Devotee: [chants prema dvani]
Prabhupāda: All glories to the assembled devotees.
Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Thank you for your kīrtana. Yes, it is improving nice. Yes. Now why that light is not on?
Viṣṇujana: There's something wrong.
Prabhupāda: Something wrong?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The circuit. The circuit is shorted.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was no time before kīrtana to fix it.
Viṣṇujana: Page?
Prabhupāda: All right. Your book is here. Page?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One twenty-eight.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Young boy devotee: Bhagavad-gītā, page 128, verse thirty-one.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life; what then of the next?"
Purport: "Whatever form of material existence one is in, one is invariably ignorant of the real situation of his living condition. In other words, existence in the material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, and sinful life is the cause of one's dragging on in material existence."
Prabhupāda: Hmm, yes. This is very important point. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life. There, practically in your state laws, suppose you have committed some offense. If you say when you are arrested that "I did not know this law," that is not excused. Similarly, there is stringent laws of nature. You can practically experience. Suppose if you eat more than what you can digest, immediately there will be disorder of the bowel.
You cannot say that "I have eaten without knowing that there will disorder of the digesting system." No. The laws of nature is so strict. And when you suffer, you must know that there is some mistake, or you call it there is some sinful activities. Sinful activities means mistake. And they are claiming that "There is no law," "There is no God," "God is dead," "I am God." No. The God is there and His laws are there, and the superintendent is also there: material nature, durgā.
In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated,
sṛṣṭi-sthiti-pralaya-sādhana-śaktir ekā
chāyeva yasya bhuvanāni bibharti durgā
[Bs. 5.44]
[The external potency Māyā who is of the nature of the shadow of the cit potency, is worshiped by all people as Durgā, the creating, preserving and destroying agency of this mundane world. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda in accordance with whose will Durgā conducts herself.]
Durgā. Durgā means... Durgā means fort. So this covering, universe, is just like a fort. You cannot go out. You cannot go within... without, I mean, beyond the orbit of this planet. The so-called scientists are trying to go to the moon planet for the last ten years, coming back. Coming back, yes. So still the fools cannot understand how much strict is the material laws of nature.
You cannot do anything with full independence. Immediately you will be captured. Immediately. That your twinkling of eyes, that is also being controlled by some controller. The whole body. Your hand is being controlled, your eyes are being controlled, your movements are being controlled, you're so much controlled, and you are thinking, "I am independent." This is called ignorance. Just like a rascal, he thinks, "Oh, I don't care for the government laws." He's a rascal.
In our India, during British period, Gandhi started civil disobedience movement, that "We shall disobey the laws of the government." So it was to some extent successful, and..., but there were severe punishment by disobeying the law. So many people lost their life. So even in state laws you cannot disobey the laws of the state, how can you disobey the laws of the Supreme? You cannot. If you do it, then immediately you will be put into suffering. So you must know; you should not remain ignorant.
So that knowledge, therefore, to give you knowledge there are so many Vedic literatures. The Bhagavad-gītā is direct knowledge, spoken by the Lord Himself. You'll find in the Seventh Chapter,
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
[Bg. 7.14]
It is very difficult. The laws of nature is transcendental. That means of higher authority, the supreme authority. And, I mean, you..., nobody can transgress.
daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
[Bg. 7.14]
[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]
Mām eva, "One who surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says, "he can be relieved from the stringency of material laws." Why? Because surrendering to God means to obey the laws of God. So where is the stringency of the laws of material nature? So the police is there. The police force can act upon you when you are criminal. But if you are not criminal, let the police remain there. What you have got to do? Neither police has got to do with you anything.
Similarly, Māyā..., Māyā means the superintendent, or police force, of this material nature. So she will act upon you forcibly, immediately, as you transgress. Just like we take salt with our food. If you take more, immediately the food is detestful. And if there is no salt, you cannot take it. You have to take only that much pinch of salt which is prescribed for you. If you think, "Ohhhh, there is so much salt in the Pacific Ocean. Let me take more. Let me take it," this is nonsense. This is nonsense. You cannot enjoy any property of God more than what you require. That is the law. This is spiritual communism.
