So because what has to be understood is the impersonal concept is actually foreign to the soul. Right? There’s elements of it that are connected because the soul is eternal. Right? And yet the soul is full of happiness. But so this idea that you’ll be a situation that’s eternal and full of happiness, then the soul can relate to that. But the difficulty is this, how is that going to be gained? Right? It’s going to be gained through lack of endeavor.
Right? So there’s something missing. Right? Because cit anananda means knowledge and activity combined. So they’re just talking about knowledge only. No activity. So you may be doing activity, but you’re supposed to cut that down. Okay, you can do nice activities for others. But then the point is, is how is that supposed to work with you’re doing nice work for others, but at the same time, there’s no difference between anything. You know what I’m saying? So it’s very, very difficult. It’s not natural for the soul. Well, the devotional process, that’s very natural. You’re working on the eternal platform, there’s relationship, there’s interaction, right? There’s a result, you know, in what’s happening. So it’s much easier, much more direct. That’s why it’s called direct, while the other one’s indirect.
Unlike the impersonals, the devotees are taken care of by Krishna.
Those who worship Krishna are giving up all their activities unto Him and are devoted to Him without deviation, engaged in devotional service with their minds fixed on Him and are quickly freed from the ocean of birth and death by Krishna Himself. So Krishna’s involved, the relationship’s with Him, so He takes care. That’s the point. But impersonal, then there’s no relationship, so you don’t take care. So even if we’re dealing with, the devotees are dealing with the Brahman level or Paramatma level, still it’s Krishna, it’s Brahman, Krishna is Paramatma. So relationship is there. So Krishna’s involved.
But with the impersonalists, there’s no involvement. So without the relationship, how will anything work, right, it’d be very, very dry.
As Srila Prabhupada writes in his purport, the purport of this verse is that the devotee does not need to practice the sthanga yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself, because that’s what the purpose of the sthanga yoga is for. So it’s to meditate upon Paramatma, and then in that state, leave the body, right, but not by merging to take up devotional service. So it’s through that process you can transfer yourself, right? But the devotee doesn’t have to go through that process to do it, Krishna will take care of it, right? Because the point is, is He’s the one that gives liberation, He frees one anyway. So it’s just a matter of you follow the process and He’s pleased, then it works, right? This is the difficulty in these different systems, is that we think that the qualities themselves function on their own, but the qualities don’t, the qualities function because of their connection with the Lord, right?
And they say, because whatever’s there is the Lord, and so you’re dealing with the Lord, so when He’s pleased, then things work. He’s not pleased, it doesn’t work, you know, so there’s no question of it functioning outside of that. But we have the idea that the qualities will function on their own, right? So these qualities on their own, generic qualities, that’s Brahman. So this is where the impersonal concept comes up. We think the qualities can work on their own without the Lord.
The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by his parents, and thus his position is secure.
Like a parent, if the kid’s doing something, he’s small, and the parent, why are you doing that? Oh, I’m just taking care, because just in case you don’t take care of me, I’m making my own arrangements, right? What would the parent think, right? They’d feel bad. So that’s the whole point, is that one simply serves Krishna, Krishna will take care, right? That doesn’t mean one’s foolish and do nothing. No, one is endeavoring, doing one’s duties. Through the performance of duties, then Krishna is pleased, so therefore the results come, right? But just to sit and do nothing, then that’s not very good. Hmm? Not recommended. No, not recommended.
Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga practice to other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once riding on His bird carrier, Garuda, and at once delivers the devotee from the material existence. Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard, and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks him up from the water, then he is easily rescued.
Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence. One simply has to practice the easy process of Krishna consciousness and fully engage himself in devotional service. So Prabhupada’s pointing out, it’s an easy process. So the term easy is used because it’s very natural, right? It’s the natural… The difficulty, we’re not used to natural, right? I remember once, someone was telling me, they were there eating a, it’s one of these, you know, how you say, processed, you know, Western kind of food, right?
And so, you know, it has a very consistent, full taste. And so he stopped and said, do you know why this tastes so good? I said, no, I don’t know. You know, it has this ingredient. He says, it doesn’t have one natural ingredient.
Everything is chemical.
So we have to get used to actual natural.
You know, what’s the natural? We’re so used to not natural of trying to be the Lord of creation, right? Does that make sense? So even if we’re trying to be natural, how are we being natural, right? Being natural according to our idea of what should be natural. Not necessarily, you know, what is natural.
Does that make sense? In the next five verses, 8 to 12, the Lord describes different levels of advancement in bhakti.
Verse 8, just fix your mind upon me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in me, thus you will live in me without a doubt. Do you notice now here, because Krishna’s from different angles is explaining these points. Do we see any similarity in here between others, just the wordings different, right?
So what is engage all your intelligence in me? What does that infer? Hmm? Yeah. Sorry? Yeah, Buddha yoga. So, but when we say intelligence, intelligence, when we say intelligence, what’s included with intelligence? Like if we define the elements, you know, earth, water, fire, we say intelligence, or we say body, mind, and words are engaged in the Lord’s service. So what do words represent? Intelligence, right? Because activity happens with intelligence. The senses function because of intelligence, right, they discriminate, right? So when it says engage all your intelligence in me, it means all your activities, because you’re going to do an activity by thinking about it. You contemplate, so like that, thus you will live in me always. What does that mean?
If you live in me. You’re connected. You’re connected, yes. In other words, that relationship is there, right? So this is what he’s saying, do it for me, right? Because you’ll do something for somebody because of that feeling, that connection. You understand? So it’s the same thing, but different angles, so it broadens the actual understanding. Because otherwise, you get one thing, and then you always use the same words, describe it in the same way, and it works very nicely until you get out there and apply it, and then somehow other people are using different words, and then you don’t know how to connect it. Right? So the idea is vicharm is look at it from different angles, so that you have an understanding enough that you are able, through your own contemplation, able to apply it to any situation. Right? That’s the idea. You study something enough until you’re able to understand how to apply it. Otherwise, because you give an example, so that’s one example, right? Now through that one example, you understand the principle, so you can always apply it. That’s ideal. But if you don’t, then you discuss it from other angles, and giving other examples, until you can. Right? So that’s the point. Manana means you have to be able to apply it. Otherwise, if shravana doesn’t end in manana, then how you’ll get to nididhyasana, how you’ll get to realization.
So that’s the point. If you can’t contemplate it and apply it, and then by your application and see, okay, I should have done like this, and contemplated more, and then you have a better application, that will improve your contemplation. So the two nourish each other until that turns into realization. Does that make sense? Like that. So that’s what education’s supposed to do. So that’s what Krishna’s doing. Right? At the end of Gita, what will happen?
Yes. Yes, he’s ready to fight, because now he understands his position. So now will he fight just because Duryodhana’s a nasty, nasty guy? No. He’s fighting because that’s his duty, and it will please Krishna.
So this is… Is that… And so, you know, I’ve heard, but, you know, we can understand if you just speak straight through this without the purports, it won’t take that long. So that’s pretty good teacher, pretty good student.
Okay. All right.
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon me without deviation, then follow the regulative principles of bhakti -yoga. In this way, develop a desire to obtain me. So it’s through this desire to… Practice the desire comes, right? So in other words, you understand the field. Sravana means you’re understanding what is sankarsana, right? What’s the field? What is there? You know, what is the proper mood? What is the purposes of things? What are the results that can be gained? What are your methods? You learn all that. So by that, then it may, by that association, develop a desire, right? So then it moves to prajna. Once it moves there, then it becomes dynamic. Yes. I’m not sure I catch the… what you’re trying to do.
Means anybody can do, but it just means how are you defining fix your mind.
You know what I’m saying?
Does that make sense? So the person fixes his mind. So you go into the kitchen, they want to do this for krishna, and then they go look for nice things and that, and then, you know, they’ll turn on a tape and go like this, and then some other guys come in the kitchen talking nonsense, he kicks them out, you know, and so, you know, different things like this. It’s not that he’s necessarily meditating on krishna at every moment, you know what I’m saying? But he’s in there doing for krishna. So he’s trying to create the best environment for that, try to see that distractions aren’t there. So he’s fixed his mind on krishna, you know what I’m saying?
So how are you defining you’re fixed?
See because the thing is, is these are, means that’s a general principle. This is what you’re trying to do, right? So if you can’t do that, it doesn’t come very easy, one’s distracted. Then you engage in the regulative principles of devotional service, right? So that’s the next.
Does that make sense? So like that.
So, you know, it means, okay, if you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for me, because by working for me, you will come to the perfect stage. If however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of me, then try to act by giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation. And better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action. For by such renunciation, one can attain peace of mind.
