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Sri Upadesamrta; Srila Prabhupada Pt 1

Preface

The Krsna consciousness movement is conducted under the supervision of Srila Rupa Gosvami. The Gaudiya Vaisnavas, or Bengali Vaisnavas, are mostly followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, of whom the six Gosvamis of Vrndavana are direct disciples. Therefore Srila Narottama dasa Thakura

has sung:

rupa-raghunatha-pade ha-ibe akuti

kabe hama bujhaba se yugala-piriti

"When I am eager to understand the literature given by the

Gosvamis, then I shall be able to understand the transcendental loving

affairs of Radha and Krsna." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in order

to bestow upon human society the benediction of the science of Krsna.

The most exalted of all the activities of Lord Krsna are His pastimes of

conjugal love with the gopis. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in the

mood of Srimati Radharani, the best of the gopis. Therefore, to

understand the mission of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and follow in His

footsteps, one must very seriously follow in the footsteps of the six

Gosvamis--Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunatha, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta

and Dasa Raghunatha.

Sri Rupa Gosvami was the leader of all the Gosvamis, and to guide

our activities he gave us this Upadesamrta (The Nectar of Instruction)

to follow. As Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu left behind Him the eight verses

known as Siksastaka, Rupa Gosvami gave us Upadesamrta so that we may

become pure Vaisnavas.

In all spiritual affairs, one's first duty is to control his mind

and senses. Unless one controls his mind and senses, one cannot make any

advancement in spiritual life. Everyone within this material world is

engrossed in the modes of passion and ignorance. One must promote

himself to the platform of goodness, sattva-guna, by following the

instructions of Rupa Gosvami, and then everything concerning how to make

further progress will be revealed.

Advancement in Krsna consciousness depends on the attitude of the

follower. A follower of the Krsna consciousness movement should become a

perfect gosvami. Vaisnavas are generally known as gosvamis. In

Vrndavana, this is the title by which the director of each temple is

known. One who wants to become a perfect devotee of Krsna must become a

gosvami. Go means "the senses," and svami means "the master." Unless one

controls his senses and mind, one cannot become a gosvami. To achieve

the highest success in life by becoming a gosvami and then a pure

devotee of the Lord, one must follow the instructions known as

Upadesamrta, which have been given by Srila Rupa Gosvami. Srila Rupa

Gosvami has given many other books, such as Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,

Vidagdha-madhava and Lalita-madhava, but Upadesamrta constitutes the

first instructions for neophyte devotees. One should follow these

instructions very strictly. Then it will be easier to make one's life

successful. Hare Krsna.

A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Visvarupa-mahotsava

Krsna-Balarama Mandira

Ramana-reti

Vrndavana, India

TEXT ONE

vaco vegam manasah krodha-vagam

jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam

etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah

sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat

vacah--of speech; vegam--urge; manasah--of the mind; krodha--of anger;

vegam--urge; jihva--of the tongue; vegam--urge; udara-upastha--of the

belly and genitals; vegam--urge; etan--these; vegan--urges; yah--

whoever; visaheta--can tolerate; dhirah--sober; sarvam--all; api--

certainly; imam--this; prthivim--world; sah--that personality; sisyat--

can make disciples.

TRANSLATION

A sober person who can tolerate the urge to speak, the mind's

demands, the actions of anger and the urges of the tongue, belly and

genitals is qualified to make disciples all over the world.

PURPORT

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (6.1.9-10) Pariksit Maharaja placed a number

of intelligent questions before Sukadeva Gosvami. One of these questions

was: "Why do people undergo atonement if they cannot control their

senses?" For instance, a thief may know perfectly well that he may be

arrested for his stealing, and he may actually even see a thief arrested

by the police, yet he continues to steal. Experience is gathered by

hearing and seeing. One who is less intelligent gathers experience by

seeing, and one who is more intelligent gathers experience by hearing.

When an intelligent person hears from the lawbooks and sastras, or

scriptures, that stealing is not good and hears that a thief is punished

when arrested, he refrains from theft. A less intelligent person may

first have to be arrested and punished for stealing to learn to stop

stealing. However, a rascal, a foolish man, may have the experience of

both hearing and seeing and may even be punished, but still he continues

to steal. Even if such a person atones and is punished by the

government, he will again commit theft as soon as he comes out of jail.

