Nitai: "Every learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation."

Prabhupada:

prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pasam
atmanaḥ; kavayo viduḥ;
sa eva sadhuṣu krto
mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam
[SB 3.25.20]

This is the definition of our Krṣṇa consciousness movement. Consciousness is there. Living being means there must be consciousness. The consciousness... (sound of baby in background) (pause)

Devotee: Take away the girl.

Prabhupada: Consciousness, when it is muddy or contaminated on account of intermingling with these modes of nature, we become more and more entangled. There is a verse in the Caitanya-caritamrta spoken by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:

sadhu-saṅga sadhu-saṅga sarva-sastre kaya
lava-matra sadhu-saṅge sarva-siddhi haya
[Cc. Madhya 22.54]

Sadhu-saṅga. Here it is also recommended: sa eva sadhuṣu krtaḥ;. Association, prasaṅga... Saṅgat sañjayate kamaḥ;. In the... (pause, sound of baby continuing) No... Saṅgat sañjayate kamaḥ;. As you associate with... Man is social animal, it is said. So according to your association, you can mold your character. If you associate with businessmen, then... They actually form so many associations to develop their business capacity. Practical. There is stock exchange association, this market association, that market association. There is club, association of the drunkards. So there are many association, and this association, different types of association, is the cause of bondage in that particular thing. Everyone knows it. Saṅgat sañjayate kamaḥ;. Similarly, if you transfer the association to the sadhu, then mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam, the door for liberation is open. If you associate with materialistic persons, then your bondage becomes more and more tightened, and if you associate with sadhu, or spiritualist, then your bondage becomes slackened, or the door of liberation becomes open. Mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam.

Yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Tamo-dvaraṁ yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Sadhu... Sadhu-saṅga and yoṣit-saṅga. Yoṣit means woman, or things which are meant for sense gratification. Woman is symbolical representation of sense gratification, but anything meant for sense gratification is called yoṣit. Tamo-dvaraṁ yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. Yoṣitam. So this material world is full of yoṣit-saṅga. Everyone is interested for sense gratification. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that,

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanaṁ
tayapahrta-cetasam
vyavasayatmika buddhiḥ;
samadhau na vidhiyate
[Bg. 2.44]

Those who are attached for sense gratification... Bhoga means sense gratification. Bhogaisvarya. Aisvarya, opulence and sense gratification, those who are too much attached... Now, why people are so much slow in the matter of understanding spiritual value of life? At the present moment, why people are not...? Manda. Manda means very slow. They do not take seriously that... Krṣṇa consciousness movement is the most important movement for the upliftment of the human society, but they do not take it very seriously. Why? Bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam. They have been taught... The modern civilization is simply teaching people how to enjoy life by sense gratification. Especially in the Western countries, so many things. Even for shaving there is machine. Means they do not want to ply the razor even. Formerly, safety razor, formerly, there was Halogram(?) razor. Now simply you take the machine. Not to move the hand even. You see? This is advancement of civilization. The more you enjoy your senses...

But actually, the human life is meant for not enjoying the senses. That is called tapasya. To deny. That is human life. That is Vedic civilization. First of all, the brahmacari system, how to deny sense gratification. That is the first training. Even the, even Krṣṇa, He had to go to the forest to collect dry wood for the spiritual master. The, that is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krṣṇa was talking with Sudama Vipra, how both of them went to collect dry wood, and there was storm and rain. They became stranded in the forest. Then next day their teacher and other students rescued them. So the brahmacari was trained up, tapasya, not to enjoy. They would have to go beg door to door, brahmacari: "Mother, give us some alms for our asrama." So they were trained from the very beginning to address any woman as "Mother." So... And there were so many other things: to rise early in the morning... Tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putraka yena suddhyet sattvam [SB 5.5.1]. We have become so foolish that we do not know what is the actual condition of life. I am repeating this again and again. Our actual position is not to die, but we are dying. But we are so foolish, we do not take care of it. "Let us die. Let us die." But sastra says, Krṣṇa says, Bhagavad-gita says, that "Why you should die?" But they are so dull brain, they say, "Let us die. What is that?" Krṣṇa says, janma-mrtyu. Krṣṇa has picked up... Their whole life is miserable condition, tri-tapa-yatana, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, but we are so foolish, we have accepted this miserable condition of life as customary. So they have become accustomed.