In the previous section, the Lord stated that he personally delivers those who, having fixed their minds upon him, are always engaged in pure devotional service. Since this is so, one should simply concentrate his mind on Krsna. One who fixes his mind upon Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who engages all intelligence on Him, surely will live in Krsna without a doubt, verse 8. By repeating the word mayi, upon me, three times in this verse, the Lord emphasizes that the devotee should fix the mind upon His all-attractive, beautiful form. This is the difference between the devotee and the jnani, who tries to concentrate on the reality of a spiritual existence as a soul, but without connection to Krsna. In other words, relation means you think of the other person, they’ll think of you, but if you’re just thinking of yourself, then that’s not a complete relationship.
Some people really think it is, but generally that’s not the point. It’s that you can think of oneself, but in relationship to the other person. Okay, in this situation, what would I do in connection with that person? What could I do to make the situation the best for that person? But if you’re simply looking at what’s the best for yourself, then it’s going to be very difficult.
Does that make sense? Let us say, you know, some respected good friends are coming over to your house. You know, are you uncomfortable with cleaning up the house? No, it’s a natural thing. Okay, what happens if nobody’s going to come to your house for weeks?
Are you there cleaning it up just as if great friends are coming? No, right? There’s a good chance you’re not going to bother so much, right? Yeah, so let us say you have those same great friends are coming over, and you’re going to cook something, right? So you don’t mind, you know, spending some time and effort in doing something very nice. Let us say, you know, you’re alone yourself for days, right? How enthusiastic are you to cook? Right? Not much. You know, you figure out either the easiest way to cook or cook one big pot of something and then eat it for the next week, right?
Isn’t it? You understand? So that means doing something for yourself is more difficult. It means when it’s for yourself, no one else is involved. Very difficult.
Right? But if it’s someone else’s involved, then very easy. Right? You have those people who are doing something for themselves, but it’s in connection with others, right? They’re working very hard to get their position and everything because it’s in relationship to others. That they’ll be superior, they’ll have that good position, others will respect them, but still they’re dependent upon the others to appreciate the position. But if no one would ever appreciate, no one would ever know, you know, then what does it matter?
You understand?
Let’s just say you’re at your house, you’re with your mom, right? There’s no one else involved, it’s just the two of you, there’s no other social elements. Does she really care if you’re the prime minister of the country?
No. It’s simply time for dinner, sit down, you know, sit properly, no elbows on the table. You know, the same stuff like that, you know. Mom, I’m 40 years old. That doesn’t mean you can behave that way. You know, so all these different things, right? So it’s not going to change, right? So, he’s not in that position because he’s, you know, living with his mom, right? He’s in that position because of others.
Does that make sense?
Okay. So that’s why the devotional path is easy and natural and the impersonal path is actually very difficult because it’s very hard to just do something just for yourself because that’s what the impersonal path is. You’re only thinking of the soul, means yourself.
So the devotee is saying you concentrate on him, that’s the key. Otherwise, why would he repeat it three times? Right? Even in other places, you only repeat something twice, right? Yo-yo-yum-yum, he only says it twice. But here he’s saying it three times in the same verse. So it’s a very good emphasis. By connecting with him, that’s what makes everything work. That’s what makes it easy. You’re inspired because we saw before. Someone worships the demigods, who gives the inspiration? Krishna. You want it, but the inspiration has to come from Krishna.
Right? So, the same time as if you want to obtain Krishna, still that inspiration has to come from him, so you have to make that endeavor. Right? Then he’ll give that inspiration. But you have to want it. You don’t want it, then, yes.
Um, I think it’s to do with the, how do you say, I mean this various, how do you say, by the rule of vichar, there would be many ways to approach it. One, you could go, let us look at the intellectual level. Then there’s the, how do you say, the thickness of the cranium and the smallness of the pea-sized brain, like that, that’s developed from long association in the material world. Or if we look at it from the emotional platform, then there’s the, um, the, you know, how do you say, hardness of the stone heart that’s encased in iron, you know. So, this combination between these two, then you have to repeat things a lot of times. Right? You know, it’s just like, isn’t it, just like, you must have this experience at home that, you know, your kid does something wrong for the first time. And so, you just very nicely explain it to them once, and for the rest of their life they never do that thing wrong again. Right? Isn’t that how it works? So, that’s why it’s so great being a parent. You know, you have this, you know, perfect opportunity in which you can train another living entity, and it’s so, you know, it works so smoothly. Right? You never have to repeat anything, you just say it once and it’s done. Right? Why, you’re coughing?
Oh, okay. Yes.
I think it’s called the spiritual world.
Does that make sense? In other words, what he described is that you’re looking at it from a slightly different angle. Right? He’s mentioning, like in the other chapters he’s saying that you do the work for him, but then he brings out the elements of what that will mean. You know, so working for him means that you’re trying to please Krishna and everything. Well, in the earlier chapters it’s simply being brought out as a process of yoga. That you have the Supreme Lord, you connect to the Supreme Lord, then you’ll be on the Transcendental Platform. But it’s not actually describing so much the relationship, the personal relationship, but describing the relationship of, you know, being related through position. You know, the soul and God. Does that make sense? So, you’re bringing it closer and closer to him as a person.
So that’s why it’s the same thing, but from a slightly different angle.
Is that okay?
In verse 8, the Lord recommends that the mind and the intelligence should be fixed on Him. The best way to concentrate the mind upon Krishna is by chanting His holy name and relishing His prasādam. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains in his purport, The holy name of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent. Therefore, when a devotee chants Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa and His internal potency are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. When he offers Kṛṣṇa food, Kṛṣṇa directly accepts these edibles. And the devotee becomes Kṛṣṇa-ized by eating the remnants. Right? Because, Prabhupāda mentioned, the movement is chanting, dancing and taking prasāda. Right? So everything else is in support of that. Though, you know, that may have been long forgotten. Like that, you know, because…
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in that Nityāpada Kamalāpa song, one part, one of the elements said that love, nitya-nanda speech, is very delicate and they only rest on something very wet. Is this wetness referring to relationship? Or devotion, I think you mentioned. Could be. It sounds like someone has given a very literal translation.
No? Meaning, that means, because, that means…
Like a Chittananda’s translation, I don’t think, mentioned it like that. So I’m not sure. There was a, in a song book, I think, it said that his speech is very delicate and he will only touch something which is wet and he is referring wetness to devotion. It’s very dry. And you mentioned that that must get very dry. Yes, yes. He won’t put his feet there. Yeah, no, no. Because by Nityānanda’s grace, one can be freed of the material attraction. Right? Because he is Śaṅkarṣaṇa. So Śaṅkarṣaṇa is the position, actually the nature, you know, what is the actual nature of the soul. Like that. Also you have the element there, that Śaṅkarṣaṇa is the lord of the false ego. Right? You know, just like we’re saying the different elements. So, Pradyumna is intelligence, Aniruddha is the mind. You know, so Śaṅkarṣaṇa is the false ego. And so, by Nityānanda’s grace, we can give up that false ego. That false ego of I’m the controller and enjoyer. So, that’s why without his grace, one can’t get Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
So, that element is…
So, that’s important to note, is that by his mercy, one can come to that point of inspiration. As we said, if you work with the field, then Pradyumna will manifest. So, then that element, then Madana Mahāna. So, then one will be attracted. But unless one situates himself properly, then it’s a problem. So, that’s why it’s very difficult when the means of situating yourself, then devotees are avoiding that or considering them unimportant.
The point is, the situation has an influence.
Especially if one is attached to that environment.
So, we’re very detached from the Vedic environment, but we’re very comfortable with the contemporary environment. So, that’s always a… That will be a difficulty, especially if then we say, but there’s no need of the Vedic. But then in the same way, there’s no need of the modern. So, the real thing is, you should just pack up, go to the forest. By that logic.
But it’s not seen, because these are environments.
So, we’re attached to the environment, then how are we going to get attached to Kṛṣṇa?
How to connect our intelligence to Kṛṣṇa is explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura in his commentary on the same verse. So, in other words, we’re concentrating the mind on Kṛṣṇa by always chanting His holy name and taking vishād. So, these things, we remember Kṛṣṇa, right? So, that’s why the main thing is cooking something nice for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa likes taking the remnants. That’s the main process. If we’re simply worried about what is according to some kind of food philosophy and all that, then the difficulty is that are we going to be able to concentrate on Kṛṣṇa? Are we going to see that the important element is vishād? Right? Or are we simply going to be absorbed in, you know, how you say, yeah, some element of our particular perspective on nutritional value.
Yeah, we identify with a meal.
