Brief Updates from TheHareKrishnaMovement.wordpress.com

Posted: 04 Feb 2012 06:43 AM PST

Varāha-dvadaśī,
Lord Varāha’s Appearance Day Lecture
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Los Angeles, February 18, 1970

Prabhupāda: …lifted the world when it was submerged within the water of Garbhodaka Ocean. The universe which we are seeing, it is only half. The other half is filled with water, and in that water is Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu lying. So one demon, Hiraṇyākṣa, he pushed this earthly planet within that water, and Lord Kṛṣṇa delivered this earthly planet from water in the shape of a boar. So that auspicious day is today, Varāha-dvadaśī. This is called Varāha-dvadasi. So on this day it is better to sing, to glorify the different incarnations of Lord within this universe. The first incarnation is the fish form.

So these prayers were offered by Jayadeva Gosvāmī. One Vaiṣṇava poet advented about seven hundred years before Lord Caitanya’s appearance. He was a great devotee, and his specific poetry, Gīta-govinda, is very famous all over the world. Gīta-govinda. Gīta-govinda is the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa playing on flute about Rādhārāṇī. That is the subject matter of Gīta-govinda.The same poet, Jayadeva Gosvāmī, has offered this prayer, pralaya-payodhi-jale-dhṛtavān asi vedam **. He says, “My dear Lord, when there was devastation within this universe, everything was filled with water. At that time You saved the Vedas, stacked in a boat. And you held the boat from being drowned in the water, in the shape of a big fish.” This fish first of all was caught in the waterpot just like a small fish. Then it enlarged, and the fish was kept in a bigger water reservoir. In this way the fish was increasing. Then the fish informed that “Devastation is coming. You just save all the Vedas on a boat, and I shall protect it.” So Jayadeva Gosvāmī is offering prayer, “My Lord, You saved the Vedas when there was devastation in the shape of a fish.”

The next is Kūrmāvatāra. There was churning of the ocean. One side all the demigods and one side all the demons. And the churning rod was a great hill called Mandara-pārvata. And the resting place was on the back of the Lord appeared as a tortoise. So he’s offering his prayer that “You appeared as a tortoise just to become the resting place. And this happened because You were feeling some itching sensation on Your back. So You accepted this big rod, Mandara Hill, to itch, as the itching instrument.”

Then the next incarnation is this Varāha, boar or hog. He delivered this earthly planet by the tusk, and He kept the whole world on His tusk. We can just imagine how big He appeared. And the world at that time appeared just like the moon disc with some marks on it. So keśava dhṛta-varāha-śarīra. He says, “My dear Lord, You have appeared as the great boar. So let me offer my respectful obeisances unto You.”

The fourth incarnation is Nṛsiṁhadeva. Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared to save Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was five-years-old boy and he was being tortured by his atheistic father. So He appeared from the pillar of the palace as a half-man, half-lion. Because this Hiraṇyakaśipu took benediction from Brahmā that he’ll not be killed by any man or any animal. So the Lord appeared neither man nor animal. This is the difference between the Lord’s intelligence and our intelligence. We are thinking that we can cheat the Lord by our intelligence, but the Lord is more intelligent than us. This Hiraṇyakaśipu wanted to cheat Brahmā by indirect definition. First of all he wanted to become immortal. Brahmā said, “That is not possible because even I am not immortal. Nobody in this material world is immortal. That is not possible.” So Hiraṇyakaśipu, the demon… The demons are very intelligent. He thought that “Round about way I shall become immortal.” He prayed to Brahmā that “Please give me the benediction that I shall not be killed by any man or any animal.” Brahmā said, “Yes, that is all right.” “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water or on land.” Brahmā said, “Oh yes.” “I shall not be killed by any man-made weapons.” “That’s all right.” In this way he utilized his intelligence in so many ways just to come to the conclusion of being immortal. But the Lord is so cunning that He kept intact all the benediction given by Brahmā, still he was killed. He said that “I’ll not be killed either during daytime or night.” Brahmā said “Yes.” So he was killed just in the evening, just in the junction of day and night. You cannot say it is day or night. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed in the sky, on the water, on the land.” So he was killed on His lap. He took the benediction that “I shall not be killed by any man-made or any God-made weapons.” That was given, “All right.” So he was killed by the nails. In this way, all the benedictions were kept intact, still he was killed. Similarly, we may make plan, we may make very advancement in scientific knowledge, but the killing process of nature will be there. Nobody can escape. By our intelligence we cannot escape. The four principles of material existence means birth, death, old age and disease. We can manufacture many medicines, many weapons, many means, many methods, but you cannot escape these four principles of material existence, however great you may be. That was proved by Hiraṇyakaśipu. Hiraṇyakaśipu was one of the stalwart materialistic and he wanted to live forever, enjoy, but he also could not live. Everything was finished.

