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BY: SUN STAFF
 Mar 06, 2011 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial exploration of Srila Prabhupada's preaching on Srimad Bhagavatam. Today we begin an exploration of the five lectures Srila Prabhupada gave on Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.2. Four of these were consecutive lectures in London in 1971, and the fifth was a lecture in Caracas in 1975. The Venezuela lecture was immediately following two days of lectures on SB 1.1.1 in Caracas. Likewise the London lectures, given over four consecutive days, took place about a week after the two London lectures on SB 1.1.1, covered in previous segments. In the case of the four London lectures – August 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th – it appears there may have been an error in labeling the tapes or the transcriptions: In the transcript dated August 15th, Pradyumna beings reading from the first line of the purport, but there is no mention of the sloka. In the transcript from August 16th, the class opens with a recitation of the sloka. The transcript from August 17th begins with Pradyumna reading the translation. The August 18th transcript begins with Pradyumna reading from the 2nd paragraph of the purport. So it appears likely that the order in which Srila Prabhupada presented these lectures, according to the current labels, would be: August 16, 1971 – Sloka However, since we can only speculate about the correct order, in this study we will present them according to the Bhaktivedanta Archive's labeling system, beginning today with the lectures from August 15th and 16th. In Srila Prabhupada's lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2, London, August 15, 1971, Pradyumna beings reading from the first line of the purport: "Religion includes four primary subjects, namely pious activities, economic development, satisfaction of the senses and, finally, liberation from material bondage." Srila Prabhupada then mentions the following (paraphrased) points, among others: The ultimate aim is liberation from this conditional life, bondage. As soon as we are embodied with a material body, immediately we are conditioned. We are being put into different conditions, under different types of body. Liberation means that one shall not be under any condition. Just like Krsna, He is not under any condition. That is liberation. And because we are part and parcel of Krsna, we can also become without any condition. Each and every planet, each and every universe is differently conditioned. That is the beauty of Krsna's creation. kesava tuwa jagat vicitra. Why they have become conditioned? The reason is they revolted against Krsna. They wanted to imitate Krsna. In bodies lower than the human being, there is no question of liberation. Out of the 8,400,000's of species of life, for 3,000 species of life there is no question of liberation. prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. You have accepted this material body voluntarily for enjoying this material world. Now enjoy it to the fullest extent under the condition of stringent laws of material nature. In the human form of life, civilized, your consciousness is now developed. There is a chance to understand why you are conditioned. Remember this is the difference between other bodies and this body. This is actual human life, not simply imitating the animals: how to eat, how to sleep, how to sex. Everything is there. Ahara-nidra-bhaya, the four things required for this body. But even a small duck and swan, he has got everything ready there in St. James Park. He does not go to the Downing Street. "If the swan is already provided with all the necessities of life, then I shall also be provided with all the necessities of life. There is no need of endeavoring for it." tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido (SB 1.5.18) Our main business is how to develop Krsna consciousness. We should not bother about other things. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca. But these things are there. Solutions must be based on religion. Learn how to become God conscious. Secular... they don't care for any kind of religion, just work very hard for economic development day and night. This is the modern civilization. Advancement of Krsna consciousness means you will be pushed how to preach -- sravanam kirtanam. Hear nicely about the Krsna consciousness movement, then kirtanam, preaching, chanting. This human form of life is so rare. If you are simply engaged in eating sleeping, sense gratification, and defending, then where is the advancement? Inquiry should be there, "What I am? What I am put into these tribulations of conditional life under the laws of nature?" Everyone should know what he is, what is his constitutional position, why he is under so many conditions of life, how to get liberation. These questions are called brahma-jijnasa. Human civilization should be based first of all on religion, dharma. According to Prahlada Maharaja, dharman bhagavatan -- dharma means God consciousness, Krsna consciousness. That is dharma, that is religion. From the very beginning, in primary schools, Krsna consciousness should be taught. Unfortunately, there is no such arrangement. So you go to the so-called authorities, rascals. In the human society the first thing is that there must be religion, and religion means pious life. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. In every human society these natural divisions of society are already there. Without religious life, so-called economic development means implication. Sat-sanga chadi' kainu asate vilasa, te-karane lagila ye karma-bandha-phansa (SB 10.10.18). If the society is based on religion, why are there thieves and rogues? Because they're not trained. Religion, then economic development. Dharmena hinah pasubhih samanah (Hitopadesa 25). Atma-dharma or bhagavata-dharma. An English proverb say: "Self-preservation is the first law of nature"? What is that? So self means soul. Your soul may not fall down. That is your first business. Now people are not even anxious to protect this body. They violate so many laws of eating, sleeping, mating, and become diseased. Try to protect yourself first, then dharma, then your religious principle, then dhana, then money. There is volumes of philosophy of life, from all angles of vision. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa. From the point of religion, from the point of economic development, sense gratification, and ultimate liberation, back to Godhead. There are five kinds of liberation: sayujya-mukti, sarupya-mukti, salokya-mukti, sarsti-mukti...hmm...sayujya, sarupya, salokya, sarsti, samipya. The first liberation, as the jnanis or the speculators want, it is another side of voidism, to merge into the existence of the Absolute. They don't want varieties, because they have got a very bad experience of the varieties in the material world. Sayujya-mukti, to merge into the existence of the... to become one with the Supreme. That is possible. You can have it, but it you lose your individuality, you can get eternity, but you cannot get blissful life of knowledge, because you lose your individuality. So that is suicidal. Vaisnavas accept sarupya-mukti, to have the same features of the body like Visnu. In Vaikunthalokas all the living entities, devotees, they have got four hands. And only in Krsnaloka, Krsna has got two hands and His devotees also have two hands. Although the devotees and living entities get the same feature of body like Narayana, Visnu, they're not visnu-tattva. That is called sayujya, sarupya. It is not that we are serving, we have no sense gratification. Married couples are there. Nothing is prohibited; everything is there. But it is adjusted according to rules and regulations, not like cats and dogs. That is religious life, pious life. Irreligious life is a barbarous condition. Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating are the four principles of animal life. These are common both to animals and to human beings. But religion is the extra function of the human beings. At the present moment, religion is being sacrificed. So it is animal society. In the lower stages of human civilization, there is always competition to lord it over the material nature. The great two wars began from Europe simply on this basis. Anyone who has developed how to exploit the resources of nature, that nation is called highly civilized or advanced. But that is the lowest stage of civilization. We have got senses that must be satisfied, but that sense gratification should be based on religion. Dharma, artha. Sense gratification means economic development, without which we cannot enjoy our senses, but it should be based on religion. Without religion, simply gratifying the senses or so-called economic development, is animal civilization. In Srila Prabhupada's lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2, London, August 16, 1971, the class opens with recitation of the sloka: dharmah projjhita-kaitavo 'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam Srila Prabhupada then mentions the following (paraphrased) points, among other: Maha-muni-krte srimad-bhagavate. It is not ordinary persons writing whimsical, manufactured story. No. srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte: it is beyond all defects of human life. There is no man in this world who can say that "I never committed any mistake." That is not possible. He must be illusioned. What is that illusion? yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke (SB 10.84.13). Animals cannot take nice instruction. They do not know that they are spirit soul, they are not this body. This is called illusion. This is conditional life. Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." Everyone is committing mistake. Illusion and mistake. So many rascal philosophers and scientists, they have no accurate knowledge, but they are writing books. This is cheating. You see under conditioning, therefore your seeing power is imperfect. Your thinking power is imperfect. We are gathering knowledge by the imperfect senses. So-called scientists and philosophers don't see who is pushing on this button, this material world is going on. gacchati iti jagat. Every planet is going on. Srimad-Bhagavatam is not written by a rascal who is sure to commit mistake, who is sure to become illusioned, who is sure to cheat others, and whose senses are imperfect. srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte. Vyasadeva is describing Lord Buddha's incarnation. Sammohaya sura-dvisam, buddho namnanjana-sutah kikatesu bhavisyati. He's writing bhavisyati, in future tense. Lord Buddha appeared on this planet 2,600 years ago, and this book was written 5,000 years ago. Conditioned life means we must have four disqualifications: to commit mistake, to become illusioned, to become cheater, and to possess imperfect senses. This is our qualification. And we want to write books and philosophy. Just see. One blind man, one cheater is cheating another blind man, cheating. Therefore my Guru Maharaja used to say this material world is a society of cheaters and cheated. That's all. I want to be cheated because I don't accept God. If there is God, then I become responsible for my sinful life. Therefore let me deny God. Somebody comes, "Yes, I am God." "Oh, sir, you are God? Yes. That's all right." Because he wanted to be cheated. We cannot accept such God. We accept Krsna. isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah (Brahma-samhita 5.1). Krsna is killing Putana at the age of three months old only. A seven year old boy is lifting a hill. God must execute uncommon acts, otherwise how shall I accept God, if He's like me? Vyasadeva, tri-kala-jna, maha-muni, he is liberated. He is incarnation of God. He knows past, present, future, and everything. That knowledge is perfect. One who knows past, present, and future perfectly, we should take knowledge from him. One who is imperfect, who is subjected to so many defects of life, we cannot accept knowledge from them. This is our Krsna consciousness movement. We don't accept. We accept knowledge from the Vedas, which is perfect. tad viddhi pranipatena (Bg 4.34). One who knows the Absolute Truth, go there and take knowledge by surrendering. After you surrender, after you render service, then ask questions. Otherwise, there is no need of question. Don't waste your time, don't waste his time. A spiritual master is not obliged to answer anyone except his disciple. This is the Vedic way. Servant class, that is called nicavat. A brahmacari living at the care of spiritual master, he is advised to carry out the orders of the spiritual master nicavat, just like the sudra class. Because a person coming to spiritual master, they are coming from brahmana family, or ksatriya or high caste family. Everyone is puffed up with some so-called knowledge, and he thinks, "I am perfectly all right. My knowledge is perfect. Why shall I surrender?" But if you want to receive knowledge actually from the person who has actually knowledge, then you must surrender there. The jnanis are discriminating, "No, this is not God." The scientists say, "This is the fact." these kind of speculative habits or scientific research is simply a waste of time. They cannot understand what is the ultimate truth. jnane prayasam udapasya. "Give up this nonsense habit, speculation." mamanta eva: "Be submissive. Admit that you do not know anything. You have to learn from the person who knows." Just try to learn about God from the pure devotee. san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam (SB 10.14.3). This is the Vedic process. om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. janmady asya yatah satyam param dhimahi (SB 1.1.1). Instead of speculating, simply surrender to Vyasadeva, his writings, srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte (SB 1.1.2), then you do not require to study any other literature. If you surrender to the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam, that Isvara, the supreme controller, sadyo hrdy avarudhyate... Isvara is already there, but avarudhyate, "He is locked up." In whose heart He becomes locked up? krtibhih, those who are pious. As soon as you surrender, immediately you become pious. How immediately? sarva-dharman parityajya (Bg 18.66). As soon as you surrender: "Krsna, I was misled so long. Now, today, I am surrendering unto Your lotus feet. Now, if You like, You kill me or protect me, as You like." Then everything is all right.
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