KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.22
- In the upper status of the planetary systems, there are facilities thousands and thousands of times greater for material enjoyments than in the lower planetary systems.
- The inhabitants of those planets are empowered with eightfold achievements of mystic perfection. They do not have to learn and practice the mystic processes of yoga perfection.
- The inhabitants of the earth cannot move even to the nearest planet except by mechanical vehicles like spacecraft, but the highly talented inhabitants of such higher planets can do everything very easily.
- The prime inclination of the materialistic mind is to lord it over the material world, and all the siddhis mentioned above are features of domination over the world.
- With the materialistic mind, one can reach the best planet in the universe, but no one can enter into the kingdom of God.
- he who is in the knowledge of the Absolute Truth and free from all material desires becomes a really pure devotee of the Lord.
- Even though a person may be in full knowledge that he is not this body but is transcendental to the body, he still may not be able to discriminate between the soul and the Supersoul. However, he can know everything well if he cares to take shelter of the perfect, bona fide Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master.
- Kṛṣṇa consciousness will certainly drive away all nescience, as the sun drives away darkness.
- One can know God and one’s relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God.
- Identity with individuality in spiritual life is real knowledge.
- By penance only can one even approach the Personality of Godhead, who is within the heart of every living entity and at the same time beyond the reach of all senses.
- If we want advancement in spiritual life, we must accept some sort of tapasya.
- The Items of Tapasya in Krsna Consciousness are the 4 regulative principles. One has to strictly follow the vows of initiation, gradually leave all the material desires that one has, and always aim for pure devotional service as instructed by our Acharyas.
- Due to living entity’s desire to enjoy himself in competition with Kṛṣṇa, the living entity comes into material existence.
- One who is not materially infected and who does not forget Kṛṣṇa as his master is called nitya-mukta. From time immemorial the nitya-mukta living entity has always been a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and his only attempt has been to serve Kṛṣṇa. Thus he never forgets his eternal servitorship to Kṛṣṇa.
- Any living entity who forgets his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa is under the sway of the material condition. Bereft of the Lord’s transcendental loving service, he is subjected to the reactions of fruitive activity. When he is elevated to the higher planetary systems due to worldly pious activities, he considers himself well situated, but when he is subjected to punishment, he thinks himself improperly situated.
- Thus material nature awards and punishes the living entity. When the living entity is materially opulent, material nature is rewarding him. When he is materially embarrassed, material nature is punishing him.
- The highest kind of happiness that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the solution to all the problems of material existence.
SB 2.2.22 TRANSLATION
However, O King, if a yogī maintains a desire for improved material enjoyments, like transference to the topmost planet, Brahmaloka, or the achievement of the eightfold perfections, travel in outer space with the Vaihāyasas, or a situation in one of the millions of planets, then he has to take away with him the materially molded mind and senses.
CLASS NOTES:
(SB 2.2.22) CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE IN UPPER PLANETS
In the upper status of the planetary systems, there are facilities thousands and thousands of times greater for material enjoyments than in the lower planetary systems. The inhabitants of those planets are empowered with eightfold achievements of mystic perfection.
They do not have to learn and practice the mystic processes of yoga perfection and achieve the power of ashta siddhis. (Anima, Mahima, Lagima… ). All these expediencies are as common as natural gifts for the inhabitants of those higher planets. They do not require any mechanical help to travel in outer space, and they can move and travel at will from one planet to any other planet within no time. The inhabitants of the earth cannot move even to the nearest planet except by mechanical vehicles like spacecraft, but the highly talented inhabitants of such higher planets can do everything very easily.
The prime inclination of the materialistic mind is to lord it over the material world, and all the siddhis mentioned above are features of domination over the world.
With the materialistic mind, one can reach the best planet in the universe, but no one can enter into the kingdom of God. Senses are called spiritually purified when they are not involved in sense gratification.
Senses require engagements, and when the senses are engaged totally in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, they have no chance to become contaminated by material infections.
This is a continuation of the explanation of bonafide ways of realizing Krsna.
- Mechanical way – Karmis, Yogis, Siddhis – possible to attain Krsna, but very very difficult but many pitfalls, endure all the allurements – great knowledged, yoga siddhis, incredible sense gratification.
