London, July 19, 1973

Prabhupä da: Dhä rtarä ñ ö rasya durbuddher [Bg. 1.23]. Durbuddhi, to usurp others' property is durbuddhi, mischievous. Why one should encroach upon others' property? That is not good. Tena tyaktena bhuï jé thä mä gå dhaù kasya svid dhanam [É ç o mantra 1]. This is the Vedic instruction, that " You accept only what is given to you. Don't encroach upon others' property." This is peaceful. Everything belongs to Kå ñ ë a. So whatever Kå ñ ë a gives you as prasä dam, as His favor, you accept it and be satisfied. This is the basic principle of peace in the world. But because people are not educated in that way, everyone is wanting more and more and more and more. There is no satisfaction. So that is durbuddhi. The Vedic culture is that " You be satisfied with your position." There is no question of starving in any position of life. People are trying to make economic development, but according to ç ä stra, it is not possible to develop your economic position simply by endeavor. You are destined to have some portion mixed up with happiness and distress. That is the nature. Dharmä rtha-kä ma-mokñ a [SB 4.8.41]. These are four principles of human activities. First beginning is dharma. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. That is dharma. So people do not know who is the Supreme and what is His order. So what kind of religion? They accept dharma as religion, faith, a superfluous faith only. But that is not dharma, religion. Dharma means to abide by the orders of the Supreme. Dharmaà tu sä kñ ä d bhagavat-praë é tam [SB 6.3.19]. That is the meaning of dharma: obedience to God. There is no conception of God, and what to speak of obedience. But this is the simple meaning of religion: obedience to God. That's all, three words. God is the supreme proprietor, God is the maintainer... Bhoktä raà yajï a-tapasä à sarva-loka-maheç varam [Bg. 5.29]. Therefore we are maintained, we are predominated, we are servant, we should remain obedient to God. This is religion. Where is the difficulty? Unfortunately, they do not know what is God, what is His command, what is religion. They do not know. They manufacture. And because they do not know the simple process, they are called durbuddhi, not very nicely intelligent. A rascal, in other words.

In the Bhagavad-gé tä it is plainly said, mü ò ha. Mü ò ha means asses, rascal. He does not know his own interest. He is called mü ò ha, ass. Just like ass. Ass is whole day working with tons of cloth on his back, but he does not... Not a piece of cloth belongs to him. This is ass. And he is working so hard only for a morsel of grass, which is available everywhere. But he is thinking that " This gentleman, washerman, is giving me food." This is ass. Such food can be available anywhere and everywhere, but he is thinking like that and working so hard. So karmé s are like that. He will eat two capä tis or four capä tis, but he is working day and night. If you want to see him, he will say, " Oh, I have no time." He does not think at any time that " I am interested to eat four capä tis, which can be very easily available. So why I am working so hard? " But that sense does not come. He is working, working, working, " More money, more money, more money, more money, more money." The Bhä gavata says, " No, no. This is not your business." The four capä tis is already destined to you; you will get, any circumstances. You don't waste your time simply under some false impression of economic development. Don't waste your time. You cannot get more, you cannot get less. That is already there. So you utilize your time for understanding Kå ñ ë a. That is your business. People will not accept it. " Oh, this is a waste of time. Attending the class of Bhagavad-gé tä, this is waste of time. By this time I could have earned hundreds of dollars." That is their business. That is called durbuddhi, durbuddhi, not very intelligent. All mü ò ha, asses.

Real intelligent person is he who is satisfied what Kå ñ ë a has given him: " If Kå ñ ë a wants, He will give me more. Let me become Kå ñ ë a conscious. Let me study about Kå ñ ë a. Let me chant about Kå ñ ë a. Let me hear about Kå ñ ë a. Let me see with my eyes Kå ñ ë a, the Deity Kå ñ ë a. Let me engage my hands in worshiping Kå ñ ë a, in cleansing the temple, my hands. Let my legs be engaged in going to the temple." In this way all our senses should be engaged in the service of Kå ñ ë a. That is our real business. Tasyaiva hetoù prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatä m upary adhaù [SB 1.5.18]. Tasyaiva hetoù: " For that purpose only." Which purpose? Which we could not achieve after wandering the whole universe, up and down. The living entity is wandering by transmigration from one body to another up and down. Sometimes he is becoming Brahmä even. Brahmä, Indra, Candra. He can become. One can become. By pious activities, you can be raised to the position of Brahmä, Indra, Candra, demigods, big, big demigods. And by impious activities, you can go down to become the worm of a stool. This is going on. This is called bhramatä m upary adhaù. Upari adhaù. Adhaù means down, and upari means up. So ü rdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthä ù [Bg. 14.18]. Who are going to upper planetary system? Sattva-sthä ù, those who are qualified brä hmaë as, strictly following the principles.

