CONTENTS:
- THE POWER OF UNITY
- THE AGENTS OF CO-OPERATION
- SIMPLY FOLLOW SRILA PRABHUPADA
- INQUIRIES OF THE SOUL
1. THE POWER OF UNITY
Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave Kali four places to live. Those four places are meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex. These are the four legs of irreligiosity. But religion was so nicely established, during the time of Parīkṣit Mahārāja, that no one was actually breaking the religious principles and indulging in these four sinful activities. Therefore, in this verse we see that Kali is asking for some other place, where he could actually practically reside, because those places weren’t available for Kali to reside during the time of Parīkṣit Mahārāja. So being requested in this way by Kali, Parīkṣit Mahārāja gave him the fifth place, the place with gold. Gold is the place where all these four activities are present, that is meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex are there, plus there is enmity. Wherever there is gold, there is enmity. In this material nature since everybody wants gold, wherever there is gold, people want to acquire that and as a result of that they start to fight with each other.
It is actually very relevant here because Kali is actually very fond of quarrels and actually Kali’s weapon is quarrel. Kali creates quarrel among people and that is how Kali actually starts influencing. Especially it is said that where Kali cannot influence people by these four activities of meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex, Kali spreads his influence into them in the form of creating dissension or quarrel.
We can see that, especially the people those who are not affected by these four sinful activities, especially the devotees, Kali tries to enter into them in the form of dissension. Therefore, devotees have to be very, very careful to avoid all kinds of dissensions and quarrel.
Actually, this Krishna Consciousness movement is the worst enemy of Kaliyuga. Kali is the personification of adharma. Wherever Kali goes he spreads adharma but Krsna said, “That wherever there is a decline of religion (Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata - BG 4.7) and there is rise of irreligiosity, Krsna appears there (Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam- BG 4.8) to protect the devotees and annihilate the demons.
When adharma started to spread due to adharma’s friend, Kali and his influence, then Krsna came as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to counteract the influence of Kali and adharma. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu established the Sankirtan movement. This Sankirtan movement is actually the death of Kali. As this movement spreads, Kali’s influence will be contravened.
It has been described by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati Thakura in his Caitanya Chandramrtam nataka (drama) who is one of Chaitanya Mahapabhu’s associates, and Srila Jiva Goswami’s uncle. Prabhodananda Thakur there (in the drama) described that as the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra started to reverberate, Kali started to tremble in fear. Kali spreads his influence all over the world with the help of his associates like Sin, Lust, Greed and Anger, etc. Kali was dominating over this world, but at that time Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan movement started and the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra started to be sounded congregationally. When Kali heard that sound, Kali literally started to get palpitations.
Sin, who is Kali’s main aide, main assistant, said, “Why are you afraid? The whole world is in your control! Why are you afraid?” Kali then admitted that now the golden appearance of the Lord, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has manifested, and the Sankirtan movement is going to start and that is the end of it. Nothing could actually counteract the influence of Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan movement.
Kali knows that this Sankirtan movement is his arch enemy and he will always try to fight against this Sankirtan movement. He will always try to stop this Sankirtan movement. It is actually a war between Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan movement and the ruler of this age, Kali. In this war, Kali will not give up easily and will fight till the end like a good ksatriya. But, Yatra yogesvarah krsna yatra partha dhanur-dharah - BG 18.78, wherever there is Krsna and wherever Krsna’s devotees, there is bound to be victory. So, no matter how powerful Kali is, Sankirtan movement will emerge as victorious because it is Krsna’s movement that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu started.
But at the same time, we should not become complacent. When there is a war, the soldiers cannot afford to become complacent, because the enemy can come any time and can attack from anywhere and cause damage to us. A good general actually knows what is the strong point of the enemy, and he actually warns his soldiers about those possible attacks. Therefore, the most glorious general of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s army, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has warned us about how the enemy could attack. That is why Srila Prabhupada has said that those who are in Iskcon must not indulge in meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling.
2. THE AGENTS OF CO-OPERATION
That glorious movement of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was destroyed. Srila Prabhupada warned us that we do not make the same mistake. Therefore, Srila Prabhupada always emphasized that we try to do everything collectively. Srila Prabhupada gave a collective management system through the GBC body. Finally, Srila Prabhupada gave us his most valuable instructions before leaving this planet “That your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with each other.” Cooperation means unity. The spirit of cooperation will automatically remove all possibilities of quarrel and dissension. This way Srila Prabhupada has made the perfect arrangement for us to defeat Kaliyuga. On our part we have to follow Srila Prabhupada's instructions faithfully.
Ultimately Kaliyuga will be defeated by Mahaprabhu’s Sankirtan movement, there is no doubt it. But the question is, “What kind of role we are going to play in that glorious war against adharma, in Mahaprabhu Sankirtan movement?” Therefore, it is very, very important for all of us to abide by Srila Prabhupada's instructions very faithfully and try to please Srila Prabhupada by just cooperating with each other in order to push the Sankirtan movement.
Actually, cooperation is not very easy, especially in this age. In order to cooperate, we have to give up all our personal interests. In order to cooperate, we have to become very, very tolerant. In order to become tolerant, we have to become very humble. On top of everything, we should try to cooperate for the sake of Srila Prabhupada's pleasure because he said that our love for him will be shown by how we try to cooperate with each other. So, our love for Srila Prabhupada will be tested by how we are trying to cooperate with each other, how we are trying to sacrifice, by how much we are willing to sacrifice our personal interests for the sake of cooperation.
