Arrival Lecture
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
San Francisco, July 15, 1975

Prabhupada: …that one who has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in guru, yasya deve… (aside:) What is that sound? It cannot be stopped? Deve means Bhagavan. Devaya tasmai namah.

yam brahma varunendra-rudra… stunvanti divyaih stavair vedaih sanga-pada-krama upanisadair gayanti yam sama-gah dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah …devaya tasmai namah [SB 12.13.1]

So deva means the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is praised by the Vedic mantra. Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and all the demigods, they are offering their prayers. The Sama Veda is singing in glorification of the Supreme Lord. The yogis, they are always seeing the Supreme Lord within the heart, core of heart. So that is deva. Devaya tasmai namah. So yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23] Anyone who has got unflinching faith in God… God means Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So anyone who has got unflinching faith in God and similar faith in guru, then the Vedic purpose becomes revealed to him. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau, tasyaite kathita hy arthah. The Vedic mantras and their artha becomes revealed. This is the process.

So these students, European, American students, they are offering respect to their spiritual master. Outsiders may think that the spiritual master is very puffed up, and he is sitting and taking respect from the disciple. But the fact is that they are to be taught like that, how to offer respect to the spiritual master. This is our Vedic process. Any sect or Vedic sect, the principle is adau gurv-asrayam: “The first principle is to accept guru.” Unless there is guru, how it can be executed—yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23]? This is Vedic injunction. Other Vedic injunctions are like, the same. Katha Upanisad says, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum eva abhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] “If you want to learn that transcendental science, then your first business is to go to a guru.” Guru… As God is one, guru is also one. There cannot be different gurus. Nowadays it has become a fashion that “I have got my own guru. You have got your own guru.” No. Guru means the representative of God. As God is one, similarly, guru is also one. There cannot be different gurus. Because God is one, how there can be different gurus? The principle of guru is one. (child crying) (aside:) Stop. The original guru is Krsna. Yam brahma varunendra-rudra stunvanti divyaih stavaih. Original guru, unto whom Brahma, yam brahma varuna indra, all the demigods, offering their prayers. Within this universe Brahma is considered to be the foremost living being, but is he also offering respect to Krsna. Siva-virinci-nutam. Lord Siva is also offering respect to Krsna. That is the Vedic process.

So Krsna is the original guru. Therefore Krsna comes to teach these fallen souls. Yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata, tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]. As guru’s business is to protect the subordinate disciples from falldown… Just like I am traveling all over the world twice, thrice, in a year. My duty is to see that my disciples who have accepted me guru, they may not fall down. That is my anxiety. So similarly, Krsna, being the original guru, He is also very anxious that “My sons…” We are all sons of Krsna, part and parcel of Krsna. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7].

sarva-yonisu kaunteya sambhavanti murtayo yah tasam mahad-yonir brahma aham bija-pradah pita [Bg. 14.4]

Krsna is not Indian or Hindu. Krsna is everything. Everyone is Krsna’s sons, in any form. Sarva-yonisu. Yoni means species. There are 8,400,000 species. So all of them are living entities, and they are part and parcel of Krsna. Therefore Krsna is very much anxious to see His sons become very happy, just like father wants to see his son very happy. So Krsna has admitted that He is bija-pradah pita, He is the supreme father. I think in Christianity also God is accepted as supreme father. So actually that is the fact. God is the supreme father. So as the father wants to see his sons very happy, similarly, Krsna wants to see all of us very happy. That is Krsna. But we are persistently avoiding Krsna and suffering. This is our business. Therefore Krsna said,

yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamy aham [Bg. 4.7]

