Lect MAY 1976-02-21 What to Fear
ANNOUNCER: Next is a lecture on the appearance day
of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur,
given by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
recorded on February 21st, 1976, in Māyāpur, India.
PRABHUPĀDA: Today, the auspicious day of our predecessor spiritual master,
Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata
Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s mission… Apart from his life,
we are especially stressing on the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
This place, Māyāpur, was formerly known as Miyapura.
Mostly it is inhabited by the Muhammadans.
Some way or other it converted into the name of Miyapura instead of Māyāpur.
Still, people are very much doubtful
where is the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
And Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was researching to find out the actual place.
So under the direction of Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja,
this present Yogapīṭha was ascertained
to be the birth site of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
So Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura in the beginning
wanted to develop this place very gloriously,
befitting the holy name of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
So he started this movement of developing Māyāpur.
He could not finish it,
so it was handed down to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
So under his effort, assisted by his disciples,
this place has gradually developed, and our attempt is also to develop this place.
Therefore we have named this temple Māyāpur Chandrodaya.
We have got great ambition to develop this place nicely and gloriously,
and fortunately we are now connected with foreign countries,
especially with the Americans.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s great desire was that the Americans would come here
and develop this place and they would chant and dance along with the Indians.
So his dream as well as Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s foretelling,
Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma [?].
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu desired that all Indians to take part.
bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra . [Cc. Ādi 9.41]
This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission, para-upakāra.
Para-upakāra means to do good to others.
Of course,
in the human society
there are many different branches of doing good to others—
welfare societies—but more or less… Why more or less?
Almost completely they think that this body is our self
and to do some good to the body is welfare activities.
But actually that is not welfare activities
because in the Bhagavad-gītā we understand very clearly,
Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ [Bg. 2.18].
This body is antavat.
Anta means it will be finished.
Everyone knows his body is not permanent; it will be finished.
Anything material… Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg. 8.19].
It has a date of birth, it stays for some time, and then it annihilates.
So the spiritual education begins from the understanding that “I am not this body.”
This is spiritual education.
In the Bhagavad-gītā the first instruction given by Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna is this,
that we are not this body.
Because Arjuna was speaking from the bodily platform,
so Kṛṣṇa chastised him that,
Aśocyān anvaśocas tvaṁ prajñā- vādāṁś ca bhāṣase [Bg. 2.11].
“Arjuna, you are talking like a very learned man,
but you are lamenting on the subject matter on which no learned man laments.”
aśocyān anvaśocas… So such kind of welfare activity concerning the body,
like hospital and so many other things, they are good undoubtedly,
but the ultimate goal is to see the interest of the soul.
That is ultimate goal.
That is the whole Vedic instruction.
And Kṛṣṇa begins from this point.
Dehino ’smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13].
So when Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to do some para-upakāra…
bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra
[manuṣya] janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra [Cc. Ādi 9.41]
These welfare activities did not mean that welfare to this body.
It was meant for the soul, the same thing as Kṛṣṇa wanted to impress upon Arjuna,
that “You are not this body. You are soul.”
Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ [Bg. 2.18].
Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20].
So real welfare activity means to see to the interest of the soul. [splice]
Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement,
chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
So from this place Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu started this movement,
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, throughout whole India,
and He desired that,
Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma [Caitanya-bhāgavata Antya 4.126].
“So as many towns and villages are there,
this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be spread.”
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is now in your hand.
Of course,
in nineteen hundred and sixty-five [1922] Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura,
he wanted me to do something in this connection.
He wanted from his, all his disciples.
Especially he stressed many times that “You do this.
Whatever you have learned, you try to expand in English language.”
And in 1933, in when he was in Rādhā-kunḍa,
I was at that time Bombay in connection with my business life.
So I came to see him,
and one friend wanted to give some land
in Bombay for starting Bombay Gauḍīya Maṭha.
He’s my friend.
So that’s a long story, but I wish to narrate this,
the Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī’s mission.
So at that time one of my Godbrother was also present.
He reminded me about my friend’s donation,
and Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda immediately took up the land.
He continued that “There is no need of establishing many temples.
Better we publish some books.” He said like that.
He said that “We started our, this Gauḍīya Maṭha in Ultadanga.
The rent was very small, and if we could gather 2 to 250 rupees,
it was very nice, going on.
But since this J. V. Datta has given us this stone, marble stone Ṭhākurabari,
our competition between the disciples have increased, so I don’t like anymore.
Rather, I would prefer
to take out the marble stone and sell it and publish some books.”
So I took that point, and he also especially advised me that “If you get money,
you try to publish books.”
So by his blessing it has become very successful by your cooperation.
Now our books are being sold all over the world, and it is very satisfactory sale.
So on this particular day
of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s advent,
try to remember his words,
that he wanted that many books should be published about our philosophy
and it should be given to the English-knowing public especially,
because English language is now world language.
We are touring all over the world.
So anywhere we speak English, it is understood, except in some places.
So on this day, particular on the advent of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura,
I’d especially request my disciples who are cooperating with me
that try to publish books as many as possible
and distribute throughout the whole world.
That will satisfy Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
as well as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Thank you very much.
DEVOTEES: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Subtitles by 80.1.251.112, Causelessmercy.com