- Devotional way – bhakti yogi
Two levels of sense gratification – gross body sense gratification, subtle body sense gratification. There are 7 billion people, one or two can achieve success in the mechanical process. Even if they succeed, if they are inflicted with Mayavadi philosophy, they have a chance of falling down.
In BG, Krsna says that self-realization is attained through Bhakti yoga. Other paths are not recommended.
(BG 7.17) BHAKTI YOGI IS THE BEST AND VERY DEAR TO KRSNA
Of these, the one who is in full knowledge and who is always engaged in pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me.
Free from all contaminations of material desires, the distressed, the inquisitive, the penniless and the seeker after supreme knowledge can all become pure devotees. But out of them, he who is in the knowledge of the Absolute Truth and free from all material desires becomes a really pure devotee of the Lord.
Goswamis, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Prabhupada – They admit that people have material needs that they are addicted to. But they are always aiming toward pure devotional service. They are not giving a wiggle room for people to be attached to material desires.
(BG 4.31) KṚṢṆA CONSCIOUSNESS IS THEREFORE THE SOLUTION TO ALL THE PROBLEMS OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE.
O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?
existence in the material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, and sinful life is the cause of one’s dragging on in material existence.
Perfection is achieved by performance of yajña (sacrifice)
There are different grades of material comforts in different heavenly planets, and in all cases there is immense happiness for persons engaged in different kinds of yajña. But the highest kind of happiness that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the solution to all the problems of material existence.
Although people have minimum material desires that they cannot let go.. All our acharyas are not leaving room for complacency, They are not leaving room for complacency of with this idea of you have ceratin needs you can go and get them. It is ok to have few material desires that you cannot hold on to. One must give up all material desires.. Ultimately. The sooner the better. KC is a gradual process, but you cannot stop striving for pure devotionals service. That is the point that has to be emphasized.
(BG 5.16) WHEN A LIVING ENTITY THINKS OF HIMSELF AS GOD, HE ACTUALLY FALLS INTO THE LAST SNARE OF NESCIENCE.
The living entity is bewildered in so many ways. For instance, when he unceremoniously thinks himself God, he actually falls into the last snare of nescience. If a living entity is God, then how can he become bewildered by nescience? Does God become bewildered by nescience? If so, then nescience, or Satan, is greater than God.
Real knowledge can be obtained from a person who is in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore, one has to seek out such a bona fide spiritual master and, under him, learn what Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, for Kṛṣṇa consciousness will certainly drive away all nescience, as the sun drives away the darkness.
Even though a person may be in the full knowledge that he is not this body but is transcendental to the body, he still may not be able to discriminate between the soul and the Supersoul. However, he can know everything well if he cares to take shelter of the perfect, bona fide Kṛṣṇa conscious spiritual master. One can know God and one’s relationship with God only when one actually meets a representative of God. A representative of God never claims that he is God, although he is paid all the respect ordinarily paid to God because he has knowledge of God. One has to learn the distinction between God and the living entity.
In BG 2.12 Lord says – that every living being is individual and that the Lord also is individual. They were all individuals in the past, they are individuals at present, and they will continue to be individuals in the future, even after liberation. At night we see everything as one in the darkness, but in day, when the sun is up, we see everything in its real identity. Identity with individuality in spiritual life is real knowledge.
The goal of KC is to give up all material sense gratification and it is not to maintain certain desires because he is not willing to give up. Unless we gradually give up material desires, we cannot make progress in KC.
(SB 3.12.19) ATLEAST MINIMAL TAPASYA MUST BE ACCEPTED FOR PROGRESS IN KC
By penance only can one even approach the Personality of Godhead, who is within the heart of every living entity and at the same time beyond the reach of all senses.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/750303sbdal/
CONDITIONING
So there are different varieties of planets. That is God’s creation. This is also God’s creation, that is also God’s creation, but I cannot go there. Land is God’s creation, water is God’s creation, but you cannot live in the water, and the fish cannot live on the land. Similarly, although there are millions and trillions of planets within this universe, you have to live in that particular planet where you are destined to live. That is condition. You cannot go to the sun planet or moon planet. Otherwise, what is the meaning of conditioned life? Conditioned life means you are given opportunity to live on this planet, or the other living entities, they have been given opportunity to live in the sun planet. So they cannot come and live here, and we cannot go there and live there. This is called conditioned life. You must live under condition. You are not free. Otherwise, they are attempting so much to go to the moon planet. But we are doubtful whether they are actually going. But no benefit has been derived by this excur… Simply you have spoiled your energy, time and money. That is…, means conditioned, that you cannot violate the conditions of the nature. That is not possible.