This… Just coming here from Philadelphia we were talking with the aeroplane crews, the captain, the pilot. They (were) very patiently hearing us. The question was very intelligent, question pilot made, that “If everything is created by God…” Yes. That is a fact. Janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1] The Vedanta-sutra says everything is emanated from God. Without a thing being present in God, there cannot be any existence of anything. That’s a fact. Isavasyam idam sarvam. So his question was, “Then what is this evil?” The evil is also God’s creation. So I explained like this, that for God there is no good or evil; everything is good. So I gave him this example that good, or piety, that is God’s frontage, and evil means God’s back side. So taking this example, the chest or the back of my body, they are equal. It is not that when there is some pain on the back side I don’t care for it; I simply take care of when there is pain in the chest. No. Although it is back side, it is as important as the front side. Then evil and good is also of the same importance? No. Evil… That I gave the example, that for God there is nothing evil. I gave another example. Just like the sun, there is no darkness. Anywhere of sun’s body, there is no darkness. But for us there is light and darkness. Just like if you keep the sun back side, you will find darkness, a very long darkness, your shadow. And if you keep yourself in front, sun, there is no darkness. So it is my business; I create darkness. As soon as I change my position—instead of remaining in front of God, I keep God back side—then there is darkness. Otherwise there is no question of darkness. But in the sun as it is, there is no such darkness. Therefore God is all good. And for us, when we forget God, that is evil. And when we are in God consciousness always, everything good. Is that example all right?

Devotees: Jaya!

Bahulasva: Perfect.

Prabhupada: So God is all good. There is no good or evil. Apapa-viddham. In the Isopanisad you will find description, apapa-viddham. Whatever God does, that is all good. But if we imitate God, then it is evil. That is the disease of material disease. Their other question was—the pilot was very intelligent man—that “How one can become peaceful?” So I gave him the reply from Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita it is said,

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati [Bg. 5.29]

(aside:) Your name is Santi dasa?

Santi: Yes.

Prabhupada: So three things, if we understand, that everything belongs to God… Sarva-loka-mahesvaram. He is the proprietor. And then, because He is the proprietor, therefore He is the enjoyer. Just like in a big establishment or a big family, who will be the enjoyer? The proprietor. So that is natural. If God is proprietor, then God is the supreme enjoyer. That is stated, that,

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati [Bg. 5.29]

If you learn these three things, that God is the proprietor, God is the enjoyer, and He is the real friend… Actually, He is the real friend. And our godlessness means we are claiming that we are proprietor: “This is my land. I am American. American is mine,” or “India is mine.” Or anything, say. Actually, the proprietor is God, but we are falsely claiming that “It is my property” or “our property.” Therefore there is no santi. Try to understand. Actually, God is proprietor, but we, out of our foolishness, we are claiming “our property” or “my property.” Therefore there is no santi. Similarly, God is the supreme enjoyer of everything. Yajna-tapasam. By performing yajna, by executing tapasya, one is elevated, gets some profit, material body, material profit. If you perform yajna, then you can go to the heavenly planet. Similarly, if you perform austerity, then you can be promoted to spiritual life. So… But what you will do by spiritual life? “By spiritual life” means if you become servant of God, then you will live and you will have peace. But if you want to become yourself God or master, then you will feel inconvenience, because that is not the fact. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahes…, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam [Bg. 5.29] And God is the friend of everyone. Why not? He claims that “Everyone, every living entity—never mind in which form he is existing—he is My son.” So is not the father the best friend of the son? But no. We are claiming, “I shall become your friend. I shall become your leader. I shall lead you to prosperity.” No. That is false. The political leaders or the so-called religious leaders or other many leaders there are. They are taking the position of God, that “I shall become your friend. I shall lead you so that you will become happy.” That is wrong. You cannot become friend. To how many people or how many men you can become friend? One, two, three, four, five, thousand, ten thousand, million? But there are unlimited, asankhya. Jiva bhava sa…, asankhya. You cannot count how many. Suppose you can become friend of your children at home or your friend’s wife, sons and others. But how you can become friends the elephant in the African jungle? You cannot become. But you will see. There are hundreds and thousands of elephants in the jungle of Africa. They are eating, sleeping, very nicely. Who is supplying their necessities? God is supplying. You will find in your room in a hole that thousands of ants are coming out. Are you giving them food? Who is supplying food?

