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How to know God? by His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta

Swami Prabhupada
Oct 1, 2009 | A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's Lectures, Volume-06
Number-10 (Indian)

Vrindavana, October 28, 1972

An explanation of the process of devotion the only mean to know God in full  

Pradyumna: “Pure devotional service should be free from the

desire for any material benefit or for sense gratification as
these two desires are cultivated through fruitive activities
and philosophical speculation.”

Prabhupada: Yes. The Caitanya-caritamrta says,

bhuktimukti- siddhi-kami sakali asanta. Bhukti means
karmis. They want sense enjoyment. As long as they live
here in this body, they enjoy their senses to the topmost, and
they make provisions for the next life, to be elevated to the
heavenly planet to enjoy in the Nandana-kanana gardens with
the demigods. The higher the standard of living, the more the enjoyment. That is the desire of
the karmis. The jnanis say, brahma satyam jagan mithya: “This world is false. There is no
enjoyment. Actual enjoyment is in merging into the existence of Brahman .” So that is also a
subtle sense enjoyment leaving this world and entering into Brahman . Then you feel happy.
Similarly, yogis also want material power the asta-siddhis. If you have some power, you can fly
in the air, you can walk over the water, you can get anything you desire immediately. These are
yogasiddhis. Obtaining them is also sense gratification. Except bhakti, everything is for sense
gratification. That is unfavorable. Krishna does not want to satisfy anyone’s senses. That is not
Krishna’s business. Krishna is the Supreme, and He wants everyone to serve Him. That is
Krishna’s position. Therefore anyone who serves Krishna and preaches this philosophy is
doing favorable bhakti. anukulyena Krishnanusilanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167].
Pradyumna: “Generally, people are engaged in different activities for some material profit,
while most philosophers are engaged in proposing transcendental realization through volumes
of word jugglery and speculation. Pure devotional service must always be free from such
fruitive activities and philosophical speculations. One has to learn Krishna consciousness, or
pure devotional service…”

Prabhupada: Yes. Jnanakarmady- anavrtam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Pure devotional service
should be uncovered by the motive of nirbheda-brahmanusandhana (to become one with the
Absolute Truth), the motive of karma, and the motive of jnana. That is pure devotional service.
No motive.

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena Krishnanu

silanam bhaktir uttama

[Brs. 1.1.11]

Doing things that Krishna wants is pure bhakti. Go on.

Pradyumna: “One has to learn Krishna consciousness or pure devotional service from the
authorities by spontaneous loving service.”

Prabhupada: Spontaneous, not forced. Just like a father loves his son spontaneously. A young
man loves a young girl spontaneously. So bhakti should be like that. As soon as one hears the
name of Krishna, immediately, spontaneously, he should be ready to serve Him. That is pure
devotion. Not forced. In the beginning, we have to force: “You rise early in the morning. You
must perform mangala-arati.” But when this function is done spontaneously, “Oh, now is the
time to offer mangala arati to my Lord…” That is preferred. Not that “Oh, it is a heavy burden to
rise early in the morning and offer mangala-arati.” That is not spontaneous. But one has to act
under the direction of spiritual master and shastra, which is called vaidhi-bhakti, r e g u l a t i v
e d e v o t i o n a l service. Then he comes to the platform of spontaneous service.

For example, formerly there was child-marriage. Boys and girls were married at the age of ten
or twelve. So, at that time, there was practically no love. But the guar-dians would induce the
girl to offer her husband some eata-bles, some service. That was just like regulative service.
But when they actually come to the plat-form of attraction for each other, there is no need of
direction. So we need to serve Krishna spontaneously, without any obligation, without any
force that is required. Spontaneous love, raga-marga.

BHAKTI INVOLVES ACTIVITY NOT INACTION

Pradyumna: “This devotional service is a sort of civilization. It is not simply inaction for people
who like to be inactive or devote their time to silent meditation. There are many different
methods for people who want this, but civilization of Krishna consciousness is different. The
particular word used by srila Rupa Goswami is this connection is anusilana, or cultivation by
following the predecessor teachers, or acharyas. As soon as we say “cultivation,” we must
refer to activity. Without activity, consciousness alone cannot help us.”

Prabhupada: Yes. People say that inactivity

or silence is perfection. No. In the cultivation
of bhakti, there is no such thing as silence.
There is always activity. Arjuna served not by
silence but by being active, with
spontaneous activity. “I have to do this. My
Lord will be pleased.” But if I have no idea
what the Lord is, what He wants, how He’s
pleased, naturally there will be no activity. But one who knows the Lord, what He wants, what
my relationship is with Him, then there is activity. That bhakti is not silence but activity.

Just like, until I was seventy years old, I was practically doing nothing. But at the age of
seventy, by the grace of God, Krishna, there was inspiration. I didn’t travel to the western
countries to sit down silently. So the path of bhakti is not inactivity. Actual activity begins when
one is situated in devotional service. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, brahma-bhutah
prasannatma na socati na kanksati [Bg. 18.54]. When one is brahmabhutah, self-realized, he’s
prasannatma, joyful, anandamaya. He has no desire to fulfill nor does he lament. Here, in the
material world, we hanker after things which we do not possess. “I want this. I want that.” And
we cry when the thing is lost. Na socati. But a brahma-bhutah, when one is self-realized, when
one knows that he’s not this body, he’s spirit soul, he’s part and parcel of Brahman, at that time,
he becomes joyful. And he sees everyone on an equal footing because he is Brahman -
realized. He knows one is not this body, but a spirit soul, part and parcel of Supreme Brahman .
When one comes to this platform, brahma-bhutah stage, mad-bhaktim labhate param one
obtains devotional service.

