Arrival Address

[poor recording]

[translated simultaneously into French by devotee]

Prabhupāda: So it is said,

bhagavad-bhakti-hīnasya jātiḥśāstraṁ japas tapaḥ aprāṅasyaiva dehasya maṅḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam [Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 3.11]

[A person who has the pure characteristics of a brāhmaṅa due to devotional service, which is like a blazing fire burning to ashes all the sinful reactions of past lives, is certainly saved from the consequences of sinful acts, such as taking birth in a lower family. Even though he may be born in a family of dog-eaters, he is recognized by learned scholars. However, although a person may be a learned scholar in Vedic knowledge, he is not recognized if he is an atheist.]

The verse says that if a person, or if a community, or if a nation has no sense of devotional service, such person, such community or nation, they are like decoration of the dead body. Sometimes a dead body is decorated. So that decoration may be pleasing for the relatives of the dead body; otherwise, decorating a dead body is not very much pleasing to others. So the idea is that we have this body—simply decorating the body or taking care of the body is not the perfection of life.

The body means the senses, and above the senses there is the mind, and above the mind there is intelligence, and above the intelligence there is the soul. Actually, on the foundation of the soul, the intelligence, the mind and the senses are acting. When the soul is gone out of this body, there is no more use of intelligence, mind or senses. When it goes out of this body, he transmigrates finally, and according to that body, he uses a different type of intelligence, mind and sense gratification. Just like a dog, it has got a body. But we say "dog's mentality" because according to the body, his mind is also different, his intelligence also different. So the soul is pure, part and parcel of God, but on account of the soul's being covered by material body, mind, intelligence, it is different at the present moment.

So in the human form of body there is the opportunity to understand all these activity or philosophy of life. So in this human form of life, if we do not cultivate Kṛṣṅa consciousness, then we are missing the opportunity. So it is the duty of the mahājanas, or the leaders, to give opportunity to the human being for developing Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So our Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is the greatest benedictory movement for the human society. Unfortunately, we are living in a time where the people of demonic mentality are in greater number. So this demoniac mentality is always there. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja was executing Kṛṣṅa consciousness. His father was a demon, so the father put the son into so many difficulties of life.

So Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement...

[break] ...become Kṛṣṅa conscious there will be some difficulties. So just like we are chanting within this room—somebody called foolish. So these kind of difficulties we have to meet. Kṛṣṅa consciousness means preparing for going back to home, back to Godhead. We are rotting within this material world from time immemorial... [break] ...or in a previous creation, we similarly... [break] ...since the creation of this cosmic manifestation we are rotting. So by the mercy of Kṛṣṅa and spiritual master, guru-kṛṣṅa, we have got this seed of Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So that is a great fortune. We have to cultivate Kṛṣṅa consciousness despite all kinds of hindrances, because it is a function which is final solution of all problems of life.

The problems of life are four: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg 13.9], means birth, death, old age and disease.

[Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth—all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.]

But these demonic people, they think that birth, death, old age and disease, they are [indistinct], they are [indistinct] things. Because we learn from Bhagavad-gītā that the living entity, na jāyate mriyate vā kadācin [Bg 2.20]. The living entity never takes birth or never dies. Nityaḥśāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. The living entity at annihilation of this body…, the living entity does not annihilate. So-called scientists, so-called theologist, so-called engineer, they can make very big, big [indistinct]. I see in your city it is very nice.

[break] ...for these problems. Therefore, they are called mūḍhas, rascals. Mūḍhāḥ duṣkṛtino. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ [Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

The miscreants always engaged in sinful activities, just like illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, gambling. They are called duṣkṛtinaḥ, means sinners, always engaged in sinful activities. So my request to you, I thank you very much that with all inconveniences—I don’t think there is any inconvenience—but even though there are many inconveniences, don't give up this practice or cultivation of Kṛṣṅa consciousness.

So Caitanya Mahaprābhu has advised,

tṛṅād api sunīcena taror iva sahiṣṅunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ [Cc Ādi 17.31]

[One who thinks himself lower than the grass, who is more tolerant than a tree, and who does not expect personal honor yet is always prepared to give all respect to others can very easily always chant the holy name of the Lord.]

We have to tolerate. Just like in the airport, for a little simple reason we are detained for about fifty minutes. Immediately the police is there. Somebody will complain; somebody will do something else. But these things are expected, because the demoniac people will always try to tease devotees. So this is going on. During the long, long ago, millions of years, Prahlāda Mahārāja was tortured by his father. Two thousand years ago, even Lord Jesus Christ, he was crucified. He was killed. [break] Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he was also tortured. He was caned in seven marketplace. The only fault of this torturing…, for this torturing procedure is that they were Kṛṣṅa conscious. That's all. That is their only fault. [break] ... rest assure as Prahlāda Mahārāja said by Nṛsiṁhadeva. So Kṛṣṅa in His Nṛsiṁhadeva avatāra: tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-sṛṅgaṁ [Gītā Govinda, Śrī Daśāvatāra Stotra 4]. We should take shelter of Kṛṣṅa. He will give us all protection, rest assured. Do not give up this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement. That is my request.

So I thank you very much for inviting me in your temple, and I am very much pleased there are so many young boys and girls, they are chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. That is a new thing in the history, in a city like Paris, younger generation will chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. We are making history. That's a fact. So do it sincerely. In all circumstances, trials, do not give up.

Thank you very much. [end]