get in the Gita that is the philosophy now there’s unlimited expansion right so that’s why one has to be very clear so it’s not a matter of memorization it’s a matter of understanding what’s going on we will give you verses that these should be known right, prominent verses that you should know, be familiar with so we’ll expect you to do that but it’s not a matter of that you have them all memorized so you can write, you know, the Sanskrit or the translation no, if we ask you about this verse you have to be able to explain it you can’t explain it does that make sense? so maybe you don’t remember it but if you see it you can speak on it like you don’t remember all the verses of Gita but if you sit down to give a Gita class the verse is in front of you now can you speak on it? does that make sense? you’ve memorized it good that you should be able to speak on it so if you have a good memory you’ll be able to memorize it great, but this isn’t an exercise in memory this is an exercise in understanding what this course is to do but the overwhelming need for spiritual knowledge clearly established Srila Prabhupada outlines the context of the Bhagavad Gita which can be summarized as follows now the context, right? that’s the third because if you don’t know the mood and you don’t know the purpose why would you even want to get involved to learn what the subject matter is anyway? you understand? so in other words because the mind has got to think okay, why should I be involved? what do I get out of it? so once that’s established then you can discuss the subject matter so then the third point then is the subject matter of Bhagavad Gita so basically then there’s five truths Ishvara, Jiva, Prakriti, Kala and Karma this is the knowledge, yes so if we don’t have doubts or misgivings knowledge presented how will it become?

how do you say? if there’s no doubts you don’t have to get into so much broad explanation but it should always be analytical otherwise you don’t have a doubt now if you don’t study analytically what happens later if someone presents a doubt and you don’t know it analytically you know, just like let’s say I think one temple was there and how do you say?

you know, there was this nice like community here in the temple quite a nice community then one devotee had problem I think with their marriage and so they went to a marriage counselor or some kind of psychiatrist something like that one of these professional persons then in discussing with them then they came up and said you’re restricting your life so much that’s your anxiety so you’re in anxiety about your marriage or this or that because you’re restricting your life you’re not being free of being yourself but if you were free or were yourself then you wouldn’t have these anxieties right? and so the devotee not knowing the philosophy that well became convinced then this devotee you know, going back to the temple because they lived in the temple somehow or another convinced all the other ladies in the temple and within six months the whole temple was gone that’s why you have to be able to analyze because otherwise you knew the philosophy it’s like even if you did whatever you want in the material world still you’re not going to be happy because the material world belongs to God the reason you’re not happy is because it belongs to God so only if God’s happy can you be happy so when you perform activities in the world God’s the source of my happiness or my dealings are the source of my happiness God’s the source of my happiness I’m connected to the material world the material world is God’s right? I want to be happy by dealing with the material world but God is only happy but I being part and parcel of God then I can’t be happy unless God’s happy so unless my dealing with the material energy pleases God I won’t be happy you understand?

there’s myself, there’s material energy there’s God so unless I’m dealing with the material energy in relationship to God I will not be happy because God is the source of happiness not the material energy so if you understand that you wouldn’t be bewildered by this they can say all this all you want oh you’re restricting yourself how are you restricting yourself you can only be happy if you don’t restrict yourself but you’re restricting yourself to not restricting yourself but the point is if you’re not restricting means you could follow restrictions you’re free to follow restrictions but they’re saying you’re not free to follow restrictions you have to not follow them that’s a restriction so the thing is they’re not smart enough to understand their own fallacies then they just go this person can’t do anything for me and then they’ll go talk to some other devotees right? does that make sense? so this is an example where the sentiment is good and all that but then when you see something different that you know sounds good right? it sounds good because emotionally it sounds good but logically it doesn’t make sense so then you may change what you do so here we’re talking about one person not understanding then their influence a whole yatra was lost and then I know there’s a few temples like this same thing is that they go to these outside professionals outside professionals have their own philosophy and then by convincing the devotee of that then the devotee gets distracted and much of the time if they’re in a more prominent position they distract everyone does that make sense?

these are obvious examples where people are really following and then not following now it’s harder to see the examples the logic just being practical what does practical mean? practical means you’re getting results so what results are you getting? you know what I’m saying? so that’s why logic is important because feelings are why we do things and feelings are what you’re trying to get experience but you can get experience anywhere you can get experience by going out behind the gutter building and sifting through the garbage there and finding something to eat or set up the garbage for a place to live rats live there they’re happy so anything can happen but it’s a matter of what result do you want?