The nirvisesa, impersonalists, want to stop activity, but actually Bhagavan, Krishna, says that
real activity begins when one is selfrealized, when one is situated in Brahman realization.
Brahman realization does not mean to stop. Brahman realization means to act for Krishna, not
for sense gratification. Mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]. And in that bhakti stage,
bhaktya mam abhijanati yavan yas casmi tattvatah [Bg. 18.55]. Actually, simply by executing
devotional service, being freed from all material contamination, one can understand what is
God. Bhaktya mam abhijanati. It is not said that by karma, “karmana mam abhijanati.” No.
“Jnanena mam abhijanati.”Abhijanati, tattvatah, if one wants to know God in truth, then he
must take to devotional service. And this devotional service, actual devotional service begins
when one is Brahman realized.

So one may argue, “If all these bhaktas are uneducated, how are they Brahman realized?” That
answer is given in the Bhagavad-gita (14.26):
 mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan

brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

This very platform of serving Krishna, avyabhicharini, without any adulteration, means without
any motive. Not that “I establish a Deity in the temple with a motive that people will come, will
give money, and I shall make it a path of earning my livelihood.” That is not devotion. Devotion
is without any motive. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. That is the liberated stage.
According to Bhagavata, liberation, mukti, means to be situated in one’s constitutional
position. Muktir hitva anyatha rupam svarupena vyavasthitih [SB 2.10.6]. Hitva anyatha rupa.

Now because we are designated, we have got this body, we are situated in different positions.
Somebody works for his family, another for his community, another for his nation. But this is
anyatha rupam, depending on the bodily designation: “I am American. I am Indian. Therefore I
must sacrifice everything for my country, for my nation.” This is anyatha rupam. And when we
work thinking, “I am Krishna’s part and parcel, Krishna is my master, I am His eternal servant, I
must work for Krishna” that is mukti, liberation. So anyone working to spread Krishna
consciousness has no other motive than to satisfy Krishna. He has no other motive than to
satisfy the representative of Krishna. Therefore they are hitva anyatha rupam.

KRISHNA – THE FATHER OF EVERYONE

These European and American boys are working for Krishna. It is practical. They are not
working for their community, country or nation. Nor Krishna is their God. According to the
dictionary, Krishna is a Hindu God. But they are not working for a Hindu God. They are working
for Krishna who says:

sarva-yonisu kaunteya

murtayah sambhavanti yah

tasam brahma mahad yonir

aham bija-pradah pita

[Bg. 14.4]

Translation: It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible
by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father.

They have understood the philosophy that Krishna is neither Indian nor Hindu; Krishna is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the father of everyone. Therefore they’re working for Krishna
without any motive. This is everywhere, all over the world. Why? Because Krishna
consciousness is there in everybody. Nitya-siddha Krishna bhakti. This devotional service of
Krishna is dormant in everyone. It has to be awakened only. That’s all. sravanadi-suddha-citte
karaye udaya.
 How To Know God Srnvatam sva-kathah Krishnah punya-sravana-
kirtanam Translation: sri Krishna, the Personality
of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in
everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful
devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment
from the heart of the devotee who has developed
the urge to hear His messages, which are in
themselves virtuous when properly heard and
chanted. [Bhag. 1.2.17]. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu
directed, bhagavata paro diya bhagavata sthane:
“One should hear about Bhagavata from the devotee.” There are two kinds of Bhagavata: the
book Bhagavata and the person Bhagavata. So we have to relish the srimad-Bhagavatam from
a devotee who is self-realized. Then it will be very nice. Satam prasangad mama virya-samvido
bhavanti hrt-karnarasayanah kathah: When you hear about Krishna from a Krishna devotee, it
becomes very pleasing to the ear and the heart. Therefore to become Krishna conscious,
tadvijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: “In order to reach the perfection of life or to
understand the real constitutional position of the living entity, one must approach the spiritual
master [Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12]. Tad vidhi pranipatena pariprasnena sevaya: “Just try to
learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render
service unto him. The selfrealized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have
seen the truth.”[Bg. 4.34]. This is the process. So this Bhakti-rasamrtasindhu is the science of
devotional service.

When we speak of Krishna, it means all Vishnu forms. Ramadimurtisu kala-niyamena tisthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu, Krishnah svayam samabhavad paramah puman yo [Bs.
5.39]. All incarnations are also Krishna, expansions of Krishna. But Krishna is the Supreme
Person. isvarah paramah Krishnah [Bs. 5.1]. These things are explained in the Bhaktirasamrta-
sindhu, as they are in the Bhagavad-gita and srimad- Bhagavatam. The summary, the juice of
srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, which is devotional service, is given in the
Bhaktirasamrta- sindhu. We have translated this book as Nectar of Devotion. And you’ll be
pleased to hear that in some universities in the US, this book has been recommended as a
study book in religious education and is now being read by students regularly.

Thank you very much

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