SB 1.16.22

Giriraj Swami: 

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya

Reading from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto One, Chapter Sixteen, “How Parīkṣit Received the Age of Kali,”

TEXT 22

kiṁ kṣatra-bandhūn kalinopasṛṣṭān
rāṣṭrāṇi vā tair avaropitāni
itas tato vāśana-pāna-vāsaḥ-
snāna-vyavāyonmukha-jīva-lokam

TRANSLATION

The so-called administrators are now bewildered by the influence of this Age of Kali, and thus they have put all state affairs into disorder. Are you now lamenting this disorder? Now the general populace does not follow the rules and regulations for eating, sleeping, drinking, mating, etc., and they are inclined to perform such anywhere and everywhere. Are you unhappy because of this?

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

There are some necessities of life on a par with those of the lower animals, and they are eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating. These bodily demands are for both the human beings and the animals. But the human being has to fulfil such desires not like animals, but like a human being. A dog can mate with a bitch before the public eyes without hesitation, but if a human being does so the act will be considered a public nuisance, and the person will be criminally prosecuted. Therefore for the human being there are some rules and regulations, even for fulfilling common demands. The human society avoids such rules and regulations when it is bewildered by the influence of the Age of Kali. In this age, people are indulging in such necessities of life without following the rules and regulations, and this deterioration of social and moral rules is certainly lamentable because of the harmful effects of such beastly behavior. In this age, the fathers and the guardians are not happy with the behavior of their wards. They should know that so many innocent children are victims of bad association awarded by the influence of this Age of Kali. We know from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that Ajāmila, an innocent son of a brāhmaṇa, was walking down a road and saw a śūdra pair sexually embracing. This attracted the boy, and later on the boy became a victim of all debaucheries. From a pure brāhmaṇa, he fell down to the position of a wretched urchin, and it was all due to bad association. There was but one victim like Ajāmila in those days, but in this Age of Kali the poor innocent students are daily victims of cinemas which attract men only for sex indulgence. The so-called administrators are all untrained in the affairs of a kṣatriya. The kṣatriyas are meant for administration, as the brāhmaṇas are meant for knowledge and guidance. The word kṣatra-bandhu refers to the so-called administrators or persons promoted to the post of the administrator without proper training by culture and tradition. Nowadays they are promoted to such exalted posts by the votes of the people who are themselves fallen in the rules and regulations of life. How can such people select a proper man when they are themselves fallen in the standard of life? Therefore, by the influence of the Age of Kali, everywhere, politically, socially, or religiously, everything is topsy-turvy, and therefore for the sane man it is all regrettable.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada would often ask an audience, “What is the difference between a human being and an animal?” And usually, the audience would not know the answer. In fact, one of the symptoms of the age of Kali is that persons do not know the difference between a human being and an animal. Sometimes the audience would give the answer that human beings can think, and animals cannot. But animals can also think; they think how to eat, how to sleep, how to defend themselves, and how to mate. Sometimes the audience would give the answer, “Human beings have language, whereas animals do not.” But actually, animals also have language. And the Bhāgavatam explains that the Lord incarnates in different species of life, and He speaks the language of the species into which He incarnates. So, what is the actual difference between a human being and an animal? We have heard the philosophy, so you should be able to answer.

Devotee: He has rational thoughts, by which he can examine philosophical topics, various things like that, and also find out his identity and his relationship with God.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, the difference between a human being and an animal is that a human being can inquire into his relationship with God. He can follow the orders of God, whereas the animals do not. Dharmea hina pasubhi samāna, that without dharma the human being is no better than the animal. So, dharma distinguishes the human being from the animal, and Srila Prabhupada comments that human life begins from dharma, from the point of varnashrama-dharma. So, in the age of Kali, people do not know the difference between a human being and an animal and they act, more or less, like animals without any rules and regulations. Now, in previous ages, the administrators were trained by education and culture, but in the present age, people are elected to the most important posts in government by popular vote, whether they are qualified or not. And most of them are not qualified by education and culture. Because they know how to get votes, they can assume the most important responsibilities in the state. But because they have no education and culture in the science of administration, they make everything topsy-turvy. Sometimes the administrators try to impose prohibition on some of the sinful activities, which is commendable, but generally, the population rebels against the prohibition, and they immediately begin to do black market. Here in the United States, when there was prohibition in the 1930s, immediately there was illicit alcohol and black market. Srila Prabhupada explains that one cannot eliminate sinful activities simply by prohibition, but there must be education of the population. Otherwise, without education, the people will just revolt against the prohibition and try to satisfy their desires outside of the law. So, there must be education, and the Krishna consciousness movement is meant to provide such education about dharma or religious principles.