They're following, the birds and beasts; they're following. You throw immediately one bag of grains in the stree, the pigeons will come and they will take as much as they require, that's all. Two, three, four, five, six, ten, that's all. They will not take at home. You see? This is nature's law. You cannot take it and stock it for speculation, for making profit. That is law of nature. Just like your American people, you are getting more grains, you are throwing in the ocean. Why? It is God's grain. Why should you throw? Distribute. There are so many hungry persons.
So because you are transgressing the law, one day you will have to suffer. This is ignorance. Just like India is suffering now. So you cannot transgress the laws of God. Then you will suffer. And how we transgress the laws of nature, or God? By our ignorance. Therefore you have to learn; you have to know things as they are. You cannot say that "I don't require to learn what is Bhagavad-gītā saying." No, you have to, if you want to be happy, if you want to be peaceful. Otherwise you'll suffer.
Yes. Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The human form of life is the only loophole by which one may get out of this entanglement."
Prabhupāda: Yes. We are becoming entangled since very, very long time. We are passing through 8,400,000's of species of life, and here is one life, human form of life, especially civilized form of life. Just like educated person can become lawyer, not a fool, not a rascal. If you go to your lawyer, he must be very nicely educated; otherwise he cannot be a lawyer. You cannot say that "I may go to a shopkeeper and find out a lawyer." No! You have to go at least to a graduate, who is a lawyer.
Similarly, this human form of life is to know the laws of the Lord—scientifically, the laws of the Lord. Study, just like we have given so many examples. Why you should encroach upon other properties? Everyone has got right to live. Why should you kill other animals? These are transgressing the laws of nature. You have to suffer. So you have to know these things, because you have this nice body. Not that you simply dress yourself very nicely, you become nice. No. You must know the laws of God. Then you are nice. Yes. But people are taking much interest for dressing nicely, and within heart, less than animal.
This kind of civilization is condemned civilization. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting is cleaning, cleansing, inside and outside. Therefore in order to come to your real standard of life, you must take to this movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12].
[“’Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of all education. The chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.’]
Cleansing the heart. And one who is cleansing the heart, automatically he is cleansing this body. Just see how our boys, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and see how they are cleansed in their outward appearance. So nice. They can challenge anyone, cleansing hygienic principle of these boys. That automatically comes. If one is cleansed within heart, the outward cleansing automatically is there. Just like if you have got one hundred thousand dollars, ten dollars is automatically there. There is no need of searching where is ten dollars.
Similarly, this bodily cleansing, hygienic principle, will automatically come if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. You shall be cleansed within and you shall be cleansed without.
Bāhyābhyantaram śuciḥ [Garuḍa Purāṇa].
[One may be impure or pure; in any condition, if he remembers the Lord, whose eyes are like lotus petals, he becomes externally and internally purified. Śrī Viṣṇu! Śrī Viṣṇu! Śrī Viṣṇu!]
Bāhya means externally; antaram, abhyantaram, means within. Your mind is nice, clear; your body is clear; then where is disease? Where is, I mean, disturbance? Free of anxieties, no disease—then what you want more? This is life. And you are confident that "I am going to Kṛṣṇa." Guarantee for this life, guarantee for next life. It is so nice movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So we should not remain in ignorance and think, "I am God. I am moving the sun, I am moving the air," meditating. This kind of thing will not do. Do practically. Cleanse yourself within and without. Then you will be happy.
Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Vedas therefore give us a chance for escape by pointing out the paths of religion, economic comfort, regulated sense gratification and, at last, the means to get of the miserable condition entirely."
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The path of religion, the different kinds of sacrifices recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of yajña we can have enough food, enough milk, etc., even if there is a so-called increase of population."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the secret. People are clamoring now world has increased population. What is that, increase of population? After all, God is feeding you. Whatever you are eating, that is God's gift. You are eating grains, rice, or even if you are eating meat, that doesn't matter; whatever you are eating—you cannot manufacture in the factory. That is God's gift. You cannot manufacture wheat in your factory or rice in your factory or fruits in your factory or even meat in your factory. Your cannot manufacture. So if God is supplying you food, then what is the question of population?
