Los Angeles, April 30, 1970

Prabhupäda: (chants mantras) Who will explain? Karandhara Prabhu, you will explain? First or second. Hare Kåñëa. (pause) Which one?

Karandhara: Second verse?

Prabhupäda: Yes, any one, if you can... Whatever you have realized, you can say without seeing the book. Éçäväsyam idaà sarvam [Éço mantra 1]. Yes...

Karandhara: Everything animate or inanimate in this world is controlled and owned by Kåñëa. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is described that there are two types of energies of Kåñëa, parä prakåti and aparä prakåti, the superior energy and the inferior energy. The inferior energy is made up of the gross elements, earth, air, fire, water, and the subtle energy or the subtle material elements are the sky..., excuse me, mind, intelligence and false ego. These make up the parä prakåti, or the inferior energy of the Lord. But the living entities, they are the superior energy of the Lord. They are aparä prakåti; henceforth, due to their illusion, their misconception, they are trying to lord it over the parä prakåti, uh, uh, aparä prakåti, the inferior energy of the Lord. And they have become entangled. They have become covered by the gross elements. So when one is realizing who the source of the energies, of all these energies are..., who are the proprietor, who are the controller of the energy, then by the Lord's mercy, the Lord being the controller of all these energies, that entity can become free from the covering, from the influence of the material energy, and can resume his natural constitutional position as superior energy and function on that platform in realization of both energies and his relationship with the supreme energy of the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa. One should not..., one should only accept that which is set aside for him that which is needed. The lusty desire to gain more, for acquiring more—this lust, this perversion, this misunderstanding is exactly what enamors the living entity, parä prakåti, in the inferior energy, aparä prakåti. So when one can come to this understanding, that everything is controlled, everything is owned by the Supreme Lord, and that he has no proprietorship, then he can give up this false (conception) of "mine" and "I" and realize that the Supreme Lord, Kåñëa, He is the controller, He is the owner, and can once again regain his natural, blissful state, sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù [Bs. 5.1].

Prabhupäda: Why a living entity is superior energy? Can anyone explain? Why living...? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, it is stated that the living entity, or the jéva soul, belongs to the jéva-tattva, that categoristic..., falls into that categoristic of the Lord's energy. He is... Spark...

Prabhupäda: No, the question is why the living entity is called superior energy? That is the question. The material, matter—earth, water, air, fire, sky—the inferior energy; and why the living is called superior energy? Who can explain? Yes? Stand up.

Devotee: Well, the individual living entities are all part and parcel of the Supreme Lord...

Prabhupäda: The part and parcel, this material energy also, part and parcel. Because energy...

Devotee: It's separated. Material energy's separated, whereas the superior energy...

Prabhupäda: Separated, and this also, living entities also separated. In this sense. One sense, nothing is separated; but at the same time, separated. But the question is why the living entity's called superior energy?

Devotee: The living entities are conscious and the material energy's not.

Prabhupäda: Yes, that is also one of the reasons. Living entity's conscious, whereas the material energy is not conscious. This is one of the... Yes?

Devotee: The living entity is also eternal, unchanging, whereas the material energy is subject to change repeatedly.

Prabhupäda: Yes, that is also. And the most important is that living entity is superior in this sense, that the living entity can control over the material energy. Just like in this temple, all this paraphernalia which you have got, this is made of matter—earth, water, fire, water, and fire, air. But the living entity has molded for this purpose. And it can utilize the material energy, just like modern scientists, they are utilizing... Just like you American people, this land of America, before your coming from European countries, it was vacant land. The people who lived here, they could not utilize. But you have developed by your intelligence a very nice country with industry, with nice roads. So this is superior energy, that the living entity can have some control over the material energy. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gétä: yayedaà dhäryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The, the importance of this material world is due to the living entities. This Los Angeles City is valuable so long the living entities are there. The body's valuable so long the living entity, soul, is there. Therefore it is superior. But that superiority is being misused. That is conditioned life. We are conditioned because our superior position than the matter, we are misusing. How we are misusing? We have forgotten that, although I am superior energy than the matter, but still, I am subordinate to God. That he is forgetting. The modern civilization, they do not care for God because people are superior than matter. They are simply trying to exploit matter in different way. But they are forgetting that we, either we may be American or Russian or China or India, we are all subordinate to God. This is the mistake. Kåñëa bhuliya jéva bhoga väïchä kare. They have forgotten Kåñëa, and they want to enjoy this material world. This is their disease. Now our duty is to invoke their Kåñëa consciousness, that "You are superior." That's all right. But you are subordinate to Kåñëa. You cannot enjoy, but you can... Just like we have decorated this temple not for our sense gratification. What is the difference between our students and ordinary man? They are also decorating their apartment very nicely. We are also doing the same. But the purpose is different. We are doing the same, but the purpose is different. We are doing it for Kåñëa, and they are doing their for their... So our superiority is that either I am trying for decorating my personal apartment, I am trying to decorate this temple—my superiority is there because I am utilizing matter for my purpose. But when it is utilized, his intelligence is applied to utilized this matter for Kåñëa, then his life is successful. The superior intelligence should be utilized for the benefit of Kåñëa. Kåñëärthe akhila-ceñöä. Then your life is successful. Then the same superior energy, if you apply it for your sense gratification, you'll be entangled and anxiety. And then you'll have to change your body, one after another. That is going on.

