Maharaj: Hare Krishna
Actually I am quite sick. I have a really bad flu. So I am just going to go straight into the
verse with your permission.
This morning we are reading from Srimad Bhagavatam, 4th Canto, Chapter-18 entitled
Pṛthu Mahārāja Milks the Earth Planet, Text No: 9 -10
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya!
Maharaj: I think we can leave that door open. It will make for more air.
vatsaḿ kalpaya me vīra
yenāhaḿ vatsalā tava
dhokṣye kṣīramayān kāmān
anurūpaḿ ca dohanam
dogdhāraḿ ca mahā-bāho
bhūtānāḿ bhūta-bhāvana
annam īpsitam ūrjasvad
bhagavān vāñchate yadi
Go to the translation,
Translation:
O great hero, protector of living entities, if you desire to relieve the living entities by
supplying them sufficient grain, and if you desire to nourish them by taking milk from
me, you should make arrangements to bring a calf suitable for this purpose and a pot in
which the milk can be kept, as well as a milkman to do the work. Since I will be very
much affectionate towards my calf, your desire to take milk from me will be fulfilled.
Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad:
These are nice instructions for milking a cow. The cow must first have a calf so that out
of affection for the calf she will voluntarily give sufficient milk. There must also be an
expert milkman and a suitable pot in which to keep the milk. Just as a cow cannot deliver
sufficient milk without being affectionate to her calf, the earth cannot produce sufficient
necessities without feeling affection for those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious. Even though the
earth's being in the shape of a cow may be taken figuratively, the meaning herein is very
explicit. Just as a calf can derive milk from a cow, all living entities — including animals,
birds, bees, reptiles and aquatics — can receive their respective foods from the planet
earth, provided that human beings are not asat, or adhṛta-vrata, as we have previously
discussed. When human society becomes asat, or ungodly, or devoid of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, the entire world suffers. If human beings are well-behaved, animals will
also receive sufficient food and be happy. The ungodly human being, ignorant of his duty
to give protection and food to the animals, kills them to compensate for the insufficient
production of grains. Thus no one is satisfied, and that is the cause for the present
condition in today's world.
Om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
Sri-caitanya-mano 'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam
Jai sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda
sri advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
So essentially I have not been following this chapter with you but I get the gist of it.
Essentially this verse this chapter describes how to live a materially prosperous life while
in this material world. One might question why does the Bhagavatam, the Granthraj
Bhagavatam which states that the ultimate goal of life is love of God advices how to live
a prosperous life in this world. Any serious student of the Bhagavatam knows
sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati
[SB 1.2.6]
The goal of the Bhagavat is unmotivated, uninterrupted devotional service to the Lord.
Many of these verses Prithu maharaj’s is discussing how he is milking the earth planet
and making the society very opulent, very prosperous. It appears contradictory to the very
theme of the Bhagavatam. So what is this? Obviously nothing wrong [laughter]. What is
the point? The point is that, Vedic scriptures teach us how to live a relatively prosperous
life while in this world and at the same time to achieve the ultimate goal of life, Krsna
Consciousness. Because the people are too busy acquiring the basic necessities of life,
they won’t have time to focus on the ultimate goal. In that sense prosperity serves the
ultimate goal or from another angle the vision, prosperity is not separate from the goal of
life. It serves the goal of life. That’s how we see it.
Prabhupada states I think in the Bhagavad-Gita that human beings are not meant to solve
the problems of life under nasty conditions like cats and dogs. You don’t have to live like
that. We can live in relatively nice. I am saying relatively. Not overdoing. Relatively nice
situation and peacefully execute Krsna consciousness. If you are not peaceful you can’t
focus. Just like many times we sit down to chant Japa, the mind is not peaceful. Not
sometimes [laughter] all the time [laughter], may be not all the time but If you took the
Japa seminar then some other time [laughter] the mind is going here chanchala flickering
here, there…Arjuna complains, system of yoga which you have summarize, is difficult
because the mind is very obstinate, very restless and to control the mind, I think Krsna is
more difficult than controlling the wind. So we know that when the mind is agitated, we
are not meaning just by sex desire but agitated by anything in this world, difficult to
focus. Difficult to chant shuddha naam, the pure name…
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Of course I am not chanting shuddha naam but nevertheless the name remains pure even
though [laughter] my lips have touched it…so in the greater picture the Vedas propose Simple living with high thinking. Not simple in the sense of austere. There is a difference
between simplicity and austerity. We don’t want our life cluttered so we can’t think of
Krsna. So we can be peaceful. So we live simply. You go to Brahman’s house not many
items in there. Everything is very clean. Just enough to keep the body and soul together.