Then next incarnation is Vāmana, the dwarf. Lord Vāmana appeared before Bali Mahārāja. That was also another cheating. Bali Mahārāja conquered all the universal planets and the demigods were too much disturbed. So Vāmana Mahārāja… Vāmanadeva went to Bali Mahārāja that “You give me some alms. I am brāhmaṇa. I have come to beg from you.” So Bali Mahārāja said, “Yes. I’ll give You.” So He wanted three feet land only. So by one feet the whole universe was covered, upside, and another feet the other half was covered. Then the third feet Bali Mahārāja said, “Yes, now there is no place. Please keep Your feet on my head. Still my head is there.” So Vāmanadeva was very much pleased by the sacrifice of Bali Mahārāja. He gave up everything for the Lord. So he is one of the great authorities. Out of the twelve authorities, Bali Mahārāja is one of the authorities because he sacrificed everything to satisfy the Lord.

And next is Paraśurāma. Paraśurāma, twenty-one times He made a massacre propaganda for killing all the kṣatriya kings. Thekṣatriya kings were very much dishonest at that time, so he killed them for twenty-one times. They fled from here and there. And from the history of Mahābhārata it is understood, at that time some of the kṣatriyas fled and took shelter in the European side. And the Indo-European stock is from those kṣatriyas. That is history, inform…, historical information from Mahābhārata.

Then next incarnation is Lord Rāma. So He fought with Rāvaṇa who had ten heads. So … And the next incarnation is Balarāma. Balarāma is the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa. He is incarnation of Saṅkarṣaṇa, next expansion of Kṛṣṇa. So He was very white in complexion, and He was wearing blue garments, and with His plow He was, sometimes He was angry with Yamunā River, and He tried to dry up the Yamunā River. That description is given here. And Yamunā, out of His fear, she agreed to the proposal of Balarāma. And the next incarnation is Lord Buddha. Lord Buddha, He decried the Vedic principles. Therefore He is calculated as atheist. Anyone who does not agree with the Vedic principles, he is considered as atheist. Just like one who does not believe in the Bible, they are called heathens, similarly, those who do not accept the Vedic principles, they are called atheists. So Lord Buddha although incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, He said that “I do not believe in Vedas.” What was the reason? The reason was to save the poor animals. At that time people were sacrificing the poor animals under the plea of Vedic sacrifice. So demonic persons, they want to do something under the protection of authority. Just like a big lawyer takes the protection of the lawbook and he makes the law unlawful. Similarly, the demons are so intelligent that they take advantage of scriptural injunction and do all nonsense. So these things were going on. In the name of Vedic sacrifice, they were killing animals like anything. So Lord became very much compassionate these poor animals, and He appeared as Lord Buddha, and His philosophy was nonviolence. His philosophy was atheist because He said that “There is no God. This combination of matter is a manifestation, and you dismantle the material elements, there will be void and there will be no sense of pleasure and pain. That is the nirvāṇa, ultimate goal of life.” That was His philosophy. But actually His mission was to stop animal killing, to stop the men from so much sinful activities. So Lord Buddha is also prayed herewith. So people will be surprised that Lord Buddha is designated as atheist and still the Vaiṣṇavas, they are offering their respectful prayers to Lord Viṣṇu (Buddha). Why? Because the Vaiṣṇava knows how the God is acting for His different purposes. Others, they do not know.

