Arrival and Interview

Prabhupāda: ...gītā. Unfortunately, there are so many interpretations by so many unscrupulous persons, so-called scholars and philosophers, that they have spoiled the precept of Bhagavad-gītā. So we are just trying to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is to the world, and I am very happy to inform you, you know, that all over the world, wherever I am going, I am preaching this philosophy, they are being accepted. So I am also very glad that in this distant place, Hong Kong, from India, you are training your children in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. It is a very good sign. Their life will be very happy. So continue this process, try to understand the Kṛṣṅa philosophy, try to help this movement.

I may refer in this connection that Subhas Chandra Bose, you know Netajī, he organized his Indian National Army outside India, because in India he was unable to organize. The circumstances were so awkward, even Mahatma Gandhi would not allow him. That was his position. So you know very well how Subhas Chandra Bose came out of his country and organized the INA movement, and practically India's got independence due to Subhas Bose's INA movement, not Gandhi's non-cooperation movement. That is a fact.

So India has to give something to the world, and that is this Kṛṣṅa consciousness. This Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is so nice it can solve all the problems of human society. So in India, even our Indians are prepared to help to propagate this movement all over the world. Our government is so nice that it will not allow. It will not allow. Not a single farthing is allowed to come out of India. So there are so many obstacles, but I am working in this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement single-handed, so it is very pleasing to me that you are taking so much interest. So continue to support this movement spread all over the world, and I am sure people will be benefited.

Actually they are being benefited. All these boys from Europe and America, how they are making advancement in spiritual consciousness you have seen, one or two examples. There are many thousands, and they are accepting it very seriously. So this movement is very important movement, and it is India's gift, and I would request you all Indians present here to support this movement:

prāṅair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṅaṁ sadā etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu [SB 10.22.35]

[It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.]

This body, to make this body successful, this human form of body is meant for making our life success. Otherwise, if you remain like cats and dogs, that is not success. The success is,

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam [SB 1.2.13]

[O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.]

You may remain a brāhmaṅa, varṅāśrama, varṅa and āśrama, as I have already explained. Whatever you may be, you must be within this one category, either brāhmaṅa or kṣatriya or vaiśya or śūdra or brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha or sannyāsī. In whichever classification you may remain, it doesn't matter, but try to see that your life is successful.

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ [SB 1.2.13]

This is an instruction given by Sūta Gosvāmī to the great learned scholars in Naimiṣāraṅya, that ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā, "My dear learned brāhmaṅas, dvija-śreṣṭhā..." All the members present there were highly learned brāhmaṅas, so he gave this advice. "My dear dvija-śreṣṭhā, the best of the brāhmaṅas," ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ.

There are divisions of social order or spiritual order, but one should try to see [indistinct], he must try to see that his life is successful. And what is that life is successful? Varṅāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ. Svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṅam: you have to see whether by your activities, by your behavior, by your actions Kṛṣṅa is satisfied. That is all. If you try to understand this only one point, that by your work Kṛṣṅa is satisfied... Just like Arjuna satisfied Kṛṣṅa by fighting. Similarly, by your whatever occupation you are doing, if you try to satisfy Kṛṣṅa, that is perfect.

So our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is meant for that purpose, and we..., you are already helping, and we shall be very glad if you cooperate and push this movement all over the world. Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Child: Prasāda.

Prabhupāda: Prasāda. Thank you... Give it here. Very good boy. You take some prasāda first. Take it.

Child: No, take little.

Prabhupāda: All right. [laughter in background] You want prasāda? Take it. [laughter] Oh, it is very nice, hmm. I shall eat, or you shall eat?

Child: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Oh, [indistinct].

Lady devotee: Samosās [laughter]

Prabhupāda: Very nice prasādam.

Child: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Not [indistinct].

Lady devotee: Pakoras.

Prabhupāda: They have not yet come?

Śyāmasundara: Yes, they are putting the luggage... They do not stay on this floor. [indistinct] some floors down.

Prabhupāda: They have come?

Śyāmasundara: They are loading the luggage now. [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: No, they have come?

Śyāmasundara: Yes, they have come. [indistinct]

Devotee (2): Mr. Mack.