If punishment in jail is considered atonement, what is the benefit of

such atonement? Thus Pariksit Maharaja inquired:

drsta-srutabhyam yat papam

janann apy atmano 'hitam

karoti bhuyo vivasah

prayascittam atho katham

kvacin nivartate 'bhadrut

kvacic carati tat punah

prayascittam atho 'partham

manye kunjara-saucavat

He compared atonement to an elephant's bathing. The elephant may

take a very nice bath in the river, but as soon as it comes onto the

bank, it throws dirt all over its body. What, then, is the value of its

bathing? Similarly, many spiritual practitioners chant the Hare Krsna

maha-mantra and at the same time commit many forbidden things, thinking

that their chanting will counteract their offenses. Of the ten types of

offenses one can commit while chanting the holy name of the Lord, this

offense is called namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih, committing sinful

activities on the strength of chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

Similarly, certain Christians go to church to confess their sins,

thinking that confessing their sins before a priest and performing some

penance will relieve them from the results of their weekly sins. As soon

as Saturday is over and Sunday comes, they again begin their sinful

activities, expecting to be forgiven the next Saturday. This kind of

pruyascitta, or atonement, is condemned by Pariksit Maharaja, the most

intelligent king of his time. Sukadeva Gosvami, equally intelligent, as

befitting the spiritual master of Maharaja Pariksit, answered the King

and confirmed that his statement concerning atonement was correct. A

sinful activity cannot be counteracted by a pious activity. Thus real

pruyascitta, atonement, is the awakening of our dormant Krsna

consciousness.

Real atonement involves coming to real knowledge, and for this

there is a standard process. When one follows a regulated hygienic

process, he does not fall sick. A human being is meant to be trained

according to certain principles to revive his original knowledge. Such a

methodical life is described as tapasya. One can be gradually elevated

to the standard of real knowledge, or Krsna consciousness, by practicing

austerity and celibacy (brahmacarya), by controlling the mind, by

controlling the senses, by giving up one's possessions in charity, by

being avowedly truthful, by keeping clean and by practicing yoga-asanas.

However, if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a pure

devotee, he can easily surpass all the practices for controlling the

mind by the mystic yaga process simply by following the regulative

principles of Krsna consciousness--refraining from illicit sex, meateating,

intoxication and gambling--and by engaging in the service of the

Supreme Lord under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master. This

easy process is being recommended by Srila Rupa Gosvami.

First one must control his speaking power. Every one of us has the

power of speech; as soon as we get an opportunity we begin to speak. If

we do not speak about Krsna consciousness, we speak about all sorts of

nonsense. A toad in a field speaks by croaking, and similarly everyone

who has a tongue wants to speak, even if all he has to say is nonsense.

The croaking of the toad, however, simply invites the snake: "Please

come here and eat me." Nevertheless, although it is inviting death, the

toad goes on croaking. The talking of materialistic men and

impersonalist Mayavadi philosophers may be compared to the croaking of

frogs. They are always speaking nonsense and thus inviting death to

catch them. Controlling speech, however, does not mean self-imposed

silence (the external process of mauna), as Mayavadi philosophers think.

Silence may appear helpful for some time, but ultimately it proves a

failure. The meaning of controlled speech conveyed by Srila Rupa Gosvami

advocates the positive process of krsna-katha, engaging the speaking

process in glorifying the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. The tongue can thus

glorify the name, form, qualities and pastimes of the Lord. The preacher

of krsna-katha is always beyond the clutches of death. This is the

significance of controlling the urge to speak.

The restlessness or fickleness of the mind (mano-vega) is

controlled when one can fix his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna. The

Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.31) says:

krsna--surya-sama; maya haya andhakara

yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara

Krsna is just like the sun, and maya is just like darkness. If the

sun is present, there is no question of darkness. Similarly, if Krsna is

present in the mind, there is no possibility of the mind's being

agitated by maya's influence. The yogic process of negating all material

thoughts will not help. To try to create a vacuum in the mind is

artificial. The vacuum will not remain. However, if one always thinks of

Krsna and how to serve Krsna best, one's mind will naturally be

controlled.