does that make sense? so a human being is able to understand God consciousness human being doesn’t live in the garbage can because the element of cleanliness and purity is important to keep the mind in the mode of goodness so that one will be able to deal in the moment properly in a Krishna conscious way does this make sense? so that’s the idea otherwise then people will come up so here the subject matter of Gita then there’s five points Ishvara is God Jiva the living entity property means the material energy same time as property can also mean the spiritual world in other words if we’re dealing with our attachments and that we’re dealing with the negative side cultivating Krishna consciousness then that means the spiritual world property can mean both so specifically it will mean the material energy that’s what we’re analyzing but we’re analyzing in comparison to the spiritual world Kala means time Karma means the results of our truth of worth so that is the subject matter of Gita it’s not something else so then Ishvara Krishna is the controller of everything you have to know that why is it mentioned as controller? it’s because we want to be the controller so you have to figure out no Krishna is the controller Jiva the living entity is only a subordinate controller so we got that I’ll relax but subordinate controller is also property because sometimes it’s just we talk about God and his energies then you go what about Jiva that’s only if you’re talking about material consciousness then you have to separate but otherwise it’s God and his energies it’s just two things but within that the energy means the spiritual world the Jiva is the material and the Jiva is controlled by Krishna so Krishna is the controller we’re also a controller but subordinate controller so he is the supreme controller so we control then property material nature is constituted of three qualities Sattva, Rajas and Tamas because Sattva, Rajas and Tamas that will be the manifestation of the three aspects of Krishna’s energy means that Krishna’s Srupa-Shakti then when applied on the spiritual platform then you get Sat-Chit-Ananda when applied on the material platform then you get Tamas, Rajas and Sattva does it make sense? but otherwise for Krishna you don’t make that distinction Krishna doesn’t make this distinction it’s just all he’s interacting with his devotees you don’t distinguish between these so there it’s because one is perfectly in line with the mood of relationship one is serving the spiritual master he’s serving his spiritual master it’s like this it goes back to Rupa Goswami who’s serving Radha and Krishna then it works very nicely because from the mood here we don’t have to analyze it according to these different breakdowns of Sat-Chit-Ananda or here of Tamas, Rajas and Sattva because here we’re doing that to get ourselves removed from material attachment and somehow or other to cultivate that spiritual does it make sense?

so this is what we’re trying to do so in that way then so there’s no distinction but for philosophy we make distinction because that way we can understand we understand how Krishna is God and what ways he’s God and how we’re not God but otherwise as far as relationship goes then that’s not brought out so much then it’s more the devotion and all that so if we’re getting out of the material world then you bring out the three modes of nature does that make sense?

Kala, eternal time the energy of Krishna and karma by a combination of the three modes under the control and purview of eternal time there are activities so in other words when you combine the three modes of nature and time you get karma does that make sense?

so time is not the problem time is movement so activity is not the problem the problem is activity under the modes so activity is not under the modes of nature there’s no karma means what you’re doing you’re performing an activity to please Krishna that’s not under the modes of nature so the result you’ll get will be spiritual so it’s not karma but if you perform the same activity under the modes of nature you’re doing for yourself you produce karma so that’s the point it’s not the stopping of activities that’s the Mayavadi’s problem I’m performing activities therefore I’m getting karma and from karma I’m suffering so if I give up activities that will stop karma that will stop my suffering so this is their logic they’re trying to connect that the spiritual means no suffering and material is suffering that means I’m performing activities so because of the activities connected to that means the material nature and the activities are connected my suffering is connected to activities so therefore if I give up activities then I will be happy so if I give up the activities I’m performing activities I give them up then there’ll be no problem but the problem is that karma can’t give up activity and the real problem is not that one’s suffering material world because of activity it’s because the activity is wrong not that the activity you’re doing is technically wrong you know you’re cooking it’s not technically wrong it’s a good recipe you’re cooking it properly but what’s wrong is that it’s God’s creation you’re not cooking it to please God does it make sense? so we see where the logic is wrong for the Mayavadis so we’ve shown where the logic’s wrong with these modern philosophers and psychiatrists where the logic’s wrong this is what the advantage of logic is because we’ll just say they said this and they said that but the point is they’re saying A equals B equals C therefore A and C are equal but it’s not because the problem is you’re performing the activity not in line with God’s law because the law is to please God not just to do it nicely in other words you follow God’s law but not to please God that’s called piety you don’t follow God’s law then it’s called impiety so they only know piety and impiety so impious obviously everybody will understand that gives you trouble but piety then those who are intelligent understand even that gives you trouble you’re so religious everything’s so perfect for you but still you have trouble you do everything right you’re getting all the money you need everyone’s dealing with you nice there’s no social problems you have all the facility you need everything’s wonderful in relation to your family and friends everything’s great sounds okay right? now the problem is now if you die then you don’t have to worry about anyone else’s anxiety but the point is you’re dead but if someone else dies then you’re left there to be in anxiety about that so the point is somebody’s going to die it’s just the way it works does that make sense? so it’s still not enough so those who are not so intelligent they look at just the immediate those who are intelligent look at the long term so the not so intelligent are called the karmis the more intelligent are called the jnanis but they’re still not intelligent enough because they think by giving up activity I will stop karma that will stop my anxiety no the point is why anxiety is there is because it’s not in connection with God that’s all it’s not the activity it’s not the situation do you understand?

