Program at the home of Jaya Saci-Suta Prabhu

Boulder, Colorado, January 15th, 2005

SDA:  We are most happy to be here tonight at this most wonderful ecstatic gathering for Krishna Consciousness.  Why is it so ecstatic?  There's no liquor.  There's no barbeque.  Why is it so enlivening?  That answer is given in the Vedas:   ananda-mayo 'bhyasat.  The nature of the living entity is blissful.  We don't need anything artificial to be happy.  This modern day society tries to make so many big artificial arrangements to make us happy.  Disney World.  Billion dollar movies.  They try to give us some little happiness for a few minutes.  But, actually we do not require any of these things.   

All we have to do is get back to our original nature.  There is unlimited nectar in our original nature.  There's so much nectar and bliss that you can't contain it in the whole ocean.  Your heart has so much nectar, so much bliss there waiting for you to dive into.  All we have to have is the means of tapping into that.  Just imagine if you were an impoverished person.  Struggling over how I'll pay my rent, to get food to eat, to pay the utility bills.  In constant anxiety, in credit card debt up to your ears.  Some of you may be going through this.  Just imagine if you're in that position.  And then someone said, what is this nonsense?  Don't you realize you have 1,000,000,000 dollars in gold coins buried in your back yard?  Really?  I do?  Yes.  Your father left it for you before he left this world.  He told me about it.  He said that I must tell you when you're in need that you have 1,000,000,000 dollars worth of gold coins buried in the back yard, and to tell you exactly where it is buried in the back yard, and to give you a shovel.  All your money problems will be solved.   

You have 1,000,000,000 dollars in gold coins buried in your back yard.  Our father Krishna is giving us this information.  It is called Vedic wisdom.  He is giving us this knowledge.  That Vedic wisdom is very nicely summarized in a verse given in chapter 9 of the Bhagavad-Gita.  How many of you are reading Bhagavad-Gita As It Is?   Let's see a show of hands.  Many many people are reading it.  Very good.  If you'll get a copy of this book and study it very carefully and try to apply it in your life, I guarantee you, very quickly, you'll become a spiritually enlightened being.  If you don't, I'll give you 10,000 dollars, cash.  Is that a deal?  Alright. 

No one's ever come to claim the money yet.  Anyone who's ever taken up my offer to read the book, and seriously apply it, has indeed, quickly become a spiritually enlightened being.  Krishna explains here in chapter 9, text number 2: 

raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam 

“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”

Now for some of us, this word religion may have a bad taste, because we had religion crammed down our throats as little kids.  But, when the word religion is used by Krishna, it is not that type of religion.  It is the original pure meaning of the word religion.  Actually, it is an English word.  The Sanskrit word is dharma.  Dharma is the intrinsic, inseparable nature of a thing.  What is the bottom line?  What is the constitutional nature of a thing?  The bottom line nature of a living entity is eternal full of knowledge and full of bliss.  The living entity has the nature of rendering service. 

Everyone actually wants to render service.  We're looking for a friend we can serve.  We're looking for a partner that we can serve.  Or if somehow or other we can't find that, we get a dog, or a parakeet that we can serve.  Everyone's looking for someone to love.  There are so many songs like that.  You better find someone to love, that old Jefferson Airplane song.  You need somebody to love.  Our nature is that we want to love someone.  We want to serve them.  That's the meaning of a loving relationship.  Its someone who you can serve without getting paid for it.  That's called love.  We're all looking for the perfect loving relationship, the perfect relationship of service, where we can not feel that we're being exploited, and just be able to completely give ourselves in that relationship.  That is actually what religion means. 

Where is that person to whom we can give our love, and we can get unlimited reciprocation, without any restrictions at all?  There's no restriction of time place and circumstances.  Its not that that person will die, and we'll lose touch with them.  Or that person will lose interest in us.  That person is Krishna.   That person who we can establish an intimate loving relationship with and we will never never never have to fear that that relationship will ever be broken, is Krishna.  This is the actual meaning of religion. 

Someone may call Him Allah, Jehovah, or Christ.  That's alright.  Same principle.  Krishna has unlimited names.  You can have many names.  Your spouse calls you one thing.  Your friends call you something else.  Your parents call you something else.  Your children call you something else.  If you can have so many names, why can God only have one name?  This is a silly concept.  Some people say God has only one name, and you must accept the name we call Him, or we're going to give you the sword, or plow an airplane into your World Trade Center.  This is a less intelligent understanding.  This is not a philosophical understanding of the science of God, the science of self-realization. 

