Give Your Life to Krishna

Love of God automatically includes Love Thy Neighbor—not vice versa

Who Follows the Principles of Religion? by Hansadutta das

When Christ was asked, “What is the first and foremost commandment?” he answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul. And the second is like unto it: love thy neighbor as thyself.” You speak of society consciousness, but God consciousness is above society consciousness, because when you learn to become conscious of God, God being the reservoir of all things and all beings, you automatically become society conscious. If you put your water on the root of a tree, automatically every leaf, flower, fruit and branch will get the water. But if you try to put water on every leaf and branch and flower, that will be of no use. This is the problem. more

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How can you help?
excerpt from Conversation with Guests, September 19, 1973, Bombay

Guest (1): God expects something from you.

Prabhupada: God does not expect. It is for your good. If you are simply taking from God. Now, if you learn how to give God, that is your perfection. That is your perfection. Why God will ask from you? He is all perfect. He does not want. He is not hungry. He is feeding millions of living entities. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. Why God will ask from you? But if you give your life to God, then you become perfect. God is not want of, in your service or anything... He is complete. If he is not complete, he is not God. These are all mental concoctions. What you can do? What you have got to give charity?

Guest 4 (Indian man): What is the position of man...

Prabhupada: You are poor man, what you can give, charity? Why you are thinking that you can give in charity? Therefore God says, dadasi yat: "If you are thinking to make some charity, give it to Me. Come on." Just like Bali Maharaja was approached by Vamanadeva. The Supreme Lord went to Bali Maharaja, "Bali Maharaja, give Me some land." You see. So these are all mental concoctions. Therefore Bhagavad-gita says that "If you have got such mentality to give some charity, give it to Me. Come on." The first thing is you try to learn how to give God.

Guest (1): But Guruji, giving those who are in need is not giving to God?

Prabhupada: That is your philosophy. That is your philosophy. Everyone is needy.

Guest (3): Now people... There are drought conditions, people are starving. Cattles are dying. There are no rains.

Prabhupada: Yes, because they are not God conscious, they are thinking like that. Now, suppose in the hospital, there are many patients. They are starving, many patients in the hospital. Do you know that or not? So why don't you give them food? They are starving. Why? Why don't you go to the hospital and you'll find hundreds of patients, they are starving... So similarly, why you are bothering? You are not bothering the hospital because you know that is right, they are starving. That is the physician's prescription. They must starve. So if you know God, then you will understand that you cannot help anyone. They are put into the starving condition under certain condition. So you cannot help them. You are simply thinking that "I will help." There are hundreds and thousands, millions of people starving. What you can do? Even if you try to give some something. Just like this Vivekananda philosophy, daridra-narayana-seva, to serve the poor Narayana. Narayana has become poor. These are manufactured things. This is not with reference to the authorized shastras or knowledge. What they can do? They raise subscription, huge subscription, on this plea, daridra-narayana-seva[1]. And Swami Nikhilananda in New York, he personally said, "Now these Americans ask me that you take from us so much money for daridra-narayana-seva, but when we go to India, we see all these daridra-narayanas are lying on the footpath." What you are doing for them? What you can do? You are simply thinking falsely. What you have got to give? Just oil in your own machine. Try to understand God instead of thinking foolishly, "Oh, what I shall do, this? What I shall do, that?" First, of all try to understand the situation.

Shastra therefore says that "Don't spoil your energy for the matter of maintenance of the body. That is already settled up." Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. That is the Vedic injunction. Nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman (Katha Upanishad 2.2.13). The Supreme Lord is nitya as we are nitya [eternal]. Nitya means there is no birth and death. Na jayate na mriyate va, nityah shashvato 'yam, na hanyate hanyamane sharire [Bg. 2.20].[2] This is our constitutional position. And what is the difference between the two nityas? One is plural number and the other is singular number. The singular number nitya, or Krishna, He supplies food to everyone. Oh, whatever we require, that is already settled up. Therefore we should not spend our energy for maintenance of the body. That is not required. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad brahmatam upary adhah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.18]. Our human energy should be utilized only for that purpose which was not fulfilled in other lives, in the 8,400,000 different species of life, and you are changing, tatha dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], by nature's law, prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani [Bg. 3.27]. According to guna [association with the material modes goodness, passion and ignorance] and karma, we are changing our body in 8,400,000's of species and forms. That is By nature's law it is going on, and the nature's law, according to the body, one has to eat, sleep, and sense gratification and protection. At night we see so many dogs. The whole day they could not get food. At night they are crying. And there are other bodies; they are eating nicely. Even the small birds, they have got food. But this dog, they cannot get food. This is God's arrangement. They are condemned life. Otherwise others are getting food; why this body is not getting food? The hogs, they are eating stool.

