Ratha-yātrā

Prabhupāda: Ladies and gentlemen, first of all I wish to thank you, the inhabitants of this great city, Philadelphia. You are so kind, enthusiastic, in taking part in this movement. So I am very much obliged to you. I am especially obliged to the American boys and girls who are helping me so much in spreading this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement in the Western countries. I was ordered by my spiritual master to preach this Kṛṣṅa consciousness in the Western countries. So in 1965 I first came in New York. Then in 1966 this Society was regularly registered in New York, and from 1967 this movement is regularly going on in America, Europe, Canada, and south of Pacific Ocean, Australia, and throughout the whole world.

So I may inform you little about this movement, Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa, this word, means all-attractive. Kṛṣṅa is attractive to every living entities, not only human being, even the animals, birds, bees, trees, flowers, fruits, water. That is the picture of Vṛndāvana. This is material world. We have no experience of the spiritual world. But we can get an glimpse idea what is spirit and what is matter. Just try to understand the difference between a living man and a dead body. The dead body means as soon as the living force within the body is gone, then it is dead matter, useless. And so long the living force is there, the body is very important. So as we experience in this body there is something as dead matter and something as living force, similarly, there are two worlds: the material world and the spiritual world.

We living entities, every one of us, we belong to the spiritual world. We do not belong to the material world. Some way or other, we are now in contact with this material world and material body, and the business is that although we are eternal living force, on account of our contact with this material body, we have to take four tribulations: birth, death, disease and old age. That we have to undergo. In this material world we are getting one type of body, and it is ended at a certain stage, just like any material thing. You take, for example, of your dress. You are dressed with a certain type of garment, but when it is worn out, no more usable, then you throw it, you get another dress. So this material body is the dress of the spirit living force. But because we are attached to this material world, we want to enjoy this material world, we get different types of body. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā as a machine. Actually it is machine, this body. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmāyān sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61]

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

So we living entity, we desire. "Man proposes; God disposes." God is very kind. Whatever you desire, He will fulfill. Although He says that "This kind of material desires will never satisfy you," but we want. Therefore God supplies us, Kṛṣṅa, different types of body to fulfill our different desires. This is called material, conditional life. This body, change of body according to desire, is called evolutionary process. By evolution we come to the human form of body through many other millions bodies. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṅi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati [Padma Purāṅa]. We pass through 900,000 species of form in the water. Similarly, two million forms as plants, trees. In this way, by nature's way, nature brings us into this human form of life just to develop, or awaken, our consciousness. Nature gives us the chance, "Now what do you want to do? Now you have got developed consciousness. Now you again want to go to the evolutionary process, or you want to go to the higher planetary system, or you want to go to God, Kṛṣṅa, or you want to remain here?" These options are there.

It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā,

yānti deva-vratā devān pitṛn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ bhūtejyā yānti bhūtāni mad-yājīno 'pi yānti mām [Bg 9.25]

[Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.]

Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṅa, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals—everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.

So our movement is that "Why not stop this material, conditional life, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease?" This is intelligence. "Why should we remain in this material body and undergo repetition change of body? Let us have our original, spiritual body." That is wanted. That is intelligence. The human life is therefore meant, as it is stated in the Vedānta philosophy, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now this life is meant for enquiring about the Absolute Truth." So that is required. That is human intelligence. And if we spoil our life like the animals... They are also eating; we are also eating. They are also sleeping; we are also sleeping. They are also having sex intercourse; we are also having sex intercourse. They are also defending; we are also defending. These four principles are common to the human being and to the animal. The special advantage of human being is that if he likes, he can stop this repetition of birth and death and go back to home, back to Godhead.

The Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement is trying to educate people about this science, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a so-called religious movement. Of course, anything which has connection with God, you can take it as religious movement. But it is very scientific movement. For the big scientists, philosophers, thinkers, they should try to understand this movement. We have got fifty-seven books for convincing the philosophers, scientists. If you want to know the value of this movement through science, philosophy, we have got enough ingredients to supply you. Otherwise, it is simple, very simple. Simply chant this mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṅa, Hare Kṛṣṅa, Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare

Then everything will be manifest to you. Ceto-darpaṅa-mārjanam [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 is the process of cleansing the mirror of the heart. Mirror, when it isThis chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra means cleansing the core of your heart. Because our heart or mind or consciousness is now covered with so many dirty things. So if we chant this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, then these dirty things will be cleansed. Then we shall be able to see, "What I am, what is my position, what is my goal of life, what I have to do." This is human consideration. The dogs, cats, they cannot do that. But a human being, they can do it very nicely.