Srila Prabhupada gave us a wonderful arrangement to fight against Kali very easily. Like a good government or a good general provides all kinds of facilities for his army. For example, when America launched its attack on Iraq, we could see what elaborate arrangement US government made for its army.
Although they were fighting thousands of miles away from their homeland but the fight was very easy for them. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada, the perfect general, has made all kinds of security arrangements for his soldiers, for his army.
3. SIMPLY FOLLOW SRILA PRABHUPADA
If we just follow the commands of our general, Srila Prabhupada, without any deviation and that is by not by breaking any of the four regulative principles and trying to develop a spirit of cooperation among ourselves and always remain in Iskcon, chanting the glories of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world, then not only will we remain safe and secure, in spite of this deadly war against Kali, but in due course of time we will emerge as victorious. Our victory, Srila Prabhupada’s victory, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Sankirtan movement’s victory will be seen in the form of this movement spreading all over the world in every town and village.
Srila Prabhupada is explaining, how the place of gold that was given to Kali, is the root of all evil. Wherever there is gold, the sinful activities are there. Not only sinful but all five influences of Kali will be there including quarrel. That is why it is very important that gold is used in Krishna’s service. Actually, gold is Laxmi Devi. Wealth is Laxmi Devi. Gold is actually the standard of wealth. When that gold is taken away from Krishna, Narayan, when Laxmi Devi is taken away from Narayan then she becomes Maya. So, when Laxmi or gold is not used in Krishna service, then that becomes the worst dangerous form of Maya. Therefore, devotees always try to engage all the opulences they have and all that they can collect, in Krishna service.
Also, Srila Prabhupada is pointing out how gold becomes the cause of falsity. It is a very significant point actually, because in this age, dharma is standing on one leg. What is that one leg of dharma? Truthfulness. Truthfulness is destroyed by falsity. Gold is trying to destroy that one leg on which dharma is standing. Srila Prabhupada is explaining how actually gold breeds falsity because gold is actually the medium of exchange. Actually, with gold one can get whatever he wants. Practically, everything, material can be had with gold. Then the medium of exchange started to change. From gold it came to paper currency. It is very interesting to note actually that how this currency business started. Initially it was not paper currency. Initially the currency was copper plates with the stamp of the government. Now we see how the falsity started entering. The price of gold was much more than copper. Say the price of gold, which is say hundred francs, but they got a copper plate which is hardly about one franc but just because of the stamp of the government, it was recognized, as hundred francs although the price of this copper was actually one franc. Then we are seeing how from copper ultimately now it came to paper currency.This is completely destroying the peace and prosperity of this world and ultimately irreligiosity is creeping in and destroying this world.
4. INQUIRIES OF THE SOUL
Question: You were talking about someone falling down so can a devotee who is humble just fall down because of offenses to Vaisnavas and not because of.... offenses of the Holy Name?
HH BCS: Krishna actually always gives protection to His devotees. So, if a devotee is sincere, then Krishna will give him all protection. But if somebody commits offense to a devotee, to a Vaishnava, then Krishna doesn’t give protection. Also, because he became offensive to the devotees, he loses the shelter of devotees, which is also a very good protection. Therefore, you should always be very, very careful not to commit offenses to the Vaishnavas.
Question: You were talking of leaving Iskcon and falling down... what is worst to make? Should someone who had an accidental fall down continue to stay in Iskcon or should one just leave Iskcon and try to follow the regulative principles?
HH BCS: I’ll answer your question through an analogy. You see Iskcon is like a boat in the ocean of material nature. If you are in an ocean which is full of all kinds of deadly aquatics, what chance do you have in that ocean? If you are in a boat, in the ocean, then you are safe and the boat is moving taking you across the ocean. So Iskcon is taking us from the material nature to the spiritual sky. So now if somebody slipped in the boat, somebody just put a banana peel, and he slipped. Because he slipped, should he just jump over boat? Or should the inmates of the boat take him and throw him in the ocean? No, even though one may have a fall down, he should just continue to stay in Iskcon, then he will be safe and in due course of time he will become purified. Somebody thinks, “Oh, I have such strong arms and legs, and I am such a good swimmer. Why should I stay in this boat? Let me just dive into the water.” Right? Now for how long can you swim especially when the ocean is endless and is full of all kind of deadly aquatics? So, did you get the answer?
If somebody falls down when he is at a plain land, he slips and he falls, it is not so bad, he does not hurt so much, but if somebody has gone up to the peak and from there he slips, then what will happen? All his bones will be broken. Therefore, one should be very, very careful as he goes up high, that he does not fall down because falling down from, a great height will be very, very painful.
For a devotee there is no karmic reaction. Even if there may be some sort of karmic reaction, that reaction is something like that fan, whose switch has been put off. It may be moving but there is no strength behind it. So, a devotee does not fall down due to karmic reaction, as I have mentioned: Devotee is in another plane. He is not on the material, karmic plane; he is on another plane, the spiritual plane.
On a spiritual plane the cause of his fall down is offenses.