The Vedic wisdom teaches the science of self-realization.  It is not dogmatic.  It is scientific.  Dogmatic is something that is forced on you, and you have to accept it blindly.  It doesn't hold together logically.  But the Vedic wisdom is perfect in all respects.  It fits together as a logical, total explanation of reality.  Every aspect of what's going on in the world can be explained by the Vedic wisdom.  You can take anything that's going on in the world, or anything that's going on in your life, and you can see how its a perfect part of the cosmic situation, according to the Vedic description.  Every single thing that can happen, or does happen can be perfectly explained by the Vedic wisdom.  Further, not only is it theoretical, but by applying the Vedic wisdom, you enter into a divine state of consciousness, called Krishna Consciousness, or Christ Consciousness, where your original, dormant nature becomes revived, which is eternal, full of knowledge and full of bliss.  You enter a state of consciousness, where there's absolutely no anxiety, and there's no fear.   

Its really amazing.  When I was in Vrindavana I was reading a book by one of our great acaryas.  On the highest levels of Krishna Conscious realization, when you enter into your eternal identity in the spiritual world, even though you're still in this material body, when you die, you don't even know it happened.  Your consciousness is so absorbed with Krishna, you don't even know you died.  Its like you're walking down the street, and your chadar falls off.  You didn't even know it.  That was death.  Now, death is the big fear.  A Krishna Conscious person becomes completely free from the fear of death.   

When one takes shelter of a bona fide spiritual master, by initiation it is stated that your deathlessness begins at that point.  You actually enter into immortality at that very minute.  It is called amrta, deathlessness.  In this Krishna Consciousness movement, we just want to teach you how to become deathless.  We've experienced what its like to be deathless, and we know its really great.  We'd like you to experience it too.  That's why we give you a little sample of it in these kirtanas, in prasadam, in these nice programs.  We want you to experience deathlessness also.  Why be miserable, when you can be totally ecstatic?  Its a no-brainer.  Why should I unnecessarily suffer, when I can experience every minute as an thrilling adventure?  Why live a dull, humdrum existence of worrying about satisfying some boss, so I can satisfy my landlord with my monthly rent payment?  The human being is not meant to live in such a demeaning state of consciousness.  The human being is actually meant to be diving in unlimited oceans of bliss, experiencing life as the most incredible amazing adventure at every second.  Not just when you take a hike in the mountains, or something like that, but at every minute!  In all times, in all places, and in all circumstances.   

The interesting thing about what we're teaching you is that the end and the means are the same thing.  The enlightened state you will achieve, when you are totally freed from the influence of the illusory energy, that state is called Krishna Consciousness, and the means of getting there is practicing Krishna Consciousness.  So, there's Krishna consciousness in practice, and Krishna consciousness in full realization.  If you go to the grocery store, and buy a fantastic mango, but its not ripe yet.  You're going to have a wonderful, delicious, succulent mango, very soon.  You already have the mango, but its not ripe yet.  In the beginning, we already have the mango, Krishna consciousness, but its in an unripened condition.  But, the more you chant, the more you take prasadam, the more you associate with devotees of Krishna, the more you can associate with a bona fide spiritual master, the more you can read Srila Prabhupada's books, Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, especially, that mango just keeps ripening and ripening and ripening.  Finally it will reach that point where it becomes incredibly succulent, and sweet.  You will realize: Yes, this is king of all fruits.  I don't know what quality of mangoes you can get here in Boulder, but we're right across the border from Mexico, and we get incredible mangoes and papayas.   

This is the ultimate experience.  Everyone's looking for the ultimate experience.  They think they have to save up some money and go to some South Sea Island, or Indonesia on winter vacation, for the ultimate experience, but I can assure you, the ultimate experience is not to be had in this material world.  The ultimate experience is in the spiritual world, and that spiritual world is available right now, within your heart.  You just need someone who can tell you the means of how to enter into that dimension.   

Right now, we are locked into the time-space continuum  We relate to everything in terms of time and space.  But, actually there is a dimension called Vaikuntha-dhama, or paravyoma. There's a spiritual dimension available.  The other side of reality.   