Not that it is bare, what we need is there… you go to like Bhakti Vidhya Purna Maharaj’s
ashram, a house holder something more and a King lot more understandable. So
simplicity according to our particular situation. Little austerity. Prabhupada said austerity
means to accept the little bit of difficulty for the purpose of spiritual advancement. Some
devotees know the art of just taking a little bit under what the tongue desires. My tongue
says eat the whole plate, but my intelligent says, No then you will be too full and you will
sleep and you become lazy and waste time. So just take a little bit less than your tongue is
desiring, this is austerity. You can apply this rule across the board on a different decision.
Austerity is necessary to become gradually renounced.
Vairagya-vidya nija bhakti-yoga [ Cc. Madhya 6.254]
Mahaprabhu introduced the principle of renunciation. You can’t practice bhakti without
the spirit of renouncing this world. You have to be renounced. Gradually practice
renunciation. So little austerity helps. A civilized society practices austerity. Where is the
civilized society and civilized country in modern society? Who is practicing austerity or
following America, eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die. Who values austerity?
But it is necessary. Cleanliness, truthfulness, mercy and austerity are the foundations of
the civilized culture. Austerity in the mode of goodness. Krsna mentions this in Gita. He
says what is austerity in the mode of goodness?
deva-dvija-guru-prajnapujanam shaucam arjavam
brahmacaryam ahimsa ca
sariram tapa ucyate [B.G.17.14]
Very nice verse. He says austerity of the body consists of worship of the Supreme Lord,
the brahmanas, the spiritual master and the superiors like mother and father and the
cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and non-violence. Not too difficult but not severe
austerity. One time Prabhupad said he was never very much inclined towards austerity
[laughter]. His Guru Maharaj was appearing to him in dreams after he left this world,
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati and in the dream Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati would be
calling, Abhay! Come! take Sanyas. Take renounced order of life. Prabhupad said, I was
fearful [laughter]. Because of the austerities involved for the true Sanyasi. Sanyasi is
meant to practice a little more austerity. But now Sanyasis they all have modern
amenities [laughter] but this is for service. What is the austerity in the renounced order of
life? Basically, traveling.
A cloth becomes old by leaving it in the sun, a horse become old by not being used by its
owner. A woman attains old age very quickly when her husband neglects her. Gentlemen,
and a man becomes old by traveling. Oh Oh Oh Oh.[laughter]. So in the renounce order,
of course the real burden you could say, burden of love is the responsibility of accepting
dependence. This is the burden. Accepting some one’s dependence and then their worries
become your worry. What worries as the Sanyasi have he gave up the world? Prabhupada
said material life is problematic, if you give it up, no problems.
Akunama ta ta [laughter] It is there in the bhagavatam, isn’t it? Akunama tat a. That
means don’t worry. Zulusa…Akunama tat a that means don’t worry. The lion king
[laughter] but I have heard this in South Africa, akunama ta ta. So if you give up this
world, you are free spirit. But not the life of irresponsibility. Sanyasi is the natural teacher
and he has to take some students, in some cases he has to take disciples and it weighs
heavy on the mind, it weighs heavy on the heart until those disciples be they men or
women are also be free from the grip of material. So we accept austerity in Krsna
consciousness. But not austere in the mode of ignorance.
mudha-grahenatmano yat
pidaya kriyate tapah
parasyotsadanartham va
tat tamasam udahrtam
[B.G 17.19]
this is also Bhgavad-Gita.
Penance performed out of foolishness with the aim of self torture or to destroy or injure
others is said to be penance austerity in the mode of ignorance.
When I was in Azerbaijan when I went into the desert and there is one temple, Hindu
temple in the middle of Islam called “Temple of Fire”. That used to be part of India,
Bharath so because the natural gas comes from the ground, sometimes on fire, the yogis
sometimes go to worship Agni in the form of the fire. And they built beautiful temple,
thousands of years old in the middle of Islamic desert. Somehow it has been preserved
and in the middle of such big arena where they have fire, big fire yagna and we were told
that the fire was burning from thousands and thousands of years. And then circling that
area is a wall with rooms inside the wall and sometimes underneath a cave. So the Yogis
or more specifically the Tapasvis means one who practices severe penance, Tapasvi, they
lived underground in these caves and they perform severe austerities fasting for weeks or
months, subjecting the body to the severe heat or severe cold, because the desert can be
very hot but desert can also be very cold. In the desert it is hot during the day but it can
also be very cold in the night. Anyway there are pictures and paintings of their austerities.