So on account of this, you will find that these young men, not only from your country but in other countries also, in Africa, in Australia, in Canada, in Europe, in Asia—everywhere—as soon as they are understanding this philosophy, they are joining this movement. And it is not very difficult. We don't charge anything for selling Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. We are chanting everywhere. That you saw, this Ratha-yātrā. Now, our only means is chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. And these thousands of men are following simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. So you can understand what is the potency of this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. We do not pay anything, you ladies and gentlemen, to follow us. But we simply chant Hare Kṛṣṅa.

So it is very potential. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of Vaiṣṅava sampradāya, he has sung, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana. This Hare Kṛṣṅa movement, or chanting of Hare Kṛṣṅa, it is not anything material. Therefore you will never feel tired chanting Hare Kṛṣṅa. You see practically. You go on chanting twenty-four hours, you will never feel tired. Therefore it is said, golokera prema-dhana. This chanting vibration is coming from the spiritual world. Just like you receive material sound vibration in the radios or television from distant place, there is another machine, which can receive the vibration in the spiritual world. So that vibration is Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. Golokera prema-dhana, hari-nama-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy: "Oh, I am so unfortunate that I did not get any attachment for chanting this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra." Saṁsāra-dāvānale, dibā-niśi hiyā jwale. The saṁsāra, this material world, is very uncomfortable place. Everyone is always full of anxiety. However rich you may be, however powerful you may be, but the anxiety must be there. You can understand, your President Nixon, how much anxiety he had when all people wanted him to come down. So this material world means in whichever position you may be situated, it doesn't matter, it is full of anxiety. This is called blazing fire, always burning the heart. So if you want to get relief from this uncomfortable position of anxiety, then you must take to this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra. This is our request. You can try for it, and you will see the practical result. It will not cost you anything; there is no loss about it.

So our only request is, with folded hands and begging you, so many flatterings, we simply request... Dante nidhāya tṛṅakaṁ pādayor nipatya [Caitanya-candrāmṛta 8.90].

[Taking a straw between my teeth and falling at your feet a hundred times, I humbly submit, "O great personality, please give up all mundane knowledge that you have learned and just submit yourself at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu."]

This is our process. We are not very, what is called, violent pushing. Now, you see our procession came, so many, for three hours. There was no violence. And the police department of your country, they very much appreciate, because they have got experience whenever there is some procession, there is violence. "Win[dow]-breaking crowd," they say. But these people are not win-breaking crowd. So this Kṛṣṅa consciousness movement... You have already accepted it, this movement, your so many young men. So we request. This is another occasion to invite you. So our only request is that you chant Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra, and you will feel very much happy. There will be no anxiety. And then you can do your work. It doesn't matter what you are doing, but chanting of this Hare Kṛṣṅa mantra will make you more and more happy, free from material anxieties. And if we continue this process, then everything will be clearly understood about spiritual life, and very easily we shall be able to go back to home, back to Godhead.

Now, this occasion I may explain little bit. Here you see Jagannātha and Balarāma and Subhadrā. They are Kṛṣṅa and His elder brother and His sister, Subhadrā. There is a place in India about ninety miles north of Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi. The place is named Kurukṣetra. It is accepted as the holy place, pilgrimage. People still gather there, especially during the eclipse, solar and lunar eclipse. So there was once, five thousand years ago, there was a solar eclipse, and all people, from all parts of India, they came to Kurukṣetra. And Kṛṣṅa, at that time was prince at Dvārakā, He also came with His elder brother and sister. Kṛṣṅa in His childhood, He was raised as the foster son of Mahārāja Nanda and Mother Yaśodā in Vṛndāvana. Then, when He was grown up... You will find this history in the Kṛṣṅa book. So the incidence is that Kṛṣṅa was the beloved personality in Vṛndāvana. So when He left Vṛndāvana, all the people there, they were very, very unhappy. So when Kṛṣṅa came to Kurukṣetra from Dvārakā with His brother and sister, these people in Vṛndāvana, they got news that Kṛṣṅa is coming there. Vṛndāvana is about the same distance. Kurukṣetra is greater distance. Anyway, they came to see Kṛṣṅa out of their love. And the most beloved personality, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, She was requesting Kṛṣṅa that "You are the same Kṛṣṅa. I am the same Rādhārāṅī. But the place is not the same. You are here in Kurukṣetra in royal opulence, and we are coming from the village. So if You again please come to Vṛndāvana." This was Rādhārāṅī's request. And it is very ecstatic feeling. Those who are advanced devotee, they can enjoy.

So we observe this incidence annually in as many places in the Western countries. At the present moment we hold this ceremony in London, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, and... Where else? Buffalo, Melbourne, yes. So this is a very feeling festival. So I thank you very much. You have come here. And try to understand our philosophy. You are all educated boys and girls. We have got fifty-seven books. Try to read, and try to understand. And take it very seriously, and you will be happy.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda. [end]