So the superior, supreme controller, is Kåñëa, either on this inferior energy or superior energy. That is going on. So superior energy means that we can control over the material world. Not completely. That is also under condition. But we have got some control over this material world. But Kåñëa has control over us also. We cannot do anything out of our own whims. Just like we are manufacturing this nice microphone with intelligence. Just like you American people, you are manufacturing so many nice things, and why other people, they cannot manufacture? What is the reason? You are also superior energy, and before you, the Red Indians, they are also superior energy. The animal, he's also superior energy. The cow, for example, that is also living entity, superior energy, and a man, he's also living entity, superior energy. But the man is sending the cow to the slaughterhouse. It is helpless, and the man is powerful. How this distinction? How this distinction? That distinction is due to the superior controller, Kåñëa. Kåñëa has given man superior intelligence, superior intelligence... In the Bhagavad-gétä, Fifteenth Chapter, fifteenth verse, you'll find that sarvasya cähaà hådi sanniviñöo: [Bg. 15.15] "I am sitting within the heart of everyone." Mattaù småtir jïänam apohanaà ca. "One can memorize or forget on account of Me." Therefore the superior energy is giving intelligence to the human form of body that "You do this." "You do this" means not whimsically. He wanted to do it, but sometimes he forgets, and Kåñëa reminds, "You wanted to do this. You can do this. Here is an opportunity." So although I have got superior intelligence, that is also controlled by Kåñëa. If Kåñëa gives you intelligence, then you can manufacture this nice microphone; otherwise, you cannot. Therefore éçäväsyam idaà sarvam [Éço mantra 1]. In every sphere of life, there is control of Kåñëa. Yat kiïcit jagatyäm. Anything which is going on within this world, jagat... Jagat means this world, which is making progress. Tena tyaktena bhuïjéthä. Therefore we shall have to voluntarily accept His superiority and accept only prasädam, whatever He kindly allows, "You can take this." "All right, Sir." That's all. You cannot encroach upon others. That is superior control. But the people are encroaching; therefore they are becoming entangled. If they accept what is offered by Kåñëa, then there is no trouble. But if they encroach, then there is trouble.

So you read every çloka, every mantra. Whenever you get time, you read the purport, you read the meaning. The whole philosophy is there. Now you are growing. There will be so many questions, so many philosophers. But our philosophy is so sound and solid, that we can meet any philosopher of the world, any philosopher. But you have to learn it. The books are there, your intelligence is there, the guidance is there. Because you are preaching, sometimes we have to meet opposing elements. So if you cannot answer properly, that will be disqualification. So every one of you should learn this philosophy. As soon as you are able to, I mean to say, guide yourself, or save yourself from the attack of the opposing element, then you'll know that you are making progress. Otherwise... Of course, there are different stages of devotional life. But so far we are concerned, we have to preach. That is the second platform of devotional life. In the second platform, not only to love God, but to make friendship with devotees who is loving God. That is society. Our Society is devotees. We should not only practice to love God, but we should make friendship and love the devotees also. And then those who are innocent, those who do not understand what is Kåñëa, we shall preach. And those who are atheist, against God, we shall avoid. So this is second stage. And on the highest stage, of course, there is no... He is paramahaàsa. So that, don't try to imitate paramahaàsa.

That is very topmost stage of devotional life. Even if you are on this topmost stage, when you are preacher you have come to the second platform, this stage. So you have to raise yourself from the lower stage to the second stage, and if you are in the highest stage, even then you have come to the second stage for preaching work. So preaching work, four vision. Éçvare tad-adhéneñu bäliçeñu dviñatsu ca: God, Kåñëa; His devotee; innocent; and the atheist. So we are concerned with three: with God, the devotees and the innocent. To love God, to make friendship with devotees and to teach the innocent. And those who are atheist, against God, avoid. Don't talk. Useless waste of time. Whatever he wants: "All right, sir, you are very great." That's all right. Don't talk with them. Simply waste of time. But if one is inquisitive... Just like this child, he wants to learn. As I say, "Oh, offer your obeisances," he does it. Oh, he should be taken care, very much developed. But that is also one of the offenses, out of the ten offenses. One who is disinclined to understand what is this chanting, you should not bother yourself to convince him. That's all. Just like in hospital, especially in, in the warfield, there are many wounded soldiers are coming. But the doctors see that the soldier which has got the chance of living, take care more for them. And the soldier which is immediately going to die, they do not take care much. Because it is useless; he'll not live. Similarly the atheist, the atheist will have to suffer. They'll have to meet God in the form of death in so many ways. So by suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, suffering, when a day will come that he'll understand God, at that time, preaching to him is better. So you do not expect that our preaching will be appeal to everyone. It will be useful for the devotees, for the innocent. Not for the atheist.

