Srimad Bhavagavatham Class By HH HariVilas Maharaj

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.11

1. All plans for material enjoyment, either by worshipping demi gods or by modernized advancement of scientific knowledge without the help of God or demigod are illusory.
2. The prime problems of life remain unsolved despite all endeavors by such planmakers.
3. Actually human life is meant for making a solution to the problems of life. 
4. The Vedas recommend worship of different demigods for different benefits, and so the demigods are neither false nor imaginary. The demigods are as factual as we are, but they are much more powerful due to their being engaged in the direct service of the Lord in managing different departments in the universal government.
5. The gross materialists do not believe in the existence of God or the demigods. Nor do they believe that different planets are dominated by different demigods.
6. The Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is the deductive process. The Vedic knowledge is received perfectly by disciplic succession from authorities.
7. The misguided man can believe one authority, the scientist, but will reject the authority of the Vedas. The result is that people have degenerated.
8. Great Authorities likes Brahmaji, Bhishmadev and even Adi Sahnkaracharya have spoken Krsna as the original Personality of Godhead and the first Narayana, who is beyond the material creation.
9. All other ācāryas have also confirmed this statement, and thus there is no chance of not accepting Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of Godhead.
10. Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all the plenary expansions. He is therefore the direct Personality of Godhead. He is the creator of the material world, and He is the predominating Deity known as Nārāyaṇa in all the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Therefore, His movements amongst human beings are another sort of bewilderment. 
11. The Lord says in the Bhagavad-gītā that foolish persons consider Him to be one of the human beings without knowing the intricacies of His movements.
12. The bewilderment regarding Śrī Kṛṣṇa is due to the action of His twofold internal and external energies upon the third one, called marginal energy
13. By internal energetic bewilderment, Śrī Kṛṣṇa expands Himself into unlimited numbers of Nārāyaṇas and exchanges or accepts transcendental loving service from the living entities in the transcendental world. 
14. And by His external energetic expansions, He incarnates Himself in the material world amongst the men, animals or demigods to reestablish His forgotten relation with the living entities in different species of life. 
15. Great authorities like Bhīṣma, however, escape His bewilderment by the mercy of the Lord.
16. Even though we know all this knowledge, we still get desires. We cannot stop desires from coming, but we should stop from Acting on them. The strength to stop from acting on them comes from regular hearing and chanting. BG 2.70 – A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

SB 2.3.11 TRANSLATION: 
All the different kinds of worshipers of multi demigods can attain the highest perfectional benediction, which is spontaneous attraction unflinchingly fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by the association of the pure devotee of the Lord.

CLASS NOTES:

SB 2.3.11

ALL LIVING ENTITIES IN DIFFERENT STATUSES OF LIFE WITHIN THE MATERIAL CREATION,ARE CONDITIONED UNDER THE LAW OF MATERIAL NATURE, OR THE EXTERNAL ENERGY OF THE SUPREME LORD. 

All living entities in different statuses of life within the material creation, beginning from the first demigod, Brahmā, down to the small ant, are conditioned under the law of material nature, or the external energy of the Supreme Lord. 

The living entity in his pure state is conscious of the fact that he is a part and parcel of the Lord, but when he is thrown into the material world on account of his desire to lord it over material energy, he becomes conditioned by the three modes of material nature and thus struggles for existence for the highest benefit. This struggle for existence is something like following the will-o’-the-wisp under the spell of material enjoyment. 

ALL PLANS FOR MATERIAL ENJOYMENT, ARE ILLUSORY

All plans for material enjoyment, either by worship of different demigods as described in the previous verses of this chapter or by modernized advancement of scientific knowledge without the help of God or demigod, are illusory

PROBLEMS OF LIFE ARE NEVER SOLVED BY THESE PLANS

Despite all such plans for happiness, the conditioned living being within the compass of material creation can never solve the problems of life, namely birth, death, old age and disease. The history of the universe is full of such planmakers, and many kings and emperors come and go, leaving a plan making story only. But the prime problems of life remain unsolved despite all endeavors by such planmakers.

The tendency to dominate the material nature and the laws –

We cannot stay in spiritual world
We have to have a material body different than soul
That body is conditioned, and is subject to 3 modes of material nature. And has to abide by the laws of nature. Birth, growth, reproduce, dwindle, die…

Conditioned – means we are limited, the body is completely controlled by material nature which is an agent. The controlling factors are 3 modes of material nature. They are all in illusion. Illusion I am this body there is only one life, they are all planted due to the rejection of Krsna. Once they get the body they struggle for existence. This is artificial struggle.  It is like you commit a crime and go to jail and struggle in jail. If you are not in the jail then there is no struggle, the so-called struggle is artificially induced.

Will o’the wisp – hope or goal that is impossible to reach.
I can be happy in this world without the mention of the God.

One has to believe something false to continue to material life.
Problems of life – birth, death, old age and disease

ACTUALLY HUMAN LIFE IS MEANT FOR MAKING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE. 

One can never solve such problems by satisfying the different demigods, by different modes of worship, or by so-called scientific advancement in knowledge without the help of God or the demigods. Apart from the gross materialists, who care very little either for God or for the demigods, the Vedas recommend worship of different demigods for different benefits, and so the demigods are neither false nor imaginary.

Demigods can help to get the mercy of Krsna. If you worship Demi Gods for sense gratification you will get it and you continue in the cycle.  The entanglement is there only because we chose material enjoyment out of ignorance.

THE DEMIGODS ARE AS FACTUAL AS WE ARE, 

The demigods are as factual as we are, but they are much more powerful due to their being engaged in the direct service of the Lord in managing different departments in the universal government. The Bhagavad-gītā affirms this, and the different planets of the demigods are mentioned there, including the one of the supreme demigod, Lord Brahmā.

Demi Gods are devotees with mixed desires. Demi Gods always turn to Krsna in the severe conditions. Demons never turn to Krsna. Hiranyakasipu, Hiranyaksha, Ravana, Danta Vakra – they never turn to Krsna. 

THE GROSS MATERIALISTS DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD OR THE DEMIGODS.

Nor do they believe that different planets are dominated by different demigods. They are creating a great commotion about reaching the closest celestial body, Candraloka, or the moon, but even after much mechanical research they have only very scanty information of this moon, and in spite of much false advertisement for selling land on the moon, the puffed-up scientists or gross materialists cannot live there, and what to speak of reaching the other planets, which they are unable even to count.

In 1968 -69 real estate agents were selling land on moon. There are innumerable planets in the material universe and there are innumerable universes. That company still exists and is selling land of moon an acre for $30. Close to 200000 people bought the land. 

However, the followers of the Vedas have a different method of acquiring knowledge. 

This different method is explained in SB 1.9.18. 

(SB 1.9.18) DEDUCTIVE PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE
This Śrī Kṛṣṇa is no other than the inconceivable, original Personality of Godhead. He is the first Nārāyaṇa, the supreme enjoyer. But He is moving amongst the descendants of King Vṛṣṇi just like one of us, and He is bewildering us with His self-created energy.

The Vedic system of acquiring knowledge is the deductive process. The Vedic knowledge is received perfectly by disciplic succession from authorities. Such knowledge is never dogmatic, as ill conceived by less intelligent persons.

In the Bhagavad-gītā this truth is confirmed in the second verse of the Fourth Chapter, and the perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority. The very same system is accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks against it. 

PEOPLE BELIEVE THE SCIENTISTS AS AUTHORITY AND NOT THE VEDAS

For example, modern spacecraft fly in the sky, and when scientists say that they travel to the other side of the moon, men believe these stories blindly because they have accepted the modern scientists as authorities. The authorities speak, and the people in general believe them. But in the case of Vedic truths, they have been taught not to believe. Even if they accept them they give a different interpretation. Each and every man wants a direct perception of Vedic knowledge, but foolishly they deny it. This means that the misguided man can believe one authority, the scientist, but will reject the authority of the Vedas. The result is that people have degenerated.

Knowledge begins only when you believe in an authority. Real Knowledge is realizing the relationship with Krsna and serving Him.


AUTHORITIES SPEAKING ABOUT KRSNA AS THE ORIGINAL PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD AND THE FIRST NARAYANA
Here is an authority speaking about Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of Godhead and the first Nārāyaṇa. Even such an impersonalist as Ācārya Śaṅkara has said in the beginning of his commentation on the Bhagavad-gītā that Nārāyaṇa, the Personality of Godhead, is beyond the material creation.* The universe is one of the material creations, but Nārāyaṇa is transcendental to such material paraphernalia.

Bhīṣmadeva is one of the twelve mahājanas who know the principles of transcendental knowledge. His confirmation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s being the original Personality of Godhead is also corroborated by the impersonalist Śaṅkara. All other ācāryas have also confirmed this statement, and thus there is no chance of not accepting Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the original Personality of Godhead. Bhīṣmadeva says that He is the first Nārāyaṇa. This is also confirmed by Brahmājī in the Bhāgavatam (10.14.14). Kṛṣṇa is the first Nārāyaṇa. In the spiritual world (Vaikuṇṭha) there are unlimited numbers of Nārāyaṇas, who are all the same Personality of Godhead and are considered to be the plenary expansions of the original Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The first form of the Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, first expands Himself as the form of Baladeva, and Baladeva expands in so many other forms, such as Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Vāsudeva, Nārāyaṇa, Puruṣa, Rāma and Nṛsiṁha. All these expansions are one and the same viṣṇu-tattva, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original source of all the plenary expansions. He is therefore the direct Personality of Godhead. He is the creator of the material world, and He is the predominating Deity known as Nārāyaṇa in all the Vaikuṇṭha planets. Therefore, His movements amongst human beings are another sort of bewilderment. The Lord therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā that foolish persons consider Him to be one of the human beings without knowing the intricacies of His movements.

There is no way we can understand what is going in goloka, krishna’s past times because they are transcendental, we cannot understand…but how do we understand is said in this para….


THE BEWILDERMENT REGARDING ŚRĪ KṚṢṆA 

is due to the action of His twofold internal and external energies upon the third one, called marginal energy. The living entities are expansions of His marginal energy, and thus they are sometimes bewildered by the internal energy and sometimes by the external energy. By internal energetic bewilderment, Śrī Kṛṣṇa expands Himself into unlimited numbers of Nārāyaṇas and exchanges or accepts transcendental loving service from the living entities in the transcendental world. And by His external energetic expansions, He incarnates Himself in the material world amongst the men, animals or demigods to reestablish His forgotten relation with the living entities in different species of life. Great authorities like Bhīṣma, however, escape His bewilderment by the mercy of the Lord.

If we become serious about serving krishna we can become free from the bewilderment and  by His mercy we can understand Krsna. 

SB 2.3.11 – This is a very good summary of the things we studied in previous verses. Prabhupada is stating facts. Everyone from Brahma to smallest microbe are conditioned under law of material nature. Law of material nature – No one can violate – birth, death old age and disease. There is a law maker. No one can ignore this law. These jokers say old age and death is optional, they are crazy, they do not know what they are talking about. They think that they are the controllers.

BG 8.16 

From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.

Question – Even though we know this knowledge, we still keep getting the desires. though we may not ACT. 

Just like rivers are going into ocean desires are always coming to mind. The key is to NOT TO ACT on them. Desires cannot be stopped. How to get the strength to NOT TO ACT on them is to hear everyday. So you can recognize maya is acting on you, so you do not fall victim to maya.  to the will of the wisp. Pursuing goals which are not achievable. 

