Initiations and Lecture

Prabhupāda: …God consciousness at the present moment…

[break] …"all-attractive." This is the Sanskrit word meaning, "all-attractive," paraṁ brahma. So unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? So,

aiśvaryasya samagrasya vīryasya yaśasaḥśriyaḥ jñāna-vairāgyayoś caiva saṅṅāṁ iti bhaga gana [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 6.5.47]

[Full wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation—these are the six opulences of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

Aiśvaryasya: God must be the richest of all. God must be strongest than all. God must be the most beautiful. God must be the wisest of all. In this way, if we analyze what is the meaning of God according to śāstra, or all-attractiveness, then Kṛṣṅa, Lord Kṛṣṅa, is the perfect symbol.

So our Vedic literature accept Kṛṣṅa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, not only at the present moment, but in the past also, great sages like Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala. Later on all the ācāryas, just like Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṅu Svāmī and, latest, five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya—all of them accepted kṛṣṅas tu bhagavān svayam: Kṛṣṅa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And Bhagavad-gītā is there. Five thousand years ago this Bhagavad-gītā instruction was given to the world. There also Kṛṣṅa gives His own description personally, because we may mistake. Simply by studying books we cannot understand, although all the Vedic literatures, they aim at Kṛṣṅa. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaṁ [Bg 15.15],

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

and in the Ṛg Veda it is…, the mantra is oṁ tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padam sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg-veda 1.22.20].

[The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.]

So Viṣṅu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead… Viṣṅu is also expansion of Kṛṣṅa, even Mahā-Viṣṅu, the original Viṣṅu. Out of three puruṣa-avatāras—Mahā-Viṣṅu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṅu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṅu—the original Viṣṅu is Kṛṣṅa.

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vila-jā jagad-aṅḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṅur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Brahmā-saṁhitā 5.48]

So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is pushing on the consciousness. The Kṛṣṅa consciousness means the original consciousness. At the present moment our consciousness is diluted, or rather polluted, with so many consciousness. We are thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am African." But if actually we come to the original consciousness, then we become free. We have got students from all parts of the world, but they do not think in terms of this bodily concept of life. That is our first education: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg 2.13].

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

The bodily concept of life is not perfect civilization; rather, it is animal civilization, because animal, they think that they are this body. So if human being also thinks that he is this body, so that is not very good recommendation. In the śāstras it is said:

yasyātma-buddhi-kuṅape tri-dhātuke sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeśv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [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.]

So the whole trouble in… This material world is troublesome, but the trouble is increased when human society is run on the concept of bodily identity. So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is especially meant for preaching Bhagavad-gītā as it is. It is not a manufactured movement. We are simply preaching the message of Kṛṣṅa as they are described in the Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā, the first lesson to Arjuna was to understand that "I am not this body." He… Arjuna, when he was thinking in terms of his bodily relationship with his family members, so this was condemned by Arjuna…, er, Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa said, aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā-vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg 2.11]: "You are talking just like a very learned man, but no learned man thinks like that. You just try to understand." Then He began Bhagavad-gītā:

dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg 2.13]

[As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.]

So this is the first education, that one should understand that he is not body; he is spirit soul. The Vedic word is ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman, spirit soul." Unless this consciousness is allowed, the human society is considered by the great sages as animal society.

So this consciousness of bodily concept of life has increased very much all over the world; therefore this education of Bhagavad-gītā, there is great need of it. So we are explaining this philosophy every evening, and today we have got the chance of founding this institution in Bombay. We all welcome you, because you are sympathetic and participating in this movement.

So let us now begin the function.

[08:25]

Now chant the mantra. [devotees chant responsively]

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantare śuciḥ [Garuḍa Purāṅa]

śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu

Śyāmasundara: Should that initiated boy be sitting here?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. You can call them. They are [indistinct]. Now once more. [devotees chant responsively]

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā

[aside:] That’s all right.

yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu

Do it again, ācamana.

Śyāmasundara: Three. One, and then one, then put in the water, then pass it back.

Devotee: Then pass it back?

Śyāmasundara: Then pass it back.

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] Very good. You have done it?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: [devotees chant responsively]

namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantara-śuciḥ śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu śrī-viṣṅu

Thank you very much. [devotees chant japa]

[aside:] You can give one.

[11:32]

[break] …the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very much interested in brahmanical civilization and cow, brahmaṅya-devāya go-brāhmaṅa-hitāya ca [Viṣṅu Purāṅa 1.19.65]. Why specifically cow and brāhmaṅa is mentioned? This means that unless there is this varṅāśrama system in any civilization and there is no cow protection, that is not human civilization.

Namo brahmaṅya-devāya go-brāhmaṅa-hitāya ca: the first consideration is brahminical culture and protection of the cow. Because cow protection is especially mentioned, and brahminical culture, the two things are meant for advancing spiritual consciousness. Because one has to go, transcend, even brahminical culture, sattva-guṅa. And to support the brahminical culture, cow protection is essential.

Without milk you cannot develop the finer tissues of your brain, and without developing the finer tissues of brain it is not possible to understand what is God, what we are, what is our relationship, with blunt..., alpa-medhasām. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām [Bg 7.23]:

[Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.]

a little brain substance cannot help one to advance in spiritual consciousness.

Therefore this cow protection and expansion of brahminical culture is essential throughout the whole world. But we should not think that brahminical culture is only limited within India. No. Kṛṣṅa says, cātur-varṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

What is created by Kṛṣṅa, or God, that is not for a particular country or particular nation. It is meant for everyone. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, yei kṛṣṅa-tattva-vettā, sei ’guru’ haya [Cc Madhya 8.128].

[Whether one is a brāhmaṅa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra—regardless of what he is—he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṅa.]

So this brahminical culture, what we are spreading, this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement, is brahminical culture. So these boys and those who are initiated, they are offered the sacred thread. Not immediately. Just like there are two students present here: one will be given the hari-nāma initiation, and the other will be given sacred thread ceremony. The idea is that we invite everyone; it doesn’t matter where he is born, because this is universal. Kṛṣṅa claimed, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya [Bg 14.4],

[It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kuntī, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.]

"In any species of life, whoever there is, I am the seed-giving father," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pita. In another place Kṛṣṅa said that māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ [Bg 9.32].

[O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaiśyas [merchants], as well as śūdras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.]

We may consider somebody as pāpa-yoni, but Kṛṣṅa says that "If he takes shelter of Me," te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim.

So this movement is very important, because we are giving chance everyone to become Kṛṣṅa conscious. And by becoming Kṛṣṅa conscious, automatically he acquires the brahminical qualification and Vaiṣṅava qualification. So the first initiation is given, hari-nāma. They are allowed to chant Hare Kṛṣṅa with the promise that they will observe the principles: no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating and no gambling. Intoxication means we prohibit even drinking tea, coffee or smoking cigarette. They observe it. Therefore after testing one… [break]

[16:08]

[kīrtana] [Prabhupāda offers prema-dhvani prayers]

Thank you very much. [devotees offer obeisances] [kīrtana]

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya! All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]