The next avatār incarnation is Kalki. That is yet to take place. Kalki avatāra will appear at the end of this age, Kali-yuga. The age of Kali-yuga, duration of this age is still to be, I mean to say, fulfilled in 400,000′s of years. So at the end of Kali, that means at the last stage, after about 400,000′s of years, the incarnation of Kali will appear. That is predicted in the Vedic literatures, as Lord Buddha’s appearance was also predicted in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was compiled five thousand years ago, and Lord Buddha appeared about 2,500 years ago. Therefore about Lord Buddha’s appearance it is predicted that at the beginning of Kali-yuga Lord Buddha will appear. There was prediction, and that has actually come to be true. Similarly, there is prediction about Kalki avatāra, and that will also come to be true. So at that time Lord Kalki’s business will be simply to kill. No instruction. Just like… In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa gave instruction in the shape of Bhagavad-gītā. But at the end of Kali-yuga, people will be so much degraded that there is no more possibility to give any instruction. They will not be able to understand even. At that time the only weapon will be to kill them. And one who is killed by the Lord, he also gets salvation. That is God’s all-merciful quality. Either He protects or He kills, the result is the same. So that will be the last stage of this Kali-yuga, and after that, again Satya-yuga, the age of religiosity, will begin. These are the statements of Vedic literature. (end)

The Human Form of Life

Posted: 04 Feb 2012 05:27 AM PST

“The very first step in self-realization is realizing one's identity as separate from the body. "I am not this body but am spirit soul" is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying "I am not this body," but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.” (from Beyond Birth and Death)

THE HUMAN FORM OF LIFE

Srila Prabhupada would often pose the question: 'what is the difference between a live body and a dead one?' He would point out that if we are nothing but chemicals, then these chemicals are also present in the dead body. What is it that distinguishes a living form from a non-living form? The answer, Srila Prabhupada taught, is consciousness, or awareness. All living forms display this symptom of consciousness to one degree or another. That is why we call them living rather than dead. Even the small microbial germ or the common houseplant shows signs of consciousness, whereas our dining table and chairs do not.

Srila Prabhupada would stress that although different forms of life display different degrees and levels of consciousness, it is in the human form that we find the highest development of consciousness. He taught that since humans had the highest level of self-awareness it was a complete waste if he simply engaged in the same activities as the animals.

But what is it about our consciousness that makes it so different from that of the insect, the bird, the beast, or even the monkey? These creatures eat and we also eat; they sleep and we also sleep; they reproduce and we reproduce; they defend themselves and so do we. That we can perform these functions with greater sophistication may be one indicator that we possess higher consciousness, but it does not fully explain our excellence above all other forms of life.

Srila Prabhupada explained that the real difference is found in our ability to question our existence, reflect upon our selves, and inquire into our own nature and the nature of God. We can create languages, ponder the meaning of life, and puzzle in wonderment over the night sky. Such an endowment is not present in any other form of life.

The Vedas therefore advise that in this human form of life we should be inquisitive to know who we are, what the universe is, what God is, and what the relationship is between ourselves, the universe, and God.

We should inquire about the solution to the ultimate problems of life, namely birth, death, old age, and disease. Such questions cannot be asked by the cats and dogs, but they must arise in the heart of a real human being.

YOU ARE NOT THIS BODY

Without exception, all material phenomena have a beginning and an end. A prominent idea of modem culture is that consciousness is another such material phenomenon. Thus it is believed that consciousness (or the self) also ends with the death of the material body. This point of view, however, remains only an assumption. It has not been proven true by any scientific observation or experiment. Srila Prabhupada was highly critical of Western culture's strong identification of the self with the material body as he explains in the second canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam:

"The whole materialistic world, based on the conception of the material body as the self, is ignorant of the science of God. The materialist is always busy working for the welfare of the material body, not only his own but also those of his children, kinsmen, communitymen, countrymen, etc. The materialists have many branches of philanthropic and altruistic activities from a political, national and international angle of vision, but none of the field work can go beyond the jurisdiction of the misconception of identifying the material body with the spirit soul. Unless, therefore, one is saved from the wrong conception of the body and the soul, there is no knowledge of Godhead, and unless there is knowledge of God, all advancement of material civilization, however dazzling, should be considered a failure."

Nonetheless, the idea that the self ends with the body remains one of the great articles of faith of modern materialistic thought, and most of us have been educated from early childhood to think of ourselves in terms of such beliefs. Few of us, however, have thought through the philosophical implications of this type of thinking, which draws us unconsciously toward voidistic and nihilistic styles of life.

Srila Prabhupada demonstrated that the most basic of the Vedic teachings stands in direct opposition to the modern scientific view of consciousness and life. According to that teaching, individual consciousness is not at all dependent upon neurobiological functions but permanently exists as an independent reality.

