Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.3.

21
—
New York, April 13, 1969
(bhajana) (japa) (prema-dvani for initiation) [break]
Prabhupāda: Who is playing harmonium? Somebody is playing? No?
Bali-mardana: Ṛ ṣ i, Ṛ ṣ i Kumāra.
Devotee: Ṛ ṣ i Kumāra.
Prabhupāda: Begin. (kīrtana, prema-dhvani) Hare Kṛ ṣ ṇ a. Hm?
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣ ṇ ātaṁ
brahmaṇ y upaśamāśrayam
[SB 11.3.21]
The whole Vedic instruction is just to deliver all suffering humanity from
the threefold miseries of material existence. That is the aim and object
of Vedic civilization. That means this human form of life is meant for
finishing all kinds of troubles. That should be the effort of human being.
Actually, they are doing so. Everyone is trying to minimize the miseries
of life and get happiness of life. That is the impetus of all activities. But
unfortunately, they do not know how to do it.
The first thing is that one should very nicely understand the position
of material existence. Sanātana Gosvāmī, who approached
Lord Caitanya, he presented himself that "My dear Lord, people in
general, they speak of me that I am very learned
man," grāmya vyavahāre kaha paṇ ḍ ita,"I am very learned man. But
actually when I think of myself, what kind of learned man I am, I do
not know what I am." So this type of advancement of knowledge,
simply for material comforts, without knowing about oneself, "What I
am?" they're simply useless labor. One should try to understand what
he is. That is also the beginning of Vedānta-
sūtra. Athāto brahma jijñāsā: one should be inquisitive to understand
about himself, Brahman, or the Supreme Brahman. That is the real
necessity of this human form of life. The animals, they cannot inquire
about himself or about the Supreme. But a human being can inquire,
that "I want to become happy, but miseries are coming upon me one
after another." At least, one should know what are the miseries. The
miseries are three kinds of miseries. It is not the question of one
religion or another religion. The miserable condition of life is for
everyone, either he is Hindu or he is Muslim or Christian or Jew. It
doesn't matter. Anyone who has accepted this material body has to
undergo the miserable condition of material existence. That is a fact.
And what are the miserable condition? There are three
types: adhyātmika, adhibhautika, adhidaivika. Adhyātmika means
pertaining to the body, mind. Everyone is experienced that "I'm not
feeling today well due to some sickness of my body or some mental
disturbance." This is called adhyātmika. And there are other miseries
inflicted by other living entities, my enemies, some animal, some
mosquito or some bug. There are so many living entities, they are also
try to give me some trouble. This is called adhibhautika. And there is
another type of misery, which is called adhidaivika. That is natural
disturbance—severe cold, severe heat, some famine, some earthquake,
some disaster, some hurricanes. There are so many things, natural
disturbance. So in either of these three types of miserable condition we
are. But those who are foolish, they do not see to it. Under illusion
of māyā they think, "Oh, we are very happy." This is called māyā. One
is not happy, but he's thinking, "I am happy." And they are trying to
become happy in so many other ways.
But that is not the way of seeking happiness. If we actually want to
be happy, then you have to inquire about your constitutional position,
what I am. That is meditation, to know. You just think over yourself,
"Whether I am this body?" If you think that... Suppose you think over
your, meditate upon your finger. You'll come to the conclusion that "I
am not this finger. It is my finger. I am not this finger." Because if the
finger is cut off, that I am not dead, therefore I am not finger. It is very
easy to understand. So you meditate on every part of your body. You'll
come to the conclusion, if you are sane, that "I am not this body. The
body is mine. I am not this dress. The dress is mine." That is the
conclusion. Then what I am? At the present moment I am identifying
with this body, with this dress. (child disturbing) That is
illusion. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇ ape tri-dhātuke [SB
10.84.13]. Bhāgavata says anyone who is identifying himself with this
body, he's an ass. He's not even a human being. Actually it is so,
because I am not this body. And the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is
with this proposition, that you are not this body. Dehino
'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā [Bg. 2.13]. The body is
growing because I am sitting within this body. A child grows so long the
soul is there. If a child takes birth, dead body, it does not grow. That
means the soul is not there. That is called dead. So this preliminary
knowledge one has to learn. That is called brahma-
jijñāsā. The Bhagavad-gītā begins from this point, that "I am not this
body."
So this is... The function of human activity is to know oneself, what
he is, and then begin his work. And if he works simply just like animal,
eating, sleeping, mating and defending... These are animal activities. If
you simply endeavor for eating whole day and night, and if you are
satisfied whatever you like to eat, and you think that "My mission of life
is finished, now my belly is full with foodstuff," that is not human
civilization. But in this age people are degrading so much that at the
end of the day, if he can have a full belly meal, he says, "Oh, I am now
satisfied." Just like animal. Or "If I can sleep in a nice apartment, oh, I
am very happy." Or "If I can mate with a beautiful opposite sex, oh, I
am happy." These are animal happiness. Actual human happiness is
not simply to meet the bodily demands. That is called brahma-
jijñāsā. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now where to inquire about
this Brahman, about oneself, that is the next question. Just like if you
want to learn something about medical science you have to approach
some medical man or you have to take admission in some medical
school or college. Or if you want to learn about engineering you have to
seek after somebody who knows engineering or technology. That is the
way of education. So many universities and department of knowledge
teaching different department of knowledge. Similarly, if you want to
learn about yourself, Brahman, then you have to seek after some
teacher who can teach you about your self. This is common knowledge.
