Morning Walk
Toronto
21 Jun

Indian man: Krsna has made lot of things for human beings to enjoy—the trees and rivers and...

Prabhupada: That is the Vedic version-purnam idam [Isopanisad, Invocation], everything is complete.

Indian man: It says in the Bible that animals were given to the man for protection and for service, they could take service from the animals. And they think the slaughtering of an animal is all right on that basis, that God gave the animals to the human beings.

Prabhupada: And how intelligent they are. I give you my child for your protection, and you cut his throat. How intelligent you are. That is the proof. Something is given for protection, and they're cutting the throat. This is their intelligence. [break]

Indian man: ...the article in Back to Godhead there was a question raised, that "What is purpose of life?" and it was stated that the purpose of life is to realize God. Could you kindly explain a little more on that?

Prabhupada: That I was explaining last night. Human life is meant for understanding what is the goal of life. The goal of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. If they do not go back to home, back to Godhead, then remain here, become a tree. Stand, for five thousand years. Sthavara laksa-vimsati. Two millions you have to pass through. And each species, some thousands of years. And such two million. So, how many years? Hmm? Two millions of varieties of vegetables. And each item, if you pass, say hundred years. Then?

Pusá¹­a Krsna: Two hundred million.

Prabhupada: Two hundred millions years only for passing through the vegetables. Then you become insects. That is also 1,100,000. In this way you'll get chance again to become a human being. These rascals are wasting, four-wheel dog. (laughter) Dogs are four-legged, and we are four-wheeled. That's all. (laughter)

Indian man: Srila Prabhupada, everyone has to go through all the 84,000,000 journeys(?), or is that to, like, you know, on his pious or impious karma he might go through only the vegetable class or he might go through only the animal life?

Prabhupada: That will depend on your karma.

Indian man (2): Srila Prabhupada, there's one thing in the human nature, that he always thinks that he's the chief and around the world everything is running around him, and most probably he always can show off that "I am the leader of everything." Why is it so? In every person.

Prabhupada: That is the disease, material disease. That is material disease. Everyone wants to become Krsna. Nobody wants to serve Krsna. That is material. Kartaham iti manyate. Ahankara-vimuá¸hatma. Rascal bewildered by false egotism, he's thinking "I am everything." That is material life. And when by cultivation of knowledge, good association, you come to the conclusion that "I am not everything, Krsna is everything; I am His servant," then perfection. Otherwise he's in the maya-cakra.

Indian man (2): Is this related to the past, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: That is the material disease. When you contaminate some disease, do not try to find out the history. Treat the disease. That is intelligence. How I got this disease, instead of inquiring, better treat the disease. That is intelligence. Go to the doctor and get treatment and cure it.

Indian man (3): Prabhupada, karma-yoga, Krsna has said, "Do your duty, look after..."

Prabhupada: But you do not know what is your duty.

Indian man (3): Yes, that's what we are trying to...

Prabhupada: Know from Krsna what is your duty.

Indian man (3): Now, to know this thing, we have to really follow, right?

Prabhupada: Yes. First of all, what you are? Then your duty. Are you clerk or ordinary orderly or the director or something, something? Then your duty. But if you do not know what you are, then where is your duty?

Indian man (3): But if you know certain things and if you do honesty for Krsna...

Prabhupada: That I.... You do not know anything. That is your position. You must know what is your position. Then your duty.

Indian man (3): My position you mean in relation to Krsna or in relation to the world?

Prabhupada: No, in relation to the world. In relationship with the world, therefore Krsna says, catur-varnyam maya srsṭam guna-karma-vibhagasaḥ; [Bg. 4.13]. What is your quality? Then you are classified as a brahmana, as a ksatriya, as a vaisya, as a sudra. Then your duty. First of all you must know what you are, what is your position. Then there is duty.

Indian man (1): is it right that if you come to Krsna consciousness, all the duties are automatically taken care of?

Prabhupada: All the duties, the summarization of duty: ataḥ; pumbhir dvija-sresṭha varnasrama-vibhagasaḥ;. There are different duties, but the real duty is samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13], whether you have satisfied Krsna. Then you'll have done all.... Ataḥ; pumbhiḥ;. Because there are different types of duties. But whatever you do, the success is whether by your duty you have satisfied Krsna. Then it is successful.

Indian man (4): Prabhu, how do you regard the detachment idea?

Prabhupada: There is no question of detachment. These are all bogus propaganda. You cannot be detached. Duty does not mean detachment. You have to do your duty. There is attachment. Where is the detachment? These are simply bogus propaganda. There cannot be detachment. Detachment means, real detachment means that everything belongs to Krsna. So you have no proprietorship. That is detachment. If you falsely claim "It is mine," that is attachment, unnecessary. It is not yours.

Indian man (4): Should we not move from attachment to detachment gradually, and try to...