So varieties of life and varieties of position, you cannot change them. That is not possible. So the theory is humanitarianism, daridra-narayana-seva... Seva. It is not seva. A poor man, you can have mercy, daya. That is allowed. Just like we distribute prasadam [food which has been offered first to Krishna]. That is balisheshu ishvare tad-adhineshu balisheshu dvishatsu cha, prema-maitri-kripa upeksha. Kripa. Those who are suffering—innocent, they do not know how to get release from the suffering—they are called balisha. Just like a child. A child is suffering, he does not know how to get relief; so one should take care. They should be given shelter, they should be given cloth, food. It is the duty of the parents. That is natural. So for the balisha, innocent, it is our duty to show them mercy, give them food, give them shelter, give them instruction of Krishna consciousness so that he may understand why he is here in this material world, why he is suffering. Ke ami kene amaya jape tapa traya. Everyone is suffering threefold miserable condition of life, adhyatmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika[3].

So the Krishna consciousness movement is meant for showing mercy to the innocent who are suffering in this material world. That is wanted. It is not daridra-narayana seva, that "I am very rich man. I am rich Narayana, and therefore I can serve the daridra-narayana."There is no question of serving. That is not. No. The fact is everyone is suffering. There is nobody... Because asad-grahat. Sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat [SB 7.5.5]. Anyone within this material world, he is suffering, full of anxieties. Even the birds and beasts, you'll find, they are full of anxiety. Why? Asad-grahat. Because he accepted this material body, which is asat, which is temporary. Asato ma sad gamah. Therefore Vedic injunction is, "Don't stay in this material existence. Come to the spiritual existence, sat." Om tat sat. This is the civilization, not to keep the people in ignorance and flatter them that "You are making very good advance." There is no advance unless one is interested in spiritual life. There is no... Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovido na labhyate yad bhramatam upary adhah [SB 1.5.18]. In this way we are wandering within this universe in different forms of life, in different planets, in different social positions, in so many varieties.

Prabhupada: First God realization begins from the name. Therefore we are chanting the name. And by chanting the name, when our heart will be cleansed... Because we are now in unclean heart. So cheto-darpana-marjanam, param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam [Chaitanya-charitamrita Antya 20.12]. By chanting the holy name, when our heart should be cleansed, then everything will be revealed. You cannot understand what is God, what is His name, what is His form, what is His quality. Quality... In the Upanishads the qualities are described as nirguna. Nirguna means not this material quality. But He has got spiritual quality. Nirgunam guna-bhoktri cha, in the Bhagavad-gita: "He is devoid of all material qualities," but guna-bhoktri, "but He has qualities." Just like here it is described that He is so satisfied with the devotees, bhakta-vatsala. He's very much inclined to favor the devotees. This is guna.

Here the masters are trying to take more service from the servant. That's all. Their aim is that "I will pay him less; I will take service from him more." This is material. But in the spiritual world, simply becoming servant... Of course, he hasn't got to do anything. Because God is complete, what He will have to do there? He doesn't require anyone's service. If He is complete, He is not depending on my service. He is complete. Still there are so many millions of servants there. They are eager to serve.

So simply by that attitude... These things are described, that there is not a single dust in the Vaikuntha [spiritual] world. Everything is clean, but still, they are trying to sweep, make it clean, the stairway. This is service attitude. Actually, as Krishna has nothing to do—He is complete—similarly, His servants there, they also have nothing to do. Everything is nice. There is no question of sweeping or cleansing or cooking. These things are not required. But still, they are ready to serve. And Krishna, or Narayana, is very favorably looking upon them. Abhimukham. Drig... What is that? Drik?

