KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.3
- The whole universe, or for that matter all material existence, is moving on as jagat, simply for planning business to make one’s position very comfortable or secure, although everyone sees that this existence is neither comfortable nor secure and can never become comfortable or secure at any stage of development.
- The whole material creation is a jugglery of names; in fact, it is nothing but a bewildering creation of matter.
- The buildings, furniture, cars, bungalows, mills, factories, industries, peace, war, atomic energy and electronics, are all simply bewildering names of material elements with their concomitant reactions of the three modes.
- The devotee of the Lord knows them perfectly well, he is not interested in creating unwanted things for a situation which is not at all reality, but simply names of no more significance than the babble of sea waves.
- The great kings, leaders and soldiers fight with one another in order to perpetuate their names in history. They are forgotten in due course of time, and they make a place for another era in history. But the devotee realizes how much history and historical persons are useless products of the flickering time.
- The fruitive worker aspires after a big fortune in the matter of wealth, woman and worldly adoration, but those who are fixed in perfect reality are not at all interested in such false things. Devotees consider fruitive activities to be merely a waste of time.
- Since every second of human life is important, an enlightened man should be very careful to utilize time very cautiously. One second of human life wasted in the vain research of planning for happiness in the material world can never be replaced, even if one spends millions of coins of gold.
- Human life is simply meant for self-realization. One should act accordingly, accepting only the bare necessities of life and depending more on God’s gift without the diversion of human energy for any other purpose, such as being mad for material enjoyment.
- The transcendentalist desiring freedom from the clutches of māyā, or the illusory activities of life, is warned herewith not to be captivated by the external features of fruitive actors. For him, it is a suicidal policy to be intimately in touch with the sense gratifiers of the world, because such a policy will frustrate the ultimate gain of life.
- The transcendentalist is specifically warned herewith to be fixed in mind, so that even if there is difficulty in plain living and high thinking he will not budge even an inch from his stark determination.
- Śukadeva Gosvāmī met Mahārāja Parīkṣit when the latter felt a necessity for such a meeting. It is the duty of a transcendentalist to help persons who desire real salvation and to support the cause of salvation. One might note that Śukadeva Gosvāmī never met Mahārāja Parīkṣit while he was ruling as a great king.
- (SB 1.2.8) we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord, and any occupational activity which does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the transcendental message of Godhead is said herein to be simply a waste of time.
- (SB 1.2.8) This is because other occupational duties (whatever ism they may belong to) cannot give liberation to the soul.
- (SB 1.2.8) The gross materialist can practically see that his material gain is limited only to time and space, either in this world or in the other. Even if he goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his hankering soul.
- (SB 1.2.8) The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect devotional service.
- (SB 1.2.9) One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification.
- (SB 1.2.10) Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only in as much as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for the satisfaction of such senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment.
- (SB 1.2.10) In every sphere of life, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification.
SB 2.2.3 TRANSLATION:
For this reason, the enlightened person should endeavor only for the minimum necessities of life while in the world of names. He should be intelligently fixed and never endeavor for unwanted things, being competent to perceive practically that all such endeavors are merely hard labor for nothing.
CLASS NOTES:
“For this reason” – SB 2.2.2 – The way of presentation of the Vedic sounds is so bewildering that it directs the intelligence of the people to meaningless things like the heavenly kingdoms. The conditioned souls hover in dreams of such heavenly illusory pleasures, but actually they do not relish any tangible happiness in such places.
This should be read by the jihadis who are promised of 70 virgins in the zennet> what is the difference between 70 virgins in Islam and heavenly planets with apsaras in Hinduism. Both are similar. They are trying to get sense gratification by doing sacrifices or suicide by killing others.
“For this reason the enlightened person should endeavor only for the minimum necessities of life while in the world of names.” This does not mean that people have to walk half naked like Gandhi. Real sadhu does not put arms around the women. Gandhi was even sleeping with women, his claim is I was proving that I am not attached to sex. He was not a yogi and he looked like a yogi, he was not a politician and he acted like a politician. He was so involved in politics that he did not answer SP letter about asking to making preaching BG through out the country, now that the independence is achieved.
endeavor only for the minimum necessities – If you earn a million dollars a day that does not change what your stomach can hold. You can only eat 2 -3 rotis, sabjis. Life style should not change, spending all the rest for the service of the Lord.