so therefore if you give up the modes of nature and perform the activity based on spiritual purposes then it will take you back to Godhead so the mayavadis no matter how smart they are their logic is wrong because they’re taking that my anxiety is coming from performing activities right? karma comes ok karma they’ll all say yes that’s the point of happiness or distress and so ultimately all karma is distress right? but they’ll say that’s because of activity right? so they don’t fully understand activity they don’t understand activity which means time done under the modes that’s creating karma they don’t understand you can perform activity not under the modes so their logic is correct but their premise is wrong no because they’re taking activity their definition of activity is wrong so therefore their definition of giving up activity that will therefore create spiritual happiness that’s not connected in other words their example is fallacious means these are details of logic in other words in which way is your connecting A, B and C wrong that’s the science again but also if somebody sourced improperly my data no matter what their logic would be yeah so that’s the point the point is that if you have one if you’re off by a slightest degree after a long distance it will be very distant so what the Mayavadis say and what we say as far as getting out of the material world that we say is the same we also say give up material activities but their giving up material activities means do no activities right or if you’re going to do you do activities without desire for result we’ll also say the same thing that will liberate you yes it will but they don’t understand this that they’re saying liberation that will make you happy we’re saying no it won’t so they can’t understand this their definition their definition is no activity our definition of liberation is now it’s spiritual activity right so their definitions are wrong so that’s also one of the problems of life no but smoke always smoke always if you have smoke there always has to be fire but you can’t have fire without smoke yes kind of I’m doing this for devotees the karmis are actually easy karmis are easier devotees are harder you know what I’m saying because they’re only having to get faith to accept it that’s the first step so that means going from shraddha you know it means from nothing to shraddha and then you know take up dissociation we’re talking about going from shraddha up to prema so it’s a bigger thing so that’s why I’m giving these examples here the point is why do they want their happiness to last right why when they’re dealing in the romantic environment do they want it to last forever you know what I’m saying because if the body is temporary that’s obvious everything around you is temporary so why does every living entity think in terms of eternal that’s because the soul is eternal why does the soul always whatever you do you’re looking for happiness even if you think by making yourself miserable or being grumpy that will make you happy so why do they want to know you even have television shows it’s all just about knowledge you read out something what is the some mathematical crazy thing and then whoever can give the answer gets a prize so knowledge is interesting happiness is interesting getting results so people say because this is the nature of the soul so satchitananda this is the nature of the soul but in illusion they don’t see they’re going to die so that’s the problem so on these basic points generally devotees but their logic sometimes doesn’t carry through it doesn’t make sense devotee accepts that everything is about Krishna but if you took right now we just got up and walked over to the grotesque area and went door to door we could start asking questions why they’re living this way what do they do with this what’s it’s purpose and you might not find that a whole lot of things are connected to Krishna they go to the temple program they chant their japa like that pictures on the wall about Krishna like a Metallica concert something like that so like that the house is it you walk in how do they live you know what I’m saying here the less of a problem but if you went to the west and went to someone’s house why do they have a wall to wall carpet what’s the purpose I’m just asking what’s the purpose of a wall to wall carpet why would you need a wall to wall carpet why devotees have it so many devotees have it do you walk this far away from the wall do you ever walk this far away from the wall what’s the closest you walk to a wall you know what I’m saying so that means you don’t actually have to have the carpet go up to the wall so it could be smaller so you could roll it up you could clean it like that beat it wipe the floor you could do all that it’s a nice style in the west it’s nice but do you really need it so Vedic system they had rugs there were rugs in India before they had them in Europe let me tell you they call them Persian rugs how old is Persia since when was the last time Iran was called Persia right and then the Persian rugs came from over here the concepts came from here so therefore they’ve always had rugs does