Similarly, anger can be controlled. We cannot stop anger

altogether, but if we simply become angry with those who blaspheme the

Lord or the devotees of the Lord, we control our anger in Krsna

consciousness. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu became angry with the miscreant

brothers Jagai and Madhai, who blasphemed and struck Nityananda Prabhu.

In His Siksastaka Lord Caitanya wrote, trnad api sunicena taror api

sahisnuna: "One should be humbler than the grass and more tolerant than

the tree." One may then ask why the Lord exhibited His anger. The point

is that one should be ready to tolerate all insults to one's own self,

but when Krsna or His pure devotee is blasphemed, a genuine devotee

becomes angry and acts like fire against the offenders. Krodha, anger,

cannot be stopped, but it can be applied rightly. It was in anger that

Hanuman set fire to Lanka, but he is worshiped as the greatest devotee

of Lord Ramacandra. This means that he utilized his anger in the right

way. Arjuna serves as another example. He was not willing to fight, but

Krsna incited his anger: "You must fight!" To fight without anger is not

possible. Anger is controlled, however, when utilized in the service of

the Lord.

As for the urges of the tongue, we all experience that the tongue

wants to eat palatable dishes. Generally we should not allow the tongue

to eat according to its choice, but should control the tongue by

supplying prasada. The devotee's attitude is that he will eat only when

Krsna gives him prasada. That is the way to control the urge of the

tongue. One should take prasada at scheduled times and should not eat in

restaurants or sweetmeat shops simply to satisfy the whims of the tongue

or belly. If we stick to the principle of taking only prasada, the urges

of the belly and tongue can be controlled.

In a similar manner, the urges of the genitals, the sex impulse,

can be controlled when not used unnecessarily. The genitals should be

used to beget a Krsna conscious child, otherwise they should not be

used. The Krsna consciousness movement encourages marriage not for the

satisfaction of the genitals but for the begetting of Krsna conscious

children. As soon as the children are a little grown up, they are sent

to our Gurukula school in Dallas, Texas, where they are trained to

become fully Krsna conscious devotees. Many such Krsna conscious

children are required, and one who is capable of bringing forth Krsna

conscious offspring is allowed to utilize his genitals.

When one is fully practiced in the methods of Krsna conscious

control, he can become qualified to be a bona fide spiritual master.

In his Anuvriti explanation of Upadesamria, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Sarasvati Thakura writes that our material identification creates three

kinds of urges--the urge to speak, the urge or demands of the mind and

the demands of the body. When a living entity falls victim to these

three types of urges, his life becomes inauspicious. One who practices

resisting these demands or urges is called tapasvi, or one who practices

austerities. By such tapasya one can overcome victimization by the

material energy, the external potency of the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.

When we refer to the urge to speak, we refer to useless talking,

such as that of the impersonal Mayavadi philosophers, or of persons

engaged in fruitive activities (technically called karma-kanda), or of

materialistic people who simply want to enjoy life without restriction.

All such talks or literatures are practical exhibitions of the urge to

speak. Many people are talking nonsensically and writing volumes of

useless books, and all this is the result of the urge to speak. To

counteract this tendency, we have to divert our talking to the subject

of Krsna. This is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5. 10-11):

na yad vacas citra-padam harer yaso

jagat-pavitram pragrnita karhicit

tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasa

na yatra hamsa niramanty usikksayah

"Those words which do not describe the glories of the Lord, who

alone can sanctify the atmosphere of the whole universe, are considered

by saintly persons to be like unto a place of pilgrimage for crows.

Since the all-perfect persons are inhabitants of the transcendental

abode, they do not derive any pleasure there."

tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavo

yasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty api

namany anantasya yaso 'nkitani yat

srnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah

"On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions

of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc.,

of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of

transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the

impious lives of this world's misdirected civilization. Such

transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard,

sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest."

The conclusion is that only when we talk about devotional service

to the Supreme Personality of Godhead can we refrain from useless

nonsensical talk. We should always endeavor to use our speaking power

solely for the purpose of realizing Krsna consciousness.