I won’t go into the details, severe austerities. We don’t …as Krsna says we don’t engage
in self torture. We may deny the lusty senses but we don’t torture them. Anyway the
point I am making is that we can live a relatively nice existence but mixed with little
austerity. It seems contradictory but it’s more like having a nice sabji and put little salt in.
It brings out the best flavor, you put some salt. So life, nice life but mixed with little
austerity, brings out the best of your Krsna consciousness. Here you live in like beyond
Svargalok here in Budapest. Your temple beyond Svargalok its like Goloka. What a
beautiful building? But it was produced by blood, sweat and tears and it is maintained by
blood, sweat and tears. And you live in this opulent building, you have to get up at 3:30
every morning. And while here you have to behave your self. No meat eating, no
intoxication, no illicit sex and no gambling. No intimate association between men and
women. Study the Shastra. Don’t eat too much, don’t eat too little. [laughter]
“eke kurunandana”. Keep your mind fixed on the goal. So your Gaur Nitai, Dayal Nitai
Vijay Gauranga is your deities they let you live in their palace. But mix with the little
salt, little austerity, so you don’t forget who is the owner of this building? [laughter].
Prabhupada said the servant can they live in the same palace as the king. No problem. But
as soon as he starts thinking I am the king then the problem begins. We live in God’s
creation. Very nice. We start thinking we are God, or may be just thinking we are the
enjoyer - that’s a problem. To always remind ourselves of our fragile position in this
world, not to get attached, little austerity is good. They say, too much of a good thing is
not good. So too much austerity is not good. But there is one thing that too much of it is
Ok and that’s
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
That’s the goodest of the good and you can never get enough. Or nice Sanga, association
you can never get enough.
samsara sarpa darsanam
murcitalam kalau yuge
asadham bhagavan nama
srimad vaisnava sevanam
[Sri Sarvabhauma Battacarya]
Sarvabouma bhattacharya, those who were been bitten by the serpant of samsara, in the
age of kali, they should get relief in the snake bite of samsara by the medicinal herb,
asadham bhagavan nama..constant chanting of the holy names and srimad vaisnava
sevanam, serving the lotus feet of all these wonderful vaisnavas. That you can never get
enough though. So like that some prosperity is there. Previously, in Vedic culture people
had better facilities than they have now [laughter] and they lived in a better environment.
We are thinking we are making progress. No we are opposite of progress. What is the
word for the opposite of progress? Deterioration in society. We are not going forward ,
we are going backward, we are going fast, we are thinking we are making progress. You
are making progress to hell. Matina Krsnae Patastavova…because of their uncontrolled
senses. Persons too addicted to sense gratification, material progress gradually glide
down towards hellish conditions. They are thinking that they are so advanced. But they
cannot even be peaceful for one minute and without peace Krsna says, where is the
happiness? Who is happy out there? [laughter] No one. Only person you found that is
happy is sankirtan devotee [laughter]. Running around in all the madness.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
They are making progress in the right way. We read about Dwaraka. In Bhagavatam there
is a beautiful description of Dwaraka. Here you don’t have any pictures of Dwaraka. You
have pictures of, this is Gaur-lila here. Navadwip, Mayapur, Puri and if you got to Braj
dham, it is all Braj-lila. Where is the Dwaraka lila? We don’t find so much. Not so much
our Gaudiya mood, Dwaraka. Mahaprabhu introduced this Braj-bhakti which is mirrored
in the Mayapur dham. The pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Dwaraka is very nice
mood of Krsna. He is king and He has his queens, and very beautiful city - Dwaraka.
Historically, an historical city. There were large parks and beautiful lakes, gardens galore.
Anyway, lots of gardens. And peoples homes they didn’t need electricity because the
walls were covered with the jewels. And the jewels were self-effulgent. Oh my Gosh!