BG 2.70

āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ

samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat

tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve

sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

Sthane sthiti gata – constant hearing – you learn,,, why is Srila Prabhupada repeating over and over again, we fell down due to the tendency to dominate. It is hard to give up. Hence he is continuously reminding us of our original constitutional position, hence we need to hear. Regular hearing and chanting, will help us not to ACT ON THE DESIRES. 

Question – Do the pure devotees also get the desires?

In CC it is stated that Caitanya Mahaprabhu said even the sight of a statue of a women can agitate. …. Desires may come but one must learn to not to act on them.  One has to keep in mind their vows.  Why Violate – my vow? Why Violate my relationship with guru and krishna. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.10

1. Desireless means not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one’s actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. 
2. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya-parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord.
3. A pure living entity feels happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord. 
4. This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons. 
5. The gopīs loved the Lord without any return, and this is the perfect exhibition of the akāmaḥ spirit. Kāma spirit, or the desire for one’s own satisfaction, is fully exhibited in the material world, whereas the spirit of akāmaḥ is fully exhibited in the spiritual world.
6. Thoughts of becoming one with the Lord, or being merged in the brahmajyoti, can also be exhibitions of kāma spirit if they are desires for one’s own satisfaction to be free from the material miseries
7. A pure devotee does not want liberation so that he may be relieved from the miseries of life. Even without so-called liberation, a pure devotee is an aspirant for the satisfaction of the Lord.
8. Becoming akāma is the perfect stage of a perfect living being.
9. Udāra-dhīḥ means one who has a broader outlook. People with desires for material enjoyment worship small demigods, and such intelligence is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) as hṛta-jñāna, the intelligence of one who has lost his senses.
10. One cannot obtain any result from demigods without getting sanction from the Supreme Lord. Therefore a person with a broader outlook can see that the ultimate authority is the Lord, even for material benefits.
11. One with a broader outlook, even with the desire for material enjoyment or for liberation, should take to the worship of the Lord directly. One who desires to merge into the supreme impersonal brahma jyoti must also worship the Lord by bhakti-yoga, as recommended in this verse.
12. And everyone, whether an akāma or sakāma or mokṣa-kāma, should worship the Lord with great expedience.
13. Bhakti-yoga is the means of all perfection. Bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal of both karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga, it is the ultimate goal of the different varieties of worship of the different demigods and it is the supreme means of self-realization. 
14. Everyone must therefore seriously take up the methods of bhakti-yoga, even though one aspires for material enjoyment or liberation from material bondage.Therefore, unmixed bhakti-yoga of hearing, chanting, etc., may be performed by one and all regardless of inner motive.

SB 2.3.10 TRANSLATION: 

A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must, by all means, worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.

CLASS NOTES: 

one who desires to merge into the supreme impersonal brahmajyoti must also worship the Lord by bhakti-yoga

The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as puruṣottama, or the Supreme Personality. It is He only who can award liberation to the impersonalists by absorbing such aspirants in the brahmajyoti, the bodily rays of the Lord. The brahmajyoti is not separate from the Lord, as the glowing sun ray is not independent of the sun disc. Therefore one who desires to merge into the supreme impersonal brahmajyoti must also worship the Lord by bhakti-yoga, as recommended here in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. 

Bhakti-yoga is the means of all perfection. 

In the previous chapters, it has been stated that bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal of both karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga, and in the same way in this chapter, it is emphatically declared that bhakti-yoga is the ultimate goal of the different varieties of worship of the different demigods. Bhakti-yoga, thus being the supreme means of self-realization, is recommended here. Everyone must therefore seriously take up the methods of bhakti-yoga, even though one aspires for material enjoyment or liberation from material bondage.

DEFINITION OF DESIRELESS
Akāmaḥ is one who has no material desire. A living being, naturally being the part and parcel of the supreme whole puruṣaṁ pūrṇam, has as his natural function to serve the Supreme Being, just as the parts and parcels of the body, or the limbs of the body, are naturally meant to serve the complete body. Desireless means, therefore, not to be inert like the stone, but to be conscious of one’s actual position and thus desire satisfaction only from the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has explained this desirelessness as bhajanīya-parama-puruṣa-sukha-mātra-sva-sukhatvam in his Sandarbha. This means that one should feel happy only by experiencing the happiness of the Supreme Lord.

This intuition of the living being is sometimes manifested even during the conditioned stage of a living being in the material world, and such intuition is expressed in the manner of altruism, philanthropy, socialism, communism, etc., by the undeveloped minds of less intelligent persons. 

In the mundane field such an outlook of doing good to others in the form of society, community, family, country or humanity is a partial manifestation of the same original feeling in which a pure living entity feels happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord. 

Intuition – is a dictation from the super soul.
Dictionary meaning – Ability to understand something immediately without the need for conscious reasoning.
Life should be full of good deeds, life should be equal.
When you join a communist group, no one is better than anyone else everyone is the same.
Less intelligent persons – Bill Gates, philanthropists, there is still kama involved.

In the mundane field such an outlook of doing good to others in the form of society, community, family, country or humanity is a partial manifestation of the same original feeling in which a pure living entity feels happiness by the happiness of the Supreme Lord. 

People feel happiness by the happiness of the family, society, boss….. That is how intuition works.

akāmaḥ spirit 

Such superb feelings were exhibited by the damsels of Vrajabhūmi for the happiness of the Lord. The gopīs loved the Lord without any return, and this is the perfect exhibition of the akāmaḥ spirit. Kāma spirit, or the desire for one’s own satisfaction, is fully exhibited in the material world, whereas the spirit of akāmaḥ is fully exhibited in the spiritual world.

Question in early days of ISKCON- Should the devotees receive a salary and a medical aid from the temple? This was a difficult thing to answer. In the spiritual world gopis are serving without seeking any benefit. Anyone living in the temple must live simple life. They must be given minimal maintenance. Minimalist living was kept in place. Leaders were getting rolex watches, nice clothes, … this tension is there as soon as one wants to evolve materially. At the beginning everyone was living very very minimally. Prabhupada was keeping it as simple as possible. After he left everything went slippery slope.

kāma spirit 

Thoughts of becoming one with the Lord, or being merged in the brahmajyoti, can also be exhibitions of kāma spirit if they are desires for one’s own satisfaction to be free from the material miseries. A pure devotee does not want liberation so that he may be relieved from the miseries of life. Even without so-called liberation, a pure devotee is aspirant for the satisfaction of the Lord. 

Influenced by the kāma spirit, Arjuna declined to fight in the Kurukṣetra battlefield because he wanted to save his relatives for his own satisfaction. But being a pure devotee, he agreed to fight on the instruction of the Lord because he came to his senses and realized that satisfaction of the Lord at the cost of his own satisfaction was his prime duty. Thus he became akāma. That is the perfect stage of a perfect living being.

Kripana – Selfish person who is interested in his own sense gratification
Pure Devotee – dedicates whole life to help others become devotees..
Jayananda pr – He had leukemia- he did not stop his service. He inherited 70k after parents died and gave it to Prabhupada. He was an example of minimalist living. He did not accept any position of authority. Everyone respected him and loved him.

BROADER OUTLOOK
Udāra-dhīḥ means one who has a broader outlook. People with desires for material enjoyment worship small demigods, and such intelligence is condemned in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.20) as hṛta-jñāna, the intelligence of one who has lost his senses.

This is the mentality of a local grocer. Very very limited consciousness. Working like an ass and eat, meat, sleep and defend.

One cannot obtain any result from demigods without getting sanction from the Supreme Lord. Therefore a person with a broader outlook can see that the ultimate authority is the Lord, even for material benefits.

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ

Under the circumstances, one with a broader outlook, even with the desire for material enjoyment or for liberation, should take to the worship of the Lord directly. And everyone, whether an akāma or sakāma or mokṣa-kāma, should worship the Lord with great expedience.

Expedience – Suitable.
Whether someone has all material desires, no material desires, want to merge to brahma jyothi, They can still function in Krsna Consciousness.  As long as you take advice from Siksha and diksha gurus can slowly get purified. When people come here first they are not pure, they are coming with mixed desires.

This implies that bhakti-yoga may be perfectly administered without any mixture of karma and jñāna. As the unmixed sun ray is very forceful and is therefore called tīvra, similarly unmixed bhakti-yoga of hearing, chanting, etc., may be performed by one and all regardless of inner motive.


There are many profound points made in this purport by Srila Prabhupada. What is very interesting in the verse is the meaning of Desirelessness by Srila Jiva goswami.
Niskama – no material desire
Naiskama – Desiring to please Krsna
Akama – no desire
Material world – Kamah – desires for one’s own satisfaction
Spiritual world – akamah – no satisfaction for themselves.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.9

1. Those who are conditioned by the material modes of external energy are captivated by different types of material enjoyment.
2. The Lord has proclaimed that the materialists, who desire material enjoyment and who seek the favor of different demigods, are not in control of their senses and so give themselves to nonsense.
3. The leaders of nonsensical persons are more nonsensical because they preach openly and foolishly that one can worship any form of demigod and get the same result. This sort of preaching is not only against the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, or those of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but is also foolish, just as it is foolish to claim that with the purchase of any travel ticket one may reach the same destination.
4. Persons impregnated with different desires have different modes of worship, but one who has no desire for material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. And this worshiping process is called devotional service. 
5. Pure devotional service means service to the Lord without any tinge of material desires, including the desire for fruitive activity and empiric speculation. 
6. For fulfillment of material desires, one may worship the Supreme Lord, but the result of such worship is different. Generally, the Lord does not fulfill anyone’s material desires for sense enjoyment, but He awards such benedictions to worshipers of the Lord, for they ultimately come to the point of not desiring material enjoyment. 
7. The conclusion is that one must minimize the desires for material enjoyment and for this one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described here as param, or beyond anything material. 
8. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”  
9. In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress.
10. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge, because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion).
11. One should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge.
12. By its so-called advancement of knowledge, human civilization has created many material things, including spaceships and atomic energy. Yet it has failed to create a situation in which people need not die, take birth again, become old or suffer from disease. 
13. In material nature, everyone is under the stringent laws of matter and must pass through six stages of existence: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, deterioration and finally death. No one can be beyond these six laws of transformation; therefore no one – whether demigod, man, animal or plant – can survive forever in the material world.
14. According to these laws, even the Brahmās, of which there are millions in different universes, are all liable to death either today or tomorrow. Therefore the entire material universe is called Martyaloka, the place of death.

SB 2.3.9 TRANSLATION: 

One who desires domination over a kingdom or an empire should worship the Manus. One who desires victory over an enemy should worship the demons, and one who desires sense gratification should worship the moon. But one who desires nothing of material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead

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CLASS NOTES: 

THOSE WHO ARE CONDITIONED BY THE MATERIAL MODES OF EXTERNAL ENERGY ARE CAPTIVATED BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MATERIAL ENJOYMENT. 

The transcendentalist has no material desires to be fulfilled, whereas the materialist has all types of desires to be fulfilled. The Lord has proclaimed that the materialists, who desire material enjoyment and thus seek the favor of different demigods, as above mentioned, are not in control of their senses and so give themselves to nonsense. One should not desire any sort of material enjoyment, being sensible enough to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead

THE LEADERS OF NONSENSICAL PERSONS PREACH THE WORSHIP OF ANY DEMIGOD FOR THE SAME RESULT – WHICH IS LIKE ANY TRAVEL TICKET MAY TAKE YOU TO THE SAME DESTINATION

The leaders of nonsensical persons are still more nonsensical because they preach openly and foolishly that one can worship any form of demigod and get the same result. This sort of preaching is not only against the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, or those of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but is also foolish, just as it is foolish to claim that with the purchase of any travel ticket one may reach the same destination

WORSHIPPING KRSNA IS CALLED DEVOTIONAL SERVICE

persons impregnated with different desires have different modes of worship, but one who has no desire for material enjoyment should worship the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead. And this worshiping process is called devotional service. Pure devotional service means service to the Lord without any tinge of material desires, including desire for fruitive activity and empiric speculation. 