Prabhupāda: If there is any question you can ask, on the subject matter on which we... Eh?

Devotee: [indistinct] this gentleman, he takes care of the [indistinct] United States, and he has a present for you.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Devotee: This is Larry Mack.

Prabhupāda: What is that? Oh. This is for sannyāsī, or for lady? [laughter]

Devotee: It is for the health.

Prabhupāda: Oh, thank you very much. I am very glad that you have trained, so many boys. Undo this. Hmm. Yes?

Child: Kṛṣṅa [indistinct] a forest fire. What was the forest fire?

Prabhupāda: Hmm? [laughter in background]

Prabhupāda: Forest fire? It takes place automatically.

Devotee: We read them Kṛṣṅa book and we ask them questions at the class.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Forest fire, nobody goes to set fire in the forest, but it takes place. Therefore this material world is compared with forest fire. How you may try to keep yourself in peace and tranquillity by your dealings with one another, there will be misunderstanding, and both the parties will suffer.

Just like we tried to become independent out of the hands of the Britishers, to live peacefully, but the Pakistan and the Hindustan is still going on and fighting. Formerly the fighting was not organized; somewhere in the cities in some quarters there was fight. Now it is organized fight with lethal weapons. This is the position of the world.

The United Nation is trying to stop war, but the war is increasing. They could not stop the Vietnam War. It is going on for the last fifteen years. So this forest fire example is there: nobody wants to set fire in the forest, but automatically, by nature's way, this world is such that there will be fire in the forest, and all the living entities within the fire, they will suffer. Similarly, this whole material world is just like a forest fire. But if we take the shelter of Kṛṣṅa, then He will swallow up the fire.

Devotees: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: You have seen the picture, Kṛṣṅa is eating.

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.]

That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

daivī hy eṣā guṅa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te [Bg 7.14]

So long you do not surrender to Kṛṣṅa, there will be forest fire always within your heart. Saṁsāra-davanale, divā-niśi hiyā jvale [Gītāvalī]. The heart will be burning always. Any big man or small man who has no information of Kṛṣṅa, his heart is always burning. Sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahaḥ [SB 7.5.5].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: O best of the asuras, King of the demons, as far as I have learned from my spiritual master, any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering. One should give up this position and go to the forest [vana]. More clearly, one should go to Vṛndāvana, where only Kṛṣṅa consciousness is prevalent, and should thus take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.]

This forest fire is like that. Nobody wants forest fire, but it takes place.

And this forest fire cannot be extinguished by your so-called fire brigade for tubs of water. No. That is not possible. Suppose there is forest fire, eh? You cannot go with..., you cannot go in the forest with the fire brigade or tubs of water. Then how it will be extinguished? It will be extinguished. There is a process. What is that? When there is rainfall. Rainfall from sky, that is not in your hands. Similarly, this world of forest fire can be extinguished when Kṛṣṅa's mercy will fall down from.

saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka- trāṅāya kāruṅya-ghanāghanatvam [Śrī Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka]

Therefore the forest fire is going on, and we are trying to draw the cloud of Kṛṣṅa and pour water on it. That is our mission.

Śyāmasundara: Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes?

Śyāmasundara: There is a man here from a radio station. He would like to have a short interview with you if possible.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have already spoken. [break] Have you taken it?

Reporter: Yeah.

Devotee: You have a question?

Reporter: Could you explain the Hare Krishna movement briefly to our listeners?

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa movement is Hare and Kṛṣṅa and Rāma. There are three words that make [indistinct]: Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So this is a prayer addressing Harā. Harā, this word, Sanskrit word, when it is addressing, then it becomes Hare. So Harā means the energy of the Lord.

There are multi-energies of the Supreme Lord. They are practically working everywhere. Just like fire, fire..., in one place there is fire, but it is distributing the energy. Just like in one place there is sun planet, and the heat and light is being distributed. The heat and light is sun, at the same time not sun. So there is energy of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṅa. Those energies, spiritual energy and material energy, they are working.

This Harā is the energy. We are addressing, "O the energy of the Lord." And Kṛṣṅa, "O Lord," Kṛṣṅa and Rāma, the Lord. So we are addressing the Lord and His energies to engage us in His service: "Please engage us in Your service." We are already in service, but that service is not giving us any happiness. So "Please engage us in Your service," that is the Hare Kṛṣṅa.