Some people say nothing is real.  But if that were absolutely true, then the philosophy that nothing is real would also not be real.  It negates itself.  Its not a common sense way of understanding truth to say that nothing is real.  What good is a philosophy that's not even real?  If you're hungry, and I say, Here's a meal, but its not real.  I hand you an empty plate, would you be happy with me?  You'd probably throw the plate in my face and say, You rascal.  I'm hungry, and you're giving me an empty plate?  This concept that nothing is real may give you a temporary sense of philosophical sense gratification to toy around with, but it doesn't really satisfy the self.  What we're teaching, philosophy from the Vedic wisdom, which is not our philosophy, but is being passed on from the great sages of India, is a very sagacious philosophy.   

This philosophy is that reality is one, but that reality has different aspects.  It has a polarity.  In Chinese philosophy, they talk about yin-yang.  It has the positive, and the negative polarities.  That positive aspect is called the spiritual, or superior energy, and the negative aspect is called the material, or inferior energy.  It is also called the external energy. We are in the external energy.  Then there is the internal energy, or the superior energy.  The internal is superior, the external is inferior.  When people talk about going within to become enlightened, its a fact.  You have to connect with that internal energy.   

You can't do it without having the proper instruments and training, because you don't have any idea of how to access it.  Therefore, we're very fortunate that that internal energy has manifested a means, here, within the external energy we are now situated in that connects us with the internal energy.  This is described by Narottama dasa Thakura.  

Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama sankirtana 

He says, from that internal energy, Goloka Vrindavana, has come a special benediction.  Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.   It may appear to be an ordinary sound vibration, within the external energy, but it is not.  It is a manifestation of the internal energy, making itself audible to us here within the external energy.  This is called the mercy of Krishna.  He has made that which is inaudible, that which is unknowable, unattainable, and unreachable accessible right here for us.   

All you have to do is chant.  Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.  If you chant with sincerity, then you will feel how you are being sucked into the internal energy: The other side of reality.  You're being pulled, carried, and lifted.  I remember when I was a spiritual seeker, back in the 1960's, there were no hare Krishna devotees that had come to Colorado at that time.  I was living in Denver at the time.  I had some hippy friend who had been in San Francisco  He learned the mantra out there.  Devotees, at that time, were chanting in the Haight-Ashberry every day up and down Haight street.  He had picked up the mantra on Haight-Ashberry, and was introducing it to people in Colorado.  I was one of those lucky people that got turned on to the Hare Krishna mantra in December of 1968.   

I'd put a nice picture of Krishna there in my apartment.  I'd come from work, sit down, and chant Hare Krishna.  I just felt like I was on a magic carpet, going sheew into another whole dimension of consciousness.  I was.  It wasn't imagination.  This Hare Krishna mantra will lift you out of material existence, and take you into that paravyoma, that spiritual sky which is within and without.  We'll never be able to develop a powerful enough rocket ship to get there. This particular universe that we're in, figuratively speaking, is like one little mustard seed in a bag of unlimited mustard seeds.  That conglomeration of universes is collectively known as the material sky.  Beyond the material sky a river called the Viraja river, which separates the spiritual sky from the material sky.   

The Hare Krishna mantra is, in one sense within you, externally, you can conceive of it as beyond the covering of this conglomeration of universes  Its actually, beyond time and space.  There is such a dimension.  There are persons there.  But they are not persons like us who are restricted by time, place and circumstance, who have to get sick, have to get old, and have to die.  Lord Krishna is the Supreme Person.  He is there.  Everyone else there is devoted to Him.  They never get old, they never get sick, they never die, they simply enjoy loving relationships with Krishna, the Supreme Person. 

By chanting Hare Krishna, we qualify ourselves to enter into those divine pastimes which are actually happening at this very minute.  If you can imagine a mystic television within your heart, it can actually be turned on, it not only that it can be watched, but you can enter into that television, and become one of the characters in the drama.  We are making friendships now in Krishna consciousness.  All of us who are joining together now, as a spiritual family, to chant Hare Krishna, we will meet again in the other dimension, and we will be together there. We will remember the program we had tonight, here in Boulder.  I was just recently in Vrindavana.  I was in Prabhupada's room there, sitting by his deity form.  Every day, in our Vrindavana temple, they have a practice that the lady who is the caretaker of Prabhupada's room will take a letter that Prabhupada had written, a xerox copy, and sit it on the desk, as if Prabhupada is signing the letter.  He would take letters there, and sign them.  So, to remember that pastime of Prabhupada, every day they put a different letter.   Anyone who wants to can pick up the letter, read it, and put it back.  I decided I would read the letter.  Prabhupada was telling one of his lady disciples how, when you go back to the spiritual world, you will remember everything that happened here in the material world also.  