WORSHIPPING LORD KRSNA FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF MATERIAL DESIRES 

For fulfillment of material desires one may worship the Supreme Lord, but the result of such worship is different, as will be explained in the next verse. Generally the Lord does not fulfill anyone’s material desires for sense enjoyment, but He awards such benedictions to worshipers of the Lord, for they ultimately come to the point of not desiring material enjoyment. 

The conclusion is that one must minimize the desires for material enjoyment, and for this one should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is described here as param, or beyond anything material. Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya has also stated, nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: the Supreme Lord is beyond the material encirclement.

This is very hard to understand by a gross materialist. Why? Because they have been convinced, belief in God is a fantasy, the spiritual world does not exist, there is only matter, in this material world prime thing is sustained sense gratification whether you do it as a  hippie, capitalist, nationalist, ISIS they in the name of fanatic animals, wars, buy women exploit them. All wars are wars of sense gratification. Except for the battle of Kurukshetra, where Lord Krsna ordained Arjuna to fight without any personal motive to establish dharma. Most of the wars are for sense gratifications.  This is explained in the 12th chapter – 

(BG 12-13-14)TRANSCENDENTAL QUALIFICATIONS OF A PURE DEVOTEE – BETTER TO SUFFER THAN PROTEST

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ
maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ
sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī
santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yogī
yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me – such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me.

Prahlad maharaj, Dhruv maharaj, Ambareesh maharaj, Dhruva Maharaj, Draupadi, they all suffered but did not protest. They went back to godhead, There is a long list of devotees who did this.

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.8) it is stated: tat te ’nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇo bhuñjāna evātma-kṛtaṁ vipākam. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord’s mercy upon him. He thinks, “Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”  

This is extremely important lesson for us to learn. In US there is protest all over the place, that means they are not going back to Godhead.  It is better to suffer than protest, Does it mean that you are a coward if you do not protest. No, that means you are courageous and you know that this body is temporary, they know through sastra chakshu, “Matra sparsas tu kaunteya… “We always know things through Sastra. Sastra cakshu. Not through one’s false ego. 

(BG 2.14) ONE HAS TO LEARN TO TOLERATE NONPERMANENT APPEARANCES AND DISAPPEARANCES OF HAPPINESS AND DISTRESS.

mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya
śītoṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-dāḥ
āgamāpāyino ’nityās
tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata

O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.

This is the real knowledge, You completely depend on the mercy of Krsna. Let’s say someone insults you, cheats you, lies to you, this rule to be practiced – better to suffer than protest, If someone cheats or insults SP, devotees, you need to help them, you try to help them by commiserating with them, try to explain sastra to them… One must tolerate them without being disturbed. Suffering does not mean you are destitute. Suffering means that you can completely depend on Krsna and take the shelter of the holy name. Nothing lasts forever in this material world. These disturbances  cannot last forever, you will come out stronger spiritually.

In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month of Māgha (January-February). It is very cold at that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of the kṣatriyas, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge, because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from the clutches of māyā (illusion).

What happens when we accept this real knowledge, it is explained in IOS mantra 14, extremely profound verse and purport, explained by Srila Prabhupada. 

(ISO -14 ) ONE SHOULD KNOW PERFECTLY THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD ŚRĪ KṚṢṆA
sambhūtiṁ ca vināśaṁ ca
yas tad vedobhayaḿ saha
vināśena mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā
sambhūtyāmṛtam aśnute

One should know perfectly the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His transcendental name, form, qualities and pastimes, as well as the temporary material creation with its temporary demigods, men and animals. When one knows these, he surpasses death and the ephemeral cosmic manifestation with it, and in the eternal kingdom of God he enjoys his eternal life of bliss and knowledge.

This is the same meaning as BG 4.9. There is more detail in ISO mantra – 14. 

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ’rjuna

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.

By its so-called advancement of knowledge, human civilization has created many material things, including spaceships and atomic energy. Yet it has failed to create a situation in which people need not die, take birth again, become old or suffer from disease. Whenever an intelligent man raises the question of these miseries before a so-called scientist, the scientist very cleverly replies that material science is progressing and that ultimately it will be possible to render man deathless, ageless and diseaseless. Such answers prove the scientists’ gross ignorance of material nature. In material nature, everyone is under the stringent laws of matter and must pass through six stages of existence: birth, growth, maintenance, production of by-products, deterioration and finally death. No one in contact with material nature can be beyond these six laws of transformation; therefore no one – whether demigod, man, animal or plant – can survive forever in the material world.

Ray Kurzweil should know this and all the other pseudo scientists who are giving hope to the hopeless. – Ray is saying that they can stop aging and death. They die before they find the panaecea of death.

The duration of life varies according to species. Lord Brahmā, the chief living being within this material universe, lives for millions and millions of years, while a minute germ lives for some hours only. But no one in the material world can survive eternally. Things are born or created under certain conditions, they stay for some time, and, if they continue to live, they grow, procreate, gradually dwindle and finally vanish. According to these laws, even the Brahmās, of which there are millions in different universes, are all liable to death either today or tomorrow. Therefore the entire material universe is called Martyaloka, the place of death.

Ray is saying that they are going to make deathless. This has been going on for ages. Ponce de León – searched for fountain of youth. He went from Italy to Florida looking for it.  There is no question of being immortal in this material world. They are chasing after something which is impossible and wasting their lives. If we believe in Krsna the absolute truth, we will not waste out time in chasing after illusory windmills. In histroy Don Quixote from a distance thought windmills as enemiies and would charge them. Chasing after phantoms of once imagination.  All these phonies are promising something which is impossible and against the lasw of nature. No one can overcome material nature and the laws. Daivehesa guna mayi mama maya duratyya…. 

Bezos spent 500 million dollars on a yacht. How much time will they spend in the boat. He wants to go to an island and be safe when there is revolt. They want to escape in the yacht, when there is a revolt in the US. Look at what a devotee can do with that money… Devotee does not become anxious. These people are like, go to lion, open mouth, stick the head into the mouth of a devotee. 

We should use our intelligence and our spare time to learn about Krsna, the more you learn about Krsna the more you come out of the cycle of birth and death.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.8

1. One who wants to establish a good dynasty and be happy in the progress of temporary bodily relations should take shelter of the demigods in other pious planets
2. But, the problems of birth, death, old age, and disease are solved neither by the grace of any demigod nor by the so-called advancement of material science.
3. One should worship Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee for spiritual advancement in knowledge.
4. As far as vidyā is concerned, the first mantra of ISO has explained very clearly that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of everything and that forgetfulness of this fact is ignorance. 
5. The more a man forgets this fact of life, the more he is in darkness. Those who simply engage in the profitless pursuit of sense gratification are worshiping avidyā, according to Śrī Īśopaniṣad.
6. The purpose of all Vedic literature is to awaken this God-consciousness in the forgetful living being. Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā is the best. 
7. The aim of real education should be self-realization, realization of the spiritual values of the soul. Any education which does not lead to such realization must be considered avidyā, or nescience. And to culture such nescience means to go down to the darkest region of ignorance.
8. The veda-vāda-rata men, pose themselves as very learned in the Vedic literature, but unfortunately, they are completely diverted from the purpose of the Vedas and misguide others. They give their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of great teachers (ācāryas). 
9. Thus they progress into the darkest region of ignorance by misinterpreting the Vedic literature. They fall even further into ignorance than those who have no knowledge of the Vedas at all.
10. One should follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. 
11. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding. The doubtful persons have no status whatsoever in spiritual emancipation. 
12. One should follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas who are in the disciplic succession and thereby attain success.

SB 2.3.8  TRANSLATION:

One should worship Lord Viṣṇu or His devotee for spiritual advancement in knowledge, and for protection of heredity and advancement of a dynasty one should worship the various demigods.

CLASS NOTES: 

The path of religion entails making progress on the path of spiritual advancement, ultimately reviving the eternal relation with Lord Viṣṇu in His impersonal effulgence, His localized Paramātmā feature, and ultimately His personal feature by spiritual advancement in knowledge. And one who wants to establish a good dynasty and be happy in the progress of temporary bodily relations should take shelter of the Pitās and the demigods in other pious planets. Such different classes of worshipers of different demigods may ultimately reach the respective planets of those demigods within the universe, but he who reaches the spiritual planets in the brahmajyoti achieves the highest perfection.

This is a very interesting verse. It evokes the theme from the previous verse – “But these problems are solved neither by the grace of any demigod nor by the so-called advancement of material science.  Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that out of the 8,400,000 species of living entities, the human form of life is rare and valuable, and out of those rare human beings those who are conscious of the material problems are rarer still, and the still more rare persons are those who are conscious of the value of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which contains the messages of the Lord and His pure devotees”

This is further explained in ISO 9

ISO 9 

“Those who are engaged in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the so-called culture of knowledge.”

This mantra offers a comparative study of vidyā and avidyā. Avidyā, or ignorance, is undoubtedly dangerous, but vidyā, or knowledge, is even more dangerous when mistaken or misguided. This mantra of Śrī Īśopaniṣad is more applicable today than at any time in the past. Modern civilization has advanced considerably in the field of mass education, but the result is that people are more unhappy than ever before because of the stress placed on material advancement to the exclusion of the most important part of life, the spiritual aspect.

As far as vidyā is concerned, the first mantra has explained very clearly that the Supreme Lord is the proprietor of everything and that forgetfulness of this fact is ignorance. The more a man forgets this fact of life, the more he is in darkness. In view of this, a godless civilization directed toward the so-called advancement of education is more dangerous than a civilization in which the masses of people are less “educated.”

Of the different classes of men – karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs – the karmīs are those who are engaged in the activities of sense gratification. In the modern civilization, 99.9 percent of the people are engaged in the activities of sense gratification under the flags of industrialism, economic development, altruism, political activism, and so on. All these activities are more or less based on satisfaction of the senses, to the exclusion of the kind of God consciousness described in the first mantra.

In the language of the Bhagavad-gītā (7.15), people who are engaged in gross sense gratification are mūḍhas – asses. The ass is a symbol of stupidity. Those who simply engage in the profitless pursuit of sense gratification are worshiping avidyā, according to Śrī Īśopaniṣad. And those who play the role of helping this sort of civilization in the name of educational advancement are actually doing more harm than those who are on the platform of gross sense gratification. The advancement of learning by a godless people is as dangerous as a valuable jewel on the hood of a cobra. A cobra decorated with a valuable jewel is more dangerous than one not decorated. In the Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (3.11.12), the advancement of education by a godless people is compared to decorations on a dead body. In India, as in many other countries, some people follow the custom of leading a procession with a decorated dead body for the pleasure of the lamenting relatives. In the same way, modern civilization is a patchwork of activities meant to cover the perpetual miseries of material existence. All such activities are aimed toward sense gratification. But above the senses is the mind, and above the mind is the intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul. Thus the aim of real education should be self-realization, realization of the spiritual values of the soul. Any education which does not lead to such realization must be considered avidyā, or nescience. And to culture such nescience means to go down to the darkest region of ignorance.