So, even though there are certain activities common to human beings and animals, like eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, human beings are meant to fulfil such desires according to regulative principles. The human beings and the animals both eat, but human beings are meant to eat, ideally vegetarian food, which is offered to the Lord. Both human beings and animals sleep, but human beings are meant to sleep six or seven hours and rise early in the morning, at least an hour and a half before sunrise, and engage in spiritual practices. Animals run naked, but as Srila Prabhupada says, if a human being goes naked, he will be arrested for being a public nuisance. And Srila Prabhupada told the story, of course in another context, but he told the story of a yogi who used to sit naked on the streets of Benares, and the police would arrest him. But first, they warned him, “You are not allowed to sit naked in the footpath.” But the yogi paid no attention, so the police warned him once, twice, three times, and finally, they arrested him and put him in jail. But by his yogic powers, he reduced himself in size so that he fit through the keyhole in the jail cell, and he came out of the jail, and again, he was sitting naked in the street. So again, the police came. This was during the British rule. Again, the police came and arrested him, put him in jail. Again, he shrunk himself to be smaller than the keyhole, came out of the cell, and was again sitting naked in the street. So three times they arrested him and put him in jail, and three times he escaped by his mystic powers. Then finally, they gave up and let him sit naked in the street.

There is another story that Srila Prabhupada told about Alexander the Great. When he came to India, he found a yogi sitting in meditation, and he was impressed. He was just sitting still in the heat of the sun, absorbed in meditation. So Alexander the Great wanted to reward the yogi. So he asked the yogi “Is there anything I can do for you? I am prepared to do whatever you want.” And the yogi replied, “Please move to the side; you are getting in the way of the sun.” In other words, the yogi was so satisfied in his spiritual consciousness that he had no material desire to fulfill, even when offered by Alexander the Great. And Alexander the Great was very impressed. But ordinary people, they have so many desire to fulfill because, they do not relish spiritual bliss and satisfaction. So they have so many desires to fulfill: bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī — sakali ‘aśānta’ kṛṣṇa-bhakta — niṣkāma, ataeva ‘śānta’ [CC Madhya 19.149]. That karmis want material facilities and comforts, yogis want mystic powers, and jnanis want impersonal liberation. They all have some want, some desire. Therefore, none of them is peaceful. Only the devotee of the Lord has no desires, and therefore only He is peaceful. And as Bhagavad-gītā says, “Where there is no peace, where is the question of happiness?”

So we can try to artificially, not argue—well, that is another point which we will discuss—but we can try to artificially prohibit meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, and so on. But unless the people experience the higher taste of Krishna consciousness, they will be attracted to the lower demands of the senses, and they will indulge them without restriction. Now, we are practicing Krishna consciousness. We may not have fully experienced the higher taste, although all of us have, to some extent, experienced the higher taste, and therefore we are here. But we may not have fully experienced the higher taste to the point where we find sense gratification to be distasteful. Someone who actually has experienced the bliss of Krishna consciousness is not attracted to sense gratification. But because we haven’t fully realized the bliss of Krishna consciousness, we still may be attracted. But still, we don’t just indulge ourselves without discrimination and without restriction. We control ourselves, by engaging in devotional service and by determination.