Pradyumna: [Refers to text:] Drig-asavam.

Prabhupada: Drig-asavam. Drig-asavam. Asavam means intoxication. Intoxication. Just like one, when one is intoxicated, his eyes are... This thing, in... Bengali it is called dumabhi.(?) Not a staring, but very mildly smiling. Drig-asavam. Bhritya-prasadabhimukham drig-asavam. Abhimukham: "Glancing over the devotees very mildly, softly." Prasanna-hasa: smiling so nicely that immediately you can understand that the master is pleased. Prasanna-hasa.

So there is no question of displeasure. That is Vaikuntha. There is no discrepancy of the service. Just opposite. Here there is just different thing. The master is not satisfied, and the servant is also not satisfied. Servant, you go on paying him more and more, he'll..., "Oh, it is insufficient. Give me more. I will strike. I will not come. I will not work." This is the position of this material world. Everyone is giving service. And apart from master and servant, even in family the man is giving service throughout his whole life, up to the old age. And ask anybody, any member of the family, "You are satisfied?" "No." Just see. Frustration. Gandhi, he gave service to the country to the best capacity, and people appreciated. He was called Mahatma [exalted soul], so on, so on. But he was killed. He was killed. So here you go on rendering service to your society, country, family or anyone, you cannot satisfy them. It is not possible—they'll never—because the place is like that, insufficiency.

So this service... Here in this material world, service means neither master or servant. Service means to the senses. That's all. We are servant of our senses. We give service to the master—not to the master. I give service to the money—he pays me—not to the master. I have no love for the master. Here anyone goes to the office or goes to service, he does not... He has no business to give service to a certain man, but because he will pay, that means he gives to the, service to the money. And why he gives service to the money? Because it is required for my sense gratification. Therefore ultimately I give service to my senses. The so-called service to the society, friendship, love, country, nation—all bogus. I do service to my senses, sense gratification. That's all. Therefore here service means service to my sensuous kama, lust. Kamadinam, kama. First of all I am lusty; therefore anyone who is not, who does not require money, he does not go to give service. So because I am lusty—I require some money to fulfill my lusty desires—I go to serve. So therefore kamadinam kati na katidha. And I give service to a man. If he proposes that "I will give you $5,000. You go and kill that man," oh, I will do immediately. I will go because I want money. As it happened. Even the president is killed. Why the president is killed? You can hire anyone and kill anyone, especially in Western countries. So I want money, so even something which I should not have done, if it is ordered, "You do this. I will give you this money," I will do because I want money. Without money I cannot satisfy my senses.

So this is our position. Kamadinam kati na katidha. And even... Just like this man who killed President Kennedy, he was also killed. So although he accepted to kill President, which he should not have done, but still, the man who paid him or engaged him, he was not satisfied. He also killed him. This is the position. Even if you do something abominable, still, the man for whom you are doing, he will not be satisfied. He can kill you. This is going on. This is the sense of service here in this world. Try to understand. Practically it is all bogus. But I give service because I am lusty; I am hungry; I want to satisfy my senses. Therefore I pose myself: "Oh, I will give you service. I will become prime minister, and I will give you so much service." He will canvass. But as soon as he goes to the post of prime minister, he will do nothing. You cannot see, if you want to see him. While taking votes he will come to your door, "Please give me vote." And when he is in the prime minister post, if you want to see him, "Oh, the prime minister is preoccupied. You cannot see him." So on the whole, simply sense gratification in the name of service.