THE PURPOSE OF ALL VEDAS

As stated in Mantra One, we should know that the Personality of Godhead is the proprietor of everything and that we must be satisfied with our allotted portions of the necessities of life. The purpose of all Vedic literature is to awaken this God consciousness in the forgetful living being, and this same purpose is presented in various ways in the different scriptures of the world for the understanding of a foolish mankind. Thus the ultimate purpose of all religions is to bring one back to Godhead

.

VEDA VADA RATAS – 

According to the Bhagavad-gītā (2.42, 7.15), mistaken mundane educators are known as veda-vāda-rata and māyayāpahṛta-jñāna. They may also be atheistic demons, the lowest of men. Veda-vāda-ratas are especially condemned in this mantra by the very appropriate Sanskrit words vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ. Vidyāyām refers to the study of the Vedas because the Vedas are the origin of all knowledge (vidyā), and ratāḥ means “those engaged.” Vidyāyāṁ ratāḥ thus means “those engaged in the study of the Vedas.”

1. These veda-vāda-rata men are not at all interested in the Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, they are fascinated by such fruitive results as the attainment of heaven.
2. They pose themselves as very learned in the Vedic literature, but unfortunately they are completely diverted from the purpose of the Vedas.
3. They, instead of realizing that the purpose of the Vedas is to revive the forgetful soul’s lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead, take it for granted that such side issues as the attainment of heavenly pleasure for sense gratification – the lust for which causes their material bondage in the first place – are the ultimate end of the Vedas. 
4. Such people misguide others by misinterpreting the Vedic literature. 
5. Sometimes they even condemn the Purāṇas, which are authentic Vedic explanations for laymen. 
6. The veda-vāda-ratas give their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of great teachers (ācāryas). 
7. They also tend to raise some unscrupulous person from among themselves and present him as the leading exponent of Vedic knowledge.
8. The so-called students of the Vedas are condemned herein because they are ignorant of the actual purpose of the Vedas on account of their disobeying the ācāryas. 
9. Such veda-vāda-ratas search out meanings in every word of the Vedas to suit their own purposes. 
10. They do not know that the Vedic literature is a collection of extraordinary books that can be understood only through the chain of disciplic succession.

1. These veda-vāda-rata men are not at all interested in the Personality of Godhead. On the contrary, they are fascinated by such fruitive results as the attainment of heaven.
2. They pose themselves as very learned in the Vedic literature, but unfortunately they are completely diverted from the purpose of the Vedas.
3. They, instead of realizing that the purpose of the Vedas is to revive the forgetful soul’s lost relationship with the Personality of Godhead, take it for granted that such side issues as the attainment of heavenly pleasure for sense gratification – the lust for which causes their material bondage in the first place – are the ultimate end of the Vedas. 
4. Such people misguide others by misinterpreting the Vedic literature. 
5. Sometimes they even condemn the Purāṇas, which are authentic Vedic explanations for laymen. 
6. The veda-vāda-ratas give their own explanations of the Vedas, neglecting the authority of great teachers (ācāryas). 
7. They also tend to raise some unscrupulous person from among themselves and present him as the leading exponent of Vedic knowledge.
8. The so-called students of the Vedas are condemned herein because they are ignorant of the actual purpose of the Vedas on account of their disobeying the ācāryas. 
9. Such veda-vāda-ratas search out meanings in every word of the Vedas to suit their own purposes. 
10. They do not know that the Vedic literature is a collection of extraordinary books that can be understood only through the chain of disciplic succession.

One must approach a bona fide spiritual master in order to understand the transcendental message of the Vedas. That is the direction of the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12). 

This mantra is an indictment. 

BG 4.40 

But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

Modern education puts a doubt in the mind about the existence of God. They say if there is GOd, how is there evil in this world? Oftentimes there is no logical explanation. Christians have their own interpretation. Muslims have their own interpretation. They say there is evil as people are not following the orders of the lord. They say you need to have an abortion and bring a child into the world of evil. They say it is a woman’s rights – she should do whatever she wants to do with her body. 

Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā is the best. 

1. Persons who are almost like animals have no faith in, or knowledge of, the standard revealed scriptures; and 
2. some, even though they have knowledge of, or can cite passages from, the revealed scriptures, have actually no faith in these words. 
3. And even though others may have faith in scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, they do not believe in or worship the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.Such persons cannot have any standing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They fall down. 
4. Out of all the above-mentioned persons, those who have no faith and are always doubtful make no progress at all.  (Modern education, scripture is not scientific)
5. Men without faith in God and His revealed word find no good in this world, nor in the next. For them there is no happiness whatsoever. 

One should therefore follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding. In other words, doubtful persons have no status whatsoever in spiritual emancipation. One should therefore follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas who are in the disciplic succession and thereby attain success.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.3.2-7

1. One who desires tangible fame should worship the Personality of Godhead.
2. The conditioned soul living within the purview of the material world cannot be an expert in every type of materially enjoyable asset, but one can have considerable influence over a particular matter by worshiping a particular demigod, as mentioned in this verse. Ravana is one example who became powerful by the grace of Lord Shiva who was pleased with his worship.
3. All persons who aspire after gaining some or all of the material objects of enjoyment, or the gross materialistic persons, are less intelligent. 
4. Those who are bereft of all good sense, or those whose intelligence is withdrawn by the deluding energy of māyā, aspire to achieve all sorts of material enjoyment in life by pleasing the various demigods, or by advancing in material civilization under the heading of scientific progress. 
5. The real problem of life in the material world is to solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease. But these problems are solved neither by the grace of any demigod nor by the so-called advancement of material science. 
6. Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that out of the 8,400,000 species of living entities, the human form of life is rare and valuable, and out of those rare human beings those who are conscious of the material problems are rarer still, and the still more rare persons are those who are conscious of the value of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which contains the messages of the Lord and His pure devotees
7.  Death is inevitable for everyone, intelligent or foolish. But Parīkṣit Mahārāja has been addressed by the Gosvāmī as the manīṣī, or the man of highly developed mind, because at the time of death he left all material enjoyment and completely surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord by hearing His messages from the right person, Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
8.  But aspirations for material enjoyment by endeavoring persons are condemned. Such aspirations are something like the intoxication of the degraded human society. Intelligent persons should try to avoid these aspirations and seek instead the permanent life by returning home, back to Godhead.
9. Only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is master, and all others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for the satisfaction of his material needs. He depends on the Supreme Lord. And the pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives.
10. Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control them before one gives up this material body.
11. It is the duty of the transcendentalist to try strenuously to control desire and anger.  One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily.
12. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object.
13. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification.

SB 2.3.2 -7  TRANSLATION: 

One who desires to be absorbed in the impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence should worship the master of the Vedas [Lord Brahmā or Bṛhaspati, the learned priest], one who desires powerful sex should worship the heavenly King, Indra, and one who desires good progeny should worship the great progenitors called the Prajāpatis. One who desires good fortune should worship Durgādevī, the superintendent of the material world. One desiring to be very powerful should worship fire, and one who aspires only after money should worship the Vasus. One should worship the Rudra incarnations of Lord Śiva if he wants to be a great hero. One who wants a large stock of grains should worship Aditi. One who desires to attain the heavenly planets should worship the sons of Aditi. One who desires a worldly kingdom should worship Viśvadeva, and one who wants to be popular with the general mass of the population should worship the Sādhya demigod. One who desires a long span of life should worship the demigods known as the Aśvinī-kumāras, and a person desiring a strongly built body should worship the earth. One who desires stability in his post should worship the horizon and the earth combined. One who desires to be beautiful should worship the beautiful residents of the Gandharva planet, and one who desires a good wife should worship the Apsarās and the Urvaśī society girls of the heavenly kingdom. One who desires domination over others should worship Lord Brahmā, the head of the universe. One who desires tangible fame should worship the Personality of Godhead, and one who desires a good bank balance should worship the demigod Varuṇa. If one desires to be a greatly learned man he should worship Lord Śiva, and if one desires a good marital relation he should worship the chaste goddess Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva.

CLASS NOTES: 

Here we see the problem with worshipping demigods and the absolute benefit of worshipping Krsna. Demigod worship is not recommended by Krsna. Demo gods cannot give freedom from the material world and …. They cannot give what they don’t have.

But when it comes to fame it is said to worship Krsna. Because only a pure devotee of the lord is the most famous. Prabhupada is the most famous person even though he is not in Vrindavan. Today everyone is worshipping the alter of

BG 7.20
Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.


SB 2.3.10
akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā
mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena
yajeta puruṣaṁ param

Less intelligent people who have lost their spiritual sense take shelter of demigods for immediate fulfillment of material desires. Generally, such people do not go to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because they are in the lower modes of nature (ignorance and passion) and therefore worship various demigods. Following the rules and regulations of worship, they are satisfied. The worshipers of demigods are motivated by small desires and do not know how to reach the supreme goal, but a devotee of the Supreme Lord is not misguided. Because in Vedic literature there are recommendations for worshiping different gods for different purposes (e.g., a diseased man is recommended to worship the sun), those who are not devotees of the Lord think that for certain purposes demigods are better than the Supreme Lord. But a pure devotee knows that the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa is the master of all. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 5.142) it is said, ekale īśvara kṛṣṇa, āra saba bhṛtya: only the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is master, and all others are servants. Therefore a pure devotee never goes to demigods for satisfaction of his material needs. He depends on the Supreme Lord. And the pure devotee is satisfied with whatever He gives.

The fact is that people can get quick sense gratification by worshipping the demigods. But they do not know that misery follows that is the law of nature. 

BG 5.23
śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ
prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt
kāma-krodhodbhavaṁ vegaṁ
sa yuktaḥ sa sukhī naraḥ

Before giving up this present body, if one is able to tolerate the urges of the material senses and check the force of desire and anger, he is well situated and is happy in this world.

Purport
If one wants to make steady progress on the path of self-realization, he must try to control the forces of the material senses. There are the forces of talk, forces of anger, forces of mind, forces of the stomach, forces of the genitals, and forces of the tongue. One who is able to control the forces of all these different senses, and the mind, is called gosvāmī, or svāmī. Such gosvāmīs live strictly controlled lives and forgo altogether the forces of the senses.
Material desires, when unsatiated, generate anger, and thus the mind, eyes and chest become agitated. Therefore, one must practice to control them before one gives up this material body. One who can do this is understood to be self-realized and is thus happy in the state of self-realization. It is the duty of the transcendentalist to try strenuously to control desire and anger.

BG 4.21
Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not expect good or bad results in his activities. His mind and intelligence are fully controlled. He knows that because he is part and parcel of the Supreme, the part played by him, as a part and parcel of the whole, is not his own activity but is only being done through him by the Supreme. When the hand moves, it does not move out of its own accord, but by the endeavor of the whole body. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. He moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires oiling and cleaning for maintenance, so a Kṛṣṇa conscious man maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. He is therefore immune to all the reactions of his endeavors. Like an animal, he has no proprietorship even over his own body. A cruel proprietor of an animal sometimes kills the animal in his possession, yet the animal does not protest. Nor does it have any real independence. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not, therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from all reactions to his actions.

(Lecture on BG 4.21) We should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more. Nirasih

https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/740410bgbom

There is necessity of food grain. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni. Bhagavad-gītā never says that “You don’t require to eat. You simply breathe air and practice yoga.” No. But we must eat neither more nor less. That is recommended. Yuktāhāra-vihārasya. We should not eat more nor less. And nirāśīḥ. Nirāśīḥ means desireless of extravagance. Now we are desiring for sense gratification more and more. That is not wanted.