As for the agitations of the bickering mind, they are divided into

two divisions. The first is called avircdha-priti, or unrestricted

attachment, and the other is called virodha-yukta-krodha, anger arising

from frustration. Adherence to the philosophy of the Mayavadis, belief

in the fruitive results of the karma-vadis, and belief in plans based on

materialistic desires are called avirodha-priti. Jnanis, karmis and

materialistic planmakers generally attract the attention of conditioned

souls, but when the materialists cannot fulfill their plans and when

their devices are frustrated, they become angry. Frustration of material

desires produces anger.

Similarly, the demands of the body can be divided into three

categories--the demands of the tongue, the belly and the genitals. One

may observe that these three senses are physically situated in a

straight line, as far as the body is concerned, and that the bodily

demands begin with the tongue. If one can restrain the demands of the

tongue by limiting its activities to the eating of prasada, the urges of

the belly and the genitals can automatically be controlled. In this

connection Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura says:

sarira avidya jala, jadendriya tahe kala,

jive phele visaya-sagare

ta 'ra madhye jihva ati, lobhamaya sudurmati,

ta 'ke jeta kathina samsare

krsna bada dayamaya, karibare jihva jaya,

sva-prasada-anna dila bhai

sei annamria khao, radha-krsna-guna gao,

preme daka caitanya-nitai

"O Lord! This material body is a lump of ignorance, and the senses

are a network of paths leading to death. Somehow or other we have fallen

into the ocean of material sense enjoyment, and of all the senses the

tongue is the most voracious and uncontrollable. It is very difficult to

conquer the tongue in this world, but You, dear Krsna, are very kind to

us. You have sent this nice prasada to help us conquer the tongue;

therefore let us take this prasada to our full satisfaction and glorify

Your Lordships Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and in love call for the help of

Lord Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda." There are six kinds of rasas

(tastes), and if one is agitated by any one of them, he becomes

controlled by the urges of the tongue. Some persons are attracted to the

eating of meat, fish, crabs, eggs and other things produced by semina

and blood and eaten in the form of dead bodies. Others are attracted by

eating vegetables, creepers, spinach or milk products, but all for the

satisfaction of the tongue's demands. Such eating for sense

gratification--including the use of extra quantities of spices like

chili and tamarind--is to be given up by Krsna conscious persons. The

use of pan, haritaki, betel nuts, various spices used in pan-making,

tobacco, LSD, marijuana, opium, liquor, coffee and tea is indulged in to

fulfill illicit demands. If we can practice accepting only remnants of

food offered to Krsna, it is possible to get free from maya's

victimization. Vegetables, grains, fruits, milk products and water are

proper foods to offer to the Lord, as Lord Krsna Himself prescribes.

However, if one accepts prasada only because of its palatable taste and

thus eats too much, he also falls prey to trying to satisfy the demands

of the tongue. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught us to avoid very palatable

dishes even while eating prasada. If we offer palatable dishes to the

Deity with the intention of eating such nice food, we are involved in

trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. If we accept the invitation

of a rich man with the idea of receiving palatable food, we are also

trying to satisfy the demands of the tongue. In Caitanya-caritamrta

(Antya 6.227) it is stated:

jihvara lalase yei iti-uti dhaya

sisnodara-parayana krsna nahi paya

"That person who runs here and there seeking to gratify his palate

and who is always attached to the desires of his stomach and genitals is

unable to attain Krsna."

As stated before, the tongue, belly and genitals are all situated

in a straight line, and they fall in the same category. Lord Caitanya

has said, bhala na khaibe ara bhala naparibe: "Do not dress luxuriously

and do not eat delicious foodstuffs." (Cc. Antya 6.236)

Those who suffer from diseases of the stomach must be unable to

control the urges of the belly, at least according to this analysis.

When we desire to eat more than necessary we automatically create many

inconveniences in life. However, if we observe fasting days like Ekadasi

and Janmastami, we can restrain the demands of the belly. As far as

the urges of the genitals are concerned, there are two--proper and

improper, or legal and illicit sex. When a man is properly mature, he

can marry according to the rules and regulations of the sastras and use

his genitals for begetting nice children. That is legal and religious.

