Nectar of Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad Bhagavatam lectures Volume 6, Part - 2

Lectures, June 22, 1972, Los Angeles
              

Prabhupada: So here is one word, "steel-framed." Nowadays, the medical science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also, there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt very easily, similarly, anyone's heart which does not change after chanting Hare Krishna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that it is steel-framed, made of stone or iron. Actually, harinama... Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam. It is especially meant for cleansing the heart. That every... All misconception is within our heart, beginning from the wrong identification, that "I am this body." That is the beginning of all misconception. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, ceto-darpana-marjanam. So as you go on chanting, gradually the heart will be cleansed, and you'll be able to understand that you are not this body.
 

… So this verse suggests that if a person is chanting Hare Krishna mantra, but his eyes are not tearful or there is no ecstatic shivering of the body, then that means he's not coming to the perfectional point.
 

So if we chant this Hare Krishna mantra without offense, according to, and observing the regulative principles and numerical strength ... Sankhya-purvaka-nama-gana-natibhih. The Gosvamis, in Vrindavana, they used to chant keeping in numerical strength. They were all liberated persons; still, for teaching us an example, they also used to chant keeping a numerical strength. Haridasa Thakura, he used to chant Hare Krishna mantra keeping a numerical strength--300,000 times. 300,000 times. So our prescription is only 25,000. Not 100,000. So it is not very difficult; it takes utmost 2 hours. We can find out, out of 24 hours, 2 hours. We can find out time. So if we actually follow the rules and regulations and chant Hare Krishna mantra, then these symptoms will come. Netre jalam gatra-ruhesu harsah. When this comes then you know that "I am coming to perfection." And if it is not coming, then it is to be understood the heart is steel-framed. Steel-framed. So it is steel only. Stone. Stone, if we keep our heart stone or steel-framed, then it cannot be melted. This... These symptoms mean heart is melting or changing…
 

… Now anyone is manufacturing his own way of self realization, and there are rascals who are supporting, that "Everyone, we are independent. We can find out our own way of worship." But Rupa Gosvami says, "This is simply creating disturbance." That is very natural to understand. Suppose here, in our temple, we have got some regulative principles. But if everyone says that "I can manufacture my own way of worshiping the Deity," then what will be the condition?
 

It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on.…authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There  is example that in India there is a tree, sagu, sagu(?) tree. I do not know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little jerking. Sagu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sagu tree. The tamarind tree is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake.
 

…Even if you say "primitive," the primitive life is very nice. Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature's law. It is very nice. Primitive life ... It gives you anxiety-free life, and therefore, even if you take it as primitive, the saintly persons, sages, they used to live long, long years, and their brain was so sharp, because they were taking natural food, fruits, grains, and milk that helps to develop human brain for understanding subtle subject matter. So even Vyasadeva... You have seen the picture of Vyasadeva. He's writing books just near a cottage only. But he's writing. Nobody can create such literature. But he was leading very simple life, in a cottage. Even, say, 2,000 years ago or little more, there was Chanakya Pandita. Chanakya Pandita, he was a brahmana, but great politician. His politics are studied even now in M.A. class. And because he was a great politician, diplomat, under his name in our India, in New Delhi, the capital, there is a neighborhood which is called Chanakya Puri, and all the foreign embassies are there.

Lectures, June 24, 1972, Los Angeles
              

Prabhupada: So it takes not more than five minutes. If you practice, then you become learned scholars, simply by chanting these mantras, and the translation, transcendental vibration, will keep you fit for spiritual advancement. Every verse in Vedic literatures, especially Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam, they are not ordinary sounds. Simply if you chant the mantras, you become purified. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Simply by hearing and chanting you become pious. Punya-sravana-kirtanah. Even you don't understand the meaning, the very sound vibration will help you.  …parampara system. The parampara system means... Just like we claim parampara system from Krishna. So whatever Krishna says or He said 5,000 years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara system. Not that "The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam atmanah.
 

If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jnaninas tattva-darsinah. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam atmanah. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the parampara system. Krishna said this, and then Brahma said the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacharya, Madhavendra Puri, Ishvara Puri, Lord Chaitanya, Sad-gosvami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura. In this way. Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that "Because we are modernized.. Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed.-

Lectures, June 24, 1972, Los Angeles
 

Jnana and tattva-darsi. Simply jnani, simply a-b-c-d knowledge, academic education will not help. You must be jnani, at the same time, tattva-darsi. That tattva-darsana cannot be possible by mental speculation.

Lectures, June 27, 1972, Los Angeles  

Material thought means these fruitive activities. "I shall work very hard, and I shall get so much wealth, and for this purpose I can go to church and temple. If God gives me millions of dollars, then I am ready to go there.” So real purpose is sense gratification. “If I take to religious principles, then I'll get more money without any hard work, and if I get more money, then I'll be able to satisfy my senses." This is called dharmartha-kama. And there is another stage, which is called moksa, liberation. So people are not interested for liberation. They want to become religious for material benefits. But that is not the real purpose of life. Material benefit, you cannot get more than what you are destined to have; that is already fixed up. According to your body... You get the body. We get different types of body, and according to the body, our material sufferings and enjoyment are fixed up, already. You cannot have more or less. Otherwise... you'll see, one man is working so hard, day and night, and he could hardly maintain himself or his family. And another man, he's going to the market, sits down for one hour, and earns 100,000 dollars, immediately. You can see. Simply by touching the phone, he simply asks, "What is the rate of this? What is the rate of that?" and he makes one transaction, and immediately he gets one thousand dollars. And this man is working hard, day and night, he could not get even two sufficient meals.

              ...So therefore, the conclusion is that so far material comforts are concerned, you cannot get more. Or less. You will get. It is already fixed up. Deha-yogena

dehinam. Sukham aindriyakam daitya deha-yogena dehinam, sarvatra labhyate... eh? Yatha duhkham ayatnatah. Prahlada Maharaja says. Sarvatra labhyate. So far material comfort is concerned, what you are destined to get, you'll get it, in wherever you may live. It doesn't matter. Your allotment is already there. That is your body.

to be continued....