The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam describes different faults and how we can overcome them. And illicit sex or the desire for sex indulgence can be overcome by determination. And Srila Prabhupada quotes Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura that on a fast day, someone may be hungry, but he has made a firm resolution that “I will not eat today because it is a fast day.” As many of us did on Janmashtami, we fasted. It doesn’t mean that we didn’t feel hungry; it didn’t mean that we didn’t feel weak. But we had made a resolution that we will not eat today, and even in the presence of so much food, we maintained the determination to fast. So Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that just as one decides to fast and, even in the presence of food, he will not accept it, similarly, one with determination can resolve not to indulge in sex life. And even if the opportunity arises, one will not take advantage. So it is a matter of determination. And by restraining oneself by determination and practicing hearing and chanting about Krishna, one can develop the higher taste. And then one actually feels more satisfied and more peaceful and more enlivened in devotional service than in sense gratification. And it is actually practical. So therefore, our program for the reformation of the state is not just to prohibit, but to give people education about the values of life. As Ganga Narayana Prabhu said, “Who am I? Who is God? What is my relationship with God? What is the perfection of life?” So that they actually engage in the practices of Krishna consciousness and experience the higher taste.

And the other important factor is association. Even if someone wants to follow, but if he associates with people who do not follow, there is every chance that he will fall down. And even, someone who is a little weak, but if he stays in the association of devotees who do follow strictly, there is every chance that he will be able to follow. And therefore, association is so important. And therefore, Srila Prabhupada formed the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, so devotees could come together and endeavor together to follow the regulative principles and perform the regular activities of Krishna consciousness. And there is strength in such association. Sometimes, Srila Prabhupada quoted the example from, maybe, some other culture, literature of the father who was instructing his sons about the importance of staying together. And he had some thin sticks. So he gave each son a thin stick and asked him to break it. And very easily, each one broke the stick. Then he put a whole bunch of thin sticks together and bound them together and asked the sons to break them, and they couldn’t break them. So in the same way, any one of us as an individual can be broken by the force of bad association. Our determination can be broken by the force of bad association. But if we stay bound together in our common effort to follow the regulative principles and be Krishna conscious, we cannot be broken so easily. Our determination cannot be broken so easily. So association is very important, and by strong association, we can be protected, and we can bring others into the same association, and they will also become strengthened.

Of course, when we go outside, as Srila Prabhupada cites the example of Ajamila, we will see many uneducated and uncultured persons dressing in all sorts of ways and acting in all sorts of ways. And one could become affected if one does not have a strong association. The parents really have a difficult time with the children unless the children also have strong association because the children can be very easily influenced by what they see on television and what they see on the street. But the duty of the parents is to raise the children in such a way that the children will never have to take birth again. That is the duty of the parents. And if they do not take their duty seriously, then, they are actually reproachable for their sinful behavior. So therefore, one should not become a father or a mother unless one is prepared to deliver the children from the repetition of birth and death. And to do so is a real challenge, but still, one has no choice. If one is going to be a responsible parent, one has no choice. One must make every effort to deliver the children from the repetition of birth and death, which means to help them become devotees, become Krishna conscious. Because only if they become Krishna conscious can they actually be liberated in any practical way.

So the two main influences in the children’s lives are the parents and the school. So the family should be very close, as a family, and they should be Krishna conscious as a family. If the parents are Krishna conscious but there is no love in the family and no care for the children, then the children won’t really get the benefit—or may not get the benefit—of the parents’ Krishna consciousness. And of course, if there is material affection and material care in the family without Krishna consciousness, then also the children will just become misled into sense gratification. But if we have both; loving reciprocation within the family and Krishna consciousness, then the children will get a very good background in the family, a very good support in the family. And then the school; if we have a very good Krishna conscious school with spiritually and materially qualified teachers, and of course, the parents have to be responsible and make whatever sacrifices they have to, to facilitate the school, then again the children can be protected from the bad association they would get in ordinary schools. But if we have the combination of strong Krishna conscious families and strong Krishna conscious schools, we can have a great influence on the children’s lives and protect the children from the bad influences and anomalies of the age of Kali. And this is responsible parenthood. Otherwise, as the Bhāgavatam says, if you are not prepared to take the responsibility for ensuring that your children become Krishna conscious and don’t have to take birth again, you shouldn’t become parents.