All of these wonderful experiences we're having in the association of devotees here in the material world will be remembered when we gain liberation and are in the spiritual world.  We will remember our friends, and the relationships we had here on this planet.  What's happening right now is not just some ordinary thing.  Its part of our eternal treasure chest of transcendental experiences that we will relish eternally, for those who seriously chant Hare Krishna.  So, I just can't understand why the whole world isn't chanting Hare Krishna.  To me, its just astounding that the whole world hasn't taken this up yet.  They must be very much covered by the illusory energy of the Lord.  Basically they're in a state of hallucination.   

They're thinking that I'm this body.  I'm American, I'm male, I'm female, I'm white, I'm black, I'm Indian, I'm this, I'm that.  Its sad.  They're putting all of their energy into to serve a material body which is bound to get sick and die.  You see them as they get older.  They become very morose because they know death is coming, and they have no happiness.  All they can do is think back to when they were young, and running around.  And when they were young, running around, they were thinking that when they are old, they will be happy.  When they're on the verge of death, they think that when I was young, I was happy.  Actually, they never really tasted true happiness at any time in their life.   

They don't have to be like that.  They can revive that dormant, enlightened, blissful consciousness within a second, if they will simply chant this Hare Krishna Maha-mantra.  This is why when we have kirtana like this, its very wonderful.  Not only does it bless us with transcendental bliss, but it also sends a transcendental vibration out all over the universe.  This is very powerful when we have kirtana like this.  It sends powerful vibrations, like tsunamis inundating the whole planet.  This is like an earthquake that's sending out huge spiritual tsunamis all over the earth whenever we have kirtana.  1000 foot high tsunamis of Krishna's mercy are going all over the planet. 

Even if we can't directly convince them to chant, if we will just do it ourselves, just getting into it as thick and as heavy as we can, then it will create powerful vibrational waves that will inundate the whole planet.  The more we do it, the more the planet will get inundated.  We'll actually see history transformed if we really get serious about having regular kirtana programs, getting together and chanting very intensely.  We will see that the whole history of the planet has changed.  This Hare Krishna chanting is revolutionary.  If you like to be a revolutionary, just chant Hare Krishna.  

Don't live a dull humdrum life as a corporate worker.  Be a revolutionary.  Transform the course of history by getting together and putting energy into these kirtanas.   

Are there any questions?   

Guest:  Someone spoke at a meeting and said that as soon as you start chanting and get a photograph of Prabhupada, its like taking your first initiation.  A preliminary initiation.    

SDA:  In one sense, that's true.  As soon as you touch one of Prabhupada's books, your spiritual life has begun.  That's a fact.   

Any other questions.   

Guest 2:  I have a friend.  Up until just very recently he was very favorable for Krishna consciousness.  He would chant Hare Krishna, take prasadam, occasionally associate with devotees, but just recently he's become very inimical, he's saying he sees demons. 

SDA:  Where did he see the demons? 

Guest 2:  He says he sees them when walking around.  He was walking in a park and he saw one.   

SDA:  I see them every day.  (Audience laughing)  They're all over the place.  Up and down the street.  On the airplane, the whole airplane was full of them.  The whole material world is demoniac right now.  Its not a big deal.  Tell him its nothing new.   

Guest 2:  He stopped chanting, and he's asking why Krishna isn't protecting him now.   

SDA:  Because he's not chanting.  Sometimes Krishna will test us also.  He may put us into difficult situations.  Sunshine patriot, and fair weather friend.  When things are going very nicely, then God is great.  But, when I have difficulty, God doesn't exist.  If I'm approaching Krishna on a business deal, my dear Lord Krishna, if you give me all kinds of perks, then I'll agree to keep chanting Your name.  He's not approaching God as a devotee.  You may get some perks by doing that, but you won't get Krishna. 

