Two material tendencies-enjoyment and renouncement-SP

Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhuapda

 

Below is excerpts from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada where he explains

the back and forth oscillations of materialists who try to enjoy and try

to renounce-both with futility. Then he gives explanations of real spiritual

practices like mind and sense control. Then he concludes with pure

devotional service as the only  and final answer.

710727SB.NY                    Lectures                 
 The, there are two kinds of tendencies: one is bhoga and one
is tyaga. Bhoga means enjoyment, sense enjoyment, and tyaga means to
give up this material world. But without guidance, one does not know
how to renounce this material world. That is called tyaga. Bhoga and
tyaga, two kinds of tendencies are going on in this material world.
First of all they want to enjoy, and when they are frustrated in
enjoyment, then there is renouncement. Again when they are tired of
renouncement, again enjoyment. Just like the clock pendulum, this side
and that side--tock, tock, tock, tock. Similarly, we are oscillating:
sometimes in the platform of enjoyment and sometimes on the platform
of renouncement. Two things are there in this material world. The
karmis, they are trying to enjoy this world, whole day and night that
expressway, always trucks and cars are going on--sonh, sonh, sonh,
sonh. Bhoga, how to enjoy, first class. Another, the hippies. They
don't want to do anything. Both sides are there in your country, bhoga
and tyaga.   But in neither of the paths you'll be happy, because that is not
your proper position. You cannot enjoy or you cannot renounce.
Actually the whole thing belongs to Krsna. Nothing belongs to anyone.
Whatever you have got in possession, that is Krsna's property.

 

   Then what to do? That is direction given by Krsna: sarva-dharman
parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. You have created different types of
religion on the basis of this bhoga and tyaga. So you give up all
them. Then? Mam ekam saranam vraja: "You surrender unto Me." Because
you cannot enjoy nor make any renunciation. But here it is said
tapasa, tyagena, by renouncing. Renouncing means that you're falsely
possessing. So you give it to Krsna, the original proprietor. Just
like one hundred dollars note, a child has taken from the father. The
child does not know how to use that hundred dollars note, but he,
he'll not give it to the father. "No, I shall not give it." Father is
begging: "Oh, my dear child, you are so nice. Kindly give it to me."
Actually the note belongs to the father. But because he's child, he's
innocent, ignorant, he does not know. Therefore Krsna says, dadasi yat
kurusva mad-arpanam. Dana, this tyaga, "You renounces this world for
Me. You renounce your wealth, your property for Me." The same thing.
Everything belongs to Krsna. He's not a beggar. But He's patting the
child, "Oh, you are very good boy. Kindly give it to Me." That is the
way. Krsna is so kind. Because... The same example: the child does not
know how to utilize that hundred dollars note. He'll simply spoil it.
The best thing is to give it over, hand it over to the father. He

knows how to use it. It is his property.
   Similarly this tyagena means to practice, to give everything to
Krsna. Everything. Tyagena. Samena(controlling mind) damena(controlling senses) tyagena(giving in charity). This is the different steps of elevating yourself to Krsna consciousness. ...

   So you are all initiated to become brahmana. You have become
brahmana. Don't become false brahmana. Real brahmana. It is not by
birth; it is by education, by practice, by knowledge. So we are
offering the sacred thread to the Americans and Europeans in the
Western countries, and some of our Indian contemporaries, they are not
very happy with my action. They are under contemplation that a
brahmana can be, I mean to say, seen by birthright. No. No. Brahmana
is by qualification. Brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. That is the
verdict of Krsna. We are concerned with Krsna, not any other else.
Krsna says, catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah: "By
division of quality and, guna, and work, one must have the symptoms,
the quality of a brahmana, and work as a brahmana." Not that...
Quality will be tested by work. Suppose if you are engineer. You have
got the quality of... But if you sit down at home, what is your value?
You must be engaged in some engineer work. Suppose you are lawyer, and
if you don't go to the court and sleep at your home, then what is the
worth of your studying law? Therefore guna-karma. One should not be
simply qualified as engineer or lawyer, but he must work also, as
engineer, as lawyer. Then he's bona fide. Similarly, unless you work
as a brahmana, simply saying that "I am a brahmana," what is the

value? Useless. They..., therefore Krsna says, guna-karma-vibhagasah.
There must be quality and work also. So here we are qualifying the
students to be raised in the brahminical platform, and they're working
also as brahmana. How they are working as brahmana? Because they're
fully engaged in Param Brahma's service, Krsna's service. Therefore
they are brahmanas.

...Therefore the process is being explained
by Sukadeva Gosvami: tapasa. First thing is tapasya, austerity. Even
it is painful... Austerity's painful. Brahmacarya is painful. Because
we want, unrestricted, to do everything. But no. As soon as it is
regulated it appears to be painful. When it is practiced, it is not
painful. One brahmacari in Indian city, in severe cold, he was
sleeping in the open air, without any covering. And it was severe
cold. But it was practice. During Magha-mela, many saintly persons
come there on the bank of the Ganga, Ganges. This year we had our own
camp; we have seen. The whole night they are sitting in the open air,
without any covering.
   So practice. So practice means if you undergo austerity, tapasya,
everything will be practiced. 

 As soon as they're neglectful to the practice---falls down.
They cannot stay. Immediately goes out. So that is called austerity,

tapasya. Practice. Practical life. So these are the processes.