So try to understand the philosophy very nicely, because you are going to preach. So many opposing elements will come. So you have to defend yourself. The more you can defend yourself from the opposing elements, the more you are advancing. You should know... That is the test. That is the test. Because you are preacher, so you have to test yourself, how you are making advance. Don't be self-complacent: "Oh, I am very..., I have advanced very much." Your advancement will be tested when you can meet opposing elements. Not that when the opposing elements come, "Oh, let him talk with Guru Mahäräja, or spiritual master." Why? What for you are being taught? So you should be very careful to understand the philosophy. Otherwise, you are not making progress. Progress means you shall defend yourself from the opposing elements. That is required.

Thank you. Chant Hare Kåñëa. (end)

Çré Éçopaniñad, Mantra 1

Los Angeles, May 2, 1970

(Prabhupäda and devotees chant Invocation and Mantras 1-14)

oà pürëam adaù pürëam idaà

pürëät pürëam udacyate

pürëasya pürëam ädäya

pürëam evävaçiñyate

[Éço Invocation]

éçäväsyam idam sarvaà

yat kiïca jagatyäà jagat

tena tyaktena bhuïjéthä

mä gådhaù kasya svid dhanam

kurvann eveha karmäëi

jijéviñec chataà samäù

evaà tvayi nänyatheto 'sti

na karma lipyate nare

asuryä näma te lokä

andhena tamasävåtäù

täàs te pretyäbhigacchanti

ye ke cätma-hano janäù

anejad ekaà manaso javéyo

nainad devä äpnuvan pürvam arñat

tad dhävato 'nyän atyeti tiñöhat

tasminn apo mätariçvä dadhäti

tad ejati tan naijati

tad düre tad v antike

tad antar asya sarvasya

tad u sarvasyäsya bähyataù

yas tu sarväëi bhütäny

ätmany evänupaçyati

sarva-bhüteñu cätmänaà

tato na vijugupsate

yasmin sarväëi bhütäny

ätmaiväbhüd vijänataù

tatra ko mohaù kaù çoka

ekatvam anupaçyataù

sa paryagäc chukram akäyam avraëam

asnäviram çuddham apäpa-viddham

kavir manéñé paribhüù svayambhür

yäthätathyato 'rthän vyadadhäc chäçvatébhyaù samäbhyaù

andhaà tamaù praviçanti

ye 'vidyäm upäsate

tato bhüya iva te tamo

ya u vidyäyäm ratäù

anyad evähur vidyayä-

nyad ähur avidyayä

iti çuçruma dhéräëäà

ye nas tad vicacakñire

vidyäà cävidyäà ca yas

tad vedobhayaà saha

avidyayä måtyuà tértvä

vidyayämåtam açnute

andhaà tamaù praviçanti

ye 'sambhütim upäsate

tato bhüya iva te tamo

ya u sambhütyäm ratäù

anyad evähuù sambhaväd

anyad ähur asambhavät

iti çuçruma dhéräëäà

ye nas tad vicacakñire

Prabhupäda: Hare Kåñëa. Read.

Gargamuni: Fourteen.

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Gargamuni: The last sentence. "This point is confirmed by the Bhagavad-gétä in the Seventh Chapter, where parä and aparä prakåti are discussed. The elements of nature—earth, fire, water, air, sky, mind, intelligence and ego—all belong to the inferior, or material, energy of the Lord, whereas the living being, the organic energy, is the superior energy, the parä prakåti of the Lord. Both the prakåtis, or energies, are emanations from the Lord, and ultimately He is the controller of everything that exists. There is nothing in this universe which does not belong either to the parä or aparä prakåti, and therefore everything is under the..."