So therefore God is actually the friend of everybody. That is a fact. But we rascals, we are claiming, “I shall be your friend. I shall be your leader.” Therefore the leader, so-called leader, is not in peace. How it can be? All leaders are trying to keep his position some way or other, and that is very difficult job, no peace. That is not possible. You know. Your president, Mr. Nixon, wanted to keep himself in the position. How much restless he was. These are to be studied, that don’t claim yourself as friend of somebody or the people or the nation. No. Teach them that “God is your friend. I am God’s servant. I am bringing this message to you. And I can teach you how God can become your friend and you derive friendship result from God.” That is guru. A guru does not say, “I am God.” That is not guru. Guru will never say. The Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura’s prayer says,

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya… **

A guru is worshiped… Just like my disciples. They are offering respect exactly like God. That is their duty. Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastraih: “All the sastra recommends that guru should be respected as good as God.” But that does not mean guru is foolishly thinking, “I am God.” Saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair uktah **. Uktah means “said,” “it is recommended.” Tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih: “Those who are exalted, advanced, they accept this truth, that guru should be respected as good as God.” But why he is respected as such? Because kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya: “Because he is very, very dear to God.” The guru will never think that “My disciples are worshiping me exactly like God; therefore I have become God.” He is not guru, he is rascal. Guru is always in the position of servant. And because he is the most confidential servant of Krsna, therefore he is to be respected as good as Krsna. Because in our present position we cannot see Krsna, but Krsna sends His representative; therefore he is respected as Krsna. Now, how one can become guru and representative of Krsna? Everyone will say, “I am a representative of Krsna. I am guru.” No. That is enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] “You just become guru on My order.” So guru means who is carrying out the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, not a self-made guru. Guru means the most confidential servant of Krsna or Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the same thing. He is guru.

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu is ordering everyone, especially those who are born in India. He says especially,

bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara janma sarthaka kari’ kara para-upakara [Cc. Adi 9.41]

Anyone who has taken birth in India, Bharatavarsa-bhumi… Formerly, Bharatavarsa means the whole planet. Now it has come, India. Never mind. So “Anyone who has taken birth in India, Bharatavarsa, let him make his life successful,” and kara para-upakara, “and go outside India and do good to others.” Para-upakara. This is India’s business. India’s business is to distribute the spiritual knowledge all over the world because they are in darkness. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that bharata-bhumite manusya-janma haila yara, janma sarthaka kari: [Cc. Adi 9.41] “First of all you become successful.” Because in India you will find Vedas, Upanisads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, and Vedanta-sutra, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita, so many other things, all Vedic literature. So if Indians, those who are actually prestigious… They should learn from guru all these literatures, make his life successful. Then go outside and preach. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s. Then if anyone says that “I have no knowledge. I have no education. How I can learn all these books and become, make my life perfect, and then I preach?” so Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that you haven’t got to learn so many books. He says, amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa: [Cc. Madhya 7.128] “You just become guru on My order.” “Then what is your order, Sir?” Yare dekha, tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] This is guru. You haven’t got to learn very much. You simply repeat like parrot what Krsna has said. That’s all. Is it very difficult? Krsna has said everything in the Bhagavad-gita. You learn Bhagavad-gita, and you repeat that. You become guru. This is guru.