Yeah, we identify, and that’s us. You know, I am a vegan, or I don’t eat sugar, or I only eat natural, or, you know, I don’t eat things that are rich, you know. You know, oh, this is so nice. Oh, yeah, but, you know, it’s so rich. You know, you can’t enjoy vishād. I tell you, if you really want to enjoy a meal, never sit down to a meal with anybody who has any kind of food trip.
You have to sit down with someone who actually can appreciate the taste and the environment and the association and all those things. Then you’ll be able to appreciate vishād. All these other persons, they’re totally detrimental to taking vishād because they cannot enjoy. You can’t eat anything, oh, this is so tasty, but it’s so rich. You know, oh, it’s so tasty, but it’s so sweet. Oh, it’s, you just can’t eat. You just can’t. You see, Prabhupāda would eat alone.
Because, you know, it’s just too trippy eating with anybody else. Like that.
You know, someone said the other day, Prabhupāda was eating at a life member’s house, a very big life member and very prominent. Somehow or another, they didn’t understand that they had cooked with onions. Right? And so then, you know, they start eating and then this. And Prabhupāda, onions in it. You know, like this and that. Prabhupāda said, there are no onions in this. Just eat. You know, I think it happened on a couple of occasions. And there was another time they had put these button onions, these little dinky, dinky onions in it. Like that. And they said, Prabhupāda, there’s onions in it. They said, and then he picked one up and he said, you mean these? He put it in his mouth and went back to eating. You know, so, the point is, one would not choose it. One would, you know, avoid it. But in that situation, then, you know, it’s just. So the point is, they’re not understanding the element of prasāda, or the association, or the service. They’re simply looking at it as a rule. So all it is, is instead of following Vedic rules, they’ve just created their own rule. Does that, does that make sense? Right? I mean, has anybody ever heard of the element, you know, as a new bhakta, that, you know, like the vegetables and the grains and that, that are offered to Kṛṣṇa, then they get liberated or they get benefit? Anyone’s not heard of this? Okay, so everyone’s heard of this. Okay. So then, what would be the point of, you, you won’t use a particular thing because of, you know, your particular concern. Oh, we can’t use sugar. So that means no sugar cane or no sugar beets will ever get liberated.
Yeah, that’ll teach them, you know. Very sinful birth, right, you know. Born as a sugar cane. Does that make sense? So, this is, the element is that where’s the kindness, where’s the preaching, like that, because in part, you have a balance, you have a proper usage, but you have to know that all these are part of the human diet.
Does that make sense? So that’s the difficulty, yes. Basically, you would also end up offering foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa that He doesn’t really like. Yes, because, and, yeah, do you think Mother Deśoṭa would ever offer Kṛṣṇa, you know, vegan, you know, raw food, you know, would He ever do that? No, He’s not a cow. That they would give to the cows, you know. They would definitely feed the cows, that was what they would give to the cows.
But even cows aren’t exactly vegan, right, they drink milk, right, and stuff, and that’s, that’s… But I thought onion and garlic weren’t going to be, is that because of the passion element? Passion, more passion, but also ignorance. They’re very, they’re very ignorant elements. So, Manu mentions them specifically. Some devotees will say it’s not mentioned, the Vedas, just Prabhupāda, you know, made this up, or it was his understanding, like this. No, Manu directly mentions, and not only that, it goes to the point of not even just saying onions, it goes even as far as to mention leeks, you know, which are all those other kinds with the big stems, and the other kind of onions, you know, all the nice salad onions and all those kinds of things. So, it goes as far to mention that, mentions mushrooms, onions, garlic, and these different kinds of things. So, those long onions are devotees sometimes use? Yeah, those are also, they’re onions. So, maybe they’re classified by the Darwinists in another category, you know, but then, according, yeah, same fight, but there are some ones that are slightly different families, so to say, those are okay, but, you know, it’s just like peanuts, according to the western, you know, method, they’re grains. So, you know, so, you can’t go by their definition, you know, and if you go by it, natural western vegetarian means it also includes eggs, right, because eggs are according to, you know, how you say, the tradition are dairy.
You know what I’m saying? I mean, that’s the way it’s been for thousands of years, but that’s how it goes. Eggs aren’t on the meat side, they’re on the dairy side.
Does that make sense? Huh? No. It’s on the dairy shelf, right? Yeah, that’s where you find it, you know. So, that’s the, they had a different way of viewing, that’s why that is not the ideal position to take when dealing with all these things. You have to start from what’s the Vedic standard and work from there. Like that. Yes? I heard you mention the Vedic rule of taking a shravan is that you should appreciate what’s coming and you won’t criticize it. Yeah, yeah, then you’ll get no benefit, you won’t assimilate because the point is the assimilation process starts from when you see it and smell it. So, if at that time you’re inspired, it’s already starting to and then when you touch it and then when you chew it, then when you swallow it, like that. So, it goes through this whole process, right? You know, then the mood’s right after meals so then, you know, the process continues. But if you don’t and all that and you’re just complaining, then you won’t get any benefit. Have you ever seen a healthy food freak? I mean, I haven’t met one. You know what I’m saying? You know, if they’re very fixed in it and then they’re very comfortable with it, so they’re not criticizing others, they’re just very attracted by this one thing, then they do OK.
You know? But otherwise, most people are involved, they’re insecure and so it becomes their identity and so by you saying that there’s a problem with it, you attack their identity and so then it becomes a whole, you know, you’re not that carrot. You know, so.
It’s an obvious thing that one shouldn’t criticize while you’re eating, but is it OK just to mention other things like this? Yeah, no, you shouldn’t. Otherwise, if not, if you haven’t figured out that, then you’re going to have a really rough time in Grihasthahasra.
Because even if it’s not a matter of the praise of Krishna, then there must be praise of the high saints.
In Sankalpinda’s temples, they are sometimes cooked the prasadam and they offer the first plate to the Lord Krishna, the deities or whatever they’re offering to the kitchen men, then they say that for the rest of the day it’s offered. If they’re cooking the same item, but if it’s completely new, then you have to consider.
In other words, you make a whole big amount of batter for pakoras, so you only cook a few pakoras, then anything you cook from that or any of the chapatis or anything like that, then it would be considered like that. That’s a definite. The other is if you’re just replacing something, instead of the rice or not, you cook more rice, you don’t necessarily have to offer it again, but if you’re going to cook a new preparation, you’d want to offer the new preparation. If you’re just replenishing like you’re making some chips or something like that, but the potatoes are not the same as the rice. the same thing. Does that make sense? So from that element, but you have to be careful because sometimes the devotees simplify these things due to either lack of understanding or laziness or their pride in their expedient abilities, you know, like that, or abilities of expediency may be more popular. Does that make sense?
Yes? When we were reading, kind of happening with the boys, there was a narration that when Rahu was killed, and took a couple of the nectar, some of the drops of blood fell in the garlic room. Oh, that’s where it says, because I know it comes from blood and stuff. And because he touched the amrita, it says that the garlic has so many healing potencies. It does have healing potencies, but it doesn’t Because it comes from his blood, so it must have Yes, so that’s the point, is that as a specific medicine for something it may be used, like in the Ayurvedic sections that deal with the cows and the animals, they use onion and garlic a lot for getting rid of bugs and worms and all kinds of things. So they had healing powers, but the point is, is unless it’s specifically needed as a medicine, it wouldn’t be, you know what I’m saying. That’s not the specific application. Because, see, there’s other elements that we don’t think about. We’ll think about simply the thing of, oh, it’s just a matter of what you eat or not. But the problem with garlic, now, let’s say you’ve eaten some garlic. Now, three hours later when you burp, what is the aroma?
Not pleasant. Okay, let us, we won’t get into too much detail, but let’s take it a few hours later than that. Yeah. Now, the point is, is because it pervades the system, that means that also the bodily fragrance will be permeated by garlic. You know what I’m saying? So that part is absolutely not considered.
So the onions and garlic do that very strongly. It’s just the way they are. There’s another interesting thing that I saw, I think, in Thailand, that they had gotten from, I think, the Chinese. So in the Chinese medical system, then there’s, I think, five forms of these. You have the onion, your garlic, your leeks, your spring onions, and I think there’s one other one. Shallots. Shallots. So it shows how each one of them actually destroys a certain element within the body. It throws out of balance a particular, you know, one the air, one the fire, one the water, like this in combinations, and how each one of them has a particular effect on the intelligence.
So their point is that they all destroy intelligence.
Oh, okay. Oh, you lose intelligence.