ç amo damas tapaù ç aucaà

kñ ä ntir ä rjavam eva ca

jï ä naà vijï ä nam ä stikyaà

brahma-karma svabhä va-jam

[Bg. 18.42]

If you follow these principles, controlling the senses, truthful, clean, full of knowledge, believing in the ç ä stra and God, and vijï ä nam, practical application of knowledge in life. Vijï ä nam... Simply to know is useless. You must practically apply in life. That is called vijï ä nam. Practical examination. Those who are science students, in BAC, they have to give, pass theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge also. Simply theoretical knowledge, " So much hydrogen, oxygen, makes water, " that is theoretical. But when you mix up hydrogen, oxygen gas, and actually prepare water, that is called practical. So that is science. Science means simply theoretical knowledge is not sufficient. Observation and experiment. Experimental knowledge. That is called vijï ä nam.

So by practical knowledge you should be well-acquainted with God. That is brä hmaë a's business. So sattva-sthä ù, those who are strictly following the brahminical principles, they will be situated in upper planetary system. Ü rdhvaà gacchanti sattva-sthä ù [Bg. 14.18]. But a Vaiñ ë ava is above these. Mad-yä jino 'pi yä nti mä m [Bg. 9.25]. Those who are following these principles with an aim for higher planetary system, they can go, elevated. Similarly, those who are trying to go back to home, back to Kå ñ ë a, they can also go. It is not very... This process, our Kå ñ ë a consciousness movement, is to help people to go back to home, back to Kå ñ ë a. It is not very difficult. Why it is difficult? Kå ñ ë a says, janma karma me divyaà yo jä nä ti tattvataù [Bg. 4.9]. Try to understand Kå ñ ë a in truth, not vaguely. Kå ñ ë a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We think of God. So why don't you accept Kå ñ ë a? He says and ç ä stra says, the ä cä rya says, Vyä sadeva says, Nä rada says, your Guru Mahä rä ja says. Why not accept? Why rascaldom? Why you are searching after any other God? Here is God. Name, address, activities, everything is there, authorized statement of the Vedas. So is there any difficulty to understand Kå ñ ë a? But this rascal will not take it. Persistent. " Oh, why Kå ñ ë a can be accepted? I have got a God, manufactured." This is misfortune. Durbhaga, durbuddhi, miscreant rascal. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gé tä. Na mä à duñ kå tino mü ò hä ù prapadyante narä dhamä ù [Bg. 7.15]. These are the qualifications of persons who do not surrender to Kå ñ ë a: miscreants, mischievous, sinful, mü ò ha, rascal, asses, narä dhama, lowest of the mankind. These are the qualifications. So they are all durbuddhi. Human life is meant... This is an opportunity to understand Kå ñ ë a. Hari hari biphale janama goì ä inu, manuñ ya-janama pä iyä, rä dhä -kå ñ ë a nä bhajiyä, jä niyä ç uniyä biñ a khä inu. This is Narottama dä sa Ö hä kura's song. Anyone who is not trying to understand Kå ñ ë a... Not even trying, what to speak of worshiping Him, giving Him service... And Kå ñ ë a says simply by trying to know Him, one becomes liberated. Simply by trying, not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Kå ñ ë a, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Kå ñ ë a. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Kå ñ ë a? Kå ñ ë a cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand. So... Actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Kå ñ ë a. But still, whatever Kå ñ ë a says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gé tä, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyaà yo jä nä ti tattvataù [Bg. 4.9]. Tattvataù. Tattvataù means in truth. The tattvataù cannot understand. Even siddhas, those who are perfect...

manuñ yä ë ä à sahasreñ u

kaç cid yatati siddhaye

yatatä m api siddhä nä à

kaç cin mä à vetti tattvataù

[Bg. 7.3]