If you want perfection of life… This is called tapasya. One has got the desire, but he should not desire unnecessarily. Everyone has got the right to eat, even the animals. Everyone has got the right. But because we are desiring to enjoy more, therefore we do not give the chance to the animals to live properly; rather, we are trying to eat the animals. This is not required. This is called nirāśīḥ. Why you should eat animals? That is uncivilized life. When there is no food, when they are aborigines, they may eat animals, because they do not know how to grow food. But when the human society becomes civilized, he can grow so many nice foods, he can keep the cows; instead of eating the cows, he can get milk, sufficient milk. We can make so many preparation from milk and grains. So we should not desire unnecessarily to enjoy more.

Then it is said here, kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam. Kilbiṣam means resultant action of sinful life. Kilbiṣam. So if we don’t desire more than our necessary, then we are not implicated, involved, in sinful activity, kurvan api, even though he is engaged in working. While you are working, knowingly or unknowingly you have to commit something which is not pious, even sinful; but if you simply desire for living properly, then kurvan napi…, nāpnoti na kilbiṣam. Kurvan nāpnoti kilbiṣam. Our life should be without any sinful reaction. Otherwise we will have to suffer. But they do not believe, although they are seeing so many abominable lives. Wherefrom they are coming, 8,400,000 species of life? There are so many lives living very abominable condition. Of course, the animal or the living creature does not know, but we human being, we should know why this is…, this abominable life. It is māyā’s illusion.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.37:

1. The sufferings of human society are due to a polluted aim of life, namely lording it over the material resources. 
2. The human necessities of life are fully supplied by the Lord in the shape of food grains, milk, fruit, wood, stone, sugar, silk, jewels, cotton, salt, water, vegetables, etc., in sufficient quantity to feed and care for the human race of the world as well as the living beings on each and every planet within the universe. The supply source is complete, and only a little energy by the human being is required to get his necessities into the proper channel.
3. Life is never made comfortable by artificial needs, but by plain living and high thinking. 
4. The highest perfectional thinking for human society is suggested here by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, namely, sufficiently hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
5. For men in this Age of Kali, when they have lost the perfect vision of life, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the torchlight by which to see the real path. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda has indicated Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to be the nectarean message of the Personality of Godhead. 
6. By sufficient hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the polluted aim of life, namely lording it over matter, will subside, and the people in general in all parts of the world will be able to live a peaceful life of knowledge and bliss.
7. By the constant hearing of the messages of the Bhagavad-gītā, and later of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one is assured by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that he will reach the Personality of Godhead and render Him transcendental loving service in the spiritual planet of the name Goloka Vṛndāvana. 
8. By practicing bhakti-yoga, if the performer is not purified from the material contamination, he must be a pseudo devotee. For such an imposter there is no remedy for being freed from material entanglement.
9. Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā is the best. 
10. One should follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding.
11. In one who has unflinching devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.
12. 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.
13. Human life is never meant for sense gratification, but for self-realization. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam instructs us solely on this subject from the very beginning to the end.
14. 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.
15. Our material bodies and our lives 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
16. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. He moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires oiling and cleaning for maintenance, so a Kṛṣṇa conscious man maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
17. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not, therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from all reactions to his actions.

SB 2.2.37 TRANSLATION
Those who drink through aural reception, fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the beloved of the devotees, purify the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, to the lotus feet of Him [the Personality of Godhead].

CLASS NOTES: 

THE SUFFERINGS OF HUMAN SOCIETY ARE DUE TO A POLLUTED AIM OF LIFE, NAMELY LORDING IT OVER THE MATERIAL RESOURCES. 

The more human society engages in the exploitation of undeveloped material resources for sense gratification, the more it will be entrapped by the illusory, material energy of the Lord, and thus the distress of the world will be intensified instead of diminished.

The human necessities of life are fully supplied by the Lord in the shape of food grains, milk, fruit, wood, stone, sugar, silk, jewels, cotton, salt, water, vegetables, etc., in sufficient quantity to feed and care for the human race of the world as well as the living beings on each and every planet within the universe. The supply source is complete, and only a little energy by the human being is required to get his necessities into the proper channel.

LIFE IS NEVER MADE COMFORTABLE BY ARTIFICIAL NEEDS, BUT BY PLAIN LIVING AND HIGH THINKING. 

There is no need of machines and tools or huge steel plants for artificially creating comforts of life. Life is never made comfortable by artificial needs, but by plain living and high thinking. The highest perfectional thinking for human society is suggested here by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, namely, sufficiently hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

ŚRĪMAD-BHĀGAVATAM IS THE TORCHLIGHT BY WHICH TO SEE THE REAL PATH

For men in this Age of Kali, when they have lost the perfect vision of life, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the torchlight by which to see the real path. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda has commented on the kathāmṛtam mentioned in this verse and has indicated Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to be the nectarean message of the Personality of Godhead. By sufficient hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the polluted aim of life, namely lording it over matter, will subside, and the people in general in all parts of the world will be able to live a peaceful life of knowledge and bliss.

FOR A PURE DEVOTEE OF THE LORD, ANY TOPICS IN RELATION WITH LORD ARE ALL PLEASING 

For a pure devotee of the Lord, any topics in relation with His name, fame, quality, entourage, etc., are all pleasing, and because such topics have been approved by great devotees like Nārada, Hanumān, Nanda Mahārāja and other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, certainly such messages are transcendental and pleasing to the heart and soul.

BY THE CONSTANT HEARING OF BG AND SB ONE IS ASSURED THAT HE WILL REACH THE PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD
And by the constant hearing of the messages of the Bhagavad-gītā, and later of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one is assured herein by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that he will reach the Personality of Godhead and render Him transcendental loving service in the spiritual planet of the name Goloka Vṛndāvana, which resembles a huge lotus flower.

BY SUFFICIENT HEARING OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL MESSAGE OF THE LORD THE MATERIAL CONTAMINATION IS ELIMINATED

Thus by the process of bhakti-yoga, directly accepted, as suggested in this verse, by sufficient hearing of the transcendental message of the Lord, the material contamination is directly eliminated without one’s attempting to contemplate the impersonal virāṭ conception of the Lord. And by practicing bhakti-yoga, if the performer is not purified from the material contamination, he must be a pseudo devotee. For such an imposter there is no remedy for being freed from material entanglement.

(BG 4.40) PEOPLE WHO DOUBT SCRIPTURES AND DO NOT HEAR THEM WITH FAITH HAVE NO SPIRITUAL SUCCESS
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God’s consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul, there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the Bhagavad-gītā is the best.

1. Persons who are almost like animals have no faith in, or knowledge of, the standard revealed scriptures; and some, even though they have knowledge of, or can cite passages from, the revealed scriptures, have actually no faith in these words.
2. And even though others may have faith in scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, they do not believe in or worship the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such persons cannot have any standing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They fall down.
3. Out of all the above-mentioned persons, those who have no faith and are always doubtful make no progress at all. Men without faith in God and His revealed word find no good in this world, nor in the next. For them, there is no happiness whatsoever.
4. One should therefore follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding.
5. In other words, doubtful persons have no status whatsoever in spiritual emancipation. One should therefore follow in the footsteps of great ācāryas who are in the disciplic succession and thereby attain success.

Major suggestion by Srila Prabhupada – First explain why people are suffering.  We can all admit that the whole world is suffering now. Especially in India. Sridham Mayapur is in complete lockdown. Noone is allowed to go in and go out.  They are constantly cleaning every surface. Nobody is allowed to go into Brahmachari Ashram.  There is a lot of suffering in all the continents of this world. “The sufferings of human society are due to a polluted aim of life, namely lording it over the material resources. “Are the devotees suffering? Real devotees are not suffering, they know the value of simple living and higher thinking. SP explains certain things. in the letter to Rupanuga on March 15th 1969. 

(PRABHUPADA’S CONVERSATION WITH RUPANUGA) SIMPLE LIVING

https://vedabase.io/en/library/letters/letter-to-rupanuga-11/
So actually there is no material advancement here. Here, I am seeing practically that Gaurasundara, such a nice intelligent and qualified boy, he has to work hard 12 hours simply for his subsistence. I think there are many instances like that, so this is not material advancement. You can call it capitalist advancement, and the reaction for such advancement is communism. Such movement is simply suppressed in your country, but actually the reaction is this. So the Western type of civilization, industrialism and capitalism, is no material advancement. It is material exploitation. When one gets the bare necessities of life, namely peaceful home, sumptuous eating, necessary sex life, and feeling of security, then it is called material advancement. In the absence of such four preliminary necessities of life, it is not at all material advancement—just try to understand. According to Vedic civilization, a man is supposed to be rich when he has got sufficient grains and cows. Here we have neither sufficient grains or cows, but you have got sufficient quantity of papers only—falsely thinking that it is money. When there is some catastrophe, this bunch of papers will neither supply milk or grain. They will be seen only and the man will starve.

Example –  After world war 1 there was so much inflation, that you need to pay thousands and thousands of money bills to buy a loaf of bread in Germany.  In another instance SP says in the verse SB 7.11.8-12

(SB 7.11.8-12)THIRTY QUALITIES, WITHOUT WHICH THERE CANNOT BE ANY PEACE.

These are the general principles to be followed by all human beings: truthfulness, mercy, austerity (observing fasts on certain days of the month), bathing twice a day, tolerance, discrimination between right and wrong, control of the mind, control of the senses, nonviolence, celibacy, charity, reading of scripture, simplicity, satisfaction, rendering service to saintly persons, gradually taking leave of unnecessary engagements, observing the futility of the unnecessary activities of human society, remaining silent and grave and avoiding unnecessary talk, considering whether one is the body or the soul, distributing food equally to all living entities (both men and animals), seeing every soul (especially in the human form) as a part of the Supreme Lord, hearing about the activities and instructions given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead (who is the shelter of the saintly persons), chanting about these activities and instructions, always remembering these activities and instructions, trying to render service, performing worship, offering obeisances, becoming a servant, becoming a friend, and surrendering one’s whole self. O King Yudhiṣṭhira, these thirty qualifications must be acquired in the human form of life. Simply by acquiring these qualifications, one can satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Everyone should cleanse his mind internally by remembering the holy name of the Lord. The Lord is one, whether one is Hindu, Muslim or Christian. Therefore, one should chant the holy name of the Lord, regardless of differences in linguistic pronunciation. Also, everyone should be taught to be very careful not to discharge semen unnecessarily. This is very important for all human beings. If semen is not discharged unnecessarily, one becomes extremely strong in memory, determination, activity, and the vitality of one’s bodily energy. Everyone should also be taught to be simple in thought and feeling and satisfied in body and mind. These are the general qualifications of a human being. There is no question of a secular state or an ecclesiastical state. Unless one is educated in the above-mentioned thirty qualities, there cannot be any peace. Ultimately it is recommended:
Everyone should become a devotee of the Lord because by becoming a devotee of the Lord one automatically acquires the other qualities.

“In one who has unflinching devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, all the good qualities of Kṛṣṇa and the demigods are consistently manifest. However, he who has no devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead has no good qualifications because he is engaged by mental concoction in material existence, which is the external feature of the Lord.” (Bhāg. 5.18.12) Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, therefore, is all-embracing. Human civilization should take it very seriously and practice its principles for the peace of the world.

These are very precisous instructions that we are getting. If we can assimilate these then we have a chance to have happy, peaceful, productive life with full of vitality and positivity.

(SB 2.2.3) MINIMALISM, SIMPLE LIVING HIGHER THINKING
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.

Srila Prabhupada is a minimalist he is exposing simple living and higher thinking. Keeping to a minimum of material needs, we can maximize our contemplation, glorification and service to Krsna.