You didn’t have to come in and turn on the light and one month later pay the electricity
bill. You would walk in and buhh…Wow! All the jewels were self effulgent. Even in this
world, the jewel is almost self effulgent because you pass light to through it becomes
brilliant. Do you [laughter] you turn on the jewel? No. You hold the jewel to the light
puhhhhh…wow! Because it’s the perverted reflection of the jewel in the spiritual world.
cintamani-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vrikshalakshavriteshu surabhir abhipalayantam
lakshmi-sahasra-sata-sambhrama-sevyamanam
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
[Brahma Samhita]
What is this Cintamani? It is transcendental dust. It’s spiritual energy. Little pebbles are
made of Cintamani. The Gopis are so much enamored by the beauty of Krsna, they
hardly know this Cintamani stones. Viswanath Chakravarthy Thakur says they tie the
little stones and they tie their sandals with them. Because they wear their little sandals
sometimes they tie them to key their shoe laces tight. They use Cintamani stone
[laughter]. If you had one Cintamani stone in this world, you will be the most millions of
time billions of time more wealthy than Bill Gates, Microsoft. The walls of Dwaraka
were covered with these Cintamani stones. Who is more progressed? Us or them? And
flowers and silk clothes, Buildings were made of gold and marble. Now they have made
of concrete, iron and steel and all these lower elements. What is that they sometimes used
to pack in the ceiling? Asbestos. Large beautiful building and then five years later you die
of lymphatic cancer. Why? Because you live in concrete Steel, Asbestos. If you live
surrounded by Jewels and Gold and things and so then it increases your duration of life.
Don’t think this is fairy tale. Is Mahabharat fairy tale? It’s history of greater India.
There is mentioned when Yudhishtra was preparing for the battle of Kurukshetra, he
needed money. So he sent the Pandava brothers in different directions to obtain dhana, to
obtain wealth to turn into the military campaign. I believe Arjuna went near the field of
Kurukshetra which is a place of pilgrimage, the place of yagna and he found scattered
everywhere golden utensils. I think they use wooden spoons in the Yagna? We are so
proud, the brahmana comes. I have got these three spoons from India, shape like this and
he is looking to see very pakka. They had gold and after the Yagna, just throw it. Yagna
is over, like our yagna is over, we have kirtan, we take the feast, and the bananas are
burning and the paper plates are burning. After the feast we come back you know we
clean up, so they, these things were lying for months and years. Because people were so,
society was so opulent, people didn’t even come back to pick up the Gold. Hare Krsna!! I
think I am going to do some excavation around Kurukshetra. That will help my fund
raising for the Polish festival of India [laughter]. Indian government won’t like that very
much [laughter]. But from that stock pile of Gold Yudhishtra was able to pay for make
the war treasure they call it, treasury for the war for the big fight. Who is more opulent?
Us or them? Excuse me Sir. They are much, life was better than the old days…[laughter]
Now you all see these things? Pearls, Gold, Emeralds? Ladies? [laughter]. You have
conch red and white means you are married and you have a gold ring, Ok? Where is this
pearls and gold and Emeralds? Gentlemen, what’s wrong? Actually wasn’t people worn
these as a sign of arrogance. No. Gold is very good. Gold curbs lust. Of course you have
to know these things to put them to be properly but Ladies who wore Gold they say it
keeps down lusty desires. Pearls cool the mind. Do you ever get angry? You wear
pearls…Shanti! Shanti! Shanti! My dear wife, don’t be angry, put on this pearl [laughter].
Ok. Give me pearl necklace I will not be angry [laughter] and various jewels would
counter act the evil influence of bad stars. Now a days I have heard those jewels they
don’t actually have the same potency as they did in Vedic age. Now they recommend
Rudraksha beads. But for us we know what counteracts all the evil influence of Kali
Yuga.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Uttama sloka told me you need jewels Swamiji, you need big fat blue sapphire I just
happened to have one, very good price, $5000 only [laughter]. Hey, I have nice jewel
which was given to me free by my Guru. More powerful than whole mine of blue
sapphire.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Where you find these things now? Where you even find the basic necessities of life? We
speak about Pearls and Gold. What about some fresh air? What about some black soil,
what about some clean water? On the morning walk in 1974 in Paris, we were walking
with Prabhupad along the Seine river, the river that runs through Paris. Prabhupad turned
to us and said, you know I have been all over here but I haven’t seen one clean river
[laughter]. All the rivers of Europe he said are polluted. And I can tell you now all the
rivers of the world are polluted. It’s only one river that is clean and that runs through the
city of Christ church in New Zealand because there are only a few million people in that
country and from the word go they have been very environmentally conscious. You can
go downtown, climb over the wall and drink the water in the river. And the same holds
true for most lakes.
We were just in Siberia and there is a largest fresh water lake in the world. Lake Baikal,
enormous Lake, Baikal…you know its huge lake [laughter], it’s in the middle of
nowhere. You know where Siberia is? [laughter] It is eastern Siberia. We flew there it
was like all total like 12, 13 hrs of flying time. Siberia. And then you land in Woollen
udey, even you are on the other side of the lake, You still drive 3 hrs to get to the lake.
