Lecture

Prabhupāda: ...he was personal friend of Kṛṣṅa. Just try to understand how much qualified he was. Not only that; he belonged to the royal family, he was a great warrior, great hero, so many qualities. But he said that "I cannot practice this yoga system. It is not possible. I cannot control my mind and practice this haṭha-yoga system." Now just try to understand. He is such a personality, great personality, and five thousand years ago, when things were so nice. So at that time a person like Arjuna felt that he's unable to practice this yoga system. And nowadays a paltry people with teeny knowledge, they are trying to practice yoga system as if they're..., he has become more than Arjuna.

It is very difficult subject matter. It is not possible for ordinary man. The first principle is that he has to sit down alone in a sacred place, alone. Yoga practice is not possible in a big city, with friends and smoking habit and drinking habit. This all farce. One has to become very strong in controlling the mind, controlling the senses, sitting in a solitary place, sacred place like Himalaya or Haridwar, like that. And who is going there, and who is practicing? It is not possible. Not only that; he has to sit down straight, and not bending, and looking on the tip of the nose, and not closing the eyes completely, half closed—so many rules and regulation—and always thinking of Viṣṅu. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā pra... [SB 12.13.1].

[Sūta Gosvāmī said: Unto that personality whom Brahmā, Varuṅa, Indra, Rudra and the Maruts praise by chanting transcendental hymns and reciting the Vedas with all their corollaries, pada-kramas and Upaniṣads, to whom the chanters of the Sāma Veda always sing, whom the perfected yogīs see within their minds after fixing themselves in trance and becoming fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, and whose limit can never be found by any demigod or demon—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead I offer my humble obeisances.]

It is not possible. This yoga system, Arjuna denied five thousand years ago. And what we are? This is going on, all farce.

Here is the yoga system Kṛṣṅa is describing, sa ma guhyatamam, most confidential yoga system. What is that? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto [Bg 18.65]:

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

"Simply always think of Me." Man-manā. Mad-bhakta: "You just become My devotee." So this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra is always thinking of Kṛṣṅa. Even I don't like it think Kṛṣṅa, as soon as the name is chanted immediately I'm forced to think of Kṛṣṅa, immediately. Hare Kṛṣṅa, as I say, immediately I remember Kṛṣṅa, man-manā.

Not only that; a devotee thinks of Kṛṣṅa because he develops love for Kṛṣṅa. And as soon as we develop our love for Kṛṣṅa, we must have to think of Kṛṣṅa. Just like we think of our lover, beloved, always; similarly, by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra we develop our love for Kṛṣṅa. Therefore as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṅa. That is man-manā. And unless I have developed devotional service, then how I can chant Kṛṣṅa? Just like they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. But I am advising everyone. But we, who others are chanting, they are not chanting, because they have no love for Kṛṣṅa. Ah.

So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī [Bg 18.65]. And how it is prac... How it is? By worshiping Kṛṣṅa. Just like we have got our temple, Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa temple, and from morning, four o'clock, to night ten o'clock, they have got business how to worship Kṛṣṅa. This time ārati, this time bhoga, this time chanting, this time reading about Kṛṣṅa, understanding about Kṛṣṅa—whole day and night we have got prescription. If you come to our temple in the foreign countries, you'll be pleased to see how they are doing.

So these are the processes, confidential, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru [Bg 18.65].

[Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.]

It does not require any high education. To think of Kṛṣṅa, any child can do. To chant Hare Kṛṣṅa, any child can do. It is not difficult. And to offer obeisances before the Lord Kṛṣṅa's Deity in the temple, anyone can do. Where is the difficulty? Mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru, simply by offering obeisances, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṅa's form, Kṛṣṅa's picture.

Let me offer my obeisances." Simple thing. Man-manā bhava mad-bha..., the most confidential. The result? What will be the result? Result is mām evaiṣyasi satyam: "I tell you, without any desire to cheat you, satyam, the truth that he'll come back, back to home, back to Godhead." Simply by executing these four principles—always thinking of Kṛṣṅa, man-manā; becoming devotee of Kṛṣṅa; following the devotional process, śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ... Viṣṅu means Kṛṣṅa. Śravaṅaṁ kīrtanam. Just hear about Kṛṣṅa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṅa.

śravaṅaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṅoḥ smaraṅaṁ pāda-sevanam arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyam... [SB 7.5.23]

[Prahlāda Mahārāja said: Hearing and chanting about the transcendental holy name, form, qualities, paraphernalia and pastimes of Lord Viṣṅu, remembering them, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering the Lord respectful worship with sixteen types of paraphernalia, offering prayers to the Lord, becoming His servant, considering the Lord one's best friend, and surrendering everything unto Him (in other words, serving Him with the body, mind and words)—these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service. One who has dedicated his life to the service of Kṛṣṅa through these nine methods should be understood to be the most learned person, for he has acquired complete knowledge.]

Take any one of them or nine of them, His devotee, bhagavad-bhakta. The result will be mām evaiṣyasi satyam, "I don't cheat you." Kṛṣṅa is not cheating anyone. Still He says that "Don't think I am a cheater. Satyam. Yes. Truly you'll come back to Me." Mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo 'si me. "And why You are disclosing this confidential knowledge to me?" Priyo 'si me: "You are My very dear friend." Somehow or other you become dear friend of Kṛṣṅa and He's within you. He'll always talk with you, most confidentially, and your life will be successful. This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement.

But unfortunately, people are not prepared to accept this simple thing and make his life successful. Still we are canvassing door to door, country to country, that "You accept this process of Kṛṣṅa consciousness and you'll be happy in your life," not only this life, next life. That is is perfection of life.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṅa.

Amogha: Would anyone like to ask questions to His Divine Grace?

[pause]

This is Śrīla Prabhupāda's last public speaking engagement before he goes to India, so it's the only opportunity you'll have to ask any questions if you have any.

Indian man: If someone cannot chant sixteen rounds a day...

Prabhupāda: I never said that sixteen round. I say chant. Sixteen rounds is not very difficult. But we say chant. You begin chanting. How many rounds, that doesn't matter. You go on chanting.

Indian man: And I suppose when a [indistinct] of Bhagavad-gītā in any language. is it the proper one?

Prabhupāda: Well, if the translation is all right, it is proper. But there are so many rubbish translation. You see? There are so many rubbish translation. Misinterpretation. That is dangerous. Translation, if there is right translation, it is all right.

Guest: What is [indistinct]?

Prabhupāda: [indistinct] means type.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

Guest: [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.

[pause]

Any more?

Indian man (2): [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is later on. That is later on. Later on. But in the beginning you simply chant.

Guest (3): [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Yes. These are the principles for the initiated disciples. Initiated disciples. Those who are very serious, for them.

Guest (3): Is it necessary [indistinct]?

Prabhupāda: Necessarily it is... Just like if you become a policeman, the uniform is necessary.

Guest (3): [indistinct]

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is not necessary, at the same time necessary. It is not necessary, but at the same time necessary.

[pause]

You chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. [end]