So even if the state is not up to the standard, at least we within our communities can come up to the standard and set the right example. And that is what Srila Prabhupada wanted. That, the world will come and see the example of the devotees, how successful they are, and then they will want to follow. So because the people are fallen, they elect leaders who are also fallen. The Bhāgavatam here also gives the example that persons who are like dogs, hogs, camels, and asses praise people who do not hear the glories of the Lord. So the main problem with the leaders who are elected by the public, is that they are not Krishna conscious. But because the people are not Krishna conscious, they accept leaders who are not Krishna conscious. The little animals cast their votes for the bigger animals. But again, if the people become Krishna conscious, then naturally they will elect Krishna conscious leaders. And in the democratic system, where the leaders are so fallen and so materially attached, we may have more hope in convincing the innocent public than in changing the leaders. But if, we can change the leaders directly, so much the better. But again, Srila Prabhupada said Krishna consciousness is such that even if other people don’t take to Krishna consciousness, even if we as individuals or as families take to Krishna consciousness, we can get the benefit. Other ideologies like communism, if the government isn’t communist, then being a communist has no meaning because one cannot get the benefit unless the state is communist. But with Krishna consciousness, even if the state is not Krishna conscious. . . [Break in audio 00:46:28]

So, Srila Prabhupada had a great mission and he wanted people to hear our message. Yesterday, I mentioned a few little incidents about Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, but I may mention one or two more now. Srila had a friend in Bombay named Mr. Motta. He was a very shrewd businessman and a very intelligent person in general. And, by chance, I was here when Mr. Motta came to America and came to Los Angeles to meet Srila Prabhupada. Of course, Purandara Prabhu was the temple president then, and he used to joke that there are two categories of life members that come: the pious ones come to the temple first and then go to Disneyland, and the irreligious ones go to Disneyland first and then come to the temple. Anyway, Mr. Motta came, and he was very impressed. He was very impressed, and Srila Prabhupada wanted the life members from India to come to America and see the temples and see the devotees. He was very impressed with the chanting of the Sanskrit and everything: rising early, coming to the maṅgala-ārati at 4:30. Everything. But Mr. Motta, he was a very intelligent person. He used to mix with people, and after a few days in L.A., he told Srila Prabhupada, people do not come to the temple because they have some idea that maybe the temple is just meant for members of the cult or members of the religion, and that a member of the public cannot just walk in off the street and come to the program.

Then Srila Prabhupada said how the temple room, at the time, the temple room was where the fake museum is now, and the present room was being converted into the temple. But earlier, it had been a hall with chairs in it, and Srila Prabhupada said that actually, he wanted them to keep the chairs so that Western gentlemen would feel that they can come in and sit down and hear a lecture. But he said the disciples wanted to make it into a temple, so he let them do it. But actually, he wanted to keep the chairs so that American gentlemen would feel comfortable, that they could just walk in and sit down and hear a lecture. Even in India, Srila had a similar idea. Once, His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja was speaking to Srila Prabhupada about the temple, and Srila Prabhupada, he was saying that the educated people in India have had enough of temples. They don’t just want to come to temples and see the pūjārī ring the bell. They want to get something substantial; they want to get some knowledge. So Srila Prabhupada said, he was speaking specifically about Delhi, Srila Prabhupada said we should have a hall in downtown New Delhi where people can come in and sit down and get some real knowledge. And as the discussion continued, Gopal Krishna Maharaja brought up the subject of temples again, and Prabhupada said, “Why do you keep bringing temples? The educated people have had enough of temples. They want knowledge.”

So Srila Prabhupada had a great mission, and he had an ingenious approach how to fulfil it. And he wanted people to be educated. It is very good that they come to the temple for darshan and festivals, but I know from my own experience in Bombay, where we get hundreds of thousands of people coming for festivals, they come in front of the deities, they put money in the box, they may give donations, but do you know what they are thinking when they are praying to the deity? They may have no idea of pure devotional service at all. They may be praying for material things. In other words, they are basically materialistic persons, and they come to the temple for the fulfilment of material desires. They don’t change. Of course, they do get benefit. Srila Prabhupada said everything they do; they get some pious credit, ajñāta-sukṛti. He said they come to the temple, they bow down; it is like one cent in their account. Then they put some money in the box, one cent in their account. They take caraṇāmṛta, one cent in their account. They take prasāda, one cent in their account. So eventually, one cent, one cent, one cent, one cent, it all adds up, and eventually, they have a hundred dollars, and they can actually do something. So coming to the temple and engaging in such pious activities will help them. But until they actually hear the science of Krishna from the devotees, they cannot become devotees. They will just remain pious materialists. And therefore, Srila Prabhupada was concerned that people have a chance to sit down and hear some solid philosophy, which is a challenge. Definitely, it is a challenge, but that is what Srila Prabhupada wanted.