And there is beautiful beaches there. In Siberia it’s very hot in summer. People think it’s
very gold, but actually it’s very hot in summer. Oh and the beaches are empty. But don’t
think its Svargalok because mosquitoes are as big as house. Like this hmmmmm….you
heard that dive bombing World war-II, you hear that Kamikaze air plane…you look up
and then the mosquitoes, you can see their eyes [laughter]. They got you on their side
[laughter] and they take one litre of blood, one mosquito [laughter]. You get bit 5 times,
dead [laughter]. One person told us that, because we got there about 6 degrees. So, I was
feeling cold because I come from Poland [laughter]. It was middle of August its only 6
degrees. Their summer lasts about 3 days [laughter]. And one man said you are very
lucky. You are coming between the mosquitoes and the cold Siberian winter. Very best
time to come in…I am freezing…Swamiji, you come at the best time [laughter]. I still got
sick from that cold. Go to Siberia and get the flu in the middle of the summer. 10 days
now I am sick, 10 days. Siberian bugs. Mosquitoes, viruses bugs, believe me very strong.
So what to speak of jewels and emeralds and where is the water, where is the earth,
where is the air? Suffocating. What happened? Between then and now? Between
Dwaraka and Budapest? Make a good book title. What happened between Dwaraka and
Budapest? [laughter]
Bob Dillon say where are all the flowers gone? Long time passing, where are all the
flowers gone? Long time ago, where are all the flowers gone? Young girls pick them
everyone one… when will they ever learn? When will they ever learn…[laughter]
Of course it was an anti-war song and he led up to it. We could use that phrases for
environmental crisis - theme song. Actually, Prabhupada said, the only opulence left in
kali Yuga is flowers. And they don’t even smell any more. Only 5000 years [laughter]
passed. What happen we say? What’s up? What is happening? What happened? There are
several reasons that we find ourselves in dire straits. In this dire predicament that we are
in now.
It was all there in the beginning. What is it?
om purnam adah purnam idam purnat purnam udachyate
purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavashishyate
[Sri Isopanishad]
God is Super-intelligent. He created this world as a complete whole. Everything is there
for everyone’s facility in order to achieve the goal of life. But there is another verse that
goes along with the om purnam adah purnam verse, to keep it all organic. Organic means
you take from it but the situation replenishes itself to take care of future generations. So
it’s organic, natural. You take from Mother nature and give mother nature time to heal,
next generation comes and they take from mother nature, she heals, you take, this is not a
cycle but it is all messed up. Why? We didn’t follow the second verse of the Isopanishad.
isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kinca jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhunjitha
ma grdhah kasya svid dhanam
[Isopanishad]
Wow! I remembered [laughter] Now I have to remember the translation…
Everything that moves and doesn’t move in this creation is only controlled by the Lord.
There fore one should take what is required for oneself leaving the rest aside knowing
well to whom it belongs. Like, Prabhupada said you take a bag of rice, you put it in the
forest and birds come, they take a grain, they go away. Man comes he steals the whole
bag puts in his storage and it rots. So take, you can take. No problem you have the right
to ask God for the basic necessities like a boy hey Dad! I am hungry…pita..you are my
Dad. My son used to say like that because he used it in a different way. You are my
father you have to provide a bicycle [laughter]. Smart boy! We can ask Krsna for certain
basic necessities. You can take as Gandhi said problem is people are taking according to
their greed and not according to the needs. This ladies and gentle men is essential
problem with environmental issue.
It’s very clear. They are all doing tiny little experiments in icebergs, going north pole,
they see the globe..hey these two verses..this knowledge lights up everything like the sun
lights up the darkness. You don’t have to create knowledge. Prabhupada said, knowledge
means to know where to find it. Who is the good speaker? He just knows where to find
the knowledge. Presented systematically few verses couple of good stories, verses and
jokes, come to a good conclusion, Oh Prabhu! That was such a good class. Doe sn’t do
with me. It’s not my knowledge. Its Gods knowledge. Applauds for God, Ladies and
gentle men [laughter] like we wrote the diary chapter when one wedding it rained that
was the last when we wrote about it. Before that it didn’t rain then I said thank God, it
didn’t rain and they stood up and applauded [applause]. The police they stood up and
look to the heavens. Kushama kushama kushama [laughter]. This is the formula.