But the Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavan, personally says that "Your real miserable condition of life are the four things: janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9]." But who is taking seriously? There are so many advancements of education, scientific and... Who is making research work how to stop death? No. Nobody is there. No scientist's brain is working. But it is possible. Therefore Krṣṇa comes, yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata [Bg. 4.7]. These rascals, when they forget that death is not our business, it is artificially imposed upon us, so we must become deathless again... That is the human life perfection. But nobody is caring. We have become so dull. One can avoid birth, death, old age... Because Krṣṇa says the soul, the spirit soul, atma, na jayate na mriyate va kadacit: "It does not die, it does not take birth." And actually, we are experiencing birth and death, old age and disease. Still, we are not alert. No intelligence. For this reason, Sanatana Gosvami, when he approached Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he, the first question was, "My dear Lord, some way or other, You have dragged me to Your lotus feet, but I am inquiring from You that ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya, 'What is my actual position? Why am I forced to suffer these three kinds of miserable life of material condition?' " Nobody's inquire, inquiring.

So therefore these discussions which are going on, that is only for how to get liberation from the four principles of material condition, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. That is called mokṣa. Mokṣa, or liberation. So the... It is just like beating the dead horse. Nobody is interested about mokṣa. Or nobody can conceive even that there is something as mokṣa. Mokṣa means to get free from this condition of birth, death and old age. That is called mokṣa, liberation. So at the present moment modern educated persons, they do not know that there is something like mokṣa and it can be achieved and there is process and the whole Vedic sastra is trying to educate us for getting mokṣa. They do not know it. So we have become so dull. Therefore, in this age, Kali-yuga especially, our conditions are described as manda, very, very bad, or very, very slow. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayaḥ;. And if one little interested, they will take some path which is not approved, which is not approved. They will invent something, so many "isms."

Now, some people came, very prominent men of Bombay, some... They have also invented something to educate or to enlighten the residents of the forest and the mountains. No, no, what you are doing for here? But they are interested... Not interested. It is a hobby. Nobody can be... There is mountain, and suppose, suppose in Africa, there are so many Africans, they are living in the... There is nature's law, but there is a process. This process is Krṣṇa consciousness, by which everyone can be elevated. Not by these material means. Material means, you cannot do that. We are... Just like in the Sukadeva Gosvami's statement it is said,

kirata-huṇandhra-pulinda-pulkasa
abhira-sumbha yavanaḥ; khasadayaḥ;
ye 'nye ca papa yad-apasrayasrayaḥ;
sudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ;
[SB 2.4.18]

You can make everyone happy, even the kirata. Kirata means the Africans. They are called niṣada. Niṣada was born as the son of the king... I forget just now name. Maharaja Prthu's brother.

Devotee: Veṇa?

Prabhupada: Veṇa, yes. Out of the body of Veṇa. Niṣada. So they became thieves. They were, professionally, they became thieves, and they were asked to live in the jungle. So we have got practical experience. So these junglese, they are very much accustomed, however you keep them nicely, they will steal. Niṣada. Is it not? (laughs) We have got very practical experience. We are pushing on this Krṣṇa consciousness movement, and we have got experiences, different types of men. So they can also be delivered. How? Yad-apasrayasrayaḥ;, if they associate with sadhu. Yad-apasrayasrayaḥ; means if they are given the chance of associating with devotees, they can be delivered.

Anyone can be delivered. Krṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gita, maṁ hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuḥ; papa-yonayaḥ; [Bg. 9.32]. Low-born, papa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni and papa-yoni. Puṇya-yoni... Yoni means the source of birth. So there are two kinds of yonis, pious and impious. Those who are pious, they are getting chance of birth, in very aristocratic, high family, educated, learned brahmaṇa family. Jñana. Then aisvarya, opulence, riches; education, sruta; sri, beauty. These are the symptoms of pious life. And just the opposite, ugly-looking, born in very low-grade family, almost animal, then no education, no character, these are impious life. So... But the sadhu-saṅga [Cc. Madhya 22.83], even by, one is born in low-grade family, papa-yoni, maṁ hi partha vyapasritya, if one takes shelter of Krṣṇa... Krṣṇa says, "If one takes shelter of Me..." Krṣṇa never denies anyone. Socially, we may deny a caṇḍala to enter into my house, but Krṣṇa and Krṣṇa's devotee does not deny. That is the Krṣṇa consciousness. They never, they'll never deny. "Yes, you are welcome. You take also education in the spiritual life. You also become devotee of Krṣṇa." Sometimes we are criticized. But Krṣṇa says, maṁ hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuḥ; papa-yonayaḥ; [Bg. 9.32]. He is giving, offering shelter. "Come on. Never mind you are born in low family or impious family. It doesn't matter." Striyaḥ; sudras tatha vaisyas te 'pi yanti paraṁ gatim. Kiṁ punar brahmaṇaḥ; puṇya bhakta rajarṣayas tatha [Bg. 9.33].