Prabhupäda: "...proprietary right of the Supreme Being." So here, in the Éçopaniñad also, the same thing is explained, that éçäväsyam idaà sarvam [Éço mantra 1]. Whatever we are seeing, animate or inanimate, there is control of the Supreme Lord. The same thing is explained in the Bhagavad-gétä, that His energies are working. In the Viñëu Puräëa it is said, just like fire staying in one place distributes its heat and light... Eka-deça-sthitasyägner jyotsnä vistäriëé yathä. Agni, agni means fire. Fire is... Just like the sun. Sun is also fire, very high temperature fire. So it is staying in one place, but it is distributing its light and heat all over the universe. Eka-deça-sthitasyägner jyotsnä yathä vistäriëé tathaiva parasya brahmaëaù çaktiù. Similarly, two energies from the Supreme Lord is being distributed all over the creation. One kind of energy is called material energy, and the other kind of energy is called the spiritual energy. So in this world, in this temporary material world, the spiritual energy is there. That is prominent. But it is covered by the material energy. Just like there is sunshine—sunshine, nobody can check—but it is sometimes covered by cloud. When it is covered by the cloud, the sunshine is dim. The more it is covered... Just like in Western countries, in the northern countries, it is very much covered. Practically, there is no sunshine. In London I saw the sunshine is very rare. At ten o'clock it is early in the morning, and at half past three again evening, so long I was there. So this covering of the sunshine is temporary. Actually, sunshine cannot be covered. The whole sunshine cannot be covered. That is not possible. An insignificant portion of the sunshine may be covered, or is covered sometimes by the cloud. Similarly, this material world is an insignificant portion of the spiritual world, covered by this material energy. That's all. And what is the position of material energy? The material energy is also another form of the spiritual energy. That means absence of spiritual activity, that is material. That's all. Just like what is this cloud? This cloud is another transformation of the sunshine. The sunshine evaporates water from the sea, and the cloud is formed. Therefore sunshine is the cause of the cloud. Similarly, this material energy is also caused by the Supreme Lord because it is His energy.

So two energies are working in this material world: the spiritual energy and the material energy. The material energy means these eight kinds of material elements. Bhümir äpo 'nalo väyuù: [Bg. 7.4] earth, water, fire, air, sky, mind, intelligence, and ego. These are all material. And similarly, finer, finer, finer, finer, and grosser, grosser, grosser. Just like water is finer than the earth, then fire is finer than the water, then air is finer than the fire, then sky, or ether, is finer than the air. Similarly, intelligence is finer than the ether, or mind is finer than the ether. The mind... You know, I have given several times example: the speed of mind. Many thousands of miles within a second you can go. So the finer it becomes, it is powerful. Similarly, ultimately, when you come to the spiritual part, finer, from which everything is emanating, oh, that is very powerful. That spiritual energy. That is given in the Bhagavad-gétä. What is that spiritual energy? That spiritual energy is this living entity. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakåtià parä [Bg. 7.5]. Kåñëa says, "These are material energies. Beyond this there is another, spiritual energy." Apareyam. Aparä means inferior. Apareyam. "All these described material elements, they are inferior energy. And beyond this there is superior energy, My dear Arjuna." What is that? Jéva-bhüta mahä-bäho: "These living entities." They are also energy. We living entities, we are also energy, but superior energy. How superior? Because yayedaà dhäryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]. The superior energy is controlling the inferior energy. Matter has no power. The big airplane, nice machine, is flying in the sky, made of material things. But unless the spiritual energy, pilot, is there, it is useless. It is useless. Thousands of years the jet plane will stand on the airport; it will not be flying unless the small particle spiritual energy, that pilot, comes and touches it. So what is the difficulty to understand God? So plain thing, that if this huge machine... There are so many huge machineries, they cannot move without the touch of the spiritual energy, a human being or a living being. How can you expect that this whole material energy is working out of automatically or without any control? How you can put your arguments in that way? That is not possible.

Therefore less intelligent class of men, they cannot understand how this material energy is being controlled by the Supreme Lord. The godless men, those who are of opinions that this material energy is working automatically, they are fools. That is the explanation of Éçopaniñad. Éçäväsyam idaà sarvam [Éço mantra 1]. Everything is being controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And therefore, because He is the supreme controller, therefore He is the supreme proprietor. We can see in our practical experience, the man who controls the whole establishment, he is proprietor, or the president. Similarly, if it is being controlled by some superior person, then He is God. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä: mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù süyate sa-caräcaram [Bg. 9.10]. Kåñëa says, "Under My superintendence, this material energy is working, and all these animate and inanimate objects are being produced."

mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù

süyate sa-caräcaram

hetunanena kaunteya

jagad viparivartate

[Bg. 9.10]

So unless there is some living force, energy, behind any material manifestation, it cannot work. If we simply understand this fact, that everywhere there is control of the Supreme Lord, that is Kåñëa consciousness. Kåñëa consciousness means to understand things as it is. That's all.

Thank you very much. (end)

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 585