There's three kinds of people who approach Krishna.  That's described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam.   

akamah sarva-kamo va
moksa-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusam param 

A person who has all material desires approaches Krishna to fulfill those material desires.  Another wants to merge into the oneness.  Obliterate their self into the void or oneness.  They also approach Krishna.  And those who are free of all desires, they also approach Krishna.  So, everyone is encouraged to approach Krishna.  

The trouble is that if we approach Him to fulfill material desires, sometimes we'll get our material desires fulfilled, and sometimes we won't, according to karma.  We will not be steady in our devotion to Krishna in that way.  If someone is thinking like that, just tell them to make their surrender to Krishna, unconditional  If you want to really experience Krishna Consciousness, you must be unconditional in your approach to Krishna.  Not that I will chant Your names if You do this this this and this for me.  Krishna does not fully reveal Himself, or fully protect someone, unless they fully surrender to Him.  Then He gives full protection like He did for Prahlada.   

Guest 3:  You said that once you get purified, then you can participate in the drama inside of the heart.  Is there a drama outside of the heart?   

SDA:  Yes.  That is Lord Caitanya's movement.  That is happening within and without.  That stage of entering into your eternal identity within your heart is an advanced stage, that we cannot imitate now.  Don't try to imagine such a thing at this point.  That's a very advanced stage, where you're totally free of material desires.   

When Prabhupada would chant Jaya Radha Madhava, he would sometimes go deep into ecstatic trance.  He would actually experience his eternal identity in the spiritual world, while at the same time, externally, he was engaged in Lord Caitanya's sankirtana movement.  Such a liberated personality can maintain an internal identity in the spiritual world, and at the same time an external identity in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya's movement in this material world.   

In the beginning, we just take part in Lord Caitanya's movement.  Gradually we can revive our original, dormant identity in the spiritual world, that is called our svarupa.   Prabhupada explains that in the introduction to the Bhagavad-Gita.  Svarupa-siddhi: the perfection of reviving your original eternal spiritual identity.  We should not try to imitate.   

One time in our world headquarters in Mayapura, the devotees were walking down the hall of what used to be called the Long Building.  They saw one brahmacari devotee in his room.  He was going Woo Woo Woo, strutting around.  They said, prabhu.  What are you doing?  Why are you imitating a peacock?  He said that somebody told me I'm a peacock in the spiritual world.  I'm practicing.  We shouldn't try to do anything like that.  In the spiritual world, I think I'm a gopi so I'll put on a sari every night and go out in the woods, and pray that Krishna will come dance with me.  Don't do anything artificial like that.   

Just take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master.  Engage in Krishna consciousness, under his direction.  In due course, everything will be revealed to you.  That is Prabhupada's instructions.  We have to follow the system that Prabhupada gave us in his books.    We should not concoct anything.  Whatever is given in Prabhupada's books is the perfect system for us to receive ultimate self-realization.    

Guest 4:  Prabhu, could you say more about experiencing that ecstasy even when we have to go to school, go to the job, do this do that.   

SDA:  How can you stay on the transcendental platform at work or at school, or in a traffic jam?  I'm going to give you a practical tip.  There's two types of things that we deal with in life.  There's those things over which we have control, and those things over which we have no control.  In those areas where you do have control, you must exercise full control, to the max.  In those areas where you don't have control, you've just got to put your hands up, and say, what can I do?  Just be tolerant.  Don't try to control those areas over which you have absolutely no control. 

We do have free time every day.  We can do whatever we want with it.  Whatever free time we have, we should 100% absorb it in Krishna Consciousness.  Its not difficult.  Especially if you know someone who's advanced in Krishna Consciousness, and you see how they're doing it.  You can pick it up.  When I brush my teeth in the morning, I have a cassette player which I use to hear Prabhupada lecturing.  As soon as I get up, immediately I'm plugged into the transcendental platform.  That's the key.  Start your day on the transcendental platform.  If your work schedule allows you, then get up before sunrise.  Even if you have to take a nap later on in the day to do it.  An hour and a half before sunrise, up until sunrise is called the brahma-muhurta.  It is the most powerful time of the day for spiritual practice.  If you can chant Hare Krishna, and read Prabhupada's books at that time, then you will be very solidly tuned into the spiritual platform.  Your spiritual batteries will be so powerfully charged, that they will stay charged throughout the entire day.  At school, in a traffic jam, at work: Wherever.  You can also arrange for ways to keep yourself charging during the day.  If you have a CD player in your car, you can hear kirtana or a lecture.  You can take your japa beads with you.  