We put on the first big pandal in Calcutta. Calcutta was, sort of under the influence of Naxalite at the time. Naxalites were communist youth, and the press also was influenced by communist ideas. So they came to Srila Prabhupada before the pandal, and they challenged Srila Prabhupada, “What is the purpose of this huge arrangement? Couldn’t you spend the money on something more worthwhile, like feeding poor people or whatever their idea of worthwhile was?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “We are making this elaborate arrangement so people can come and have a chance to hear.” He said, in fact, the whole arrangement has come just because people had come to hear him. He went to America and people heard him speak about Krishna, and after they heard him, they came forward and they made the arrangement. So, the whole purpose is just so people can hear, and the whole thing has come just from people who heard. So education, which means really someone speaks or chants about Krishna, someone else hears, is the only real solution. And it has to go on in the temple, in the household, on the street, in public places; wherever we get the chance, you have to speak the message of Krishna. And even if most people don’t listen, even if one person hears, we have been successful. So, we shouldn’t worry too much whether people will like it or they will not like it. When Prabhupada came to America; he thought people will not like it. He thought as soon as he explains the four regulated principles, people will leave, or they will tell him to leave. “Swamiji, we do not need this philosophy here. You can go back to India now.” But Prabhupada spoke the truth. He had faith in Krishna, and he spoke the truth. And so, we have to do the same somehow or other, whether it is palatable according to people’s conceptions of sense gratification and material happiness or not. And the message itself will have potency, and it will act on the hearts of sincere souls. Hare Krishna

Are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Well, my major question is, I hope I can phrase it concisely, is that our society has changed rapidly, with the advancement of technology. So, with, cell phones, computers, etc., etc., along with the age of communication, things are becoming more and more degraded and more rapid break, and our society is trying to adjust. Our International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has also made some adjustments to deal with the general public. So, to make a long story short, how do you know how to adjust things, including time, place, and circumstance, and how it is actually diluting? It may dilute the Krishna consciousness. I will give you a couple of examples. One is, for example, in the restaurant, there is so many vegans that come, so they make some adjustment by having a certain token preparations and various things like that.

Giriraj Swami: Well, Srila Prabhupada said that any, any preparation in any style which is prepared within the rules and regulations can be offered to Krishna and it becomes prasādam, because we are dealing with people who already have their own habits and their own ideas, and we want to attract them. So, in China, in Hong Kong, they have a restaurant and they serve typical Chinese cuisine, but according to our rules and regulations. And the restaurant is very popular, and people are getting prasādam, and they are becoming purified. So yes, it is true that we want to ultimately introduce Vedic culture completely, but in the beginning, to attract people, we may have to give it to them in a form that is easier for them to accept. And Srila Prabhupada said we can use modern media and modern technology to spread Krishna consciousness, but there is danger. And again, especially I refer to the internet, there is danger of misuse. Because years ago, when Srila Prabhupada was present, some devotees asked if we could install telex. And telex is pretty simple compared to email. And Srila Prabhupada said no, because you will just use it for international gossip. And that was telex. And if I think if Prabhupada knew, and I think he does, but if Prabhupada knew what was going on the internet, I think he would be very concerned, to say the least.

Devotee: I just wanted to; bring up the point again about the temple visitation. We are saying that against the highest rate. But it was always my understanding that they get the devotional credits. But everybody, they would be able to do some Krishna conscious projects, and hopefully, they will hear the chanting of Hare Krishna’s. That was also part of the desire. And twenty-four-hour kirtan, as far as possible. One, because even if you are not interested in chanting yourself, if you simply hear them, then you get transcendental credit not just pious credits.

