Nothing is Necessary-just Krsna–
(Below we see how Srila Prabhupada explains the defects in out thinking process where we “think” so many things are “necessary”)
1.)July 14 1975 Philadelphia
Ravīndra-svarūpa: What is the advantage of a tree, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: You see how they are standing there for five thousand years. You cannot do it. You cannot do it even for five minutes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually the trees are absolutely necessary for the survival of animals.
Prabhupāda: That is another thing. We say nothing is necessary, simply Kṛṣṇa is necessary. That is material conception: “This is necessary. This is necessary.” But Kṛṣṇa says, “Nothing is necessary.” Sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. You are simply planning and becoming entangled with so-called “necessary.“
Svarūpa Dāmodara: But that is on the spiritual platform.
Prabhupāda: You can create spiritual platform immediately. Sa guṇān samatītyaitān [Bg. 14.26]. If you fully engage yourself in devotional service, immediately you are above this material conception.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So the concept that the three modes of material nature, they’re working all species, so it’s not the…
Prabhupāda: They are directing. Just like in the jail there are different departmental management, similarly, this management is required because you are in the jail. If you don’t go to jail, the management may be closed. But you are thinking, “If I do not go to jail, how it will exist?” That is your business, say that “If we all become liberated, how this world will go on?” They say like that, as if it is very necessary.
(In this conversation below Srila Prabhupada explains to an Indian man who is also on the mental platform that there is only one thing that is really important or necessary-Surrender.)
2.)Jan 8 1977 Bombay
Indian man: Second thing is…
Prabhupāda: No, first of all you understand this. Then bring second thing. That you have no duty. Your only duty is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. That is your only duty. But because you are under the mental platform, you are creating duties, so but that also must be finished after certain age. That is compulsory, that “You are very good, responsible man. All right, do your duty up to this. No more duty. No more duty.” So this “duty, no duty,” this is our creation. We are under fully control of the nature. But we have created our mental concoction: “This is duty. This is good. This is bad.” That is our mano-dharma. Real dharma is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. This is real dharma. And everything is mano-dharma, mental creation. Therefore the Bhāgavata in the beginning it is said that dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ‘tra: [SB 1.1.2] “This false dharma is rejected.” These are all false dharmas. Real dharma is to surrender to Kṛṣṇa. But it takes time. Therefore sat-saṅga is required. But actually real dharma is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and do everything…
(So in the above two conversations Srila Prabhupada has established that unless and until we surrender to God, Krsna then we are operating on the bodily or mental platform with -”this is my duty , that is my duty, etc”. But as he also mentions, this surrender business takes time and is helped by the association of devotees.)
In the class below Srila Prabhupada explains that the position of “surrender to God” is not for everybody, unless he is an advanced soul,because he just cannot accept this proposition by the Lord. And yet these three verses are the ultimate instruction of the Bhagavad Gita.
3.)Feb 9, 1971 Gorakpur
Kṛṣṇa does not say everyone that sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66], only to a selected devotee. Because unless one is very highly elevated devotee, he cannot accept this proposition. He is puffed up with his material, contaminated life. That’s all. “I am this. I am that. I am this. I am that. Why shall I surrender?” Actually they forgot. Dr. Radhakrishnan says, “This is sophistry, that Kṛṣṇa is demanding like that.” He is proud of his becoming a great philosophy, but he does not know he is a fool number one. He comments on the Bhagavad-gītā in a different way. That he does not know. Therefore he is surprised: “How this gentleman, Kṛṣṇa, is asking to surrender? I am so proud. I am so learned.” But this is the only process. What is that? He again explains it: man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. The same thing which was instructed in the Ninth…man-manā bhava mad-bhaktomad-yājī māṁ namaskurumām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ tepratijāne priyo ‘si me[Bg. 18.65]
Priyo ‘si me: “Because you are My very dear friend, you have fully surrendered unto Me, therefore I am speaking to you.” Then He says,These three verses are the ultimate instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-guhyatamam. So people do not understand, and they read Bhagavad-gītā daily. And they are very much proud: “I am reading Bhagavad-gītā daily.” If anyone actually reads Bhagavad-gītā, then he will be Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is meant for that purpose. But they do not read actually. They simply make a show. Neither do they understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Is that all right? So we have to preach in that spirit.
4.) Oct 29 1975 Nairobi-Pop quiz by SP
(Now in the humorous conversation with his disciples Srila Prabhupada first quizes them and then gives us the correct reason WHY we should serve and Please Krsna.)