When I was working a job in the old days, I would just be walking up and down the office, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare.  I decided one day that it would be an interesting thing for my Krishna Consciousness, to wear tilaka to work.  I was pretty enlivened that day, and the boss noticed it.  He said, I've never seen you do so well.  You should wear that every day. (laughter) My boss ordered me to wear tilaka every day.  He saw that when I wore tilaka I was more fired up.   

If you're desiring to be Krishna Conscious, Lord Krishna will facilitate you, and help you.  Whatever facility you have to be Krishna Conscious, if you utilize it to the max, then Krishna will give you more and more facility.  Because I was doing that, Krishna gave me a facility all of a sudden where I don't even have to work anymore.  Now, all I do is travel all over the world, and tell people about Krishna.  From being out there in corporate America, to now being with you beautiful people, chanting Hare Krishna.  Diving into oceans of bliss like I do all over the world.  And I have an e-course with thousands of people signed up all over the world, the Ultimate Self-Realization Course.  People are joining this movement from all over the world through my course.  They're out there in cyberspace.  A Krishna Consciousness revolution is happening out there in cyberspace.  People are signing up right now for the course in cyberspace, from all over the world. 

The idea is that whatever free time you have right now, utilize it for Krishna, to the max.  He says Oh! Let Me give him more free time.  Let Me give her more free time and facility to chant My names, more facility to tell others about Me.  More facility, more facility.  Krishna simply wants to see how you'll manage the time if He gives it to you.  If He sees that you use it completely in His service, you'll reach a point where He gives you 24 hours a day free time so you don't have to worry about anything else.  You can just to Krishna Consciousness and nothing else in your life, without any material anxieties whatsoever.   

Guest 5:  Do you initiate a lot of people?   

SDA:  I try not to initiate a lot of people because its a very big responsibility.  I have initiated about 25 disciples.  Some devotees thought that because I have this e-course, that I'm just initiating from cyberspace.  I don't do anything like that.  To take someone as a disciple is a very big responsibility.  There has to be a very deep understanding between me and that person.  We have to know each other well.  After all, when someone becomes my disciple, we're going to be together eternally.   

How much do we think it over before we get married?  A hundred times, at least.   Should I or shouldn't I?  But that's only for one lifetime.  If I initiate a disciple, then I'm committed to that person, and they're committed to me for eternity.  Its very heavy.  So I try not to initiate a lot of people.   

So many people say, Yes, I want to be your disciple.  But I have to be very careful.  If the disciple stops practicing Krishna Consciousness, then I get a karmic reaction.  But, if someone is very sincere, they want to become Krishna Conscious, and they feel that being my disciple will help them, then I will certainly be kind to them.  Our whole purpose is to connect them to Srila Prabhupada's wonderful teachings.   

There's an interesting story in this connection.  In the beginning Prabhupada just sat on a simple cushion.  But, in L.A., Nara Narayan prabhu, our Godbrother, built a beautiful vyasasana for Prabhupada.  They said okay Prabhupada, this is for you to sit on.  You're our spiritual master.  We want to offer you this seat.  Prabhupada started crying.  He said, I am not fit to sit on this, but I'm doing it on behalf of my guru maharaja.  In the same way, I don't consider myself at all fit to be a spiritual master to anyone, but we do because Prabhupada has instructed that we should take that role, when he's not physically present.  We consider that these disciples have been personally sent by Srila Prabhupada.  They are all his property.  Prabhupada said that about us too.  He said that you've all been sent by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.  I take it in the same way.  Anyone who comes to me is actually Prabhupada's property.  He has just asked me to take care of them, on his behalf.  They all belong to Prabhupada.  I'm just a babysitter.   

Are there any more questions?  You all know the answers know?  If there are any questions you don't know the answer to, don't be shy.  The only stupid question is the one you didn't ask.  If you have a question, and you don't ask it, that's stupid.  I don't take any question as stupid, unless you don't ask it, then it is very stupid.  If you ask it, that is very intelligent.  To inquire about spiritual subject matters is intelligence.   Be intelligent.  The fact is, we all have doubts.  Lets be honest.  We all have doubts about Krishna Consciousness.  We have to admit it.  We say its very nice, but this, I'm doubtful about.  