Everything is there, everyone takes according to the quota hey no problem. But the
rascals, because of uncontrolled senses, because of lust, desire to enjoy separately from
God, they take more and more because the senses can never be satisfied. Therefore you
have to practice sense control. Don’t take according to the tongue, take according to the
intelligence.
vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam
jivha vegam udaropastha vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
[Sriupadesamrita, Verse-1]
We are also yogis, we will control our senses but we are bhakti yogis, we are not hata
yogis. To print one edition of the New York Times in America they have to cut down 50
acres of trees. 50 acres may be like 65 hectars. For one Sunday news paper. And what do
they do with it when they finish with it? They throw it away. They don’t even use it for
fuel. The day will come when they will have to use it for fuel. Because you could only
take so much. Mother nature reacts. In Japan, they cut down entire forest to make toilet
paper for Australia. I mean there are thousand’s of facts and figures. I am just throwing
few at here. As a result of dumping so many toxic wastes into the rivers and the oceans,
65% of the world’s diseases are now transmitted through polluted water. And up until
recently when they imposed so many smoking bans around the world, even when the city
has lots of cars, lots of pollution, just walking down a street for 45 min to an hour and
breathing the air of the city is like smoking one full pack of cigarettes at the end. That’s
not enough they abuse the water, the air and the sky they go inside the earth. And they
needlessly take more oil than it is required. Ok take a little bit, small portions to oil up the
harness for the oxen. But they are taking so much. It’s going to be depleted and oil has
two purposes for the mechanical simple machines but also keeps the balance. Keeps the
earth and if you take too much…ohhhhhhh….if you take too much oil, earth is going to
off the orbit. It’s going to fly off the sun and burn up.
One time Prabhupada predicted because of artificial civilization they will exploit the oil
there won’t be anything left. He told Vishnujana Maharaj they won’t be able to run their
tractors. So they have to use the bulls. Prabhupad looked at the Sridhar Maharaj, he said
by then there will be no bulls. They have all of them eaten them all. So to survive they
have to in the fields and so the work themselves. By that time they will be too lazy. They
just kill each other, eat each other. You think oh! No! Has not the world seen worse
things? You read about the atrocities even today they are going on in places, recently I
now in world war –II, don’t put it past, the people of this age, not all the people but some
of the people, the demoniac these things very well happen. Already the writings are on
the wall. Before they would debate, you just read this, global warming is it true? Is it
really a problem? Hey in the few ears there is not going to be no north pole, no south pole
all melting.
There is going to be no honey. All the bees are dying. There are so many articles now in
Major magazines. All the bees are dying all over the world they are dying by the billions.
30-40% of the population of the bees has died. You can’t figure it out. Well! May be
there is something to do with the environment because perhaps pollution, someone saying
you know all these cell phones, the waves the cell phones create everywhere it confuses
the bees when they go out and when they come back can’t find their hives. Hey wake up!
The writings are on the wall. I am not going to giving to, while you can just listen to Al
Gore what is his movie called? Inconvenient Truth. Watch that movie. Adversity, it’s
right inline with what we are talking about. Inconvenient Truth. So many facts. So what
to do? Well it’s very simple. You have one on the street corner. You put your glass and
this garbage dump, you put the paper in this one, and you put the medals in this one. You
use solor petal… Hey! You think you are doing that in South America and china? No,
those are stop gap measures. They are like band aid. You know it’s going to be whole
revolution in society. Revolution in the way people do things. That means revolution in
the heart. Say you want a revolution..oh! ho! Oh! ho! We all want to change the world.
Beatles… I quoted Bob Dillon, I can quote Beatles [laughter]. Say we want
revolution…and I remember, yeah we want to change the world. Hello! You know? It all
begins with
vaco vegam manasah krodha vegam
jivha vegam udaropastha vegam
[Nectar of Instruction:Verse-1]
You have to stop abusing the earth, you just have to take according to your need not
according to your greed. Back to basics. But you could only do that, you can only control
your senses, if you have spiritual happiness within. The solution to the material problems
of this age is the spiritual solution. Prabhupada told, one devotee Bhagavan Das, write a
book, “Spiritual solutions for material problems”. We have the answers to all the
problems of modern society. Problem is we don’t practice them enough. Ourselves or as a
society, we don’t preach them at all. We have the solutions. Therefore we have the
chanting. If you are chanting
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
and living the life style of Krsna consciousness, hey santhusti, you will be happy.
Yayatma suprasidhhati, you experience the inner joy that you won’t run after needlessly
for material things. You only take what you need. You won’t be greedy for material
things. This is the plain truth. Whether people can follow it or not that remains to be seen.