The birds and beasts, they never think of population. One beast is increasing population, giving birth to one dozen children every year. What you can do? You can beget one child in three years or four years, but they are giving birth at one dozen every year. And there are serpents, they are giving thousands and millions of eggs. So where is the question of increasing population in the field of lower animals?
So there is not question of increase of population.
[aside:] You please sit down properly.
There is no question of population increasing, because even there is population increase, the supplier is not poor. He can supply immensely. There is no scarcity. There is no question of scarcity. The scarcity is restriction. If you become sinful, there will be restriction of supply, by laws of nature. How is that? Just like you become diseased, the doctor will say, "Don't take food." That is grace. When there is restriction of food supply by natures law, that is God's grace, because God is good. He is starving you for your welfare.
Just like mother. One child is ill, mother does not give food, and other child is given sufficiently. The one child may say, who is diseased, "Mother, you are not giving me cakes. Why you are giving to my brother?" That is mother's consideration. You should not bother. That is mother's decision, that "This boy, this child, is diseased. If I give him food he'll die, see." Similarly, don't bother yourself the poor man is suffering or the rich man is enjoying. You simply take caution how to increase your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real welfare work.
God is taking care, who is supplying food to the animals, beasts, birds. So He'll take care. And there is law. No beast, no bird is dying out of starvation. Simply we are mismanaging things, we are disobeying the laws of nature; therefore we are in trouble, so-called civilized human society. You see? So there is no question of population. This is a false theory, increase of population. No increase of population. Even there is increase of population, if we are actually God conscious, Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no question of increase of population. Yes.
This is Vedic, not that I am explaining here. The Vedas says,
nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān
[Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13]
[The Supreme Lord is eternal and the living beings are eternal. The Supreme Lord is cognizant and the living beings are cognizant. The difference is that the Supreme Lord is supplying all the necessities of life for the many other living entities.]
Eko, that one supreme living entity, He is also living entity like us. The Veda says, nityo nityānāṁ. We are so many, millions and numberless living entities. And He is also living entity. He is also like us, person, individual. But the difference is, He is supplying all our necessities. All our necessities He is supplying—birds, beasts. So why should you bother? You simply become truthful, Kṛṣṇa conscious. All supply is there. That's all.
Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "When the body is fully supplied, naturally the next stage is to satisfy the senses. The Vedas prescribe, therefore, sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification."
Prabhupāda: Yes, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca [Hitopadeśa 25].
[Both animals and men share the activities of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But the special property of the humans is that they are able to engage in spiritual life. Therefore without spiritual life, humans are on the level of animals.]
These are the bodily demands. After eating, you require some rest, sleeping. Then after sleeping, you get some sex appetite or you want to defend, you want to protect your home. These are necessary of course, but don't do it without regulative principle. If you do without regulative principle, you'll suffer. Just like if you take more salt, you'll suffer. If you take less salt, you'll suffer.
Similarly, if you have no sex life then you'll suffer; if you have more sex life you'll suffer. But if you take sex life, regulative principle, then you'll enjoy life, you'll progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore in human society there is the system of marriage. Not in the animal society. The cats and dogs, they can have sex life in the street, but you cannot.
[break]
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "…associate with the Supreme Lord."
Prabhupāda: Regulated life means—you should understand, try to understand—that somehow or other we have become conditioned under these material laws of nature. Don't try to trace out history. Just like if you are diseased, it is useless to try to trace out when I contaminated this disease. But you are suffering; you have contaminated. Accept it and make treatment. That is sane man's activity. If he goes on tracing out the history, "When I contaminated, where I contaminated, what was the place, who injected..." You go on, but that is not your proper function. Your proper... Now you are contaminated, you are suffering; immediately take steps.