Prabhupada: No. You cannot do that. Your attachment has to be purified. Just like this land. The Canadians think "This is my land," but this, when it is purified, it is this land God's land, then it is purified. And so long you falsely claim "It is my land," that is cause of all trouble.

isavasyam idam sarvam
yat kiñca jagatyam jagat
tena tyaktena bhuñjitha
ma grdhaḥ; kasya svid dhanam
[Iso mantra 1]

Just a minute ago we were talking that in Canada there is so much land, and you told me there is so many fertile. Huh, you told me? But they'll not allow anybody to come. This is wrong position. Why? China or India, there are so many countries overcongested. Let them come. But he's thinking, "It my land."

Indian man (1): They pay the money to a farmer not to grow the wheat here.

Prabhupada: Just see. This rascaldom is going on in the name of civilization. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1], they do not know. Everything belongs to God, and are all sons of God. So by God's arrangement there is enough land to live, enough land to produce food. They're misusing. Therefore the whole trouble.

Indian man (4): Prabhu, then what that means, what we mean is they should have rsabandutra(?)

Prabhupada: Yes, that is, a rsabandutra(?) means, unless you have got the central point. How we can have? First of all you know Krsna.

Indian man (4): They must have a common background, common ground whereby you can...

Prabhupada: That they haven't got. Common.... He is trying to become Krsna. Everything is rolling around. So this is the mistake. He's trying to become center, that foolish rascal. How he's center? Center is Krsna.

Indian man (4): So the only hope for humanity is Krsna consciousness.

Prabhupada: Yes, only hope. Therefore this verse I was explaining.

asraddadhanaḥ; purusa
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrtyu-samsara-vartmani
[Bg. 9.3]

Those who will not take this Krsna consciousness, these rascal will remain in the cycle of birth and death. Instead of taking Krsna's instruction, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], he's trying to become Krsna, these rascals. So how there will be peace? Hmm? Krsna says "Surrender unto Me." He's saying, "I am Krsna. Why shall I surrender?" This is the difficulty.

Devotee: Srila Prabhupada, this is Mr. Sharma, he's our accountant. He works at the University of Toronto. He does all our books here in Toronto to help us.

Prabhupada: Oh, thank you. (Hindi) Gopi-bhartuḥ; pada-kamalayor dasa-dasa-dasanudasa: [Cc. Madhya 13.80] "I'm the servant, servant, servant of the servant of Krsna." And these rascals are learning how to become Krsna. Just see, it is impossible. (laughs) But they will try for it. (Hindi)

Indian man (4): Only one thing I just want to clarify, that under human behavior towards the society, honest behavior toward the society, to help the people, to help the neighbors and like that, try to help...

Prabhupada: First of all, tell me, what is your power to help? You are poor yourself. What you can help? Then why you are talking all...

Indian man (4): No, prabhu, supposing if we see...

Prabhupada: You cannot help. First of all, you cannot help.

Indian man (4): Right.

Prabhupada: If you can help, you can simply repeat the instruction of Krsna. Otherwise you have no power to help. It is all concoction. Vivekananda, for the last hundred years-daridra-narayana-seva. He could not do anything. First of all you must know that you have no capacity to help.

Indian man (4): Right. That is true, prabhu.

Prabhupada: Then why you propose to help?

Indian man (4): No, but prabhu, how far is it fair that if one is religious, say chanting and regulations and everything he is doing, and on the other hand, he doesn't behave as a good honest labor...

Prabhupada: That good honest..., you have got some idea of good honest. But because he's chanting, he's all good.

Devotees: Jaya.

Indian man (1): Prabhupada, because he's chanting, sometimes a person get very false ego, that he has become a very big devotee, he's serving the Lord, and he tries to...

Prabhupada: That's all right, he's on the line of goodness. But those who are not chanting, they're all bad. Do you understand it or not? Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-gunaḥ;. One who is not a devotee of God, he has no good qualification. You may propose that "I am so much good, I am this, I am that," but it is all bogus thing. Harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahiḥ; [SB 5.18.12]. He's simply concocting in the mind. And so far a devotee's concerned, even you find some defect in him, he's sadhu. Sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. Api cet suduracaro bhajate mam ananya-bhak sadhur eva sa mantavyaḥ; [Bg. 9.30]. Now I find some defective state. Ksipram bhavati dharmatma. These defects will be out very soon. Don't bother. But because he is devotee, he's sadhu.

Indian man (4): So you mean to say, prabhu, truthfulness and honesty will come after chanting, chanting, chanting.

Prabhupada: But those who are not devotees, there is no truthfulness at all. Here he has begun truthfulness. But one who is not a devotee, he has no question of truthfulness. He's simply concocting in the mind. Manorathena. And because he's on the mental platform, he'll do all bad things.

Indian man (4): Therefore devotee must try to be honest and truthful.

Prabhupada: Devotee becomes automatically. If he sticks to the devotional principles, he'll become good very soon. Just like he has stopped. Devotee means, just like we say, no illicit sex, no drinking or intoxication, no meat-eating. So he has adopted this, and chanting. That is perfect.

Indian man (4): Prabhu, these things (indistinct) we say. Indian women or even men, those who are in the village life. Well, I don't say all, but most of them, they obey these things right from the very childhood itself. So...