Whether we can follow it as a International society of Krsna Consciousness, what are we
going to establish it as an example to the society? How many eco-environmental
communities do we have in ISKCON? How many devotees are living according to the
creed of isa vasam idam sarvam. How many leaders? Is this the speaker of Bhagavatam
class is living this [laughter]. Charity begins at home but at least let the education go on.
If we cannot do it within our life time, let us pray to God that our children can take up the
challenge from us and succeed. Because otherwise the world is headed in a very
precarious direction. Not much time left. Even in our generation, perhaps our children
generation, serious consequences will come. That’s first reason.
It’s already 9:20. I am here for only one day. So I am going to go on for some more 10
min. The second reason that the earth is in the pitiable condition that it is now is the
abuse of the environment, there is another reason. No one is doing yagna.
saha-yajnah prajah srstva
purovaca prajapatih
anena prasavisyadhvam
esa vo ’stv ista-kama-dhuk
[Bhagavad Gita – 3.10]
I love that verse. In the beginning of creature, the lord of all creatures sent forth
generation of men and demigods, along with the sacrifice to Vishnu and blessed them by
saying, “Be there happy by this Yagna, because its performance will bestow upon you
everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation”.
Right now they are having the democratic and republic primaries conventions in
America and the candidates Obama and McCain both given a key note speeches
accepting you know that they would be the candidates of their party for the Presidency of
America and I listen to their speeches for several reasons. Because I like to listen to the
good speakers to get some ideas how to speak. Especially, Obama he is an accomplished
speaker. And to hear what they are telling to people [laughter] these are the leaders of one
of the most powerful nations of the world. How are they directing their citizens, what
example they are setting for society? What are their goals, how do we fit in, what can we
offer? Like that.
Like Sivaram Maharaj he listens to the news on his podcast and then he comments on the
news. So there is a way to listen to the news. You listen to Sadhu explaining Krsna
Consciousness commentary. That’s ok. And one of the main themes of both Obama and
McCain speech was the economy, the economy of America is in shambles for various
reasons. They are saying it’s the other parties policies to cause the problem [laughter] and
they both agreed more or less well not, Democrats in particular say that the war in Iraq
has taken a lot from the economy.
I met one announcer said, that the war has caused several trillions of dollars of money
that they spend in Iraq, they could rebuild every road and every school in America and
what are they going to war because of Al-qaida, terrorism because Saddam Hussian had
weapons of mass destruction. You don’t listen to Sivaram Swami’s ipods? Which turns
out there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and Al-qaida was not in Iraq they
were in Afghanistan. It wasn’t so much, you could say it is about Oil but anyway we are
not with the politics. But they are saying they are giving different reasons. Why the
economy is bad and how to improve the economy. Cut taxes, increase the taxes, I won’t
bore you. But they are missing the main point.
Prosperity is a gift of God. Although they sometimes mention the God in their speeches,
they don’t directly link the fact their prosperity comes from God. Everything comes from
God.
aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate
[Bhagavad Gita – 10.8]
I am the source of all that is material and spiritual. He gives it, he restricts it. God giveth
and God taketh away. So say the bible and this worse from the Gita is even more specific.
Krsna says in the beginning of creation, I created all of you along with sacrifice and by
doing the sacrifice, demigods will bestow upon you everything you require. Love nature.
You can’t be prosperous by disobeying God. If you are bad in your family you think your
father will give you money for the weekend? If you disobey your father is he going to
give you money? Buy you car? Put you through the university? Hello! You are good boy
so there fore I will pay for your education. You disobey the laws of God and expect that
things going to be Ok…here is the one of the most important laws of God.
Yagya vai vishunu, svaha…svaha….
Acknowledging the fact that the God is giving us because we said many times Yagya
means, thank you. In modern terminology, blending east and west. Rudyard Kipling,
“East is east and west is west and and never the twain shall meet”. No Mr Kipling. Come
to Budapest and see the Hare Krsna temple. Nice blend of east and west.
Yagya vai Vishnu..Thank You [laughter]. Thank you [laughter] Thank you [laughter].