These doubts should be put out for discussion.  Lay them out on the table.  There's this doubt, now what about that.  Is there some way to defeat that doubt, or to eradicate it, by higher understanding?  Those kind of questions are also good.   

Guest 6:  If someone is practicing Krishna Consciousness, and chanting his rounds and reading and hearing nicely, but doesn't have much experience in going out and preaching helping make others devotees is that to be considered that he or she is not fully convinced yet?   

SDA:  Not necessarily.  They may be fully convinced, but just don't know how to go about it.  Even Prabhupada, when he was a young student, he was very convinced.  He was always convinced.  His father was a pure devotee.   But, when he was in college, some professors were speaking out against the Vedic wisdom, and Prabhupada didn't know what to say.  He didn't know how to defeat it because he was inexperienced at preaching at that time.  Although his conviction was strong, he didn't really have the tools available.  Its also interesting to note that you can hear the original tapes of Prabhupada, when he first was lecturing at 26 2^nd Ave.  You can hear from 1966.  Then you can hear his lectures in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and the power of his lectures increased incredibly as he had more experience speaking in English which wasn't his native tongue.   

Just by experience you naturally become more powerful.  Its not that if someone is inexperienced at communicating Krishna Consciousness with others, that they're lacking in conviction necessarily.  They haven't had a chance to practice yet.  With practice, anyone can become a powerful preacher.  Prabhupada said that all you have to do is be convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.  Just tell people.  If someone asks, what is your Krishna Consciousness philosophy?  Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We are His eternal servants.  Is that difficult?   

He always gives the example of little Sarasvati, Shyamasundara and Malati's child.  The first little child born into ISKCON.  When she was a little girl in Vrindavana, she would walk up to some man and ask, do you know who is Krishna?  No my dear little girl.  The Supreme Personality of Godhead.  Prabhupada said she's a first class preacher.  It doesn't take becoming a great learned scholar who knows 500 verses, to be able to dissect mayavadi philosophy, and smash it into a million pieces.  You simply have to be convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and tell others.   

There's another nice example in this connection.  When Prabhupada first had finished writing this wonderful text, he wanted to have it published.  At that time, there was no publisher.  We didn't have the money to print it ourselves.  That means you have to find a publisher that's willing to print it.  We couldn't find one.  At that time, Allen Ginsberg, who had a publisher, and who was being published regularly, he tried to get his publisher interested, and the publisher didn't want to do it.  So, Prabhupada was having his different disciples take up the responsibility of finding a publisher for the Bhagavad-Gita.  No one could find it.  They would send it off to a publisher who would say, this is very nice.  Thanks, but no thanks.   Being rejected, rejected, rejected, rejected.  Finally, the manuscript was passed around to Brahmananda prabhu.  Now its your turn to try to get it published.  He thought, this is hopeless.  But what can I do?  My guru wants this published, I will try, but its hopeless.  But then, one day, the original recording of The Hare Krishna Mantra, Mr. Allen Coleman, of the Happening record label had cut a 33 1/3 record which was selling well.  The Beatles actually bought it.  George Harrison picked up a copy of it.  That's how how the Beatles got turned onto the mantra.  It was circulating in the hip underground of those days.  This album was going all over the place.  The Happening Album, the first Hare Krishna recording.  One day an order came in for this record album.  It was from Macmillan Publishing company.  If you know publishing companies, you know that Macmillan is one of the major publishers in the whole world.  Brahmananda was so excited.  He said, Prabhupada, look, we got a letter from Macmillan publishing.  Prabhupada said, don't mail them the record.  You personally deliver the record.   

So, Brahmananda put on his suit and tie.  He got on the subway and went uptown to Macmillan Publishing Company.  Prabhupada gave him all the instructions.  He asked, Prabhupada, should I take a manuscript with me.  He said, no.  He said, just tell them that I have an Indian Swami, and he has a Bhagavad-Gita that he wants to publish.  Brahmananda didn't know what to say.  Prabhupada just gave him a mantra.  I have an Indian Swami, and he has a Bhagavad-Gita, translation and commentary that he wants to publish.  All he knew was that that's what Prabhupada wanted him to say.  Prabhupada gave him a mantra.  Whoever you meet, just tell him that.  He was all excited.  I'm going to meet this man. I'm going to tell him this.  But it turned out to just be an accountant.  He had nothing to do with the publishing at all.  He thought, oh, what to do?  But then all of a sudden, the door opens, and in came a man to meet the accountant  It turned out to be... 