The presence within the material body of a conscious observer who remains ever present throughout changing bodily and mental states indicates the existence of two energies—the spiritual energy (represented by the conscious self) and the material energy (represented by the temporary body). The Vedas explain that this spiritual energy, symptomized by consciousness, continues to exist even after the material body is finished.
If each of us is an eternal soul covered only by different temporary bodily dresses, we can reasonably conclude that the highest welfare activity for all of human society is that which awakens us to our true spiritual identity and our dormant relationship with God. That activity is called Krishna consciousness.

Just as there is neither glory nor profit in saving the dress of a drowning man, there is neither glory nor profit in humanitarian efforts aimed exclusively at improving conditions for the temporary, material body, which in the end is destined to grow old, become diseased, and die.

As Srila Prabhupada notes in Srimad-Bhagavatam:

"The actual self is beyond the gross body and subtle mind. He is the potent, active principle of the body and mind."

"Without knowing the need of the dormant soul, one cannot be happy simply with the gratification of the body and mind. The spirit soul's needs must be fulfilled. Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird…."

"There is dormant affection for God within everyone…. Therefore we have to engage ourselves in activities that will evoke our divine, consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord."</strong

"Thus any occupational engagement which does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the transcendental message of God is said…to be simply a waste of time."

REVEALING THE PERFECT KNOWLEDGE OF THE VEDAS

If we can accept the importance of this type of inquiry, our next consideration will naturally be where to find authoritative answers to such questions. Clearly, if perfect knowledge concerning questions of the self, the universe, and God exists at all, it would have to be of a standard higher than just your opinion or my opinion, or for that matter Freud's or Einstein's or anyone else's opinion.

Srila Prabhupada explained that since we all have imperfect senses and because we are all prone to make mistakes and even cheat, our relative opinions about matters beyond our experience can supply neither valid nor reliable information. Such speculation is indeed sterile and futile.

Thus our attempt to approach such matters empirically will be fraught with various imperfections and ultimately fail. Therefore, so-called truths established exclusively on the basis of mental speculation cannot help us understand the Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the imperfect senses and mind.

The Vedas explain that if we want to know about things beyond the jurisdiction of our experience— beyond the limitations of human perception and cognition—the process is to hear from one who knows. As Srila Prabhupada taught

"This is the process for getting transcendental knowledge: to approach the proper person, the guru, and submissively hear from him."

The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was first uttered by the Supreme Lord Himself. The Lord, the supremely powerful being, cannot fall under the influence of any other force since He is the source of everything. As a logical consequence, His knowledge must be perfect. And anyone who transmits that knowledge without change gives the same perfect knowledge. We need only accept this proposition theoretically to progress in our understanding of Vedic thought.

The perfect knowledge of the Vedas has been preserved over time by transmission through an unbroken chain of spiritual masters. Srila Prabhupada is the current link in one such chain or succession. That succession goes back thousands of years to Lord Krishna Himself. Thus the knowledge found within Srila Prabhupada's books is non- different from that which was originally imparted by the Supreme Lord Himself. Srila Prabhupada did not manufacture "truths." He delivered the timeless teachings of the original Vedas without addition, deletion, or change. The writings of Srila Prabhupada are represented mainly by three Vedic texts—the Bhagavad-Gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and Chaitanya-caritamrta. Together these works of literature comprise more than 25 volumes of detailed information constituting the original Vedic science of God-realization, or bhagavata-dharma. Their translation into the English language, along with elaborate explanations, constitutes Srila Prabhupada's most significant contribution to the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural life of the world.

However, there is a deeper and more esoteric level at which Srila Prabhupada's books deliver knowledge. We understand that since Srila Prabhupada fulfilled the prophesy of God's most recent incarnation, he must be a fully liberated soul (technically known as saktyavesa-avatara) directly sent from the Absolute world to carry out this special service. Since Srila Prabhupada is a liberated person, existing on the Absolute platform, his books are non-different from himself. As Srila Prabhupada taught:

"If I depart there is no cause for lamentation. I will always be with you through my books and orders. I will always remain with you in that way."

"In my books the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness is explained fully so if there is anything you do not understand, then you simply have to read again and again. By reading daily the knowledge will be revealed to you and by this process your spiritual life will develop."

By reading his books, and accepting Srila Prabhupada as one's eternal spiritual master, transcendental knowledge is revealed to us, and in this way we can come to know our unique and individual spiritual relationship with the Lord. So it is more than simply reading some words on a page, when included in a regime of chanting and worship, his books are the key to a mystical process by which one can factually realise one's original spiritual identity.

Excerpted from; http://www.prabhupadanugas.eu/?page_id=2882