Similarly, we are somehow or other put into this conditioned life, no freedom. So if we actually want freedom, freedom is there. When you get complete spiritual life, freedom is there. So you have to treat. That treatment means scriptures, Vedic literatures. You have to eat like this, you have to sleep like this, you have to mate like this, you have to defend like this, you have to work like this, you have to sacrifice like this, you have to think like this—then you life is successful. If you become extravagant, without care of these laws and regulation, then you'll suffer.
Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. "All these different stages of perfection are achieved by performance of yajña as described above. Now if a person is not inclined to perform yajña in terms of the Vedic literature, how can he expect a happy life even in this body, and what to speak of another body on another planet? There are different grades of material comforts in different heavenly planets, and on all of them there is immense happiness for the persons engaged in different kinds of yajña. But the highest kind of happiness that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the solution to all problems of material existence."
Prabhupāda: Now people are trying to go to the moon planet. That is natural. Or any other higher heavenly planets. And we understand from Vedic literature that higher..., in higher planetary system, the standard of life is far, far superior than the standard of life here. Thousands, thousands, millions times superior. Their age, duration of life, is very great. You will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, the duration of life in the Brahmaloka, you cannot calculate.
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
[Bg. 8.17]
[By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahmā's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.]
Their twelve hours is millions and trillions of years of your age. That is scientific. If you go in the outer space, time calculation is different. Time calculation... Just like some years ago, the Russian sputnik in one hour twenty-five minutes they, I want to say, circled around the earth three times. That means within one hour twenty-five minutes they saw day and night three times. Now how you can imagine? Day and night means twenty-four hours. And how within one hour twenty-five minutes they saw, what is that, seventy-two hours? So the higher planetary system, the timing system is different. That is scientific.
So..., so even if you go to the highest planet, your duration of life may be millions of years. But what is the profit? You have to die. Just like if you compare your duration of life with the duration of life of an ant, it may be that your duration of life is very, very great. But what is the profit? You'll have to die and it will have to die. The death is there; the struggle for existence is there. Similarly, even if you go to the highest planet, the four things—death, birth, disease and old age—you cannot avoid.
These four things are everywhere. Either you become American or Indian or moon planet or heavenly planet or anywhere, they are not leaving you. They're following you. However scientific you may be, oh, you cannot check death or old age. You may be very proud of your scientific advancement, but what about your death and disease? Oh, you are silent. Why?
This is laws of nature. You cannot avoid. But if you go back to Godhead, then you make the problem solved: no more death, no more birth.
yad gatvā na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama
[Bg. 8.21]
[That supreme abode is called unmanifested and infallible, and it is the supreme destination. When one goes there, he never comes back. That is My supreme abode.]
Once you enter into the kingdom of God, you get eternal life, blissful life, and full of knowledge. There is no more ignorance, no more suffering. Because suffering is due to ignorance. But if you have no ignorance, there is no suffering. And if you have no birth, there is no death. If you have no birth, there is no old age. This is the solution.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the ultimate solution. Any... Without being intelligent, one cannot take to this movement. Kṛṣṇa ye bhaje se baḍa catura, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. [Cc. Antya 4.67].
[“Anyone who takes to devotional service is exalted, whereas a nondevotee is always condemned and abominable. Therefore in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord, there is no consideration of the status of one’s family.]
Only the first-class intelligent man can take to this movement. Third-class man cannot understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Only first-class intelligent man. This is meant for the first-class intelligent man, not third-class man.
Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two. "All these different type of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated."
Prabhupāda: Now, take any yoga practice or sacrifice—whatever—anything for spiritual improvement; you have to work for it. Not that your laziness or idleness will make you. Now these boys, they have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They're working for twenty-four hours, and still the business is not finished. [Indistinct] engaged in so many ways, that they are young men, they are doing; I am old man, I am also engaged twenty-four hours. Just to inquire privately from my attendants that how I am working. You see? So laziness is not, I mean to say, advancement of spiritual life.