Yeah, so then, okay, so then that’s the Schuster backing for it. Yes? When I’m at university, I do a study of the medicinal properties of foods, and they’re very, they have a strong medicinal purpose, but when you think about it, it’s more like a medicine, like a, you know, they think of it as a medicine, this everyday whimsical thing. Yeah, you generally wouldn’t find that the person would go in there, you know, put the karai on the fire, put in a little bit of, you know, your safflower oil or something, you know, what it be, you know, proper polyunsaturates like that, and then, you know, and then, you know, crush up, you know, your paracetamol and, you know, throw that in there, and, you know, some other things like that, you know, a little bit of, you know, how you say, rescue drops, you know, your bak flours, you know, and all this, and then, you know, throw in your different vegetables and slightly cook them, not too much, you know.
Yes. My father used to be an old man, he was a pilot during the Soviet time, and during the Soviet time, they used to have very good military air planes, and he was in the team testing those air planes, and that was, you know, they have to react in very extreme circumstances during the flight. So, before the flight, they should take onion and garlic for two months. Really? Yes, and before the flight, they would make a blood test, and if they would find some of that in their blood, they would be not allowed for them to test those specific air planes. Why? Because if you have this in blood, you have no ability to react properly in extreme circumstances.
That’s interesting. They also had a psychological test. They did a lot of tests and proved that garlic actually reduces the memory, and how does it relate to that?
So, all encompassing? Yes.
Yeah, yeah. Sorry about that. Yeah, yes.
They’re complete.
Okay, so the first one then, we’re remembering Krishna by chanting and by prasad. Right? Then how to connect our intelligence to Krishna is explained by Srila Viswanatha Cakravarti Thakur in his commentary on the same verse. Concentrate your mind on me only. Remember only me in the form of Sramasundara with yellow cloth and four-leaf garland and not the impersonal Brahman. Now, the question comes is when he says yellow cloth, does that mean like a tracksuit or, you know, what does this mean, yellow cloth? And also fix your intelligence which discriminates in me. This means to continually reflect upon the statements of scripture using intelligence which will result in meditation. Such contemplation is called manana. Thus you will attain residence close to me. Right? So if you’re always thinking of Krishna, then you’re always with Krishna. Right? So residence means you’re living with somebody. You’re in the proximity. So by always fixing the intelligence, then one will live with Krishna.
If constant thinking of Krishna is not possible, one should constantly practice thinking of Krishna. In other words, one should follow the regular principles of bhakti-yoga and thus develop a desire to attain Krishna. Verse 9. Srila Baladeva Dvipusan explains. If you cannot offer adhatum, your full consciousness, with complete ease in such a way that it is steady, sthiram, then try to attain me by the fixation method. Withdrawing the mind from other objects, gradually fix it on me and practice this repeatedly, abhyasa -yogena, then your mind becomes attracted to me by this method. Attaining me will then become easy. So in other words, if it doesn’t naturally just come by always just absorbing Krishna’s main form qualities and pastimes, then you practice the method of mechanically having to, okay, stop being involved materially and then focus on some aspect and like this. So by that constant practice it will come easy.
Yes.
We’re used to practicing, seeing an opportunity for sense gratification and then contemplating how we could apply that in our situation, right? That’s what is looked at. You know, as a bhakti-siddhanta says, Hari Thakur, you know, defines it as the sensuous gaze of inspection, like that. He says that’s the materialist, right? He says they always inspect everything with the, you know, the idea of how it could be enjoyed, like that.
So, then it’s just a matter of practicing those, what you see, what the senses come in contact with, how then that would not be used in that way, but with how you connect it to Krishna. So you have to mechanically go through and connect it. But by keeping, regularly doing that, that practice comes and the other goes away. So, it’s, it’s not, it’s not strange what may go through the mind, what might think. You know, it’s a matter, the point is it’s what you do. So, you keep practicing correcting what you think about. You know, one shouldn’t, you know, does that make sense? Like that. Right? So, as he says, if you can’t constantly think, then you go through this mechanical process.
In his purport, Srila Prabhupada describes the practice of sadhana-bhakti, which elevate one to the stage of spontaneous attraction to Krishna. So, here is the essential point. Now, notice in here, he’s going through just what are essentially the points of devotional practice. But in the purport, Prabhupada will fill that out and bring in what’s more is there, what this, what this means. Right?
If you practice the regular principles of bhakti -yoga, one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles. One should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krishna, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasadam and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone rise to the level of God, love of God. So, just hearing what points, Prabhupada points out here, do we understand what process, specific process he’s mentioned?
It’s sadhana-bhakti, but in what form? Pancaratra. You understand? Because these are all the, this is the pancaratra. Because the pancaratra being a regulated form of devotional practice, it naturally includes the bhagavata as part of this process. So, it’ll already have, but you’re doing it in a regulated way. Right? Because bhagavata, you take prasadam whenever it happens. Pancaratra is at nine o’clock, you take prasadam. You understand? You regulate it like that. Well, the bhagavata, it’s like, you know, Raghunath Das, whenever something would come, he’d eat. If it didn’t come, he didn’t eat. You know? Does that, does that make sense? So, there’s a regular time, but the others do it. So, you go, that’s when prasad is there. So, you go, it’s just like arthiks at this time. So, you go. So, pancaratra regulates like that. So, that’s why I said these are the regulative practices of freedom. Right? So, it’s the pancaratra. But we can see here is being described, you cannot offer your full consciousness with complete ease in such a way that is steady, then try to attain me by the fixation method. Right? So, the fixation method is pancaratra. Right? Withdrawing the mind from other objects, gradually fix it on me. Right? Because pancaratra is ekayana. It’s just fixed on Visnu. There’s all Vedic rules and regulations. That’s all pancaratra is made of. But they’re only fixed on Visnu. There’s nothing separate from that. Gradually fix it on me and practice this repeatedly. When your mind becomes attached to me by this method, attaining me will then be easy. Right? Then, the bhagavata practice comes very naturally. Right? Does that make sense? So, the first one is bhagavata practice. Is bhagavata, yeah, we would naturally say it’s bhagavata or just the spontaneous platform. Like that. So, even within the following the process, but the spontaneous, in other words, one’s naturally attracted. Like that. So, whether, whether it’s working within, you know, within the environment of conditioning or not, but you would consider that it must be within conditioning. Otherwise, why is Arjuna taking the position of the conditioned living entity? Right? Why is it being spoken in that context? So, that means that we could be not on the bhagavata platform, but one is spontaneously attracted to do things for Krishna. So, it doesn’t require a regulative process to make sure you’re doing it. You’re going to do it anyway. You want to see Krishna. So, let us say you would like to see Krishna. Right? So, all night you can’t see Krishna. Krishna’s sleeping. But, there’s a time in the morning when you can see Krishna. So, what are you going to do? You’re going to go and see Krishna. And so, according to Pancharatra, what is that opportunity called? Mangalarthik. You understand? So, that’s the thing. Pancharatra is that it’s Mangalarthik, so you should be there. You know, Raghunuga means you want to be there because you want to see Krishna.
Right? When Krishna gets up in the morning, so it’s not just, you know, someone from the next room tells you it’s time to get up. Right? No. Mother Visoda comes. Purnimasi comes. You know, different devotees come and then they wake up Krishna. Right? And then, you just, so the ladies of the house or the intimate ladies, you know, connect with the family. They’re there to wake him up. Right? Then he goes out, you know, before his bath to go take care, go, you know, check the cows, feed the cows and do that kind of thing. So then, who’s there?
The cows, of course, are there. They want to make sure that they’re there because that’s the first thing they get. Yeah. So the cows are there. Nandababa’s there. Who else is there? Cowherd boys. Cowherd boys. Right? Because, you know, they’re not going to come in and wake him up. That’s, you know, the ladies’ business. Right? So they’ll be there when he goes to the cows. Right? Then he’ll go back and take his bath and everything and get ready for breakfast. Right? And so then the gopis will be there. Right? So you could say, well, the gopis are coming later and so then if we’re following the footsteps of the gopis, we could come later.
No? That would be natural logic. No? But in the same definition that they’re the ones that actually wake up for Radha and Krishna before they go home and they actually have a Mangalartik there. They actually do a puja when they wake up. Right? You know, feed them something, do puja and that. So technically the Mangalartik is what the gopis do.
Yes?
No, no. That’s the actual Mangalartik there because the other is later than the six o’clock when Krishna gets up. So that’s when he gets up, has his bath, everything like that. So that would be the puja after Mangalartik. So between Mangalartik and the actual start of the puja, that’s when Krishna goes home. But in the Pancharatrik system it’s not based on the Asla Kaliya Lila. It means it’s based on that but it’s not manifesting that. You know, primary elements will be there but that interaction and the pastimes in that way are not because it’s being done according to rules and regulations.
Does that make sense? But it’s the same form in the rules and regulations.
