Arrival

Arrival Lecture

Prabhupāda: So I am very happy to see you again after eight month, or nine month. Hmm. Ānandambudhi vardhanam [Cc Antya 20.12].

[Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṅa, 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 Kṛṣṅa expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step.]

This movement is not hackney. Increasing the ocean of happiness. We have no experience of the ocean increasing. If the ocean increases, then the whole planet will be again over-flooded. But this is the ocean of happiness. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, Lord Caitanya says, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam. Ambudhi. Ambudhi means ocean, and ānanda means bliss. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, as soon as our heart is cleansed...

That is the first benediction of chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, that our heart becomes cleansed. If your heart is not cleansed, how we are participating together? Somebody is Indian, somebody is American, somebody is Canadian, somebody is African. Because on the Kṛṣṅa consciousness platform the heart becomes cleansed. There are no more such consciousness that "I am this," "I am that." The only consciousness is that "I am Kṛṣṅa's." That is cleanliness of heart, as soon as we come to this platform, that "I am Kṛṣṅa's."

Just like the gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they were thinking, "We are all Kṛṣṅa's." Central point is Kṛṣṅa. That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—the elderly cowherd men, the boys, the girls, the trees, the river, the birds, the beasts, everyone—they are simply thinking, "I am Kṛṣṅa's." This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. And as soon as we think otherwise—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that is material consciousness.

Try to understand the simple fact, that as soon as we identify with our designated body, which I am not... I am not this body, so why shall I identify myself with American or Indian? Accidentally I have got this body in America or India or Africa or in hell or heaven. That is accidental. Or by my karma. But actually, I am not this body. And if I am not this body...

Generally, everything we are accepting in this material world [is] on the bodily concept of life. Because I have got bodily relationship with some man or woman, I am thinking... There are thousands of men and women, but I am thinking, "This woman is mine," "This man is mine." This is a crude example. And similarly, children. Gṛha-kṣetra. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8].

[The attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence. On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine."]

This bodily concept of life increases our delusion, and we become enwrapped, entangled in material world, and we get a different type of body.

So the Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is meant for releasing all these conditioned soul from this misconception of life. Anyone, any intelligent man can understand that as soon as we identify our activities with the body, then we are fool number one. That is the verdict of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṅape tri-dhātuke [SB 10.84.13].

[One who identifies his self as the inert body composed of mucus, bile and air, who assumes his wife and family are permanently his own, who thinks an earthen image or the land of his birth is worshipable, or who sees a place of pilgrimage as merely the water there, but who never identifies himself with, feels kinship with, worships or even visits those who are wise in spiritual truth—such a person is no better than a cow or an ass.]

Anyone who is identifying himself with this body... Sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu: "And family members, wife, children, they are as our own men. All others are enemies." Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṅape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ: "And the land in which we have taken birth, that is worshipable."

People are sacrificing their life in so many ways. The leader are infusing them, "Oh, you are national of this, national of that." Falsely they are working so hard. This is the basic principle, mistake, of the modern civilization—identifying oneself with this body, which he's not.

So by kṛṣṅa-kīrtana, this bodily concept of life is..., in the beginning it becomes vanquished. A tacit example: you are all boys. You have forgotten that this body is Indian or American. You are Kṛṣṅa's. This is the first installment. Ānanda... Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam [Cc Antya 20.12].

If this bodily concept of life is removed, immediately all the problems of the world solved. Immediately.

All these great writers, thoughtful men, philosophers, politicians, diplomats, and the United Nation, they are trying to solve the problems of the world, but they are increasing the problem. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

How they can mitigate? It is not possible, because the basic principal mistake is there.

So Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṅam. Bhava, bhava means this material world. Bhava means to become. Bhava and abhava. You take some, accept some body, that is bhava: "I become." And keep myself in this body for some years, utmost hundred years. Then again abhava. Abhava means another change of body.

So this is very botheration, the changing of body. But one who comes to Kṛṣṅa consciousness, there is no more change of body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [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.]

A Kṛṣṅa conscious person, after giving up this body, he does not accept any more material body. Then what happens to him? Kṛṣṅa says, mām eti. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: "He comes to Me."

So why don't you take this simple formula? Be Kṛṣṅa conscious. How nice it is to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. We are living in... Not heaven. Heaven is nothing for us. We are living in Vaikuṅṭha in this temple. Anyone can practically see how they came from hellish life; now they are living in Vaikuṅṭha. So Kṛṣṅa consciousness is so nice and so simple. Why people are so foolish they do not take it? What is their complaint?

We are living so nicely that sometimes people are envious, that "These people have no business, no occupation, and they are living in nice house, eating nice kṛṣṅa-prasādam [laughter], and chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, and dancing!" They're envious. But when we say, "Why don't you come here?" they will deny: "No, sir. I cannot go." [laughter]

Why you are envious? You come and participate and live like us, happily. "No." That he will not. [laughter] And this is the māyā. You see? Māyā will say, "Oh, why you are going there? [laughter] You just come here in the Bowery Street, and as soon as you get some money, you purchase one bottle and lie down." That is life.

So this is the position. But still, as living representative of Kṛṣṅa, our duty is to save these fallen conditioned souls. That is our duty. One may agree to come or not come. It doesn't matter. You try your best to bring him to this Kṛṣṅa consciousness position. Then Kṛṣṅa will be happy: "Oh, this person is trying." Because it is Kṛṣṅa's business. Kṛṣṅa comes. He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

And we are saying the same thing, that "You just surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Be Kṛṣṅa conscious." Therefore we are living representative of Kṛṣṅa. We are saying nothing else. Our only business is to repeat the Kṛṣṅa's word. Therefore we are representative.

So anyone can become representative of Kṛṣṅa. It is not difficult. Simply one has to go door to door: "Please surrender to Kṛṣṅa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa." That's all. Is it very difficult job? Prāṅair arthair dhiyā vācā [SB 10.22.35]. We can serve Kṛṣṅa in four ways. First of all, try to dedicate your life for Kṛṣṅa. That is first class. If not, then spare some of your money for Kṛṣṅa. If not, then give some words for Kṛṣṅa. Or give some intelligence. You can give. "Sir, if for organizing your this movement we know that you require money, but I have no money. So I have got a friend. He is rich. If you come, he will help you." This is intelligence.

You can serve Kṛṣṅa by intelligence. You can serve Kṛṣṅa by your money. You can serve Kṛṣṅa by your life. And at last, you can serve Kṛṣṅa by your words. Simply go door to door and request everyone, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. There will be no loss on your part. The gain you will see within one week. The gain you will see within one week if you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. But you are not losing." What is the difficulty? So our business is like that. We should go door to door and request them, "Please chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. You'll be happy."

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa. [end]

Arrival Lecture

Referenced verses