So Krṣṇa says, "Those who are very, very low-born, even they can come and take to Krṣṇa consciousness and become elevated for liberation. And what to speak of pious persons who have taken birth in the brahmaṇa family." Kiṁ punar brahmaṇaḥ; puṇyaḥ;. To take birth in brahmaṇa family requires puṇya. To take birth in rich family requires puṇya. Sucinaṁ srimataṁ gehe [Bg. 6.41]. Sucinam means very, mean, elevated, first-class, exalted brahmaṇa, suci. Sucinaṁ srimataṁ gehe. So these are, those who have taken birth in high-grade brahmaṇa family or rich family, they are not ordinary men. The best thing: one who has taken birth in brahmaṇa family. But who cares for it? They misuse this chance. Krṣṇa says, kiṁ punar brahmaṇaḥ; puṇyaḥ;. "You have taken birth in brahmaṇa family. Why don't you take shelter of Me?" So because the..., why? The sadhu. Brahmaṇa means sadhu. Brah..., Vaiṣṇava means sadhu. Sannyasi means sadhu. Titikṣavaḥ; karuṇikaḥ;..., ajata-satravaḥ; santaḥ; sadhavaḥ; sadhu-bhuṣaṇaḥ; [SB 3.25.21]. This is a sadhu. So sadhu, they are very titikṣavaḥ;, arjavam. Similarly, brahmaṇa qualification is also... Satyaṁ saucaṁ samo damas titikṣa. Titikṣa, tolerant, arjava, simplicity, jñanaṁ vijñanam astikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.42]. So similarly, sadhu. There must be a class of men in the society, first-class sadhu. Then the society will improve. If everyone is debauch and sudra, then how the society will be peaceful? There is... Therefore, to organize the society, Krṣṇa recommends, catur-varṇyaṁ maya srṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhagasaḥ; [Bg. 4.13]. There must be ideal brahmaṇa. There must be ideal kṣatriya, ideal vaisya. And balance, all sudras. But nobody's caring that.

So sadhu means devotee, Krṣṇa's devotee. That is called sadhu. Here it is stated, sa eva sadhuṣu krtaḥ;. The same association, sadhu-saṅga. [Cc. Madhya 22.83]So who is sadhu? Sadhu means devotee. It is defined by Krṣṇa Himself: sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. He's sadhu. Who? Bhajate mam ananya-bhak. Api cet su-duracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak, sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. He's sadhu. Anyone who is, without any reservation, has begun serving Krṣṇa and engaged in Krṣṇa consciousness. That is the definition of sadhu. Titikṣava. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed how to become sadhu:

trṇad api sunicena
taror api sahiṣṇuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyaḥ; sada hariḥ;
[Cc. Adi 17.31]

Sadhu's business is to become very tolerant. Because everyone becomes enemy. If you become a devotee, everyone will become enemy, because they're asuras. Asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;. Even the father. Hiraṇyakasipu is the father of Prahlada Maharaja. The boy, five-years-old boy. What is his fault? He's chanting Hare Krṣṇa. And his father became enemy. Up to which, what strength? Now, he was prepared to kill. He was insisting the boy that "Why you are chanting Hare Krṣṇa? Why you are speaking of a separate God? I am God." That is the asuri. Those rascals who claim to become God Himself, they are demons, Hiraṇyakasipu. So Prahlada Maharaja will not accept. Prahlada Maharaja, even the father insisting that "I am God. Why you are talking of any other God? I am God," and Prahlada Maharaja will not accept that. He will accept the father as asura. Sometimes it was quarrel between father and son. Sometimes the father would call, "My dear Prahlada, all right, let me know what you have learned, the best thing, from your teachers."