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 never meant for sense gratification, but for self-realization. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam instructs us solely on this subject from the very beginning to the end

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.

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.

There are so many statements SP is making about simple living higher thinking and living with bare necessities of life. Prabhupada further says in the BG 4.21

(BG 4.21) ACTING ONLY FOR THE BARE NECESSITIES OF LIFE

Such a man of understanding acts with mind and intelligence perfectly controlled, gives up all sense of proprietorship over his possessions and acts only for the bare necessities of life. Thus working, he is not affected by sinful reactions.

A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does not expect good or bad results in his activities. His mind and intelligence are fully controlled. He knows that because he is part and parcel of the Supreme, the part played by him, as a part and parcel of the whole, is not his own activity but is only being done through him by the Supreme. When the hand moves, it does not move out of its own accord, but by the endeavor of the whole body. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. He moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires oiling and cleaning for maintenance, so a Kṛṣṇa conscious man maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. He is therefore immune to all the reactions of his endeavors. Like an animal, he has no proprietorship even over his own body. A cruel proprietor of an animal sometimes kills the animal in his possession, yet the animal does not protest. Nor does it have any real independence. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, fully engaged in self-realization, has very little time to falsely possess any material object. For maintaining body and soul, he does not require unfair means of accumulating money. He does not, therefore, become contaminated by such material sins. He is free from all reactions to his actions.

Here we have statement after statement that Srila Prabhupada makes, in today’s verse says – “Life is never made comfortable by artificial needs, but by plain living and high thinking. The highest perfectional thinking for human society is suggested here by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, namely, sufficiently hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”

This is knowledge, real knowledge. Srila Prabhupada also explains –   Goswamis did not have computers, cell phones, bedrooms, they slept under the trees one tree a day, they harldy ate, but yet they produced the greatest literature in this world. What a tremondous contribution to the humanity of the world. We are all reading BG, SB and Later on when wwe are advanced we can read the literature of Goswami. They lived very simple life. Reduced their material needs and maximized the spiritual activities. We are not in their level we have to learn from them the value of living simply and higher thinking. That is if we want to be happy. 

Healthy, happy & wise.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.36 TODAY (05/06/21): 

1. There is no auspicious means for salvation other than the sublime process of bhakti-yoga. 
2. Out of all the nine different methods, the first one, namely hearing, is the most important function in the process of bhakti-yoga. Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the methods of practice.
3. And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyāsadeva, who is the powerful incarnation of Godhead
4. Since it has been ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being. 
5. Living beings other than human beings have no ability to hear such Vedic literatures. If human society gives itself to the process of hearing the Vedic literature, it will not become a victim to the impious sounds vibrated by impious men who degrade the standards of the total society.
6. Hearing is solidified by the process of chanting. One who has perfectly heard from the perfect source becomes convinced about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and thus becomes enthusiastic in glorifying the Lord. 
7. The Lord is the master of all time and all space, and therefore the Lord’s holy name must be heard, glorified and remembered everywhere in the world. That will bring about the desired peace and prosperity so eagerly awaited by the people of the world.
8. Supreme Lord in His Paramātmā feature, enters the creation of this material world as Mahā-viṣṇu, Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, and in a very friendly attitude the Lord sits along with the conditioned soul in the body. 
9. Therefore, every living entity has the Lord with him from the very beginning, but due to his mistaken consciousness of life, the living entity cannot understand this. 
10. When the conditioned soul comes in contact with a pure devotee and takes to devotional service, beginning with the process of hearing Your transcendental pastimes, glorifying Your transcendental activities, worshiping Your eternal form in the temple, offering prayers to You, and engaging in discussion to understand Your transcendental position, he gradually becomes freed from the contamination of material existence. And as his heart becomes cleansed of all material dust, You gradually become visible there.
11. For one who engages in Your devotional service and purifies his heart by constant chanting of Your holy name, You are very easily understood as his eternal, constant companion.
12. It is said that Your Lordship, sitting in the heart of a devotee, gives him direction by which he can very quickly come back home, back to You. This direct dictation by You reveals Your existence within the heart of the devotee. 
13. Only a devotee can immediately appreciate Your existence within his heart, whereas for a person who has only a bodily concept of life and is engaged in sense gratification, You always remain covered by the curtain of yogamāyā. Such a person cannot realize that You are very near, sitting within his heart. 
14.  A devotee can immediately see Your hand in every movement of material nature. The curtain of yogamāyā cannot cover the eyes of the devotee of Your Lordship, but it can cover the eyes of the nondevotee. 
15. The conditioned soul feels the pangs of material contamination as the threefold miseries as long as You are not visible to him. And as soon as You are visible by the development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all miseries of material existence are simultaneously vanquished.”

SB 2.2.36 TRANSLATION: 

O King, it is therefore essential that every human being hear about, glorify and remember the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, always and everywhere.

CLASS NOTES: 

There is no auspicious means for salvation other than the sublime process of bhakti-yoga. 

HEARING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN THE PROCESS OF BHAKTI YOGA

Out of all the nine different methods, the first one, namely hearing, is the most important function in the process of bhakti-yoga. Without hearing sufficiently and properly, no one can make any progress by any of the methods of practice. 

HEARING IS THE SPECIAL DUTY OF HUMAN BEING

And for hearing only, all the Vedic literatures are there, compiled by authorized persons like Vyāsadeva, who is the powerful incarnation of Godhead. And since it has been ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being. 

HUMAN BECOMES VICTIM TO HEARING RUBBISH WHEN HE GIVES UP HEARING ABOUT THE LORD

When the human being gives up the process of hearing about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, he becomes victim to hearing rubbish transmitted by man-made machines. Machinery is not bad because through the machine one can take advantage of hearing about the Lord, but because machinery is used for ulterior purposes, it is creating rapid degradation in the standard of human civilization. Living beings other than human beings have no ability to hear such Vedic literatures. If human society gives itself to the process of hearing the Vedic literature, it will not become a victim to the impious sounds vibrated by impious men who degrade the standards of the total society.

HEARING IS SOLIDIFIED BY THE PROCESS OF CHANTING

One who has perfectly heard from the perfect source becomes convinced about the all-pervading Personality of Godhead and thus becomes enthusiastic in glorifying the Lord. 

All the great ācāryas, like Rāmānuja, Madhva, Caitanya, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura or even, in other countries, Muhammad, Christ and others, have all extensively glorified the Lord by chanting always and in every place.

Sanātana means eternal, always and everywhere. Bhāgavata means pertaining to Bhagavān, the Lord. The Lord is the master of all time and all space, and therefore the Lord’s holy name must be heard, glorified and remembered everywhere in the world. That will bring about the desired peace and prosperity so eagerly awaited by the people of the world. The word ca includes all the remaining processes or methods of bhakti-yoga, as mentioned above

We heard the importance of hearing in the second canto and first canto as well.

SB 2.1.5
O descendant of King Bharata, one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead, who is the Supersoul, the controller and the savior from all miseries.

SB 1.2.14
tasmād ekena manasā
bhagavān sātvatāṁ patiḥ
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca
dhyeyaḥ pūjyaś ca nityadā

Therefore, with one-pointed attention, one should constantly hear about, glorify, remember and worship the Personality of Godhead, who is the protector of the devotees.


“And since it has been ascertained that the Lord is the Supersoul of everything, He should therefore be heard and glorified everywhere and always. That is the special duty of the human being.”
Anything which is repeated more than twice in Vedic literature is of utmost importance. The special duty is to hear about the lord. We can also understand about Hearing in the Krishna Bool Chapter – Kidnapping Subhadra. 

KRSNA BOOK – CHAPTER – 86 – KIDNAPPING SUBHADRA

BRAHMANA SRUTADEVA IS SO VERY FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE KRSNA AND HIS ASSOCIATES. 

the brāhmaṇa Śrutadeva, simultaneously receiving Lord Kṛṣṇa and His associates at his home, was transcendentally overwhelmed with joy. After offering his guests nice sitting places, the brāhmaṇa began to dance, waving around his wrap. 

although the brāhmaṇa appeared very poor, he was at that time most fortunate.

They were not costly items and could be secured very easily, but because they were offered with devotional love, Lord Kṛṣṇa and His associates accepted them gladly.

“I have fallen into the deep, dark well of householder life and am the most unfortunate person. How has it become possible that Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His associates, the great sages, whose very presence makes a place as sanctified as a pilgrimage site, have agreed to come to my place?” 

EVERY LIVING ENTITY HAS THE LORD WITH HIM FROM THE VERY BEGINNING

This statement by the brāhmaṇa is very instructive. It is a fact that the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, enters the creation of this material world as Mahā-viṣṇu, Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu and Kṣīrodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, and in a very friendly attitude the Lord sits along with the conditioned soul in the body. Therefore, every living entity has the Lord with him from the very beginning, but due to his mistaken consciousness of life, the living entity cannot understand this. When his consciousness, however, is changed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can immediately understand how Kṛṣṇa is trying to assist the conditioned souls to get out of the material entanglement.

CONTACT WITH PURE DEVOTEE, HEARING AND GLORIFYING BEGINS AND THE HEART BECOMES CLEANSED

When the conditioned soul comes in contact with a pure devotee and takes to devotional service, beginning with the process of hearing Your transcendental pastimes, glorifying Your transcendental activities, worshiping Your eternal form in the temple, offering prayers to You and engaging in discussion to understand Your transcendental position, he gradually becomes freed from the contamination of material existence. And as his heart becomes cleansed of all material dust, You gradually become visible there

ONE WHO IS BEWILDERED BY FRUITIVE ACTIVITIES, LORD IS NOT REVEALED TO SUCH PERSONS

Others, who are bewildered by fruitive activities, either by Vedic injunction or by customary dealings, and who do not take to devotional service, are captivated by the external happiness of the bodily concept of life. You are not revealed to such persons. Rather, You remain far, far away from them.

But for one who engages in Your devotional service and purifies his heart by constant chanting of Your holy name, You are very easily understood as his eternal, constant companion.

ONLY A DEVOTEE CAN IMMEDIATELY APPRECIATE YOUR EXISTENCE WITHIN HIS HEART

“It is said that Your Lordship, sitting in the heart of a devotee, gives him direction by which he can very quickly come back home, back to You. This direct dictation by You reveals Your existence within the heart of the devotee. Only a devotee can immediately appreciate Your existence within his heart, whereas for a person who has only a bodily concept of life and is engaged in sense gratification, You always remain covered by the curtain of yogamāyā. Such a person cannot realize that You are very near, sitting within his heart. 

FOR A NON DEVOTEE LORD IS APPRECIATED AS THE ULTIMATE DEATH

The atheist, therefore, understands the presence of God as death, but the devotee understands the presence of God always within his heart, takes dictation from You and lives transcendentally, unaffected by the contamination of the material world.

Ex : Cat’s mouth for a kitten and for a rat. 

A DEVOTEE CAN IMMEDIATELY SEE YOUR HAND IN EVERY MOVEMENT OF MATERIAL NATURE AND YOGA MAYA CAN NEVER COVET THE EYES OF A DEVOTEE

The curtain of yogamāyā cannot cover the eyes of the devotee of Your Lordship, but it can cover the eyes of the nondevotee. 

The conditioned soul feels the pangs of material contamination as the threefold miseries as long as You are not visible to him. And as soon as You are visible by the development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all miseries of material existence are simultaneously vanquished.”

LORD TELLS SRUTADEVA THE INFLUENCE OF GREAT SAGES

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is naturally very much affectionately inclined to His devotees. When He heard Śrutadeva’s prayers of pure devotion, He was very pleased. He says –  the influence of great sages and saintly persons is so great that by seeing them one immediately becomes completely purified.