That’s after his bath. Yeah. That would be after Krishna’s bath. Then that’s when now, you know, formally because the cowherd boys would go home and take their bath and everybody’s all bathed and like that. The gopis would come. That’s when everybody then sees them. Like that. Does that make sense? You know, because now it’s breakfast time. So the cowherd boys sit with them. Nanda Baba and that are there. Mother is sure the elder gopis, the younger gopis are there because they’ve helped with the cooking. So, you know, that’s the scene.
So, you know, like that. So the two don’t, they naturally connect. You know, they’re not separate entities but just the flavors are there. So here we see is that by chanting the holy name and by taking vishad, right, and so you’re going to chant the holy name in the association of devotees. You know, it’ll be in front of the deities or like this. They’ll be, you know, performed in the dham. All these different elements. So all these elements will be there but the essential element is chanting and taking vishad. So chanting, dancing, taking vishad is the essential element of the process, right? Then if you have difficulty concentrating your mind on me, on Krishna, then you think about Krishna through the process of those things that will take your mind away from the material energy and place it on Krishna, right? You’re going to cook so therefore, you know, you’re going to be clean, wear proper clothes like that, you know, wear the magic kitchen shoes, you know, all those different things like that, you know? So, you know, all these are very essential for taking your mind off the material energy and then focusing it on Krishna, right? As I was saying, deity worship will do that, you know, the guru puja, all these different things, they’re regulated systems that will take your mind off and fix it there.
Does that make sense? Right? But the essential point is that you’re withdrawing the mind from the material process and focusing it on Krishna, right? Now if we go back and we look at the yoga process, the Astanga yoga process, what is it doing actually, in essence?
The same thing, right? In other words, it’s taking your mind, creating the situation that will be, avoiding a situation that’s not good for remembering Krishna, putting you in a situation that will, then situating yourself in that, in there, then withdrawing, mechanically withdrawing your mind from it and then focusing on the Lord. Yes. So you’re trying to get the yoga root. So just, they have their method, we have our method for yoga ruksha, right? No? Yeah. So, that’s all. So, the principle is the same, the detail is slightly different.
Does that make sense? Yeah. So, that’s the thing. So, then, so, he’s saying that this will bring one to this spontaneous platform, right? If one cannot follow the regular principles of bhakti yoga, one should work for Krishna and thus come to the perfect stage, verse 10. Or, verses 8 and 9 describe how to fix the mind and intelligence on Krishna, right? So, mind is just naturally spontaneous. If not, you use the intelligence through activities, that will then fix the mind. In other words, the mind, if the mind is not doing what it should be doing, then through intelligence, then you create these, I don’t know how you say, the environment and the activities that will naturally then engage it. Yes. I think devotees deviate sometimes just because they, they start not associating with Bhagavatam which would give that strength and intelligence which would control the mind. Yes.
It can come from anywhere. Not chanting, not associating with devotees, not hearing from Bhagavatam, not worshipping the Deities, making the environment you live in, you know, connected with Krishna, worshipping Tulsi, all these things, if they’re not done, then there may be a problem, right? Because these are direct. Basically everything else is directness, is seen in how it supports these five activities.
Like that. So everything else, so someone’s managing, but the management is to create the environment in which everybody can do these. Make the facilities available and, you know, regulate it and then ensure that people are following, they have the right understanding, they have the right attitude, you know, like that. So that’s what management is for. So that way, if you’re managing that, that becomes more direct, you know, but then, you know, you’re managing a business by which you get money so which you can do the temple. So it’s just that one step back, you know what I’m saying? And if you don’t do the direct, anything else? Yeah, well, devotees are supposed to be engaged. So even, let’s say, someone’s not living in the temple, he has his house, but he’s supposed to be associating with devotees, he’s supposed to be chanting, hearing Bhagavatam, worshipping, you know, deities, he’s supposed to, you know, make his house favorable for Krishna consciousness. You know, in other words, you know, you might move the Picasso and put up a picture of Krishna, you know, stuff like that. So, you know, little details like that. Yes?
Question being asked.
No, but it’s still the regulator process. So if one continues at it, then one will move forward. So that’s why there needs to be regular discussions on that process. You know what I’m saying? Like here we’re discussing the philosophy of it, that one should do it, right? The Nectar of Devotion, Upadesa Amrita, that discussion, that’s on how to do it. Does that make sense? So that’s why the two go together. So you’re having that philosophy and then that culture, how you’re going to apply that philosophy.
Verse 10 refers to engaging our external senses in Krishna’s service.
Srila Prabhupada gives practical instructions how to accomplish this. If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office or temple for propagating Krishna consciousness. Or he may help with publications. There are various fields of activities and one should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice the results of his activities, the same person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Krishna consciousness. His voluntary service to the cause of Krishna consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect. Right? So here we see is also the different levels of fully absorbed and just partially absorbed. Right? So you could also see in here the nishkama and sakhama, but it’s connected to Krishna. Like that. But this is then, you’re going to have to consider just as in the other, you’re dealing with the first is basically you’re, the principles of Bhagavata are the prominent. Then the second one, the principles of the pancharatra. And here we see then the Vedic elements come in because you’re saying he can, if he has sufficient money, he can do these activities. So how did he get his money? Right? So that’s through varna. Right? In the pancharatric process, there is no varna. It’s just brahminical activity because the brahminical varna is ashram. You know what I’m saying? But there are elements within that ashram performance that only brahmins would do, that the others wouldn’t do it as an occupation. But they would do it for themselves as just ashram. You know what I’m saying? So for them, the difference is this ashram is ashram, varna is varna. For the brahmins, the varna and ashram are non-different.
That would be the only, same activity, it’s just not separate. So then it indicates that the varna ashram system is there. Otherwise, how is their economics? And then you’re going to engage that economics. So you can do it just for Krishna. Or you can give a portion. So that means you could be working within that varna ashram system, engaging yourself to, how do you say, involve yourself fully in Krishna consciousness. Or you can be doing it as partial.
Does that make sense? So it also indicates if you’re making money, then you’re a grihastha. Right? Because in the other system, it doesn’t necessarily mean that. One could be a grihastha or not and be engaged in the pancharatric system because the focus is simply on serving Krishna. So even if he’s a grihastha, he doesn’t have a separate occupation. He just does a service.
Does that make sense? But in here, then there’s the consideration of occupation. So that means now you’ve brought, it’s not just you’ve touched on the ashrams because the grihastha ashram, they function in there without the need of, how you say, the varna occupational element.
You know what I’m saying? But when you drop it from the brahminical position of occupation and all that, then it comes into the kshatriya, vaisya and shudra. Then there’s the consideration as then the rules start to expand more and there’s more adjustments. The Vedic starts regulating it more while the other one is the pancharatric would regulate it. You know what I’m saying? Right? Because, in other words, if you’re, let’s say, full-time pajari and like that temple devotee, what’s the time you spend with your family? What’s it regulated by? When you’re not with the deities, when you’re not out doing preaching, like that, that’s your family time. But now in the Vedic, what regulates your family time? Your work, your occupation. So you’re not at work or not having to do some sadhana, you know, like that. Then you can be with the family.
Does that make sense? But in the pancharatric, the sadhana is the work.
So it’s one thing. So that’s why it’s sometimes difficult for devotees to balance.
Because when you add the greater Vedic, or broader, not broader, more detailed, you know, materially detailed situation of the Vedic system, then you’re dealing with three. You’re dealing with, in ashram you’re dealing with two aspects. The sadhana, which is something constant through the whole system. And then the addition to that, if there’s a family or not. You know what I’m saying? Sadhana is common for all four ashrams. Having a family is then connected specifically with the grhastha. You understand? So that’s an addition. Then you have the work. So that means you have to balance three things. Right? So the sadhana is part of the family.
Right? But still, there’s, you know, the focus. Then you have the occupations. That becomes more difficult. For the temple devotees, it’s less. You have your temple and you have your time, so it’s there. And when it’s not that, then you have, that’s family time.
Does that make sense?
So, yeah.
If we already had more self-sufficient, sufficient base, that would be more easy to balance out, right? If we have a more self-sufficient base, it would be easier to balance out. In theory, yes. Means technically, yes. But still, unless somebody understands the balance, they still won’t be able to balance in that environment. You know what I’m saying? Just like, let’s say, I think it was, we had, I just don’t know whether to mention the project or not. He gets to make it clear. It’s at Gita Nagari. Right? It was a farm owned by one person. Right? So he lived there. He did that. He’d always win the best awards, you know, the best farm in the state awards, basically. And so, he’d do all those things. And so, he’d be living on the land and he’s, you know, doing that, so he didn’t have any difficulty. Then, you know, he got old, so he couldn’t do it anymore. So then we bought it from him. So, very good. You know, you know it works. It’s very prosperous and all that. So you have that opportunity. But still, you have to balance it by committing to it. So now, what one person used to plow and take care of, now a whole bunch together can’t.