it make sense so why would the devotee have that when you can’t clean and not only that is it wool okay if it was wool then I can understand to some degree because at least then it’s pure though it gets a lot of dust and all that but is it good to have so much dust but even if we forget the dust is it pure but no most likely unless they’re very wealthy it is synthetic that means it’s always dirty so it can never be clean in their house but isn’t devotees clean sound insulation for kirtans you can still put down rugs and that’s a long shot how many devotees you know that that’s why they have rugs so in the Koln temple in Germany the whole kirtan is completely soundproof from Deutschmarks at the time but there is no rug on the floor amazing you can soundproof without a wall so what I’m saying is whether they have a carpet they can’t explain it they can’t explain why they have what they have in their house so my point is how is it all connected to Krishna because Krishna in the second canto is saying all times, all places, all circumstances you should be trying to see God in a thing like this your rug up to his pastime with his devotees in Vrindavan you understand so that’s why I’m saying that’s harder than to just convince somebody that they’re not the body that’s more easy but to convince somebody how in every aspect of their life to connect it to Krishna that’s more difficult that’s why Krishna says preaching to the devotees we preach to the karmis we preach to the karmis otherwise where do you get the devotees to preach to so we preach to the karmis that’s it, no you’re supposed to after preaching then you’re supposed to preach to them now that they’ve become devotees it’s just like you go to the market, why because then you buy vegetables, why because then you can cook them, why so then you can eat so we distribute books so that will make devotees but some people think distributing the books that’s not finished some just think make the devotee that’s it, finished no, but it’s got to come to training the devotees therefore Prabhupada gave all these courses Bhakti Shastra, Bhaktivedanta he gave all these courses to train the devotees how many temples do you know that studying these courses are standard and everyone in the temple should be studying them you say Belgium but no, it’s an education center it was a temple that didn’t teach these things and then they made it into an education center now it teaches these things so that’s the difficulty is that this fullness of philosophy is not seen so one is the subject matter so A here we have Ishwara, Jiva, Prakriti, Kala and Karma so that’s the first point that this is the subject matter second is material nature is eternal and real because it’s always here always will be here and it is real means you are leaning on an actual real piece of material energy like that but no, you cannot take home it’s a souvenir wow, a real piece because the Mayavadis will say it’s not real it doesn’t exist this is a material concept now if material energy doesn’t exist then their problem is material life doesn’t exist then activities don’t exist the soul doesn’t exist so when the soul comes under illusion but they can’t explain where this illusion comes from then you have the concept and so when the individual soul gets rid of the concept of material since the concept of the soul has been generated by the material energy by the concept of it when you get rid of the concept of material energy you get rid of the soul it doesn’t make sense but this is what the Mayavadis say this is why it’s said it’s non-different from Buddhism the form is different Buddhists don’t accept the Vedic literatures so therefore the Mayavadis follow a Vedic lifestyle they’re in the Vedic system so that’s superior to Buddhism which doesn’t but the Buddhists will say there’s just void and then from this void this illusion comes applied and so then the Jiva thinks he’s separate from the void he thinks he exists but he’s generated from the material energy right? and then the gross materialists he’ll say life comes from matter you understand? so there’s no difference in the philosophy technically between the materialists and the so-called impersonalists and spiritualists because all of them think the soul has come from material energy nobody understands souls come from God does this make sense? that’s why there’s a difference in the impersonalists the impersonalists is just all Brahman so you become absorbed in Brahman there’s not so much of a point of whether you become Brahman or not you already are Brahman Mayavadis say you become Brahman Mayavadis say you’re already Brahman everything’s Brahman it’s just a matter of whether you understand it or not so they’re not offensive because the soul doesn’t disappear it can have a form that doesn’t matter to them it’s of no interest so there’s a difference so in analyzing there’s a difference between these so it means you can deal with the Mayavadis you can deal with the materialists they’re all saying the same thing they’re just starting from different sides because it’s all material consciousness all one thing you ask a Christian what’s the soul?