Therefore the special duty of the human being is to hear at all times in all places, without any hindrance. The hearing process we are doing everyday it is the most important thing and the special duty to change our consciousness and to change our activity from material to spiritual. Our hearing should be solidified by the process of chanting.

We should always speak endearing words to the Lord.  We understand this by the prayers of the Brahmana Srutadeva. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.35 – Part 4

1. The superior principle of Superself is guiding and supplying us according to our desire.
2. By taking advantage of the guidance of Superself in the form of intelligence, we can either continue to study and to put into practice our conclusion that “I am not this body,” or we can choose to remain in the false material identification, fancying ourselves to be the possessors and doers.
3. Our freedom consists in orienting our desire either toward the ignorant, material misconception or the true, spiritual conception.
4. We can easily attain the true, spiritual conception by recognizing the Superself (Paramātmā) to be our friend and guide and by dovetailing our intelligence with the superior intelligence of Paramātmā.
5. The Superself and the individual self are both spirits, and therefore the Superself and the individual self are both qualitatively one and distinct from matter.
6. But the Superself and the individual self cannot be on an equal level because the Superself gives direction or supplies intelligence and the individual self follows the direction, and thus actions are performed properly. 
7. The individual is completely dependent on the direction of the Super self because in every step the individual self follows the direction of the Super self in the matter of seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling, willing, etc.
8. So far as common sense is concerned, we come to the conclusion that there are three identities, namely matter, spirit and Super spirit. Now if we go to the Bhagavad-gītā or the Vedic intelligence, we can further understand that all three identities, namely matter, individual spirit, and the Super spirit, are all dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
9. The Superself is a partial representation or plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavad-gītā affirms that the Supreme Personality of Godhead dominates all over the material world by His partial representation only. 
10. God is great, and He cannot be simply an order supplier of the individual selves; therefore the Superself cannot be a full representation of the Supreme Self, Puruṣottama, the Absolute Personality of Godhead. 
11. Realization of the Superself by the individual self is the beginning of self-realization, and by the progress of such self-realization, one is able to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by intelligence, by the help of authorized scriptures, and, principally, by the grace of the Lord. 
12. The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary conception of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the further explanation of the science of Godhead. So if we stick to our determination and pray for the mercy of the director of intelligence sitting within the same bodily tree, like a bird sitting with another bird (as explained in the Upaniṣads), certainly the purport of the revealed information in the Vedas becomes clear to our vision, and there is no difficulty in realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. The intelligent man, therefore, after many births of such use of intelligence, surrenders himself at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, as confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19).

CLASS NOTES: 
SB 2.2.35  Translation: 
The Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in every living being along with the individual soul. And this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from the intelligence.

SB 2.2.35 – Part 4

At this point in our investigation, we may consider the following question: on the one hand we realize that all our perceptions and activities are conditioned by arrangements of material nature, yet we also ordinarily feel and say, “I am perceiving” or “I am doing.” Therefore we can say that our material senses of perception and action are moving because we are identifying the self with the material body, and that the superior principle of Superself is guiding and supplying us according to our desire. By taking advantage of the guidance of Superself in the form of intelligence, we can

1. either continue to study and to put into practice our conclusion that “I am not this body,” or
2. we can choose to remain in the false material identification, fancying ourselves to be the possessors and doers.
3. Our freedom consists in orienting our desire either toward the ignorant, material misconception or the true, spiritual conception.
4. We can easily attain the true, spiritual conception by recognizing the Superself (Paramātmā) to be our friend and guide and by dovetailing our intelligence with the superior intelligence of Paramātmā.
5. The Superself and the individual self are both spirit, and therefore the Superself and the individual self are both qualitatively one and distinct from matter.
6. But the Superself and the individual self cannot be on an equal level because the Superself gives direction or supplies intelligence and the individual self follows the direction, and thus actions are performed properly.The individual is completely dependent on the direction of the Superself because in every step the individual self follows the direction of the Superself in the matter of seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling, willing, etc.

So far as common sense is concerned, we come to the conclusion that there are three identities, namely matter, spirit and Superspirit. Now if we go to the Bhagavad-gītā, or the Vedic intelligence, we can further understand that all three identities, namely matter, individual spirit, and the Superspirit, are all dependent on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

1. The Superself is a partial representation or plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavad-gītā affirms that the Supreme Personality of Godhead dominates all over the material world by His partial representation only.
2. God is great, and He cannot be simply an order supplier of the individual selves; therefore the Superself cannot be a full representation of the Supreme Self, Puruṣottama, the Absolute Personality of Godhead.
3. Realization of the Superself by the individual self is the beginning of self-realization, and by the progress of such self-realization one is able to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead by intelligence, by the help of authorized scriptures, and, principally, by the grace of the Lord.
4. The Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary conception of the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the further explanation of the science of Godhead.
5. So if we stick to our determination and pray for the mercy of the director of intelligence sitting within the same bodily tree, like a bird sitting with another bird (as explained in the Upaniṣads), certainly the purport of the revealed information in the Vedas becomes clear to our vision, and there is no difficulty in realizing the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. The intelligent man therefore, after many births of such use of intelligence, surrenders himself at the lotus feet of Vāsudeva, as confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā (7.19).

With reason we can understand that we are not matter and we are spirit. Upto this point reason and perception can be used to understand that  we are spirit and there is supreme intelligence. After that need the help of scriptures to understand that Supreme intelligence.

Fundamental assumptions of science.

By our intelligence we can understand that we are not this body. That means there is seer and seen.
When you purchase a computer you have to purchase a software, you have to get a provider to connect to the internet. OUr ability to use the computer is dependant on other things. Our ability to use the senses which are given to us is dependent on the Supreme.
We can follow the dictation of Krsna, Guru, or we can follow the dictation of lust, anger and greed. Which authority we are going to follow? That is the fundamental decision we need to make.

There are lot of subtleties in this purport –
6 steps to conclude that there is a super soul. This is done through reasoning and perception – 

1. You are a person
2. There is a difference between seer and seen
3. Instruments of seeing, objects of seeing, the process of seeing are all given to you. nobody else you know has created them. Therefore we are dependent on the supreme who has given us these abilities.
4. Our seeing is limited
5. Difference between the body and the soul. The soul is the source of consciousness. We feel dissatisfied.  The difference between matter and spirit is understood by dissatisfaction. Prabhupada is giving the example of a Tree, if a human stood like a tree he will be dissatisfied and frustrated.
6. Things we see cannot be animate without intelligence. nothing moves without intelligence.  Everybody before that starts moving they use intelligence. Everybody is learning from somebody else.

7th Step is to understand that the Super soul is a partial representation or plenary portion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme cannot be understood through reason and perception. To learn about the supreme we need to rely on the Vedic intelligence, by accepting the bonafide spiritual master and through sincere devotional service, the revelation happens. 
Serving the best person is intelligence. Serving the devotees you will serve Krsna. That is not only using intelligence, reason, and perception. It is going to the root of everything that s Krsna.

The tree or the embryo in the mother’s womb is able to bear all the suffering because the consciousness is very low. The higher consciousness, you cannot even bear even small suffering and they want to do something about it.  Cows can tolerate much more pain than humans. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.35 – Part 3

1. There are many manifestations like trees, mountains, and hills which are not moving, and there are many existences that are moving, and all of them are but combinations of material nature and the superior nature, the living entity. Without a touch of the superior nature, the living entity, nothing can grow.
2.  The relationship between material nature and spiritual nature is eternally going on, and this combination is affected by the Supreme Lord; therefore He is the controller of both the superior and inferior natures.
3. The material nature is created by Him, and the superior nature is placed in this material nature, and thus all these activities and manifestations take place.
4. Anyone who by good association can see three things combined together – the body, the proprietor of the body, or individual soul, and the friend of the individual soul – is actually in knowledge. Unless one has the association of a real knower of spiritual subjects, one cannot see these three things. 
5. Those who do not have such association are ignorant; they simply see the body, and they think that when the body is destroyed everything is finished. But actually it is not so. After the destruction of the body, both the soul and the Supersoul exist, and they go on eternally in many various moving and nonmoving forms
6. If one understands that the Supreme is situated in His Paramātmā manifestation everywhere, that is, if one can see the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living thing, he does not degrade himself by a destructive mentality, and he therefore gradually advances to the spiritual world. 
7. The mind is generally addicted to sense gratifying processes; but when the mind turns to the Supersoul, one becomes advanced in spiritual understanding.
8. Every living being has his intelligence, and this intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving direction to his son. The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself.

CLASS NOTES: 

SB 2.2.35 TRANSLATION:

The Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in every living being along with the individual soul. And this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from the intelligence.

No western philosopher can write a purport like this. Because they are speculating.
Srila Prabhupada is a maha bhagavat.

Practical service attitude – Eliminates 99.9 percent of the people
Revelation – they do not believe in the revelation
Sincerely surrendering to the lord – Accepting bonafide spiritual master, rendering service, 

(BG 13.27) SEER AND THE SEEN

O chief of the Bhāratas, know that whatever you see in existence, both the moving and the nonmoving is only a combination of the field of activities and the knower of the field.

There are many manifestations like trees, mountains, and hills which are not moving, and there are many existences that are moving, and all of them are but combinations of material nature and the superior nature, the living entity. Without a touch of the superior nature, the living entity, nothing can grow. The relationship between material nature and spiritual nature is eternally going on, and this combination is affected by the Supreme Lord; therefore He is the controller of both the superior and inferior natures. The material nature is created by Him, and the superior nature is placed in this material nature, and thus all these activities and manifestations take place.

There are things that are alive that don’t move around, trees and plants.. Mountains. Mountains are also living entities, they are increasing and decreasing. Superior nature – soul.. There are tables, chairs, walls, buildings, they dont grow… they deteriorate over time.

Prabhupada mentions that the combination is not a chemical combination, soul is simply covered by the material nature. 

• Therefore just by using intelligence he can distinguish and separate his self from other things that he sees. So the natural conclusion is that the living being, either man or beast, is the seer, and he sees besides himself all other things. So there is a difference between the seer and the seen. (they are not combined) Now, by a little use of intelligence we can also readily agree that the living being who sees the things beyond himself by ordinary vision has no power to see or to move independently.  (The instruments of seeing, objects of seeing, everything is provided by the nature)

(BG 13.21) NATURE IS SAID TO BE THE CAUSE OF ALL MATERIAL CAUSES AND EFFECTS

Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.

The different manifestations of body and senses among the living entities are due to material nature. There are 8,400,000 different species of life, and these varieties are creations of the material nature. They arise from the different sensual pleasures of the living entity, who thus desires to live in this body or that. When he is put into different bodies, he enjoys different kinds of happiness and distress.  (When we board the airplane to go to India, whatever happens to the plane happens to us. Just like that when we take the body whatever happens to the body it happens to us. We should learn to be aloof of the things happening to the body by tapasya.. )
His material happiness and distress are due to his body, and not to himself as he is. In his original state there is no doubt of enjoyment; therefore that is his real state. Because of the desire to lord it over material nature, he is in the material world.  (Everything depends on the our desire. Based on our desires we get a body, based on the body we have to suffer and we commit sinful activities)  In the spiritual world there is no such thing. The spiritual world is pure, but in the material world everyone is struggling hard to acquire different kinds of pleasures for the body. It might be more clear to state that this body is the effect of the senses. The senses are instruments for gratifying desire. Now, the sum total – body and instrument senses – is offered by material nature,  (That is what is said in SB 2.2.35) and as will be clear in the next verse, the living entity is blessed or damned with circumstances according to his past desire and activity. 