VPM: It was the Chief Editor.  

SDA: Yes.  That's right.  It was the Chief Editor.  Brahmananda looks up and says, I have an Indian Swami, and he has a Bhagavad-Gita manuscript that he wants to publish.  Not really knowing anything, just saying the mantra as Prabhupada had told him.  The man said You do, an Indian Swami, with a Bhagavad-Gita, its already written?!  We'll take it!  He'd never even seen the manuscript.  He was sending it everywhere.  Rejected, rejected.  Now, this man hadn't even seen one word of it, and he'd already agreed to publish it.   

Brahmananda had no conception of how he could possibly do this, but simply because Prabhupada wanted him to do this, and even gave him a mantra, he just went there, he did it, and magic happened.  If you will just tell people that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we are His eternal servants, and if we chant this Hare Krishna mantra, we will achieve perfectional states of consciousness, Krishna will empower you just as Brahmananda was empowered at that moment.  Amazing things will happen.  If you don't believe me, just try it.  All of you, just try it.  Try it.  Try it, you'll like it.    

Questions?  Challenges?  Objections?  Corrections?   

Guest 7:  One thing that some people don't like is the purification that happens after one starts spiritual practice.  How do we deal with that?   

SDA:  If you have a house, that's just been sitting for a long time, without being dusted.  Let's say you went away for three years on a world tour.  Its, dusty, but it doesn't look so bad.  But as soon as you start dusting it, you see that soon there's dust all over the place.  Dust is flying everywhere.  You have to put a handkerchief over your mouth.  Sometimes, when we begin the process of Krishna Consciousness, we knew we were somewhat materialistic, but we didn't realize how materialistic we actually were, until we started the purification process.  Sometimes its a little shocking to see, was I that lusty, was I that greedy, was I that angry, was I that bad?  In the beginning you've got to be a little open minded.  Realize that you may see somethings about yourself may shock you.  You just hang in there and pass through it.  You'll become an enlightened being.  We have to become humble and realize that we're not as great as we thought we were.   

Because of the influence of false ego, we like to think that I'm such a wonderful person, I have all good qualities, etc.  But when you really, seriously take up the spiritual practice, you'll start to see how bad you really are.  That's good!  The more you can realize how bad you are the more quickly you become a great saint.  This principle applies even in acupuncture.  I have some problem with my hearing loss.  I have an expert acupuncturist who knows what points to puncture that stimulates the hearing, and energizes it.   

What I find is that the more my hearing is in bad shape, the more the needle hurts when it goes in.  The more the needle hurts when it goes in, the more therapeutic the treatment is.  If it really hurts like hell, then I become very happy.  I know this is going to be a very good session today.  This will be a tremendous improvement.  Even someone who works out to build up their muscles.   

No pain, no gain. 

The more you do the austerity of working out, the quicker you become strong.  The same thing applies in Krishna Consciousness.  We have to expect that there will be some shocking revelations  That's good.   We shouldn't shy away from shocking realizations that I'm not the great person I thought I was.  Then, actually a new true greatness will emerge from that.  We have an artificial sense of greatness in our conditioned consciousness.  False ego.  When we can break free of that, a genuine greatness will manifest.   

It is sometimes said, become great by associating with the great.  Krishna is the Supreme Great.  By associating with Krishna, your true greatness manifests.  Not false ego.  True greatness of the living entity becomes revived by chanting of the Hare Krishna, Maha Mantra.  But it means that you may have to sacrifice some of your false conceptions of greatness to achieve your true greatness.  Even though it may be uncomfortable to do that sometimes; its worth it.  Happiness in the mode of goodness is poison in the beginning, and nectar in the end.  We have to expect to do some austerities on the path of self-realization.  If we want to have it without doing any austerities whatsoever, then you wont get much.  Rising early, chanting 16 rounds of the name of God.  These are austerities, we're not used to them, but if we take these up, the results are absolutely phenomenal. 

Thank you very much for your wonderful attention.  Srila Prabhupada ki, Jaya!

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Transcribed by His Grace Jagannatha Dasa

Index of Transcribed Lectures