what do we get? the body Jews say the same so that means it’s material energy so it’s just that the impersonalists are a little bit more subtle that they accept that there’s the concept of I so they don’t worry about the body but that’s basically the only difference otherwise they’re all impersonalists if you ask who’s God ultimately we’ll end up in no form, no nothing so it still ends up in other words that consciousness is coming from the material energy and that God is formless that’s the basic standard of all mundane consciousness no matter what philosophy it’ll all come back to these points which they bring out more what’s the process to get there that’ll make the difference so that’s why the material nature is eternal and real that’s why it’s important the Bhagavatam opens in the first verse it says it’s real but the concept of that it’s not connected to God that’s the illusion because you have to be able to tell what’s real and what’s not so we’ll just say material energy, that’s maya no, material energy is not maya you don’t see material energy in connection with Krishna that’s maya that’s the point so devotees so much of the time they’ll just say you ask some of the ladies in the temple, some of the men why don’t they dress properly dress properly means wear a nice sari have some color in it oh that’s maya but why is it maya if it’s not connected to Krishna so what’s their reason for not wearing it oh it’s attachment and so what’s the problem with attachment so for them detachment stands on its own as a good quality but for us detachment has no value if it’s not connected to Krishna does that make sense so their wearing like that is actually based on impersonal philosophy but they won’t know it so this is what I’m meaning the devotees just find their points here or others they dress up nicely they go to the temple and that’s where all the matchmaking happens so this is also another thing we’re just being natural natural what you’re in front of the deities you’re in front of the Vaisnavas so how is that natural natural for what, dogs, yes but do you want to become a dog you’re like this in the temple dogs don’t dogs are outside and dogs come to the temple they’ll do the same thing they’ll sniff around and decide which vertical objects belong to them and stuff like this so they’re not actually understanding the philosophy who they are, who God is what their relationship is and we’ll say oh this is all fundamental philosophy we’ve heard that let’s get into some real no, this is Vedanta and a lot of trouble is taken to establish that we won’t take it for granted and then on that the manifestation of the material world is also real but it’s temporary right means the material energy is eternal it’s real, it’s eternal but it’s manifestation where we can see it in all this form that’s temporary it’ll be manifest then it’ll be dissolved manifest and dissolve but the material energy is always there in the form of Pradhan but it will actually be manifest then that means when creation is there it’s there it’s real and then at some point it all goes back together so you thought going to the market buying the rice the dal, the potatoes and all the spices that was the real no, that’s the temporary the kitchen, that’s the real or I’ll get purged again ok, so we’ll end here today did you hear end it’s nice but if you want to get credit for it actually after four and a half months to get the Bhakti Shastra degree then you’ll need to read the material write the essays so if you want that then you speak to who’s going to organize that ok, so Shanti and Pandava Bandava like that Pandava Bandava is developing the course and all that and Shanti is working on the educational program yeah, correspondence on that and he’s him and his wife are working on the Bhagavatam elements but you should work that out before the weekend this will be ISKCON certified ISKCON certified what do you mean by ISKCON certified I know there are some official courses did you see that book you know just when you’re here and that book came that book was published in 1986 so you name me any Bhakti Shastra course going on that’s going on now that goes back that far so we’ve been running Bhakti Shastra courses that was when it was published so this is our Bhakti Shastra anybody else likes it or not personally I couldn’t care less I’ll say they’re just bureaucrats they’re not philosophers because philosophers understand if it’s solid philosophy it’s good if they want to get into their little bureaucratic things sad but I’m sorry same 7 .15 7.20 like that because the kids class starts at 7 and ends at 7 .10 so if I don’t go and everyone is here so in other words it’s the same amount of time that we would get for two periods it just starts a little later and there’s no gap in between so if that works for everyone fine if everyone is falling asleep needs a gap then we’ll put in 10 minute gap so this kind of recognized or not we’re not worried about it this is the Bhaktivedanta Academy stuff and we’ve been running them so this is not it’s not a problem for us like this stuff have you ever heard this before this level of analyzation of the Gita introduction we’re not in Gita this is introduction so this stuff that you’re reading here this was written in the 80s so this is what we see we don’t advertise that’s why no one knows so it’s up to you you know the philosophy it works you don’t know the philosophy who cares you have a degree don’t have a degree it doesn’t matter to us like that so previously ours was authorized now if they don’t accept it I couldn’t care less about bureaucrats we’re Brahmins we deal with Brahmins bureaucrats are shooters and that’s just facts so it’s up to you you want to spend your time for the next four and a half months you’re welcome and if you think you’ll be wasting your time then there are other alternatives you have the VTE course over here Vrindavan doesn’t use the VTE course they don’t figure it’s deep enough the VTE course is more based on what Buri Jan Prabhu teaches and Narayani Mataji is one of the ones that was involved but she’s more specifically involved in the Bhagavatam study like that generally others from these other courses have come to us for direction you know so you work it out I would say

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