Prabhupada: We are jumping to the village.

Indian: Well village is a little bit pure life you know, but in the cities of course people get involved too much in...

Prabhupada: Pure life, village—doesn't matter village or city. If you become devotee, then pure life. It is not that because one is living in city, therefore he's polluted, one is living in village, no. Unless one becomes devotee, there is no question of becoming good.

Indian man (1): Prabhupada, there's a very important question in my mind all the time. How a Godbrother should treat the Godbrother with great (indistinct) to produce more love of Godhead and to (indistinct) in them?

Prabhupada: You show example. If other Godbrother is not treating you well, you treat him well. Then it will be right. Why you should deviate, that "This Godbrother is not treating me well, so I shall do also"? Apani acari' prabhu jivera. You treat well. You show the example how to treat his Godbrother. [break] ...Mahaprabhu's teaching,

trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyaḥ; sada hariḥ;
[Cc. Adi 17.31]

So who is treating me good or bad, I don't want to bother about it. Let me become humbler than the grass, tolerant than the tree, and chant Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupada, haribol. [break]

Prabhupada: ...nice garden, but if anyone wants to live here, the government will not allow. (laughter) "Go to the mill(?)."

Indian man (1): Prabhupada, a devotee, very often after chanting why they develop very, very high. I see a lot of devotees, they falls down back to the maya. What is the reason?

Prabhupada: He is not devotee. He's pretending to be devotee. One who is devotee never falls down. There are so many false devotees. He falls down.

Devotee (2): Prabhupada? In 3.4 Bhagavatam Lord Kapiladeva speaks about the feeling of loss, the conditioned soul in the material world when he's identifying with matter.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Devotee (2): Kapiladeva speaks about the feeling of being lost. Is that what the psychologists say is craziness?

Prabhupada: What is that?

Pusá¹­a-Krsna: The feeling of being lost. Kapiladeva's instructions? He wants to know if the identification with matter is the same thing as craziness.

Prabhupada: Yes. Muá¸ha. (Sanskrit) What is that verse? Everyone is working under illusion of maya, until he comes to Krsna consciousness.

Indian man (5): Srila Prabhupada, is it better for grhasthas to be self-supporting and living outside the temple? Like somebody working all day and following the regulative principles?

Prabhupada: Temple is meant for rendering service to the Lord. So if anyone is rendering service to the Lord, he can live. But not for sense gratification. Those grhasthas who still have desire for sense gratification, they may live outside.

Indian man (5): What about the grhastha's duty toward his family, like looking after his family and children? In India, like when you have a daughter you have to get her married and...

Prabhupada: Yes, when you have accepted family life, you must be responsible to carry out. Not that I become family man all of a sudden I give up everything. No, that is not wanted. But if one is actually advanced, he can give up everything. He has no more duty.

Indian man (5): But the question comes up that you have given a vow against fire at the time of marriage that the husband will look after the wife and the family. Then how does that fit in when you leave the family all of a sudden? Is there not a responsibility to...

Prabhupada: No no, not all of a sudden. All of a sudden..., generally you have to discharge the duties of family life, and at the ripe age, when everything is settled up, then you give up the family.

Indian man (5): Is it right that all the responsibility should be cleared up before...

Prabhupada: You cannot clear up all the responsibility. Therefore up to fiftieth year. After that, whatever is done, that's all. (Sanskrit) But our philosophy is there is no question of giving up this or taking up that. Simply take to Krsna consciousness. Wherever you remain, it doesn't matter. Either in family life or...

Indian man (5): In the vanaprastha asrama, after fifty years of age, what is the duty? Is it to live in the temple, or devote most of time to Krsna, or where the wife comes in then?

Prabhupada: Temple you should live always. Even if in family life, you must come to the temple. Temple worship is for everyone.

Indian man (4): Srila Prabhupada, you wrote a lot of books, and I'm very much concerned about the books. A lot of devotees, they never read the books, but they're doing the chanting. It will progress them without reading the books, because they're the most important...

Prabhupada: But suppose one is illiterate, how he'll read? How he'll read if one is illiterate? That means he has no chance? Because he's illiterate? Chanting is sufficient.

Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada? Is it possible for people in the most animalistic conditions of life such as the Eskimos, who need meat to survive—is it possible for these people to become purified?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Kirata-hunandhra-pulinda-pulkasa abhira-sumbha yavanaḥ; khasadayaḥ;, sudhyanti [SB 2.4.18]. By the guidance of the spiritual master.

Devotee (4): You've already proved that, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. (laughter)

Devotee (4): We're worse than Eskimos.

Devotee (3): Srila Prabhupada? (indistinct) What about the verse in the Bhagavatam that says if a devotee falls down that he's not to be considered as the fruitive workers or the karmis, etcetera.

Prabhupada: Falls down means again when he revives, he'll begin from that point, where he fell down. [break] ...it is to be understood that polluted.

Satsvarupa: That's also sinful reaction.

Prabhupada: Polluted means sinful. (end)