Example of Sudama Vipra – His wife forced him to go to Krsna in Dwaraka and ask for money to get rid of their poverty. He tied up the chipped rice in a dhoti and he goes walking. Krishna receives him so well and respects him by washing his feet, gives Prasadam and asks his reason of arrival. Krishna asks what is that in your bag and it has the chipped rice. Krishna eats and finds out why he came and blesses him. Sudhama vipra does not even tell him, but Krsna knows. When Sudhama gets back home, he does not see his village any more, he sees all these palaces. He sees a lady waving and smiling… that is his wife in opulent clothes living in this palace. He knows that Krsna blessed him. He did not change his style of living. He lived like a modest Brahmana. So that is what it means by minimum necessities of life. Remaining very very humble and simple in all your habits and very strictly doing sadhana..
THOSE WHO ARE CAPTIVATED BY THE ILLUSORY ADVANCEMENT OF MATERIAL CIVILIZATION (FOLLOWING THE WAY OF PHANTASMAGORIA) ARE CERTAINLY MADMEN
The whole universe, or for that matter all material existence, is moving on as jagat, simply for planning business to make one’s position very comfortable or secure, although everyone sees that this existence is neither comfortable nor secure and can never become comfortable or secure at any stage of development.
NAMES OF NO MORE SIGNIFICANCE THAN THE BABBLE OF SEA WAVES.
The whole material creation is a jugglery of names only; in fact, it is nothing but a bewildering creation of matter like earth, water and fire. The buildings, furniture, cars, bungalows, mills, factories, industries, peace, war or even the highest perfection of material science, namely atomic energy and electronics, are all simply bewildering names of material elements with their concomitant reactions of the three modes. Since the devotee of the Lord knows them perfectly well, he is not interested in creating unwanted things for a situation which is not at all reality, but simply names of no more significance than the babble of sea waves.
SP uses very interesting language in this purport, he talks about the “The world of names” Names are different from the kings. You can say coco-cola through the day but you cannot taste it. But when you chant Krsna, it is nondifferent than Krsna.
This is the correct description of the material world. Someone who is a sense gratifier reads this they are bewildered. “What, he is belittling everything I am attached to and working hard for”
Society, family, friendship, grandchildren, great-grandchildren.. Are all part of the jugglery of names.. In Hindi there are names for different relationships – Babhi, batija, chacha… all names at the end everyone dies and there is only name on the cemetery. Maharaj asked mom if she wanted to go to her country – she did not want to go as everyone died and no one is left…. Just names are left.
HISTORY AND HISTORICAL PERSONS ARE USELESS PRODUCTS OF THE FLICKERING TIME.
The great kings, leaders and soldiers fight with one another in order to perpetuate their names in history. They are forgotten in due course of time, and they make a place for another era in history. But the devotee realizes how much history and historical persons are useless products of flickering time.
So much time is wasted in school by teaching History and studying history.
Poet Colrich when doing research – He comes across the tribute to great ancient egypt king – Ozymandias. It was in the middle of the desert in noman’s land. It said “ He was a greatest king, everyone was scared of, he had so many horses, elephants…… “ What is there to remember – a broken monument in middle of no where and a tribute no one sees…
Anytime people work for sense gratification the end result is nothing. Just some sort of hazy memory, nothing tangible, it is all subject to birth, oldage, disease and death.
FRUITIVE RESULTS ARE ALL FALSE THINGS
The fruitive worker aspires after a big fortune in the matter of wealth, woman and worldly adoration, but those who are fixed in perfect reality are not at all interested in such false things. For them it is all a waste of time.
People thought Hitler was God’s gift to humankind, what did it lead to the complete death of so many germans. There are many theories that he got away… usually there is lot of lies in history… the history is generally written by the conquerors.
VALUE OF TIME
Since every second of human life is important, an enlightened man should be very careful to utilize time very cautiously. One second of human life wasted in the vain research of planning for happiness in the material world can never be replaced, even if one spends millions of coins of gold. Therefore, the transcendentalist desiring freedom from the clutches of māyā, or the illusory activities of life, is warned herewith not to be captivated by the external features of fruitive actors.
HUMAN LIFE IS NEVER MEANT FOR SENSE GRATIFICATION, BUT FOR SELF-REALIZATION. SB TEACHES THE SAME.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam instructs us solely on this subject from the very beginning to the end. Human life is simply meant for self-realization. The civilization which aims at this utmost perfection never indulges in creating unwanted things, and such a perfect civilization prepares men only to accept the bare necessities of life or to follow the principle of the best use of a bad bargain. Our material bodies and our lives in that connection are bad bargains because the living entity is actually spirit, and spiritual advancement of the living entity is absolutely necessary. Human life is intended for the realization of this important factor, and one should act accordingly, accepting only the bare necessities of life and depending more on God’s gift without diversion of human energy for any other purpose, such as being mad for material enjoyment.