So he replied that sadhu manye 'sura-varya. Asura-varya. He did not address him as "Father"; he addressed him: "The best of the asuras," asura-varya. Tat sadhu manye. Sadhu, again. Tat sadhu manye asura-varya dehinam. "So far I have understood, that dehinam, those who are embodied..." Dehinam. Not "dehanam." Dehinam, he has said. Dehinam means we are dehi, we are proprietor of this body. I am not this body. So because we accepted this body, we are always in miserable condition. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. We accept this temporary body. That is the cause of all miseries. We cannot understand it. We are talking of so many miseries, but what is the cause of misery, that we do not know. Everyone knows, but he'll not know it. The cause is this body. Because the body is there, there is disease, there is old age, there is birth, there is death. And the whole struggle is against how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop disease, and how to stop old age. You just see. Why there are so many advancements in the chemical science? Why there are so many medical men? Why there are so many drug shop? To stop these things. This is a struggle. But why they are required? Because we have got this body. This material body.

So Prahlada Maharaja said, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Because we have accepted this body... So we must not accept this body, that is called mokṣa-dvaram. That should be the mission of human life. So we are not interested. Mandaḥ; sumanda-matayo manda-bhagyaḥ; [SB 1.1.10]. In this age they are slow and, and they have got their own manufactured ideas. Why? Now, manda-bhagyaḥ;, all unfortunate. And upadrutaḥ;, always disturbed. So all these are on account of this body. The sastra always says that "Don't work in such a way that you have to accept again body after death." That is, that is your business. Not that to accumulate crores and rupees and make a very good bank balance and skyscraper house and three or dozens of motorcars. They are struggling, forgetting this. But foolish people, they do not know that Krṣṇa will take away all these assets at the time of death. Mrtyuḥ; sarva-haras caham [Bg. 10.34]. Krṣṇa says, ahaṁ mrtyuḥ;: "I am death, and I will take away everything, what you have possessed." The foolish persons, they do not understand it. Just like Hiraṇyakasipu. He possessed. So much so powerful that even the demigods were afraid of him. And Krṣṇa took away everything in a second by..., simply by the nails. Tava nakha kara-kamala nakha... Eh? What is? What is that?

Devotee: Tava kara-kamala-...

Prabhupada: Tava kara-kamala-...?

Devotee: ...nakham adbhuta-srṅgam.

Prabhupada: Nakham adbhuta-srṅgam. Wonderful nails. He wanted to be secure: "I'll not die this way. I'll not die that way." But he forgot to say that "I'll not die by the nails." He did not think that one can be killed by the nails. So all his formula that he would not be killed by this way, this way, this way... But he forgot this. (laughs)

So our intelligence is like... Even mother Yasoda. She was trying to bind Krṣṇa, and at the end, at the time of knotting, there was two fingers small, I mean to say, there was scarcity. So our intelligence is like that. However I may be intelligent, however I may to cheat Krṣṇa, at least, little difference. Little difference. The little difference, that he never thought that "I'll be killed by the nails, not by any atomic bomb." He thought simply atom bomb can kill. He never thought that Krṣṇa can kill even by nails. Aṅgani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti pasyanti panti kalayanti ciraṁ jaganti [Bs. 5.32]. He can do everything. But he wanted to be cheap God, to surpass... But it could not be done. This is the asura. Asuraṁ bhavam asritaḥ;. And the asuras... Mayayapahrta-jñanaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. They may think themselves as very advanced in knowledge, but they are rascal number one because their so-called knowledge, the effect of knowledge, is taken away by maya. They are called Mayavadis. They are very much proud of their knowledge. But Krṣṇa says, "These rascals, these atheist class demons, their actual knowledge is taken away." Just like Hiraṇyakasipu. He devised means that "Indirectly I shall be immortal. I shall not die in daytime. I shall not die in night. I shall not die in water. I shall not die in land. I shall not die in the sky. No animal can kill me. No demigod can kill me. No weapon can kill me." So on, so many... Brahma says, "All right." But he never agreed to give him immortality. But he wanted to cheat Brahma that "Indirectly, by the negative way, I have taken everything. So I am immortal." This is called muḍha. Na maṁ duṣkrtino muḍhaḥ; prapadyante naradhamaḥ; [Bg. 7.15]. He does not know that Krṣṇa's intelligence is always, at least, one inch greater than him, anyone. (laughs)

So we should not be foolish like that, muḍha. We should be intelligent that this life, this material life, is simply struggle for existence. We want to exist. We do not want to die. We do not want, do not want to be diseased. We do not want birth, therefore there are so many contraceptive methods. But we do not want... Janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi [Bg. 13.9], old age. Just like we are old men. So many difficulties there are. So we do not want all these things, but it is forced upon us. But we are not intelligent enough to, how to make a solution of these problems. Therefore our predecessor, Sanatana Gosvami, first of all put this question that ke ami kene amaya jare tapa-traya. He was minister. He was intelligent and learned scholar, brahmaṇa. So he inquired this. So we should be inquiring that "We are making so much struggle for existence, but existence is not allowed. Then what is the reason?" So we have become so foolish that we do not know. But here we are discussing mokṣa-dvaram, how to become free from the struggle for existence. This is life's mission.