ITEMS OF TAPASYA IN KRSNA CONSCISOUNESS – REGULATIVE PRINCIPLES
For God-realization formerly people used to undergo such severe type of penances, and at the present moment we are so fallen, we cannot tolerate these four principles? Is it very difficult? We are imposing some Tapasya, that “Don’t indulge in these things. No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.” These are the items of tapasya for advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But the age is so fallen that even these primary tapasya we cannot execute. That is the difficulty.
But if you want to realize God, as it is said here, tapasaiva, only by tapasya, only by penance one can realize. Actually, on the ekādaśī days we shall not take any food, even drink water. But in our Society we are not doing so much strictly. We say, “Ekādaśī, you don’t take food grains. Take little fruit, milk.” This is tapasya. So we cannot execute this tapasya? So if we are not prepared to undertake even this very, very easily executable tapasya, then how we can expect go back to home, back to Godhead?
Penance – is a self-inflicted painful activity for eradicating sins committed.
Tapasya – voluntarily performing activities for purification
Question – Is it really true that we fell down from Krsna as we were attracted to sex…
(CC M 20.117) HIS DESIRE TO ENJOY HIMSELF IN COMPETITION WITH KṚṢṆA, THE LIVING ENTITY COMES INTO MATERIAL EXISTENCE.
“Forgetting Kṛṣṇa, the living entity has been attracted by the external feature from time immemorial. Therefore the illusory energy [māyā] gives him all kinds of misery in his material existence.
Thus he has the power to live either in the material energy or in the spiritual energy, and for this reason he is called marginal energy. Being in the marginal position, he is sometimes attracted by the external, illusory energy, and this is the beginning of his material life. When he enters the material energy, he is subjected to the threefold time measurement — past, present and future. Past, present and future belong only to the material world; they do not exist in the spiritual world.( law of nature — past present future is only present in material world) The living entity is eternal, and he existed before the creation of this material world. Unfortunately he has forgotten his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The living entity’s forgetfulness is described herein as anādi, which indicates that it has existed since time immemorial. One should understand that due to his desire to enjoy himself in competition with Kṛṣṇa, the living entity comes into material existence.
(CC MADHYA 20.118) NITYA MUKTA – ONE WHO NEVER FORGETS KRSNA AS HIS MASTER
“In the material condition, the living entity is sometimes raised to higher planetary systems and material prosperity and sometimes drowned in a hellish situation. His state is exactly like that of a criminal whom a king punishes by submerging him in water and then raising him again from the water.
NITYA MUKTA – ONE WHO NEVER FORGETS KRSNA’S HIS MASTER
One who is not materially infected and who does not forget Kṛṣṇa as his master is called nitya-mukta. In other words, one who is eternally liberated from material contamination is called nitya-mukta. From time immemorial the nitya-mukta living entity has always been a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, and his only attempt has been to serve Kṛṣṇa. Thus he never forgets his eternal servitorship to Kṛṣṇa.
LIVING ENTITY WHO FORGETS KRSNA
Any living entity who forgets his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa is under the sway of the material condition. Bereft of the Lord’s transcendental loving service, he is subjected to the reactions of fruitive activity. When he is elevated to the higher planetary systems due to worldly pious activities, he considers himself well situated, but when he is subjected to punishment, he thinks himself improperly situated.
Thus material nature awards and punishes the living entity. When the living entity is materially opulent, material nature is rewarding him. When he is materially embarrassed, material nature is punishing him.
We have to be determined to follow the four regulative principles, the vows we took during initiation.
When one is rewarded materially, when one is punished materially, both are punishments. A devotee takes both of them voluntarily and only focuses on following the regulative principles… It is just a question of training and associating with pure devotees.. All acharyas are teaching the highest thing, they want us to strive for pure devotional service.