THE MATERIALISTIC ADVANCEMENT OF CIVILIZATION IS CALLED “THE CIVILIZATION OF THE DEMONS,” which ultimately ends in wars and scarcity. The transcendentalist is specifically warned herewith to be fixed in mind, so that even if there is difficulty in plain living and high thinking he will not budge even an inch from his stark determination.
FOR A TRANSCENDENTALIST, IT IS A SUICIDAL POLICY TO BE INTIMATELY IN TOUCH WITH THE SENSE GRATIFIERS OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE SUCH A POLICY WILL FRUSTRATE THE ULTIMATE GAIN OF LIFE.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī met Mahārāja Parīkṣit when the latter felt a necessity for such a meeting. It is the duty of a transcendentalist to help persons who desire real salvation and to support the cause of salvation. One might note that Śukadeva Gosvāmī never met Mahārāja Parīkṣit while he was ruling as a great king. For a transcendentalist, the mode of activities is explained in the next śloka.
How to lead life with MINIMUM MATERIAL NEEDS and aim for ultimate perfection is described in SB 1.2.8 – 10.
(SB 1.2.8) ANY OCCUPATIONAL ACTIVITY WHICH DOES NOT HELP ONE TO ACHIEVE ATTACHMENT FOR HEARING AND CHANTING THE TRANSCENDENTAL MESSAGE OF GODHEAD IS SAID HEREIN TO BE SIMPLY A WASTE OF TIME.
The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead.
But less intelligent people have no information of the needs of the spirit soul.
Because foolish people have no information of the soul and how it is beyond the purview of the body and mind, they are not satisfied in the performance of their occupational duties. The question of the satisfaction of the self is raised herein. The spirit soul’s needs must be fulfilled. Simply by cleansing the cage of the bird, one does not satisfy the bird. One must actually know the needs of the bird himself.
The need of the spirit soul is that he wants to get out of the limited sphere of material bondage and fulfill his desire for complete freedom. He wants to get out of the covered walls of the greater universe. He wants to see the free light and the spirit. That complete freedom is achieved when he meets the complete spirit, the Personality of Godhead. There is a dormant affection for God within everyone; spiritual existence is manifested through the gross body and mind in the form of perverted affection for gross and subtle matter. Therefore we have to engage ourselves in occupational engagements that will evoke our divine consciousness. This is possible only by hearing and chanting the divine activities of the Supreme Lord, and any occupational activity which does not help one to achieve attachment for hearing and chanting the transcendental message of Godhead is said herein to be simply a waste of time. This is because other occupational duties (whatever ism they may belong to) cannot give liberation to the soul. Even the activities of the salvationists are considered to be useless because of their failure to pick up the fountainhead of all liberties. The gross materialist can practically see that his material gain is limited only to time and space, either in this world or in the other. Even if he goes up to the Svargaloka, he will find no permanent abode for his hankering soul. The hankering soul must be satisfied by the perfect scientific process of perfect devotional service.
(SB 1.2.9) OCCUPATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD NEVER BE PERFORMED FOR ULTIMATE LIBERATION
All occupational engagements are certainly meant for ultimate liberation. They should never be performed for material gain. Furthermore, according to sages, one who is engaged in the ultimate occupational service should never use material gain to cultivate sense gratification.
One should not engage himself in any sort of occupational service for material gain only. Nor should material gain be utilized for sense gratification. How material gain should be utilized is described as follows.
This does not mean that you cannot have a business and cannot earn money. Be an honest businessman and earn even a million dollars – but you decide what your minimum needs are and stick to them. Eating, sleeping, dressing modestly, Time for KC while performing duties as Grihasthi. This is the minimalist Ethos. SP SP lived for self preservation so he can have maximum time for KC and he demonstrated tremendous energy in those 11 years of his life travelling around the world 7 times and establishing so many temples and preaching and making disciples all over the world.
(SB 1.2.10) THE ONLY THING TO DESIRE FOR & THE GOAL OF ONE’S WORK
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.
Self-preservation – regulated eating, sleeping and mating as per KC.
The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification. But the Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only in as much as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment.
Foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what that Absolute Truth is is explained as follows.