Giriraj Swami: Archita Prabhu raised the question, or proposes to make the distinction between pious credit and transcendental credit. And the same subject has been discussed by learned scholars in the line, and Srila Prabhupada has used the word “devotional service.” And devotional service is used by Prabhupada to refer to two things in Sanskrit: one is ajñāta-sukṛti, and the other is bhakti. Now, the same subject is discussed in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. And, if someone thinks that chanting Hare Krishna, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, making an offering to the deities, or to the saintly persons is a pious act that will bring him material benefit, he is not considered to be engaged in bhakti. But we would say he is engaged in devotional service, but there, devotional service refers to ajñāta-sukṛti. Whereas someone who comes and out of spontaneous attraction, wants to do some service without any desire for any material remuneration, he is in a different category; the action is the same, but the consciousness is different.

So, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu discusses that, is ajñāta-sukṛti part of bhakti? And the authorities say that because it leads to bhakti, in one sense, it can be considered part of the process, although it, it is not actually bhakti. And again, in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, where Lord Chaitanya says that only a fortunate person can get bhakti, Srila Prabhupada discusses what is good fortune. And he quotes Bhaktivinoda Thakura that there are three types of pious activities that lead to good fortune. One is bhoga-unmukhī-sukriti, which means pious activity that leads to material benefit. Another is mukti-unmukhī-sukriti, which means pious activities that lead to liberation. And the third is bhakti-unmukhī-sukriti, or pious activities that lead to bhakti. And pious activities that lead to bhakti take place in the association of devotees. That is exactly what you are talking about. They come to the temple, and they hear the holy name from devotees. They hear the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from devotees. They make contributions to assist the devotees in their service to the deities and to the mission. So that is bhakti-unmukhī-sukriti, which Prabhupada also calls devotional service, and it leads to bhakti. And because it leads to bhakti, in one sense, it can be seen as part of the process of bhakti. But without ultimately hearing the message of Krishna and developing faith in it, they cannot get bhakti just by doing those things.

Devotee: It is the same point in Caitanya-caritāmṛta there were examples of father and uncle of Raghunatha

Giriraj Swami: Yes, Govardhana Majumdar and Hiranya Majumdar, the father and uncle of Raghunatha dasa.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:06:42]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, exactly. Vaishnava prāya. They engage in the activities of Vaishnavas with the intention of becoming prosperous and happy in the material world. And therefore, from the position of a pure devotee, they are like worms in stool, even though they are very pious, and they were practically supporting the whole Vaishnava community in Bengal.

Devotee: That is why I mentioned specifically because there is so much evidence, emphasis given to just hearing, once again, consciously or unconsciously. There is so much emphasis on that and holding it so powerfully, whether you are into it or not. Just like that is why they go on the chant in the street. Whether you are into it or not, one’s hearing their path back to Godhead is starting. So it becomes not just pious activities, activities will keep you in the material world. People often come down like that. But once you get that first transcendental credit, you are on your own. And that is why the chanting is so emphasized. That there is so many verses that can chant within to back it up. That just once hearing and your material life is over. So that is why Prabhupada is stressing, even within the temples, you have to continuously chant, artificially. Because they will come with that mentality to give a little something and get your benefit. But if they hear the chanting, then it is all over. Their mission, well, performed.

Giriraj Swami: Well, I would say that what Judah Karma Prabhu said and what you said are both true, but they are being seen from different angles of vision. If you look from the highest position, like Lord Chaitanya instructing Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, what is going on down there is really low. It is like worms in stool. We are talking about Hiranya and Govardhana, Majumdar who invited Nāmācārya Haridasa Thakura to their place to chant the holy name and speak. But from the highest position looking down at them, who we could call Vaishnava prāya or kaniṣṭhā bhakta, they are like worms in stool. But if you look from the bottom up, if you look at most people who have never even heard the holy name once, who are totally immersed in sinful activities and material ignorance, now if they hear the holy name once, they are extremely fortunate. And Krishna will never let them go. Krishna will mark them, and He will never let them go, and He will see that gradually they ultimately come to the perfectional stage, even if it takes many lifetimes. And therefore, Rupa Gosvami says in Upadeśāmṛta that if one chants the holy name of Krishna once, he is better than the common people and he should be worshipped.