You know, there’s probably always discussions going on about how to, you know, make all this work and this and that. But before, one person did it.
So, just because you have the facility doesn’t mean you can do anything with it.
You know what I’m saying? There has to be that maturity. You know, say you have eight year olds and you have, you know, 1,200 cc Harley Davidson. So, you know, in theory, you know, this guy can, you know, do something with it, you know. But, not necessarily. You know, it’s probably you can’t even reach the seat. You know what I’m saying? So, the point is is that self-sufficiency is something to work towards. But it’s not that self-sufficiency will answer the problem. Some will say, oh because we’re this, that’s why there’s a problem. No. The boys were perfectly fine on, you know, 26 2nd Avenue, right in the middle. I mean, that is, it’s a noisy place. 2nd Avenue is a big street. You know, it’s not a little, little, little gully. It’s a big street. You know, going the other way, that’s where small streets are. But that way, that’s a big street.
So, so they were perfectly fine there. You know, every place we started was right in the middle of it. So, it’s not, Krishna Consciousness is not dependent upon the environment, but because we are affected by the environment by trying to make an adjustment in the environment, you can make it more favorable. That’s Yama and Niyama. It’s just, what would be the favorable environment? What’s the unfavorable that you try to avoid? But it’s also just how you see it. You know, it’s like, um, that’s how you say you have the typical family, right? Of course, I’m taking the American paradigm here. But, you know, you have the father, you have the mother, right? You know, the older brother, the younger sister, right? So, four people living in a house. But they almost kill each other over, you know, the use of the bathroom, the this, the that, you know, what television program they’re going to watch, you know, what to eat for dinner, where they’re going to eat, you know, their dinner, what friends, they, you know, like this. but, but then, let’s say, I don’t know, well, now it’s another thing, but before you had doors, you had a temple, right? And it’s the same size house, no different, but how many people are living in it? Right? 30, 40, 50 people, right? So, this would bewilder, you know, the psychological community that, you know, they’re having trouble getting four people to live peacefully in one building. How are these guys having 50 people live in one building?
So, that’s always the thing is we’ll try to say, oh, the reason we’re not because of this, you know, oh, if the women are treated more equal, then it will be. Oh, if the gurukul kids are less, then it will be. Oh, but if we’re self-sufficient, then it will be. You know, if it’s, you know, for, you know, do better in ISKCON communications, then it will be. So, I have so many ideas, but none of them technically have anything to do. They’re ways to engage.
But, as we see, it’s when Krishna’s defining these processes, he could have said, well, you know, best is you take up the Bhagavata process. If you can’t do that, then Tantra. If you can’t do that, then Vedic. You know, but you should, you know, tend towards Naisakami. But if not, then, you know, Sakam. Did he say that? No. He said, concentrate on thinking of me. Right? And he tried to say it by chanting his holy name, taking prasad. Right? If you can’t do that, then, if not, if you can’t do that, then you follow the process to fix your mind on him. Right? The mechanical process. Then Prabhupada expands that and says, this is Pancharatra. So, all it is is, therefore, if you don’t spontaneously think of me, then you follow that method by which you can remove your mind from what’s distracting you and then fix it on him.
So, that’s how Krishna’s describing the Pancharatra process.
And if you can’t do that, then you’re working anyway. You’re going to be making money anyway. You’re going to be living your life anyway. So, give that to Krishna.
If you can’t do that, give a portion of that to Krishna.
Is that, sound nice?
If, however, that is not possible, one should give up all the results of his work for a good cause and try to be self-situated, verse 11. Srila Prabhupada explains, it may be that one is unable even to sympathize with the activities of Krishna consciousness because of social, familial, or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activity to some good cause. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one’s country, et cetera, may be accepted so that someday one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Because you’re giving up your activities for others’ benefit. Right? So, for some higher purpose. Right? So, that’s the principle. It’s progressive. You’re moving forward. But, without the association of devotees. That’s why it says one day at May because then you’re pious. Right? And who surrenders to Krishna? Pious people. So, that’s why.
In Bhagavad-Gita, 1846, we find it stated, yatha prabhupate bhutanam. If one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krishna, he will come gradually to understand that Krishna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method. Right? So, even one doesn’t fully understand that one becomes purified when one comes there. Right? So, this is verse 11. So, interesting. That, Krishna said, if, however, you are able to work in this consciousness of me, then try giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated. Right? So, now, there Krishna is saying, just be a pious person.
You know what I’m saying? Right? And so, then we have there. Then you get your other. Right? Then if you can’t do that, okay, then, okay, yes. So, in other words, if someone is doing good work in that, that’s not the thing to criticize.
Right? So, someone is going, well, you know, what we do, you know, welfare activity and that, oh, that’s all maya and all that, that’s nonsense. No, that’s not the point. The point is this, that’s good that you’re working, but the problem is this, you fed them today, tomorrow they’ll be hungry. Right? And so, even though you’re benefiting them, which is good, because they need to eat, but, you can do, by Krishna consciousness, then you could benefit them eternally.
Right? Therefore, just do prasadam. You know, the more people understand it’s prasadam, then they’ll actually get benefit. See, if they take prasadam but don’t know it’s prasadam, which is purifying, but it’s not actually directly devotional service. But if they know this is prasadam and they’re taking it, then that becomes, then it’s devotional service. Right? So, the closer you can bring, then the better. You know what I’m saying? Does that make sense? Do we understand the difference here? That’s, that’s the anxiety, or the criticism may come up by, we’re doing food, food distribution, you know, food for life and these things. But if nobody knows it’s prasadam, then we’re saying that this is preaching and devotional service. It’s a ghyata-sukrti. So, it’s, it’s like secondary.
You’re benefiting. If they get enough of this, then we’ll give some benefit. But it’s not, is that, is that, we’re pumping or is someone else pumping? Huh? Just ask them if they can wait a little bit. Well, it’s always going to be a problem.
Right? So gradually, so, but the point is, is it’s not going to happen on its own. You still require the association of devotees. Otherwise, it won’t happen. Because devotion comes from devotion. It doesn’t come from pious activities. Does that make sense? So, that’s important. It’s, it’s not that, oh, okay, so then it’s fine they do that. No. It’s good they’re doing that, but better would be that they’re doing, they’re engaged in devotional activities.
You understand? So you try to take them up through this process. Right? They’re situated. They’re doing these good, you know, things. You, you know, they’re doing good work. Great. Now, why don’t you take up, you know, doing part of that good work, meaning doing the ultimate welfare so your money is being spent doing some direct project in Krishna consciousness. Right? And then from doing that, then they get involved more, then they take up the process of, of, of the sadhana bhakti. So they associate with the temple, with the devotees, they chant, you know, they preach like this. And then it naturally comes to the point where then spontaneously they’re absorbed in thinking of Krishna. Right? So that’s the process. Now, oh, that’s all maya, so that’s all that, and you just do this. Because then the point is, is then, you have a difficulty is that then what if they’re not rightly situated at such a, in moving forward so greatly? Right? So you have to find a position in which they can move forward properly. But, unless you know that that’s where they’re trying to get to, how you’ll get them there? Right? Okay. You have a community. So, what, the temple is somehow or another interacting with the community. What’s the purpose the temple is trying to do with the community? What they should, what should they be trying to do? Inspire them to?
Take the process. And the process is defined here as? Hearing and chanting. In other words, and the reason of doing that is?
Remembering Krishna. Right? That will develop one’s love of God. Right? So, in other words, you’re dealing with the community so that they’ll remember Krishna. It should be spontaneous. If not, then pancharatrik. If not, then supporting by doing service.
Does that make sense? Or, let’s say, even if that’s not there, they’ll do a little something here and there, but they’re doing all these charity works. Because generally, if you check, most, most in volume, most donors that give to our society, what we get is a small, a small proportion of what they give in charity.
Like that. You know what I’m saying? People, the people who just go to their office and ask for something and go away, they may have given us 25,000 rupees. They’re probably giving lakhs away in other charities. No? Easily. So, we’re getting the smallest portion.
So, but it doesn’t mean that that’s nonsense. No, it’s because they’re doing that, now somehow that they’re able to give in Krishna, Krishna. That’s just, slowly, slowly, it should start to adjust. But that’s going to adjust by association.