Prabhupāda: prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. By pleasing the spiritual master, you please Kṛṣṇa. That’s nice. But why Kṛṣṇa should be pleased? Why? What is the necessity of pleasing Kṛṣṇa?
Devotee (1): To please the representative of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No, no, that is all right. Guru is representative of Kṛṣṇa, but why one should bother himself for pleasing Kṛṣṇa? Answer this.
Devotee (1): ‘Cause our real position is to serve Kṛṣṇa, and because we’ve fallen in this illusion of the material energy, so we forgot our position.
Prabhupāda: We shall do it otherwise. Why shall I please Kṛṣṇa? We are making scientific progress. What is the use of bringing God?
Devotee (2): Because we shall never become perfect or see the answer.
Prabhupāda: That is begging the question.
Indian man (3): For spreading the name of the Kṛṣṇa, in the world.
Prabhupāda: No, no. It is not the question of guru. Guru is doing all right. Why you should be so much anxious and feel obligation to please Kṛṣṇa?
Indian (4): Everybody has to serve somebody, so Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all pleasure and everything exists from Him. So instead of serving anybody, we should serve the Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: “That’s all right. Without serving Kṛṣṇa, I am getting pleasure by drinking wine. Why shall I…?”
Cyavana: That pleasure will not last. That pleasure is only temporary.
Prabhupāda: “No, I will not also last. (laughter) that...”
Cyavana: But to accept such a mentality, we say that is third class. Actually our life is eternal.
Prabhupāda: That is your statement, “third class,” but my statement is “It is first class.” (laughter)
Harikeśa: Is it first class if every time you are going to eat something nice I was standing over you with a stick, and as soon as you took, I would beat you? So every time you have some enjoyment, there is some concurrent suffering. Like you enjoy the wine, but then you have a headache, hangover. You enjoy. Then you get sick.
Cyavana: Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Tenth Chapter, He says, “For those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I will give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” So this is our desire.
Prabhupāda: “I don’t want to go.”
Cyavana: You don’t want to go to Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: “Yes.”
Harikeśa: All right, suffer. (laughter)
Prabhupāda: “I don’t suffer. (laughter) I am enjoying.”
Harikeśa: You are enjoying death and old age?
Prabhupāda: “Yes, you are putting upon me some impression, ‘suffering,’ but I am enjoying.”
Harikeśa: Your knee is hurt. Is that enjoying?
Prabhupāda: “That I am curing. That is also nice.” (laughter)
Harikeśa: But soon the whole thing will be finished. You will not… No one enjoys death. No one will take voluntarily a death pill.
Prabhupāda: Nobody of you could answer the question. Now I give you again chance to answer this question very properly. Why one should be obliged to please Kṛṣṇa? Why?
Harikeśa: Just like this finger. Its position is to serve the body. Just like the stomach. Everyone may be jealous of the stomach and not want to feed the stomach, but if all the hands and the legs and the mouth went on strike not to feed the stomach…
Prabhupāda: This is the right answer.
Harikeśa: …they would ultimately be destroyed.
Prabhupāda: This is right answer, that you cannot non-cooperate with the stomach. You must serve the stomach. Otherwise your position is very precarious. That is the answer. If the finger thinks that “I shall remain independent and be happy,” that is not possible. The stomach must be supplied food, and then all the parts of the body, they’ll be happy. That is the point. So you cannot non-cooperate with the stomach. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is the central enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. He is the center.
Conclusions from all the above
In the above sections we have seen how Prabhupada showed us our thinking abilities are defective, therefore one who is serious about spiritual life,must continually hear from the spiritual master.
Hearing more important than thinking in kali yuga
SB 3.24.35– purport-– In this age, hearing is more important than thinking because one’s thinking may be disturbed by mental agitation, but if one concentrates on hearing, he will be forced to associate with the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and the sound vibration “Kṛṣṇa” are nondifferent, so if one loudly vibrates Hare Kṛṣṇa, he will be able to think of Kṛṣṇa immediately. This process of chanting is the best process of self-realization in this age; therefore Lord Caitanya preached it so nicely for the benefit of all humanity.
SB 3.22.7–TRANSLATION
I have fortunately been instructed by you, and thus great favor has been bestowed upon me. I thank God that I have listened with open ears to your pure words.
PURPORT
It is especially mentioned here that one should be very inquisitive to hear with open ears from the authorized source of the bona fide spiritual master. How is one to receive? One should receive the transcendental message by aural reception. The word karṇa-randhraiḥ means “through the holes of the ears.”The favor of the spiritual master is not received through any other part of the body but the ears.
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