Kṛṣṇa was Arjuna's friend. He could have said, "O Arjuna, I am your friend. You don't have to fight. All right, you sleep. I shall do for you." [laughter] This is nonsense. You have to do yourself. Kṛṣṇa can show you the way. The spiritual master can show you the way. But the things have to be done by you. If you are slack, if you're lazy, if you cannot do it... Just like teacher can give you hints: "You do like this." But passing of the examination is not the teacher's business; it is your business.
So laziness is no spiritual advancement. You see? Very much active, ah, very much active: to rise early in the morning, to chant, to read, to make preparation for, to go for saṅkīrtana movement, to typewriting, Dictaphone, publishing magazine, books. Immense duties. You see? The people may say, "Oh, they're working so hard. What is the spiritual advancement?" Because they... What is that? Just sit down fifteen minutes and close your eyes, and you become spiritual.
We don't say all this nonsense. We have engaged them, always, twenty-four hours. If you have no business, no engagement, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. No release, no relief. No laziness. No foolishness. No intoxication. No illicit sex life. Otherwise, how you get energy? You have to purify yourself. Then you get energy.
Yes. Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-three. "O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. O son of Pṛthā, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Go on.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport. "The whole process of different types of sacrifices is to arrive gradually at the status of complete knowledge, then to gain release from material miseries, and ultimately to engage in loving transcendental service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Nevertheless, there is a mystery about all these different activities of sacrifice, and one should know this mystery.
"Sacrifices sometimes take different forms according to the particular faith of the performer. When his faith reaches the stage of the sacrifice of knowledge, the performer should be considered more advanced than those who simply sacrifice material possessions. For without attainment of knowledge, sacrifices remain on the material platform and bestow no spiritual benefit.
"Real knowledge is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest stage of transcendental awareness. Without the elevation of knowledge, sacrifices are simply material activities. When, however, they are elevated to the level of transcendental knowledge, all such activities enter into the spiritual platform. Depending on differences in consciousness, such activities are sometimes called karma-kāṇḍa, which are fruitive activities, and sometimes they are called jñāna-kāṇḍa."
Prabhupāda: Jñāna-kāṇḍa.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...jñāna-kāṇḍa, knowledge in the pursuit of truth. It is better when the end is knowledge."
Prabhupāda: Yes. The whole Veda is divided into three department. Therefore it is called trayī. Trayī means three. Three, trayī, it comes like three. Trayī.
strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ
trayī na śruti-gocarā
[SB 1.4.25]
[Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.]
Trayī, trayī means Vedas. The Vedas cannot be understood by ordinary intelligence— ordinary intelligence who are strī, śūdra, dvija-bandhu. Strī, woman; śūdra, worker; and dvija-bandhu means born in high family but work is just like śūdra. They are called dvija-bandhu. So these three classes of human being cannot understand the Vedic aim. Therefore Vyāsadeva made a special book—the same thing, but for their understanding—Mahābhārata. And in the Mahābhārata this Bhagavad-gītā is there.
It is... This Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for very high-class intelligent who are advanced in spiritual life. It is meant for the beginners: A-B-C-D of spiritual knowledge. This Bhagavad..., don't think that Bhagavad..., Bhagavad, because Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna. He was not a learned scholar, he was not a Vedāntist, he was not a brāhmaṇa, but he was simply devotee. Similiarly, this Bhagavad-gītā is spoken for the welfare of the modern society, because they're not very intelligent.
So even if we do not take advantage of Bhagavad-gītā, then where is our place? It is not the Vedānta-sūtra or Upaniṣad, very difficult to understand. It is for strī, śūdra, dvijabandhūnāṁ. But even Bhagavad-gītā they are studying for years, they cannot understand. Just see their intelligence. And formerly this was written for the less-intelligent class of men. Now the less-intelligent class of men at that time and high-intelligent class of men this time is not even equal. How much we have degraded.
Don't you see that Bhagavad-gītā was spoken in the battlefield? Arjuna was just going to fight; he became disturbed seeing his relatives on the other side. He said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, this fight is unnecessary. I cannot kill my kinsman and enjoy this kingdom. Better I fall down." This was his weakness. And Kṛṣṇa spoke him this Bhagavad-gītā just to engage him in the fight. How much time could be spared? That was battlefield, just to..., immediately to release. Not more than half an hour, utmost one hour.