Otherwise, he may adopt many artificial means to satisfy the demands of

the genitals, and he may not use any restraint. When one indulges in

illicit sex life, as defined by the sastras, either by thinking,

planning, talking about or actually having sexual intercourse, or by

satisfying the genitals by artificial means, he is caught in the

clutches of maya. These instructions apply not only to householders but

also to tyagis, or those who are in the renounced order of life. In his

book prema-vivaria, Chapter Seven, Sri Jagadananda Pandita says:

vairagi bhai grumya-katha na sunibe kane

grumya-varta na kahibe yabe milibe ane

svapane o na kara bhai stri-sambhasana

grhe stri chadiya bhai asiyacha vana

yadi caha pranaya rukhite gaurungera sane

chota haridasera katha thake yena mane

bhala na khaibe ara bhala na paribe

hrdayete radha-krsna sarvada sevibe

"My dear brother, you are in the renounced order of life and should

not listen to talk about ordinary worldly things, nor should you talk

about worldly things when you meet with others. Do not think of women

even in dreams. You have accepted the renounced order of life with a vow

that forbids you to associate with women. If you wish to associate with

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you must always remember the incident of Chota

Haridasa and how he was rejected by the Lord. Do not eat luxurious

dishes or dress in fine garments, but always remain humble and serve

Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Krsna in your heart of hearts."

The conclusion is that one who can control these six items--speech,

mind, anger, tongue, belly and genitals--is to be called a svami or

gosvami. Svami means master, and gosvami means master of the go, or

senses. When one accepts the renounced order of life, he automatically

assumes the title of svami. This does not mean that he is the master of

his family, community or society; he must be master of his senses.

Unless one is master of his senses, he should not be called gosvami, but

go-dasa, servant of the senses. Following in the footsteps of the six

Gosvamis of Vrndavana, all svamis and gosvamis should fully engage in

the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As opposed to this, the

go-dasas engage in the service of the senses or in the service of the

material world. They have no other engagement. Prahlada Maharaja has

further described the go-dasa as adanta-go, which refers to one whose

senses are not controlled. An adanta-go cannot become a servant of

Krsna. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.30), Prahlada Maharaja has said:

matir na krsne paratah svato va

mitho 'bhipadyeta grhavratanam

adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram

punah punas carvita-carvana-nam

"For those who have decided to continue their existence in this

material world for the gratification of their senses, there is no chance

of becoming Krsna conscious, not by personal endeavor, by instruction

from others or by joint conferences. They are dragged by the unbridled

senses into the darkest region of ignorance, and thus they madly engage

in what is called `chewing the chewed.' "

TEXT TWO

atyaharah prayasas ca

prajalpo niyamagrahah

jana-sangas ca laulyam ca

sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati

ati-aharah--overeating or too much collecting; prayasah--

overendeavoring; ca--and; prajalpah--idle talking; niyama--rules and

regulations; agrahah--too much attachment to (or agrahah--too much

neglect of); jana-sangah--association with worldly-minded persons; ca--

and; laulyam--ardent longing or greed; ca--and; sadbhih--by these six;

bhaktih--devotional service; vinasyati--is destroyed.

TRANSLATION

One's devotional service is spoiled when he becomes too entangled

in the following six activities: (1) eating more than necessary or

collecting more funds than required; (2) overendeavoring for mundane

things that are very difficult to obtain; (3) talking unnecessarily

about mundane subject matters; (4) Practicing the scriptural rules and

regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of

spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the

scriptures and working independently or whimsically; (5) associating

with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna

conscionsness; and (6) being greedy for mundane achievements.

PURPORT

Human life is meant for plain living and high thinking. Since all

conditioned living beings are under the control of the Lord's third

energy, this material world is designed so that one is obliged to work.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary energies, or

potencies. The first is called antaranga-sakti, or the internal potency.

The second is called tatastha-sakti, or the marginal potency. The third

is called bahiranga-sakti, or the external potency. The living entities

constitute the marginal potency, and they are situated between the

internal and external Potencies. Being subordinate as eternal servants

of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the jivatmas, or atomic living

entities, must remain under the control of either the internal or

external potency. When they are under the control of the internal

potency, they display their natural, constitutional activity--namely,

constant engagement in the devotional service of the Lord. This is

stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.13):

mahatmanas tu mam pariha

daivim prakrtim asritah

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jnatva bhutadim avyayam

"O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are

under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in

devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, original and inexhaustible."

The word mahatma refers to those who are broadminded, not crippleminded.