...So because our life is continuously committing sinful activities, from time immemorial... You
do not know when it began. Evolution, many births. Therefore this life
is meant for rectifying all mistakes that we had committed in our
previous life or in this life. How? By this process. Ksipanty agham.
Agham means the resultant action of sinful life. Mahad api. Although
it is very great, mahad api, how? Venu-gulmam, venu-gulmam ivanalah.
Just like if you set fire to unwanted grass and creepers in the field.
You set fire, and they will be all burned. Similarly, by this process,
tapasa brahmacaryena, you can liquidate all of your sinful activities
of life and you become purified.

   So the next process, another alternative process is being suggested
by Sukadeva Gosvami.
                        kecit kevalaya bhaktya
                          vasudeva-parayanah
                      agham dhunvanti kartsnyena
                        niharam iva bhaskarah

 

..Or somebody simply by becoming Krsna conscious,
agham dhunvanti, they kill all resultant action of sinful life.
.. Just like there is fog and, as soon as the sun rises,
whole fog gone, finished. Very good example. ..But as soon as there is sunrise, some
way or other, everything finished. Similarly, some way or other, if
you take to Krsna consciousness, all the sinful reaction of your life
immediately finished like the fog. So, but... This process is accepted
kecit, somebody, very fortunate. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said:

 

            ei rupe brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
               guru-krsna-krpaya paya bhakti-lata-bija

 

The Krsna consciousness is not for ordinary persons. It is meant for
very, very fortunate persons. But simply by accepting one thing, Krsna
consciousness, he finishes all business of brahmacarya, tyaga, yama,
niyama, sama, dama, everything.   So Sukadeva Gosvami is prescribing, kecit kevalaya bhaktya.
Kevalaya bhaktya. Kevala-bhakti. There is no mixture. Kevala means
only pure devotional service. What is that pure devotional service?

No other desire than to please Krsna. Not that "I have become a
devotee. Now my income will increase," or "I shall be..." That, that
will come automatically. You want money to increase your income to
become happy. But if you take to Krsna consciousness, automatically
you'll be so happy that you'll neglect to collect money. That will
automatically come. There is no need of separate endeavor. Happiness
will come. Yam labdhva. Just like Dhruva, Dhruva Maharaja. He was so
lamenting. Those who are recording, I mean, transcribing my tapes, how
he was lamenting, that "How foolish I was that I took to devotional
service with a desire for some material profit." He was so much
repentant. So that is, that is another profit of the devotee. For
material profit, somebody goes to somebody, some boss, some rich man,
some demigod, some powerful man. But a devotee does not go anywhere.
He goes to Krsna only. Even if he has got material desires. That is
the advantage. This advantage: that if you go to Krsna for some
material advantage even, then day will come, you'll forget that
material advantage.   Just like Dhruva Maharaja, he was repentant, that "I came to Krsna
for asking some material..." The example is given: Just like one has

pleased a very big, rich man, and the rich man said, "All right, you
ask me whatever you want. I shall give you." So when he's asked to beg
whatever he wants, then if he asks that "Give me some broken rice
grains," is that very good proposal? If he's asking that "You can ask
anything else from me"--he's a rich man--ask him for millions of
dollars or something like that. But instead of..., if you ask for your
foolishness, that "Please give me some broken grains of rice..." So
similarly, to go to Krsna and to ask some material benefit is exactly
like this, to go to some rich man and ask from his "Please give me
some broken grains of rice." Why one should ask for material happiness
from Krsna? Material happiness will roll on his feet: "Please take me,
please take me." These Krsna conscious boys and girls, in sixty
centers, just see how they are materially opulent. They're living in
the best house. They're eating best food. They're in best
consciousness. They have got the best hope. Everything best. Their
feature of body is best. What you want material happiness more than
this? They have got wife, children, happiness, home--everything--full.
So material happiness is nothing to a Krsna conscious person. He gets
automatically by the grace of Krsna. There is no need of asking for
it. Simply be steady to ask Krsna, "Please engage me in Your service."

Anukulyena krsnanusilanam. How Krsna will be satisfied? Then your
satisfaction will automatically come. Don't bother for material
happiness.
   Thank you very much.

Some conclusions:

Prabhupada has given yet again another brilliant class explaining how one purifies

himself in this life. He starts with telling about bhoga -tyaga-the back and forth position

of every conditioned soul who first works hard all week in his office or workplace,(tyaga or

temporarily renouncing enjoyment) and then bhoga(enjoys) on the weekends. Then

again on Monday more tyaga, or renouncement. This back and forth position, nobody is happy with.

So what to do?

Purify oneself and come to the spiritual platform. First he mentions bramacari life and

how one must practice it daily. Once practiced for some time, it becomes easier.

Next he mentions Sukadev Goswami saying better than this samena (mind control) damena (sense control)

is pure  devotional service because in one stroke everything is accomplished.  Dont go looking for material

betterment as a result of your devotion because it will find you in due course of time. And Prabhupada

gives the example of how so many devotees all over the world are living in the palace with the King (Krsna) and enjoying life with Him. So dont be like Dhruva by going looking for broken pieces of glass or material

opulence. Simply try for pure devotional service, because that will satisfy all our desires.

 

SB 6.1.16    My dear King, if a sinful person engages in the service of a bona
fide devotee of the Lord and thus learns how to dedicate his life unto
the lotus feet of Krsna, he can be completely purified. One cannot be
purified merely by undergoing austerity, penance, brahmacarya and the
other methods of atonement I have previously described.

 

Hare Krsna

Damaghosa das