This is common knowledge. So all the Vedic literature says that in
order to learn that transcendental science about yourself or about God,
then tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet [MU 1.2.12]. In order
to learn that science, don't manufacture, but scientific way, if you want
to
learn... Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva..., gurum eva abhigacchet. G
uru means spiritual master. Eva, eva means certainly. Not that if
somebody thinks, "Oh, I can learn about myself without approaching
any spiritual master." That is wrong. Actually eva, eva means certainly.
One must. And this verb gacchet is used where this sense is used,
"must." Gacchet, "must go," "must approach." That is the injunction of
the Vedas.Similarly, the injunction of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is
also tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyauttamam [SB 11.3.21].
Now, in order to approach a bona fide spiritual master, one must be
very much disgusted with this material way of life. That is very nice
qualification. Unless one is disgusted with this materialistic way of life,
that actually in this materialistic way of life there is no happiness... This
proposition must be convinced by one, that he should know certainly
that "In the material way of life I cannot become happy." This is the
first condition. Tasmād. Tasmād means "therefore." Similarly,
in Vedānta-sūtra also, atha ataḥ brahma-jijñāsā. When we become
fed up, disgusted with the materialistic way of life, natural inquiry is
then "What is next?" That "next," in order to understand that "next,"
the Vedānta-sūtra says, the Vedic knowledge says
that tasmād gurumevābhigacchet.
Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. Therefore one should seek after a bona
fide spiritual master and learn there. That is the Vedic injunction. So
one who is actually convinced that "The materialistic way of life cannot
make me happy," his duty is to seek after a bona fide spiritual master to
be enlightened in the transcendental science of understanding oneself
and what is God. There are five elementary truths. The living entity...
We are all living entities, cats and dogs or animals. There are
8,400,000's of different kinds of... According to different kinds of
bodies... The living entity is one spirit soul, but according to his body he
is claiming. Just like you have got American body, you are claiming that
"I am American." I have got Indian body, I am claiming, "I am Indian."
This is by bodily designation. Similarly, a cat has got a body of cat. He
is thinking, "I am cat." A dog has got a dog's body; he's thinking that "I
am dog." So there are 8,400,000 species of life. They are claiming "I
am this and that." Actually, he is spirit soul. He is spirit soul and
eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. That is his constitutional position,
but he has forgotten. Some way or other, he does not know. And in
order to invoke that original knowledge, which is
called Kṛ ṣ ṇ a consciousness, one should approach a bona fide
spiritual master. That is the
way. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam [SB
11.3.21]. Why one should approach a spiritual master unless one is
inquisitive to understand if there is anything beyond this material
world? Otherwise there is no need of seeking a spiritual master. A
spiritual master should not be sought after to fulfill one's sense
gratification. No. One should be very much eager to understand, to
know the science of Brahman, which is beyond this material existence,
and then he should very seriously seek after a spiritual master.
Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ . Jijñāsuḥ means inquisitive.
What kind of inquisitiveness? Not that we are inquisitive about politics
or economics or some football result or some... So many things we have
got. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said that there are many
questions by the conditioned soul. There are many questions by the
conditioned soul living within this material existence without any
knowledge of the self-realization. There are many questions. So that
sort of question is not required to be solved by the spiritual master. The
spiritual master should be approached by a person who is inquisitive to
understand śreya uttamam, what is the highest benefit, spiritual
benefit, beyond this material existence. For that purpose. Śreya.
Śreya means the benefit, highest benefit. Preya and śreya.
Preya means immediately I want some benefit, and śreyameans the
ultimate benefit. One who is inquisitive about the ultimate benefit, he
should be inquisitive or inquire from a bona fide spiritual
master. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam.
Now, the next question is, "Who is spiritual master, where I have to
go and inquire?" Otherwise I'll be misled. I may approach a person who
is not actually bona fide spiritual master. That should also be known.
And what is that? That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in
the Vedas and Bhagavad-gītā—everywhere the same thing is. Here
also it is said that you should approach a bona fide spiritual
master. Jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam, to
whom? Śābde pare ca niṣ ṇ ātam: [SB 11.3.21] one who has actually
taken full bath in the ocean of transcendental
knowledge. Śābde pare caniṣ ṇ ātam. Śābde means the
transcendental sound. The Vedic words, hymns, are called
transcendental sound, and the gist of all such sound
is om, or Hare Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, Hare Kṛ ṣ ṇ a, Kṛ ṣ ṇ aKṛ ṣ ṇ a, Hare Har
e/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma... So one has to take bath in the ocean of
this transcendental sound, then he is bona fide spiritual
master. Śābde pare ca niṣ ṇ ātam. And what is the symptom?
Everyone can say that "I have taken full bath in this transcendental
sound," but the symptom is there. What is that
symptom? Śābde pare ca niṣ ṇ ātaṁ brahmaṇ y
upaśamāśrayam. He has taken shelter of the Supreme Brahman,
finishing all material activities. He has no more any material activities.
He is simply after the Supreme Brahman or Kṛ ṣ ṇ a. This is the
qualification.
So today we shall perform some initiation performances in this
meeting, and we are happy that you have come to participate in this
nice function. So see the procedure, how we are doing it. This is Vedic
principle, simplified to suit according to the time and place; otherwise,
there are many other paraphernalias. So this is the idea, that one who
is... (end)