So the less intelligent class, a gṛhasta, a not scholar, he understood Bhagavad-gītā in one hour. And we cannot understand in one life. That is our intelligence. We are proud that we are advanced in education. Just see. The less-intelligent class, he understood at that time in one hour. And we are very advanced, high-intelligent class, we cannot understand even in one life. So just try to understand our standard of intelligence.
Thank you. [devotees offer obeisances]
Any questions?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, is it at all possible, ah, for..., to advance through the higher material planets and eventually to gain entry into the spiritual sky, or must one go through from the earth?
Prabhupāda: No. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you go directly. Just like there are flights: stoppage flight and non-stoppage flight. That's your liking. If you want to take to stoppage flight, you can do that. The yogic process is stoppage flight. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness is non-stoppage flight. Immediately,
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]
"After leaving this body, immediately he comes to Me." No more coming to this world. This is non-stoppage flight. Take it very serious. You see? And,
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma,
janma karma ca me divyam
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
[Bg. 4.9]
[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]
If you simply understand that Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance, activities, they're all transcendental... That means He's not like ordinary human being. If one understands this fact only, then this result is that immediately he can go. Only by this consciousness. And what to speak of become a devotee. You see? Simply knowing that Kṛṣṇa is such and such, you can have this facility.
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
Janma karma ca me divyam, in the Fourth Chapter you have read it.
janma karma ca me divyam
yo jānāti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti kaunteya
[Bg. 4.9]
[One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.]
So if you simply try to understand what Kṛṣṇa, then you get this facility, non-stoppage flight to Kṛṣṇa. And if you become a devotee, what to speak; there's no doubt about it.
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
[Bg. 9.31]
[He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.]
"My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, you just declare to the world that My devotees will never be vanquished." These things are there. Just like people are trying very much eager to see what is there in the moon planet. Most scientists or high-class men consider. But devotees, he does not go to kick even on this moon planet. Not even pass urine there. Because they know, what is there? What is the value there? Because even if you go there, what advantage you get it?
I gave this statement in that press interview. What is the advantage? It's all bogus propaganda. They say that within sixty miles they were. How can I believe? If you are... Suppose you are trying to go to India, or I'm trying to come to America. If I have come near, so near as sixty miles off, is it very difficult to enter that country? My natural instinct should be, "Oh, I have come so near, sixty mile. Let me go immediately." A little trouble. And they went sixty miles off and they postponed the matter another six months. You see?
So the child can believe all these things. We cannot believe. You see? Sixty miles means already there. Why he should come back again, if he's so much eager to enter? These are common sense. There is no need of scientific knowledge; it is common sense only. So even if you go there, what will you do there? That also I have stated. Suppose one goes there. What is the benefit? You cannot live there. They're selling tickets. Once the Russians sold tickets; now your American, what is that, Pan American airplanes, they're selling tickets, you see? And suppose if you go there—taking that you'll go there—you cannot live there. The scientists say that the temperature is below 200 degrees. Can you live there below 200 degrees zero?
If you equip yourself artificially, just like sometimes a diver goes down to the ocean depth... But that is not going down. You go there for sometime and again come back. You cannot live there, like the fishes and sharks, they are nicely moving there. You have to go and come back again. This is natures law. A small fish is enjoying underneath the ocean. But you, you go and come back again. That is nature's law. You cannot live there. How we expecting to go to the moon planet and live there? Immediately you'll be turned back.
So why you are taking so much trouble? Just take this trouble: practice Hare Kṛṣṇa and go non-stoppage flight to Kṛṣṇa. [laughter] That's all. So these students, they're very intelligent. They're going non-stoppage flight to Kṛṣṇa, without any trouble.
So, any other question? All right, chant. [devotees offer obeisances]
[47:26]
[kīrtana] [prema-dhvani] All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much. [end]