You got a gift and we say Thank you. You get a gift from the spiritual master which is
priceless, you should spend the rest of the eternity serving Him out of gratitude. Not that
it’s like you know like hard labor. No. It’s very, its nectar, its mercy to serve the spiritual
master. You are serving him, you are connected to Him because he is connected to Krsna,
you are connected to Krsna. What better position could you can be in? So why is
everything becoming depleted? Because no one is looking into the sky as I did it in the
wedding in the Poland and saying thank you! thank you…take, take, take…give me, give
me, give me, give me ….if you take something that doesn’t belong to you and you use it
for reason it is not intended, not only that you take it but you take it and use it for the
purpose for which is not created, they say in English, double trouble. Oh! Even sounds
heavy in Hungarian…Double trouble [laughter]. Double trouble [laughter].
We got trouble enough we don’t want double trouble. You take all these things and you
don’t say thank you and you use them for personal sense gratification or if you are demon
to exploit others or if you are an atheist to decry the existence of God, double trouble.
That’s why the world is in this situation as it is. If you take something that belongs to
you, you will be punished. Hey Maharaj you just quoted that verse “aham sarvasya
prabhavo “…the God is the source of everything material and spiritual. I am just taking
little. What is God has to bother? It’s not what but the mentality that disturbs him. When
Bhakti Sidhhanta Saraswati when he was a boy, tiny boy, 5, 4-5, he stole the mango from
bhogha room, Bhakti Vinod Thakur was very angry not because the mango was missing.
There are so many mangoes in Bengal but the mentality of the young boy to take
something that belongs to the deity. It’s the consciousness we are trying to refine in
Krsna Consciousness. This is Krsna Consciousness movement, its consciousness we are
trying to refine the consciousness. Krsna Consciousness! Attention to detail is the sign of
love. He stole the mango. Who care the mango, there are million mangoes, its deity
mango and his father impressed upon him because he knew who he was. I shall never
take mango again rest of my life. He never did. Prabhupada said, we would sometimes
offer Guru Maharaja mango, he would say, No I am an offender. This is Krsna
Consciousness. A mango.
So they say in Bengal.
Kheere chor ya hire chor korto korhai
Hira means diamond and kheera means cucumber. So Kheere chor ya hire chor korto
korhai - whether one steal the cucumber or one steals the diamond thief is a thief. And
you all know the story of Alexander, the great, I won’t tell you [laughter] how he was
punishing the thief who stole the loaf of bread and he said cut off the hand. And the thief
said, what is your definition of a thief and Alexander said who takes up anything that
doesn’t belong to you. Well Sir, you have got all the way across Asia taking that doesn’t
belong to you. You are bigger thief than me so that man is going to cut my hand? He
should cut your head Mr. Alexander. You took practice what you preach otherwise they
will call you, the Alexander not so great [laughter]. You are Alexander, the not so great
[laughter]. Hey I told the story [laughter]. So to take something that doesn’t belong, it’s
not right and then misuse it, we say in English adding insult to injury.
So why was Dwaraka like it was? Svaha…Svaha…[laughter] I can’t do that and why is it
not like that now? There are no mantras. Silence. There is no one glorify the Supreme in
the way he wants to be glorified. Of course some glorification going on. The
recommended process is given in Vedic scriptures which are valuable for the whole
world.
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasti eva nasti eva gatir anyatha
[CC- Adi 17.22]
“There is no other way to please the Lord in this age by chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”
That is the Yagna. Of course Prabhupad had said you can chant any name of God. But
this is God’s pet name, personal name. When He is as He wants to be in Vrndavan. When
God He wants to be at home relaxing with His friends [laughter] not at the office but in
Goloka - Krsna. So, this name in particular should be chanted. So this part of
Bhagavatam is very topical. This environmental issue, one of the most critical issues
facing modern society. People and the leaders of the society especially should study this
section of the Bhagavatam. I see most of the speeches that are there at the democratic and
republic and primaries are written for the speakers. I think Obama he wrote his own
speech. But you can hear when you are listening to them. You know like different people
speaking at these primaries I was always listening there is no potency there because it is a
speech written for them. It’s not from the heart. May be in the sense that these are the
ideals for their party but it is not from their own realizations. The kleshes that come out
of the tongue don’t really touch the heart. Don’t really have the knowledge which is the
training of the knowledge that is required to govern the society. They don’t have the
essential truth that is required to make the society happy by living prosperously and
what’s more advancing spiritually to the ultimate goal of life.
So with the blade of grass between our teeth, we bow down and we humbly beg them,
please for the benefit of society and the future of this earth planet, study this BhagavadGita and this Granth Raj Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Granth Raj Srimad Bhagavatam ki Jai!
Srila Prabhupad ki Jai!
Gaur Premanande! Haribol !
Hare Krishna. Thank you.
H.H. Indradumnya Swami ki Jai !