So sometimes people give me very much credit that I have done wonderful throughout the whole world. But I do not know that I am wonderful man. But I know one thing, that I am speaking what Krsna has spoken. That’s all. I am not making any addition, alteration. Therefore I am presenting Bhagavad-gita as it is. This credit I can take, that I don’t making any nonsense addition or alteration. And I see practically it has become successful. I have not bribed so many Europeans and Americans. I am poor Indian. I came to America with forty rupees with me, and now I possess forty crores. So there is no magic. (quietly to one devotee:) (aside:) You can go back side. You are sleeping. So this is the secret, that if you want to become guru honestly… If you want to cheat, that is another thing. There are so many cheaters. People also want to be cheated. As soon as we say that “If you want to become my disciple, you will have to give up four things: no illicit sex, no intoxication up to drinking tea and smoking cigarette, no meat-eating and no gambling,” and they criticize me, “Swamiji is very conservative.” And if I say that “You can do all nonsense, whatever you like. You simply take this mantra and give me $125,” they will like. Because in America, $125 is nothing. Any man can pay immediately. So I would have collected millions of dollars if I would have cheated like that. But I do not want that. I want one student who follows my instruction. I don’t want millions. Ekas candras tamo hanti na ca tara-sahasrasah. If there is one moon in the sky, that is sufficient for illumination. There is no need of millions of stars. So my position is that I want to see that at least one disciple has become pure devotee. Of course, I have got many sincere and pure devotees. That is my good luck. But I would have been satisfied if I could find out one only. There is no need of so- called millions of stars.

So therefore the process is there, and it is very simple, and if we understand the all instruction in the Bhagavad-gita and then we study Srimad-Bhagavatam… Or even if you don’t study, Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given very simple method. That is also recommended in the sastra:

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha [Adi 17.21]

If we want to study Vedic literature, that is very good. That is sound footing. So we have already got fifty books. You study. Become very great scholar in philosophy, in religion, is sociology. Everything is there in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, politics also. And you become perfect man, with full knowledge. And if you think that you have no time, you are not so good scholar, you cannot read all these books, chant Hare Krsna. Either way you will become perfect, either both or at least one. If you cannot read books, chant Hare Krsna. You will (become) perfect. And if you read books and chant Hare Krsna, that is very good. But there is no loss. If you chant Hare Krsna maha-mantra but you cannot read books, there is no harm. There is no loss. That chanting is sufficient. But if you read, then you will be able to defend yourself from the opposing parties. That will help you preaching work. Because in the preaching work you have to answer so many question, you have to meet so many opposing elements, so if you are strong in your position by reading books, Vedic literature, then you become very, very favorite to Krsna. Krsna says,

na ca tasmat manusyesu kascit me priya-krttamah ya imam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesu abhidhasyati

Anyone who preaches this confidential knowledge, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66], if he is ably fit to preach this message to the world, then immediately he becomes very, very much recognized by the Supreme Lord. Na ca tasmat manusyesu kascit me priya-krttamah. Krsna says.

So I am especially requesting those who are Indians and those who have now learned Bhagavad-gita, they should preach this message all over the world. There is good potency. That already we have tested. But don’t make adulteration. Then it will be spoiled. You speak Bhagavad-gita as it is, and it will be effective. Why it will not be effective? Because the Lord’s word and the Lord Himself absolute. There is no difference.

nama cintamanih krsnah caitanya-rasa-vigrahah purnah suddho nitya-mukto abhinnatvat nama-naminoh

Abhinnatvat. The Lord’s name and the Lord, they are not different— absolute. That is Lord’s potency, acintya-sakti. He can present Himself by His name, by His fame, by His form, by His qualities, by His paraphernalia. Anything in connection with Krsna is Krsna. Anything. That is absolute. Krsna is never different from His name. Krsna is never different from His form. We are worshiping the form of the Lord. That is Lord Himself. Don’t think it is different from Lord. No. We are not wasting time by worshiping some statue. No. It is therefore forbidden in the sastra, arcye visnau sila-dhih gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhir. These are forbidden. So we are, of course, opening so many branches all over the world, and I am very pleased to see this branch. There is wonderful prospective. Utilize it properly and stick to the principle that amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128] The ajna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and ajna, our Krsna, not different. Because Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, and when He appeared as Krsna, people misunderstood Him; therefore He has come as a devotee to teach us how to love Krsna. So therefore, if we go through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, chanting

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

and then we chant Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so rest assured the full perfection is awaiting you.

Thank you very much. (end)