So yes, it depends whether you are at the top looking down or at the bottom looking up, or where you are, but Srila Prabhupada encouraged us to do hari-nāma-kirtan, and he said that the chanting in the streets will knock on the doors of the people’s hearts. And yes, it is very important, and it is transcendental in the sense that the holy name is transcendental, and it is transcendental credit. But because they don’t know it, it is called ajñāta-sukṛti. Whereas if we hear it, we know the value of it, so there is a difference. It is like nāma-ābhāsa. There are two categories mentioned in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, nāma-ābhāsa without faith and nāma-ābhāsa with faith. So someone without faith, he hears the holy name or even, mārāmārā or anything, and he gets benefit. It is not nāma-ābhāsa. And we are trying to chant without offense, but we may also be in the stage of nāma-ābhāsa, but we have faith in the process. So both are nāma-ābhāsa, but there is a difference. One is with faith, and when it is without faith, and with faith, the person will continue and we hope he will gradually come to the perfect stage. And without faith, he gets credit, but eventually, he will have to hear the message of Krishna from devotees and come to the stage of developing faith. And ādau śraddhā, that is when bhakti actually begins, when he develops faith.

Devotee: I heard, someone tell me this kind of technical question, but they said that, in Bengali, hearing doesn’t mean reading, it means you are physically hearing. [Unintelligible 01:12:34] I don’t have a name, I just heard it

Giriraj Swami: Reading is in same category as hearing. If someone can read one of Srila Prabhupada books or even a book of a devotee and develop faith and faith is the beginning of bhakti.

Devotee: So if they read Hare Krishna, it is the same thing as if they were to hear somebody Hare Krishna or same thing as to hear Prabhupada chanting.

Giriraj Swami: Well, it is the same in the sense that it counts as hearing. There is one letter where Srila Prabhupada says that hearing from the self-realized soul is better than reading the words of the self-realized soul. But the fact that its better doesn’t mean that reading doesn’t count as hearing. Yes, if you can hear from the self-realized soul, its better. If Prabhupada were in the temple giving a class, we would probably rather be in the temple and hear him speak than reading one of his books. But if Prabhupada is not in the temple giving a class, we can read his books and get benefit, get tremendous benefit. And the books are also alive. So many devotees have experienced, one can say, well, if Prabhupada were present, we could ask him our questions, and he would answer. But if we are sincere, we can get the answers from the books also. Prabhupada will manifest the answer in the books. But there is risk because there is so many people now that have different opinions on different subjects, and they all claim they are getting the answers from Prabhupada. Whereas if Prabhupada were personally present, he could make it very clear. Certainly cannot minimize the value of the books.

Devotee: I was interested by what you are saying about family life and raising Krishna conscious children. I was raised during this community, myself. And, as far as I know, my parents were trying to raise me as a Krishna conscious child, but I experienced that. I have seen many of the children who are being raised here now; also I grew up to do basically like a karmi. We just didn’t have as much opulence, usually as other kids. And it wasn’t until later on in my life that I got frustrated with trying to enjoy, that I had an opportunity to hear by reading Srila Prabhupada books. But I was wondering, in that regard, I don’t think it is necessary. I, I have sort of become interested in Krishna consciousness through reading, after having tried and failed materially. But how can the positive note, how can one be raised in Krishna consciousness without needing to go through that experience of,

Giriraj Swami: are you asking from the point of view of the guardians of the child or from the point of view of the child?

Devotee: I would say probably more from guardians, just because, just when children are being raised, they don’t have much say.

Giriraj Swami: Well, the family should be Krishna conscious, and they should have loving reciprocations within the family. And I would say that they should, and this should not be taken out of context, but I think they should make as much money as they can, if they are of that nature. But, I wouldn’t say that it is a priority for them to make money. But I think that some people have the propensity to make money, and there is no harm if they do. And Srila Prabhupada, he encouraged devotees who had that propensity, like Gargamuni, who he gave the nickname Gargamoney. Among Lord Chaitanya disciples, there are poor householders and rich householders. They are all devotees of Lord Chaitanya, and they are all content. They are all content. I recently read a nice saying, maybe from. . . I am not sure, from some literature, that one should always be satisfied with three things: his wife, whatever food one gets by the grace of the Lord, and whatever money comes by one’s honest efforts. And one should never be satisfied by three things: chanting, studying, and giving.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Nitai-Gaura premānande