Nobody can understand, even if he is siddha, perfect. Perfect means not spiritually perfect, means materially perfect. Or even spiritually, partially perfect. Brahma-jï ä né, they are partially perfect. Paramä tmä -jï ä né, yogis, they are also partially perfect. Not completely perfect. Completely perfect is the devotees. Only devotees, they are completely perfect. Others, the jï ä né s and yogis and karmé s... Karmé s are, they are rascals. Jï ä né s, they are partially perfect because they can understand the eternity portion of the Supreme Lord, brahma-jï ä na. That is eternity portion. And Paramä tmä -jï ä na is the cid-aà ç a, knowledge or personally seeing God as the four-handed Viñ ë u. So that is also imperfect knowledge. That when He comes to know Bhagavä n, é ç varaù paramaù kå ñ ë aù sac-cid-ä nanda-vigrahaù [Bs. 5.1], then there is perfect knowledge. Ä nanda. Because when one comes to the understanding of personal God, there is ä nanda. In other features, there is no ä nanda. There is eternity, there is knowledge, but there is no ä nanda. Ä nandamayo 'bhyä sä t (Vedä nta-sü tra 1.1.12). That is the Vedä nta-sü tra. One is by nature ä nandamaya. We are searching after ä nanda, bliss, but we do not know where to get bliss. We are trying to get bliss in this material world by eating meat, eating wine, drinking wine, by sex. They are trying to get ä nanda. That is not ä nanda. Ä nanda is what is satyä nanda. These ä nandas, these pleasures—flickering, for few minutes, for few hours. That is not ä nanda. Ä nanda means satyä nanda, real ä nanda, real ä nanda. What is that real ä nanda? Brahma-sukha. That ä nanda is in exchange with the Supreme Brahman. Brahma-saukhyam anantam [SB 5.5.1]. That is anantam, unlimited ä nanda. Therefore ramante yoginaù anante [Cc. Madhya 9.29]. Therefore those who are actually yogis, bhakti-yogé s... There are different types of yoga. So they ramante, they enjoy, ramante yoginaù anante, along with the ananta, unlimited. Kå ñ ë a is unlimited. When you join with Kå ñ ë a in His rä sa dance as gopé s, or as cowherds boy, play with Him, or become His father and mother, Yaç odä, Nanda Mahä rä ja, Yaç odä -rä ë é, or become servant, or even become like water Yamunä, or land in Vå ndä vana and trees or fruits or flowers, any way, or cows and calves... Join with Kå ñ ë a. Then you get ä nanda, real ä nanda. Ä nandamayo 'bhyä sä t (Vedä nta-sü tra 1.1.12). Sac-cid-ä nanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. That is the description in all Bhä gavatam, how the Kå ñ ë a's associates are enjoying life. Kå ta-puë ya-puï jä ù [SB 10.12.11]. Ç ukadeva Gosvä mé said, " These boys who are playing with Kå ñ ë a, oh, they are not ordinary boys." Kå ta-puë ya-puï jä ù: " They have amassed the effects of pious activities for millions and trillions of births. Now they have come to play with Kå ñ ë a."

So that opportunity is there in bhakti-yoga. Kå ñ ë a is anxious to take you back. Why you are wasting time? Economic development. What economic development you'll do? You cannot get more than what is destined to you. That is not possible. Then everyone would have been big man, big, educated, very beautiful. Even... Pious activities, the effects of pious activity, is to get nice opulence. Janmaiç varya-ç ruta-ç ré [SB 1.8.26]. Birth in very high family, janma; aiç varya, opulence, riches; education; ç ré... Ç ruta, ç ruta means education, highly learned. These things are effects of pious activities. You get nice family, you take your birth in nice family, rich family, aiç varya, you get good education, you become very beautiful. These are the effects of pious activities. Similarly, the effects of impious activities, the opposite. But they are all material. They are destined. Whatever you have got by pious or impious activities, that you cannot change. It is not possible. But you can change your position, this material position, by Kå ñ ë a consciousness. That you can change. Other things you cannot change. If you are white, you cannot become black, or if you are black, you cannot become white. That is not possible. But you can become first-class Kå ñ ë a conscious person. Either you are black or white, it doesn't matter. This is Kå ñ ë a consciousness. Therefore our endeavor should be how to become Kå ñ ë a conscious. Other things we cannot change. This is not possible. Sarvatra.

tasyaiva hetoù prayateta kovido

na labhyate yad bhramatä m upary adhaù

tal labhyate duù khavad anyataù sukhaà

kä lena sarvatra gabhé ra-raà hasä

[SB 1.5.18]

Kä lena, by time, whatever you are destined you will get. Don't bother about so-called economic development. So far food is concerned, Kå ñ ë a is supplying. Eko bahü nä à yo vidadhä ti kä mä n. Even cats and dogs and ants. Why not you? There is no need of bothering Kå ñ ë a, " God give us our daily bread." He will give you. Don't bother. Try to become very faithful servant of God. " Oh, God has given me so many things. So let me give my energy to serve Kå ñ ë a." This is required. This is Kå ñ ë a consciousness. " I have taken so much, life after life, from Kå ñ ë a. Now this life let me dedicate to Kå ñ ë a." This is Kå ñ ë a consciousness. " This life I will not let it go uselessly like cats and dogs. Let me utilize it for Kå ñ ë a consciousness." This is Kå ñ ë a consciousness.

Thank you very much. Hare Kå ñ ë a. (end)