So how it can be done? Now, as much we are attached to our property, to our family, to our country, to our money, to our business, so many things we have got attachments... Here it is said, prasaṅgam ajaraṁ pasam. These attachments means we are entangled, hands and legs tied up. The "tied up" means because our mind is full and absorbed in these material activities, so at the time of death we have to give up this body and accept another. So long our mind will be absorbed, the consciousness will be absorbed in materialistic way of life, we have to accept another body. Krṣṇa will give chance. Ye yatha maṁ prapadyante taṁs tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.11]. We do not know that our real business is not to accept another material body. That we do not know. We are so fool. We are working in such a way that we must have to accept another body. Na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehaḥ; [SB 5.5.4]. We are working, we are feeling that so many difficulties there on account of this body, but we are not working how to get rid of this body, how to become again free and remain in our spiritual body. This intelligence is not there.

So Krṣṇa consciousness movement is giving this intelligence. That is the Krṣṇa consciousness move... Unique movement, how to give the intelligence of becoming liberated. Mokṣa-dvaram apavrtam. Mahat... Mahat-sevaṁ dvaram ahur vimukteḥ; [SB 5.5.2]. Mahat-seva. Mahat-sevam... Mahat means... Who is mahat, mahatma?

mahatmanas tu maṁ partha
daiviṁ prakrtim asritaḥ;
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñatva bhutadim avyayam
[Bg. 9.13]

Those who are always engaged in bhajana—Hare Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa Krṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—they are mahatmas. Mahatmanas tu maṁ partha daiviṁ prakrtim asritaḥ;, bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ; [Bg. 9.13]. This is bhajana—Hare Krṣṇa, Hare Krṣṇa, Krṣṇa Krṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama... There is mahatma. So mahat-sevaṁ dvaram ahur vimukteḥ; [SB 5.5.2]. If you serve such mahatma, just like Haridasa Ṭhakura, who is always engaged in chanting Hare Krṣṇa Hare Krṣṇa, then your path of liberation is open. And tamo-dvaram ahur yoṣitaṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. And if you associate with the materialistic persons who are after sense gratification, then your tamo-dvaram... That is the way to the darkness. The life's business is not tamo-dvaram. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. Jyotir gama, go to the light. Don't remain in... This is Vedic instruction.

So if we actually want to be free from the bondage of material existence... Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]... A common sense. Because we have lost our common sense. Suppose we are sitting here. If somebody says, "Now get out! Sit down he... Sit down here." And again, a half an hour, if he says, "No, no, come here." So shall I like it? "No, I am not sitting here. I'll go." Similarly, here the life is, the materialistic way of life means bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. You accept one body, you'll not be allowed to remain in that body permanently. You must have to give it up. Again accept another body. Again you have to give it up. What is this business? But they are so rascal, they do not know that how much miserable condition we are in. We are simply accepting one body and again... Bhutva bhutva praliyate [Bg. 8.19]. Tyaktva deham. We are... We do not know that "I am not this body."

So we are in such darkness, and the whole world is in such darkness. Yasyatma-buddhiḥ; kuṇape tri... They are taking this body as themselves. There are so many things... So Krṣṇa consciousness movement will give them enlightenment and give them liberation, and we therefore request everyone to take advantage. Now, Krṣṇa consciousness means... The simple thing is that you chant Hare Krṣṇa. But if you think yourself as very learned, thoughtful man, and you want to understand through science and philosophy, all right, come on. We have got books. Learn it. Two ways. We have got three dozen books for you. You cannot finish it even in your whole life. Come on. Otherwise, if you are not so learned to read all these books, chant Hare Krṣṇa. Two things are there. Take advantage, any one of them, and be liberated.

Thank you very much. (end)

741121SB.BOM