Right? Does that make sense? So, like I know, that means, before, in my, in here, that youth forum, that was built by this one devotee. He was the best of the life membership makers. So everybody else would do, you know, five, six members a month. He’d do like 20. So, one would think, well, what was his technique? You know, what did he say? What were his lines? You know? But that wasn’t it. It was because he was trying to make them into devotees.
And so, anytime he was walking through that neighborhood where their office was, he’d just drop in. Not to ask for another donation, but just to go, how’s it going? How’s your chanting? You know, you know, you know, they’re visiting the temple, they’re reading, they’re doing that. He would just cultivate Krishna consciousness. So when they’d come to the temple, you’d see a difference. They’d come to the temple and want to serve. Everyone else’s life members, they’d come to the temple and want to be served. Right? Because they’re the life member. Does that make sense? So, there was a difference in the perspective.
So, if that’s the purpose, then, to get the community to give money, that’s not the purpose of the community. It’s just to support the temple. The purpose of the community is to become to the platform of spontaneous devotional service. But they’re going to do it on whatever platform they can do it from. So, therefore, you’ll engage and cultivate.
Does that make sense? So, wherever they’re situated, you leave them there and try to move them to the next level. You don’t pull that one out and say, no, only this. No, it moves, progresses.
Right? Those who can move faster will. Those who won’t, won’t.
Does that make sense? So, that’s the idea.
If one cannot take to this practice, then one should engage in cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation. Right? Because knowledge gives you what’s there, what’s the situation. But then, what are you going to do with the situation?
You know what I’m saying? If you have money, okay, so now what? You have to do something with it. So, knowledge means it has to be applied. Tattva is describing what is done in rasa.
It’s not a separate topic.
Does that make sense? You know, and rasa is the application of that tattva. You know what I’m saying? So, so that means that knowledge has to do something. And we see, what was the whole point in all this? This whole, this whole process here. The essential point was what? Remembering Krishna. That’s why Krishna mentioned that word three times. Remember me. Right? Because that’s the whole point. So that means you can gain knowledge, but if that knowledge doesn’t culminate in remembering, then it’s not so important.
So I guess you could say that that would be the purpose, right? You learn about, you know, you gain the knowledge of like the Holocaust and the diaspora and all that, so that then you can remember.
So, so it is moving up. It’s progressive.
And better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action. Okay, well here’s where it falls apart.
Better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action. So in other words, knowledge is not doing something. Meditation, at least, is doing something. It’s engaging the mind. Right? In other words, the engagement of the mind focused on saying, that’s really what you’re trying to get to. Right? So all these different things are so that the mind is there. Right? Let us say, say, somebody’s starting to do something new, and then you see by them they’re mechanically going through, but what’s missing?
Hmm? Not so as a service. Let’s say somebody’s new, doing something, and doing everything exactly according to the book. So what’s missing? Yeah, by the experience, the personal element. So that means the mind. The mind hasn’t caught it. You’re only the intelligence, okay, now we’ve done that, now we do this, and like that. But once it comes naturally, it means the mind’s accepted it. So then it becomes very natural. So that’s why meditation’s better than the knowledge, because then the mind is involved. Because you’re meditating on what you have knowledge of. But then it says, better is renunciation of the fruits of action. So now we’ve put then actual engagement in an activity that gives a result, and that result is engaged.
Right? So interesting to point here, what is the hierarchy technically, you know, from this vision of the position of the karma yogi, the jnana yogi, and the karma yogi. Karma yogi’s on top. Because they’re actually being engaged in Krishna service. Because the jnana yogi is meditating, so that’s better than the jnana yogi who’s just absorbed in knowledge.
So once you come to the position of nice karma, then these are all, how do you say, buddhi-yoga. So then that element, then they’re all nicely combined. So whichever is more prominent for the situation, or more prominent for the nature of the individual, then that works. But it’s, but they’re engaged. Right? For by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind. Because having something, that’s where the problem comes. Right? You don’t have it, you know, but you want it, then it’s a problem. You have it, you know, then it’s a problem. But in renunciation, you don’t want it, you don’t have it. Or, you can have it, but you don’t need it. So either one. So then there’s peace.
In this verse, if you cannot take to this practice, refers to the practice of nice karma, described in verse 10. Not the practice of giving up the results of one who worked for a good cause, described in verse 11. Right? Because they’re taking it right back through. In other words, he’s got right to the bottom, but better than that is the meditation, better than that is offering the fruits of your labor. So, immediately brings it right back up.
Thus, verse 8 to 12 describe the following sequence. 1. Perfect devotional service, constant remembrance of Krishna, verse 8. 2. Devotional service in practice, performing sadhana bhakti and working for Krishna as Krishna desires, verse 9. 3. Working with detachment, offering the fruits of the work to Krishna, verses 10 and 12. 4. Two lower stages are also mentioned in verse 12. 5. Yoga and cultivating knowledge, or brahmajan. Still lower than brahmajan is the method in verse 11. 6. Sacrificing the fruits of work for a good cause without direct connection to Krishna. I would also… Oh, okay. Summarizes these stages.
In verse 11, the phrase working for a good cause and trying to be self-sufficient, what does this mean by self-sufficient?
Just you’re properly comfortable in your duties. Right? You’re doing your duties and not, you know, you’re satisfied in doing that.
No, but a pious person knows, okay, I’m a grahastha, so I take care of my family, I give that attention, I make money, I focus on that, I do that nicely, I’m supposed to give in charity, I’m doing that. So then they’re self-situated.
They know what their condition, position is.
Oh, then it means that other, then it means, in verse 12, that may mean you’re cultivating, he says, brahma jnan, the understanding, the knowledge of Brahman and all that. So in other words, see, on one level, the jnani is more respected than the karmi because of that knowledge. Because that knowledge is the knowledge by which you can elevate yourself. So the jnani doesn’t have knowledge, so that’s, that’s a weakness, a greater weakness. So he’s performing activity, so he’s more absorbed in the material energy. The other one has a concept that there’s something beyond, so that’s better on that level. But at the same time, if you’re looking at devotional absorption, that means meditating upon the Lord as a person. So then that’s where the jnani then switches to actually lower than the karmic because for him it’s very difficult to appreciate the personal element and the element of acting for a result, you know, but that result’s then for the Supreme. Because their point is Supreme is Brahman, what does Brahman need with the result?
You know what I’m saying? So therefore their ability to appreciate the personal endeavor, that becomes very difficult.
Just because in the Purport to verse 12 it is said that if one is not able to meditate, then the next level there are the prescribed duties and as enjoined in the Vedic literature, and then it’s mentioned that Brahman’s death is by Krishna. Very good. So that’s, that was what was mentioned before on, you know, number three, you know, in these four in a line. So you’re going down Bhagavata, Pancharatha, Vedic, right? Not that, you know, there’s not an overlap in there, but that’s where the prominence is, right? So the four, but that third, that Vedic means that’s in connection with Krishna. You know, how much you can, either, you know, fully giving the results or giving a portion. If you can’t do that, then four, you’re following the Vedic, you know, or being a good person and giving in charity, doing good works, right? Then if you can’t do that, then, then you engage yourself in the practice of knowledge. So that technically puts that practice of knowledge on the bottom of the pile, right? And so then once you’ve kind of hit rock bottom, then Krishna brings it up again, right? So then he says, you know, you can’t do that, then meditation, right? So then that would be, you know, these forms that do meditation, but then better than that is activity. So he’s brought it again back to the third level, right? Because the third level’s active, the second level’s active, the first level’s active, they’re all active, right? So in other words, one through three, this is engaging in devotional service on different levels of, of, of, you know, devotional realization or, or attachment, right? Does that make sense? So, spontaneous naisakamya or, or, how you say, vaidhi, how you say, yeah, spontaneous absorption in Krishna or absorption in Krishna according to the, the directions, right? But that’s, that’s how you’re working. Not then engaging your life in Krishna’s service, right? According to your condition, nature, right? That’ll be the third option, right? So then, so these three, you can say, this is, you know, your standard devotional process. Taking your nature, engaging in the Lord’s service because Buddha Yoga is going to cover all three of those, right? Then your fourth one is, is defining, dropping out of that. So it’s not in, within devotional service, but it’s within the process of, of upliftment.
Does that make sense?
And then if, you know, but through pious activities in the way of, you know, charity and doing, you know, works. And if you can’t do that, then you study knowledge because you get some benefit, but it’s not necessarily anybody else does. But the other one, at least you’ve opened a hospital, somebody’s getting some benefit. You know what I’m saying?
So does that work? It seems to me that, that to, to do the good work, that’s like the lowest level, just, just, No.