Here in the Vaikuntha the service is not like that. There is nothing to do, and still, the servants are ready, always ready. They are simply waiting for the order. So master is self-sufficient. He hasn't got to order anybody. This is the situation there. And here, just the opposite. Kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnideshah. So we are serving most abominably. Sometimes we do things which I should not have done. But still, because I want money, because I want to gratify my senses, I give service. Even very sinful service I give. But still, neither I am satisfied, neither the master is satisfied. This is the position. Everyone is trying to give, the politicians or any. Just I have given the example: Gandhi throughout the whole life gave service, but there were some persons who were not satisfied. It is not possible. Therefore the sensible man should consider that "What is the use of this service?" Just like this Vivekananda society, their daridra-narayana-seva. The daridras [poor men] are lying on the street, but they collect money in the name of serving the poor, and they live very comfortably—big, big belly. You see. All the sannyasis [so-called renunciates, members of the Vivekananda Society] are eating and sleeping and doing everything, all nonsense. But they are collecting money. They have no other source. We don't say that we are collecting money for daridra-narayana-seva, no. We collect money directly for serving Krishna. We give directly, that "We have got our Krishna. We have to serve. We have to do this. Kindly give us some contribution, and you take this book." We never say that we are going to serve the daridra-narayana. Our Narayana [Narayana is another name for the Supreme Personality of Godhead] is not daridra. Daridra means poor. Here our Narayana is described. Our Narayana is not... Here it is... He is... Tatrakhila-satvatam patim shriyah patim yajna-patim jagat-patim. He is not daridra. How He can be poor? He is jagat-pati. He is the master, He's the Lord. He is the proprietor of all universes, jagat-pati. Shriyah pati. He is the husband of the goddess of fortune. So how He can be poor? Just see how they concoct word, daridra-narayana. Simply bogus. Here it is stated that God is shriyah patim. Shriyah means all opulences—all riches, all fame, all strength. He is the master of... shriyah patim. Yajna-patim. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-maheshvar... [Bg. 5.29][4]. Yajna-patim. Yajna means who accepts only sacrifices. Yajna-patim. And jagat-patim. This is the description of the Lord. How He can be poor? But they describe as daridra-narayana. Wherefrom this word was concocted?

So this is going on. Very, what is called, awkward position in this material world. In the name of service, so many nonsense things are going on. In the name of worshiping God, so many nonsense things are going on. Therefore, the conclusion should be kamadinam kati na katidha palita durnideshas tesham jata mayi na karuna. In the material world you can go on serving throughout the whole life; you will never be satisfied. Na trapa. Neither they will say, "Oh, you have given sufficient service. Now we don't require. Stop." No. "Go on. Go on. Go on. Go on." Na trapa nopashantih. Therefore a sane man should conclude, "Why shall I be engaged in this nonsense service? Why not to give service to Krishna?" This should be the conclusion. "Why I shall be engaged in this nonsense service when, without giving any service," bhritya-prasadabhimukham drig-asavam, "the Lord is always prepared to bless His servant." He doesn't take any service. There is no need of service. Still, pleased—prasanna-hasa. Prasanna, pleased. He doesn't require any service. But He... Why not accept this master? Bhritya-prasada. Prasanna-hasa. He is always pleased. Prasanna-hasaruna, aruna-locanananam. This is God. He doesn't require any service. Still, if you, somehow or other, if you approach there with this service attitude only... Because you cannot approach God in challenging mood. Therefore Krishna says, "Surrender first of all." Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja [Bg. 18.66][5]. This is bhakti. If you surrender, then, Krishna says, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo mokshayishyami. We suffer on account of our sinful activities. So here everything is sinful. Anything you do in this material world, that is sin. Even your so-called service to the society, country, they are also sinful. Chaitanya-charitamrita says that dvaite bhadrabhadra sakali samana. This material world is so polluted, everything is polluted here. So here we have divided that "This is nice, and this is bad." This is simply mental concoction. There is nothing good here; everything is bad. That should be the conclusion. But we have divided: "This is very good, and this is very bad." Everything is very bad. There is no question of good because there is no connection of God.

So here is the picture of God, bhritya-prasadabhimukham drig-asavam. Bhritya-prasada. He is always ready to bless the servants, just like a father. Here you have got some little examples, father and mother. Without any service from the child, he is always ready to bless, always ready. He does not take any offense. Simply father-mother is ready. That is the natural... But nowadays father and mother is also killing, killing in the womb. Just see. Killing in the womb. A child has taken shelter in the womb of a mother, and mother is going to the doctor—how to kill it. Just see. This is the position of the world. And here the supreme father, prasanna-hasaruna-locanananam, always ready... So why not take this master? Why not accept this father? Why you are after all this nonsense? That is Krishna consciousness. Take the right thing. Don't be misled by the nonsense and rascals.