And another advantage is God is absolute. There is no difference between His name and God. Just like here, there is difference. If you want water, simply "water, water" will not act. You must have the substance water, because it is relative world. But in the absolute world, Kṛṣṅa and His name, Kṛṣṅa the person, Supreme Person, and His name is the same.

So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa we are associating with Kṛṣṅa, and as we are associating with Kṛṣṅa we are becoming purified. Therefore repeatedly chant, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, and you will be purified of your material existence; then your life will be successful.

Reporter: One often hears about the difference between Western and Eastern philosophy and religion. Why do you think that Hare Kṛṣṅa movement attracted so many followers in the West?

Prabhupāda: The Hare Kṛṣṅa is neither Western or Eastern. It is meant for human being. You see? This "Western," "Eastern," they are our own creation. God is neither Western or Eastern. God is God. So anyone who will chant God's name will benefit. That's all. There is no question of Western and Eastern.

Reporter: How can Hare Kṛṣṅa help us solve our very difficult...

Prabhupāda: Because if you are purified... The whole difficulty is that we are not purified. We are impure. Impure means we are thinking in bodily concept of life. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," "I am white," "I am black," these are all designation of the body. We have to transcend the position of the body:

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam [Cc Madhya 19.170]

[Bhakti, or devotional service, means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the master of all the senses. When the spirit soul renders service unto the Supreme, there are two side effects. One is freed from all material designations, and one’s senses are purified simply by being employed in the service of the Lord.]

We have to become nirmalam, purified pure soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. This understanding, when I shall come to the stage, "I am pure soul, Brahman."

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām [Bg 18.54]

[And of all yogīs, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.]

So this is a great science, but the summary, I can inform you, that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa you become purified. And as soon as you become purified, you become happy. That is it. You have to become purified. At the present moment we are not purified; we are all impure. But this process will help you to become purified.

So if you become purified, you understand everything. Just like if you are in delirium out of strong fever, you cannot see things what they are, talk so many nonsense things. So similarly, we being enchanted by this material energy or this material body, we are identifying with this body and we are unhappy. As soon as we are purified—we understand that "I am not this body; I am pure soul"—then my happiness is guaranteed.

Reporter: Can we reach this stage of purification?

Prabhupāda: Yes. So many are reaching. Why not? You see these American boys and European boys, they have reached purification. They are, from the very beginning of their life, they were meat-eaters and so many things. Illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling, they are daily affairs. But they have given up everything. Are they not purified? They are being purified from sinful activities, actually, simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. This is practical. Practical example. Thousands and thousands of boys and girls, they are becoming purified simply by following the rules and regulations.

So this is practical. If you do, you also become purified. Anyone will do. There is no question of "East" or "West," "Hindu," "Muslim." We have got students from all camps. The Africans, they are also dancing, chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. We have got branches in Africa and Canada, in Europe, in America, in Australia. I am just coming from Australia. We have got two temples, one in Melbourne, one in Sydney, and just yesterday we established another temple, in New Zealand, Auckland.

So we have got ninety-five centers all over the world, and each center you will find not less than twenty-five, up to two hundred students like this, like Bhūrijana Prabhu. They are very happily living. Bhūrijana's wife, she was a very famous actress, but she has given up everything. Now she is chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa, you see. Thank you.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṅa. All glories... Hare Kṛṣṅa.

[23:22]

[devotees offer obeisances, sing Gurv-aṣṭaka prayers] Very good. Come on, leader. [indistinct] Who is your leader? Students come here, leader. Who is your leader?

Devotee: Lalu Suresh Deepak.

Prabhupāda: Come on. Who is Lalu?

Devotee: Lalu Suresh Deepak.

Prabhupāda: Ah.

Child: The leader.

Prabhupāda: So come on. You take. Take.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṅa. Haribol! Haribol! Hare Kṛṣṅa. Hare Kṛṣṅa. Jaya Prabhupāda. Wow! Haribol! Haribol!

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] Ācchā. Thank you very much.

[24:48]

[kīrtana] [break] [end]