You have people in, you know, America who give to, you know, the Biafra Foundation or something like that. They don’t know anything about God, data, there’s nothing. But they just know that it’s a nicer thing to do something for someone else’s benefit than simply for your own. So they have a lot of money. And they could easily spend that money. They could buy that second yoke You know, they could do all those things. But they also have an understanding that it’s nice to help other people. Of course, there’s generally inspiration. People hold dinners. But they know, you know, when you go to a dinner where it’s $1,000 a plate, you know, and you’re taking your whole family right there, that’s $4,000, right? And it’s not going to stop there. They’re not just going to sit around and, you know, get smashed and, you know, you know, knock over the tables and go home. Right? After that, you know, they’re going to have all kinds of discussions and this and that. And somebody’s going to stand up and they’re going to, at some point, start some process of pledging for a cause. They know what it’s for. So they’re going to the, to this dinner already having, giving so much money. And they know that there’s a possibility they’re going to get more. But they, they want to give in charity. But they like a particular environment. You know, other people who are giving, because you’re not at the dinner unless you paid so much money. So they paid at least as much as you. You know? So, you’re comfortable. So you’re in the company of like-minded persons. And, you know, there’s only certain causes that’ll be considered, you know, good. You know, like that. You know, they’re not having a, you know, a drive for, you know, raising funds for, being able to offer, you know, chroming of, you know, you know, motorcycle chains for those, you know, bikies who can’t afford it. You know, so, they’re not doing stuff like that. You know what I’m saying? They’re doing something where you really need, they need food, clothes, medicine, you know, some variety of security and protection. Right? So, they’re doing that and have no understanding of that. But what we’re saying is, within that, because there are levels within it, right? Krishna hasn’t said that within this, that there may not be some levels within. But that’s a detail. You know, in other words, you’re giving the fruits of your work, but whether you’re giving more or less, that’s, that’s the consideration. But you’re still, the principles, you’re giving that. So, here you’re doing good work. Now, if you understand good work according to the Veda, then that will be superior than just giving. Because, then you understand it’s your duty so the human element is being cultivated. Well, the other one is just you’re doing good work. Right? So, you’re helping someone in this situation. You’ll get that much back in the future. So, there’s never any loss. Do you understand?
Is that, is that okay?
The benefit of giving will be like, ultimately, you understand that there is someone beyond that. Yeah, it should be as that, you know, giving for a higher cost sacrifices the principles. then the point is you’re sacrificing for these others. But now, why, why care about anybody else? Right? You know, just because they’re the living force. Okay, that’s, that’s nice. That’s at least you’re able to appreciate that there is something. You know, more than just, you know, your own, you know, your own existence. But, at the same time is there is the element that all of this has come from somewhere. there must be, you know, so that’s why it’s important. You know, we say all men are brothers. How are they brothers unless there’s a common father? Right? So, so, then on that level of that common, common father, then that would mean is that sacrifice can also be connected there. Right? And then the people who are involved in that, then they’re also in that position like those poor people, but they’re there voluntarily. So, then that element of charity still remains. You know, supporting the preaching and those things like that. You know, the brahminical culture. So, what they’re doing naturally goes there, but the consciousness goes farther. They see more.
You know what I’m saying? So, here it’s like we’re talking about in a minimum it’s on pranamoy. Right? Because anamoy is basically kind of ruled out here, but pranamoy. But, better is there on anamoy. I mean, on manamoy. Right? If they’re on this platform of manamoy, then they understand varnashram and its duties and their nature within that. But if they don’t, then within artha, then they can understand their position. Okay, I have money. He doesn’t have money. So, therefore, I can have it.
Does that make sense?
Yeah? So, you’re slowly raising Srila Prabhupada summarizes these stages in his purport to verse 12. In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes. One process is by gradual development. The other process is direct. Devotional service in Krsna conscious is the direct method. And the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one’s activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge. Then to the stage of meditation. Then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul. And then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may take either the step-by-step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone. Therefore, the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others who are not at this stage. For them, the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation, and realizing of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-Gita is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So both these, the direct and indirect, are being given. So that also, then, we can see is that in this twelve verses described in the indirect where it’s going to go because you’re going to then, on that full meditation on the Lord, you’ll be engaged in activities. So it’s giving both of these processes.
So, yeah. So we can see here is that Prabhupada has this vision that in connection with Krishna consciousness basically we, you know, anything else would be, you know, inferior. But for someone who’s not in Krishna consciousness and that’s not going to, that doesn’t necessarily work so good at this stage, then these other processes are fine. You know, like Prabhupada was talking about this new age stuff. His point was if you’re a devotee to go back to new age, that would be dropping because you already have, you know, the purpose of all these things getting to, right? But, if one is not a devotee and he’s involved in new age activities and thought, then that means he may, generally would mean he’s more progressive than someone else who’s not. So, then it’s a good thing. Right? Does that make sense? So, there’s a difference. but we have to discriminate by, on the way up or on the way down.
You know, like that. If you’re trying to get to the tenth floor, right?
So, you have to move from the ground up. So, if you’re on the ground floor, or let’s say you’re on the first floor, so then you have to go to the second, third, fourth, like this. But, now, if you’re on the fifth floor, you can’t say, well, the second floor was okay.
You know? I came through that, so it was okay. Everyone said it was good. So, you can’t go from the fifth back to the second and think you’re moving towards the tenth.
So, it’s very important.
You know? And, just because it may be, okay, it brings out some fineness of consideration of others, you know, some respect, all these things that we preach that are part of Krishna Consciousness, they’re naturally there in Krishna Consciousness. You just take them up from there. If you don’t know Krishna Consciousness, great, if you’re gaining them from there, better than being self-centered.
Yes.
That’s why Krishna says, religion will take us to irreligion, irreligion is religion. You can get it the other way. Simply, you’re doing something for others. Well, why doesn’t he, why didn’t he like Sir Prashad all day for the devotees, or, you know, these other things for them.
But then that’s this very specific point, you know? So, you know, collect money, open a hospital for dying children, you know, do something like that, you know, you know, Krishna Conscious, like that, easy can. But in any case, you want to do that, then that’s all the more they could do. Prabhupada also mentions that sometimes the soul just can’t you know, just whatever it is, wants a change. It’s just, can’t absorb oneself so much that they want a change. You know, unfortunately that desire for change is not for the better.
Yes? Maharaj, you mentioned that on the third level it’s part of the direct process.
But, but, is there within the direct process, like there’s two levels of naispranya and sattva, and sattva would be kind of indirect still? No, the point is the point is yes, that would be. One thing is like fully giving, you know, all the results and another is you’re giving a percentage so it seems some things it’s not You see, the thing is is the difficulty here is why are we discussing this? Why are we discussing what’s higher and what’s lower?
Because you want to reach the goal, right? You want to reach the goal, but who’s supposed to reach the goal? Different levels to reach the goal. So, in other words, it’s not a problem that naiskaranya is higher than sattva. The point is is that someone’s on sattva if they continue at that and by association they’ll come to nishkama. So, it’s not a matter of trying to say no, but sattva’s lower than nishkama. We know that. The point is is you’re trying the point is is that they’re at that level, let them be at that level and by giving association and cultivation you’ll bring them to the higher level. Does that make sense? That’s the point of this discussion. Not a matter of well, this is higher, that’s lower. No, it’s understood. It’s just the way it is.
Is that okay?
That’s why we’re saying that’s why temples many times have difficulty dealing with the community because they’re not seeing that the purpose is to bring them to full remembrance of Krishna. So, it’ll be seen as they have to come to the temple and do some service. Right? Or they should be giving their money.
No, it means you’re supposed to be making them remember Krishna so you’re cultivating them for using that process which works for their situation. So, giving money then that’s what they do. But it’s all processed but slowly, slowly that will move forward and then right?
Does that make sense? So, it makes the ability to be broad -minded to be able to see how to situate them.
Otherwise, then one will simply look at it well, it’s all about the temple. No, it’s all about people remembering Krishna. So, the temple is a place where all those activities to remember Krishna can be done in a very nice fashion and then others can take advantage of that either by taking part or by trying to do that at their homes or whatever. In some way they’re inspired.
So, then the whole community development takes on a very different flavor. Right? Rather than we’re the temple everyone’s supposed to come to us. Why they should come to you? You know, because this is the temple. Yeah, okay, that’s the temple. What about you? Why are you the one saying they should be coming? Who are you?
You know? You know what I’m saying? So, unless you’re doing something to cultivate them why they should care about you? Temple, yes. You, no. So, that’s why they come to the temple, see the Deities and leave. So, they are coming to the temple.
But unless you contact and cultivate then they’re, you know, they won’t go farther than that. Is that okay?
Good? Oops, I got a phone call. Okay. So, thank you.