• All our ordinary actions and perceptions depend on various forms of energy supplied to us by nature in various combinations. Our senses of perception and of action, that is to say, our five perceptive senses of (1) hearing, (2) touch, (3) sight, (4) taste and (5) smell, as well as our five senses of action, namely (1) hands, (2) legs, (3) speech, (4) evacuation organs and (5) reproductive organs, and also our three subtle senses, namely (1) mind, (2) intelligence and (3) ego (thirteen senses in all), are supplied to us by various arrangements of gross or subtle forms of natural energy. And it is equally evident that our objects of perception (buildings, roads, houses…) are nothing but the products of the inexhaustible permutations and combinations of the forms taken by natural energy. 

(BG 13.28) WHO ACTUALLY SEES

One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul within the destructible body is ever destroyed, actually sees.

Anyone who by good association can see three things combined together – the body, the proprietor of the body, or individual soul, and the friend of the individual soul – is actually in knowledge. Unless one has the association of a real knower of spiritual subjects, one cannot see these three things. Those who do not have such association are ignorant; they simply see the body, and they think that when the body is destroyed everything is finished. But actually it is not so. After the destruction of the body, both the soul and the Supersoul exist, and they go on eternally in many various moving and nonmoving forms. The Sanskrit word parameśvara is sometimes translated as “the individual soul” because the soul is the master of the body and after the destruction of the body he transfers to another form. In that way he is master. But there are others who interpret this parameśvara to be the Supersoul. In either case, both the Supersoul and the individual soul continue. They are not destroyed. One who can see in this way can actually see what is happening.

(BG 13.29) ONE WHO SEES PARAMATMA IN EVERY LIVING BEING DOES NOT DEGRADE

One who sees the Supersoul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade himself by his mind. Thus he approaches the transcendental destination.

The living entity, by accepting his material existence, has become situated differently than in his spiritual existence. But if one understands that the Supreme is situated in His Paramātmā manifestation everywhere, that is, if one can see the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in every living thing, he does not degrade himself by a destructive mentality, and he therefore gradually advances to the spiritual world. The mind is generally addicted to sense gratifying processes; but when the mind turns to the Supersoul, one becomes advanced in spiritual understanding.

As this conclusively proves that the ordinary living being has no independent power of perception or of motion, and as we undoubtedly feel our existence being conditioned by nature’s energy, we conclude that he who sees is spirit, and that the senses as well as the objects of perception are material.

• The spiritual quality of the seer is manifest in our dissatisfaction with the limited state of materially conditioned existence. ( Ex: Golf ball and golfer)That is the difference between spirit and matter. There are some less intelligent arguments that matter develops the power of seeing and moving as a certain organic development, but such an argument cannot be accepted because there is no experimental evidence that matter has anywhere produced a living entity. Trust no future, however pleasant. Idle talks regarding future development of matter into spirit are actually foolish because no matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in any part of the world. Therefore it is definite that matter and spirit are two different identities, and this conclusion is arrived at by the use of intelligence.  (Only when the soul comes in the matter becomes organized. There is a fallacy… fundamental assumptions of science- nature is orderly and functions according to laws. Sastra is explaining to us the things that we see and the things that we do not see. Explained in BG 7.2 – Phenomenal – things you can see, Numinous – things you cannot see. )
• Now we come to the point that the things which are seen by a little use of intelligence cannot be animate unless we accept someone as the user of or director of the intelligence. Intelligence gives one direction like some higher authority, and the living being cannot see or move or eat or do anything without the use of intelligence. When one fails to take advantage of intelligence he becomes a deranged man, and so a living being is dependent on intelligence or the direction of a superior being. Such intelligence is all-pervading. Every living being has his intelligence, and this intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving direction to his son. The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.2.35 – PART 2

We can say that our material senses of perception and action are moving because we are identifying the self with the material body, and that the superior principle of Superself is guiding and supplying us according to our desire.

By taking advantage of the guidance of Superself in the form of intelligence, we can either continue to study and to put into practice our conclusion that “I am not this body,” or

We can choose to remain in the false material identification, fancying ourselves to be the possessors and doers.

Our freedom consists in orienting our desire either toward the ignorant, material misconception or the true, spiritual conception.

One who is unable to live for a moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord.

Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga.

By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Kṣema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.

SB 2.2.35 TRANSLATION: The Personality of Godhead Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is in every living being along with the individual soul. And this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from intelligence.

CLASS NOTES:

“this fact is perceived and hypothesized in our acts of seeing and taking help from the intelligence.”

Fact – Krishna is in every living entity as paramatma. 

The general argument of the common man is that since the Lord is not visible to our eyes, how can one either surrender unto Him or render transcendental loving service unto Him? This is a valid question. 

To such a common man, here is a practical suggestion given by Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī as to how one can perceive the Supreme Lord by reason and perception. 

Actually the Lord is not perceivable by our present materialized senses, 

This is one of our 4 defects…

but when one is convinced of the presence of the Lord by a practical service attitude, there is a revelation by the Lord’s mercy, and such a pure devotee of the Lord can perceive the Lord’s presence always and everywhere. 

You have a secret – have 5 m dollars under the bed, you will not tell everyone, when you die you tell someone whom you trust that there is money. That trust is developed by practical service attitude. All the activities in life do not lead one to anywhere. Service attitude for serving Krsna is the conclusion that one should come to. One of the main reason HVM joined KC. KC is the only way to become free from previous lives. I realized i had a bad karma because of my birth, my family, association had, my father died. There is no way I can change accept when I learnt that we can change it by taking to KC , by talking to devotees, litte bit of BG I read. BG 18.66 – this verse is so important. When I was 22 I fearful, up until then things were not going will. 18.66 says – “I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions, do not fear” another verse BG 

Ananyas cintayanto mam… “to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have/… “ Krishna is going to provide what I am missing. I was missing a part of my puzzle… 

BG 9.22

But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.

One who is unable to live for a moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Kṣema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.

This is why Sri Vaishnavas chose these 2 verses from BG they repeat everyday. – BG 18.66, BG 9.22. Mixed bag of karma is all gone and it is replaced by bhakti. 

Up until that point everything is academic, I realized that this a completely different system to get knowledge. It is through service the revelation happens. 

SB 2.2.35

He can perceive that intelligence is the form-direction of the Paramātmā plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead. 

Intelligence is coming from Paramatma. God is actually giving you and me the intelligence and it is called form direction. 

Form direction – direction on what is the right thing for you… don’t go for sense gratification, even though everybody is going that way… 

The presence of Paramātmā in everyone’s company is not very difficult to realize, even for the common man.

We are looking for absolute truth outside, but actually he is right in the heart. 

The procedure is as follows. 

1. One can perceive one’s self-identification and feel positively that he exists.

Rene De Carte says – I am this mind, I think therefore I exist… existing means it is the soul… but he is saying it is the mind. He is like a mayavadi. He missed the main point – soul. Existence – is it the body, mind or the soul. 

1. He may not feel it very abruptly, but by using a little intelligence, he canfeel that he is not the body. He can feel that the hand, the leg, the head, the hair and the limbs are all his bodily parts and parcels, but as such the hand, the leg, the head, etc., cannot be identified with his self. Therefore just by using intelligence he can distinguish and separate his self from other things that he sees. So the natural conclusion is that the living being, either man or beast, is the seer, and he sees besides himself all other things. So there is a difference between the seer and the seen. 
2. Now, by a little use of intelligence we can also readily agree that the living being who sees the things beyond himself by ordinary vision has no power to see or to move independently.  THESE THINGS ARE GIVEN TO US – All our ordinary actions and perceptions depend on various forms of energy supplied to us by nature in various combinations. Our senses of perception and of action, that is to say, our five perceptive senses of (1) hearing, (2) touch, (3) sight, (4) taste and (5) smell, as well as our five senses of action, namely (1) hands, (2) legs, (3) speech, (4) evacuation organs and (5) reproductive organs, and also our three subtle senses, namely (1) mind, (2) intelligence and (3) ego (thirteen senses in all), are supplied to us by various arrangements of gross or subtle forms of natural energy. And it is equally evident that our objects of perception are nothing but the products of the inexhaustible permutations and combinations of the forms taken by natural energy. As this conclusively proves that the ordinary living being has no independent power of perception or of motion, and as we undoubtedly feel our existence being conditioned by nature’s energy, we conclude that he who sees is spirit, and that the senses as well as the objects of perception are material. 

Energy – gross elements, subtle elements, working senses, …. Third point is the turning point.. 

1. The spiritual quality of the seer is manifest in our dissatisfaction with the limited state of materially conditioned existence. That is the difference between spirit and matter. There are some less intelligent arguments that matter develops the power of seeing and moving as a certain organic development, but such an argument cannot be accepted because there is no experimental evidence that matter has anywhere produced a living entity. Trust no future, however pleasant. Idle talks regarding future development of matter into spirit are actually foolish because no matter has ever developed the power of seeing or moving in any part of the world. Therefore it is definite that matter and spirit are two different identities, and this conclusion is arrived at by the use of intelligence.

Our spirit needs freedom, does not want to be subject to time… Tree is stationary in one place for thousands of years tolerating wind, heat cold, insects, carving things… Can we do that, we will complain. People are complaining all the time. Soul doesn’t want to be limited. If someone says you cant get into Stanford as you dont have what it takes.. Then he will be upset, how can I not get in… we are conditioned by the 3 modes of nature… 

They are trying to find a genetic way of curing cancer. You cannot cure by manipulating genes. That is a dead end. You can heal cancer by changing the lifestyle. Read the book – 5 steps to optimal health… 

Just because a computer can defeat a grand master does not mean that the computer becomes a human being. They are only programmed to a certain level by the human beings. The chess master will do more than just playing chess. Their point is at some point the robot will be independent of the human. 

Paramatma is the highest level of intelligence. He is revealing us the form direction. Intelligence is the discriminative power. When you choose into the direction of sense gratification then there is no intelligence.

1. Now we come to the point that the things which are seen by a little use of intelligence cannot be animate unless we accept someone as the user of or director of the intelligence. Intelligence gives one direction like some higher authority, and the living being cannot see or move or eat or do anything without the use of intelligence. When one fails to take advantage of intelligence he becomes a deranged man, and so a living being is dependent on intelligence or the direction of a superior being. Such intelligence is all-pervading. Every living being has his intelligence, and this intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving direction to his son. The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself.

Intelligence is coming from Paramatma, Where is stupidity coming from – it is coming from ignorance, modes of nature are dictating, not wanting to take any direction of Guru or Krsna. Intelligence is all pervading, it is everywhere, we need to connect to it. That is yoga… 

The higher authority, who is present and residing within every individual living being, is the Superself. – This is what is to be taught to Children, they dont become intelligent, they get form direction in the wrong direction.. 

1. At this point in our investigation, we may consider the following question: on the one hand we realize that all our perceptions and activities are conditioned by arrangements of material nature, yet we also ordinarily feel and say, “I am perceiving” or “I am doing.” Therefore we can say that our material senses of perception and action are moving because we are identifying the self with the material body, and that the superior principle of Superself is guiding and supplying us according to our desire. By taking advantage of the guidance of Superself in the form of intelligence, we can either continue to study and to put into practice our conclusion that “I am not this body,” or we can choose to remain in the false material identification, fancying ourselves to be the possessors and doers. Our freedom consists in orienting our desire either toward the ignorant, material misconception or the true, spiritual conception.

Our free will is limited to the accepting Krsna or rejecting Krsna. This is absolutely brilliant.