Cripple-minded persons, always engaged in satisfying their

senses, sometimes expand their activities in order to do good for others

through some "ism" like nationalism, humanitarianism or altruism. They

may reject personal sense gratification for the sense gratification of

others, like the members of their family, community or society--either

national or international. Actually all this is extended sense

gratification, from personal to communal to social. This may all be very

good from the material point of view, but such activities have no

spiritual value. The basis of such activity is sense gratification,

either personal or extended. Only when a person gratifies the senses of

the Supreme Lord can he be called a mahatma, or broadminded person.

In the above-quoted verse from Bhagavad-gita, the words daivim

prakrtim refer to the control of the internal potency, or pleasure

potency, of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This pleasure potency is

manifested as Srimati Radharani, or Her expansion Laksmi, the goddess of

fortune. When the individual jiva souls are under the control of the

internal energy, their only engagement is the satisfaction of Krsna, or

Visnu. This is the position of a mahatma. If one is not a mahatma, he is

a duratma, or a cripple-minded person. Such mentally crippled duratmas

are put under the control of the Lord's external potency, mahamaya.

Indeed, all living entities within this material world are under

the control of mahamaya, whose business is to subject them to the

influence of threefold miseries: adhidaivika-klesa (sufferings caused by

the demigods, such as droughts, earthquakes and storms), adhibhautikaklesa

(sufferings caused by other living entities like insects or

enemies), and adhyatmika-klesa (sufferings caused by one's own body and

mind, such as mental and physical infirmities). Daiva-bhutatma-hetavah:

the conditioned souls, subjected to these three miseries by the control

of the external energy, suffer various difficulties.

The main problem confronting the conditioned souls is the

repetition of birth, old age, disease and death. In the material world

one has to work for the maintenance of the body and soul, but how can

one perform such work in a way that is favorable for the execution of

Krsna consciousness?

Everyone requires possessions such as food grains, clothing, money

and other things necessary for the maintenance of the body, but one

should not collect more than necessary for his actual basic needs. If

this natural principle is followed, there will be no difficulty in

maintaining the body.

According to nature's arrangement, living entities lower on the

evolutionary scale do not eat or collect more than necessary.

Consequently in the animal kingdom there is generally no economic

problem or scarcity of necessities. If a bag of rice is placed in a

public place, birds will come to eat a few grains and go away. A human

being, however, will take away the whole bag. He will eat all his

stomach can hold and then try to keep the rest in storage. According to

scriptures, this collecting of more than necessary (atyahara) is

prohibited. Now the entire world is suffering because of it.

Collecting and eating more than necessary also causes prayasa, or

unnecessary endeavor. By God's arrangement, anyone in any part of the

world can live very peacefully if he has some land and a milk cow. There

is no need for man to move from one place to another to earn a

livelihood, for one can produce food grains locally and get milk from

cows. That can solve all economic problems. Fortunately, man has been

given higher intelligence for the cultivation of Krsna consciousness, or

the understanding of God, one's relationship with Him, and the ultimate

goal of life, love of God. Unfortunately, so-called civilized man, not

caring for God realization, utilizes his intelligence to get more than

necessary and simply eat to satisfy the tongue. By God's arrangement

there is sufficient scope for the production of milk and grains for

human beings all over the world, but instead of using his higher

intelligence to cultivate God consciousness, so-called intelligent men

misuse their intelligence to produce many unnecessary and unwanted

things. Thus factories, slaughterhouses, brothels and liquor shops are

opened. If people are advised not to collect too many goods, eat too

much or work unnecessarily to possess artificial amenities, they think

they are being advised to return to a primitive way of life. Generally

people do not like to accept plain living and high thinking. That is

their unfortunate position.

Human life is meant for God realization, and the human being is

given higher intelligence for this purpose. Those who believe that this

higher intelligence is meant to attain a higher state should follow the

instructions of the Vedic literatures. By taking such instructions from

higher authorities, one can actually become situated in perfect

knowledge and give real meaning to life.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.9) Sri Suta Gosvami describes the proper

human dharma in this way:

dharmausa hy apavargyasya

nartho 'rthayopakalpate

narihasya dharmaikantasya

kamo labhaya hi smriah

"All occupational engagements [dharma] are certainly meant for

ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain.

 

 

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