KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM HH HARIVILAS MAHARAJ’S MORNING BHAGAVATAM CLASS ON SB 2.9.25:
- The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart as the witness, and as such He is the supreme director of sanction.
- The director is not the enjoyer of the fruits of action, for without the Lord’s sanction no one can enjoy.
- Each and every one of the living entities has something in his mind to enjoy, and everyone desires the fulfillment of his desires very strongly.
- The almighty Lord, being very kind to the living entity, as the father is kind to the son, fulfills the living entity’s desire for his childish satisfaction.
- With such desires in mind, the living entity does not actually enjoy, but he serves the bodily whims unnecessarily, without profit.
- A person who knowingly violates the rules acts in lust. He knows that this is forbidden, but still he acts. This is called acting whimsically. He knows that this should be done, but still he does not do it; therefore he is called whimsical.
- If one does not follow them and acts whimsically according to his lust, greed and desire, then he never will be perfect in his life.
- A man may theoretically know all these things, but if he does not apply them in his own life, then he is to be known as the lowest of mankind.
- But even if he follows the rules and regulations and moral principles and ultimately does not come to the stage of understanding the Supreme Lord, then all his knowledge becomes spoiled.
- And even if he accepts the existence of God, if he does not engage himself in the service of the Lord his attempts are spoiled.
- The human life is especially meant for purifying one’s existence, and one who does not follow the rules and regulations cannot purify himself, nor can he attain the real stage of happiness.
- In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns.
- One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened.
- Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life.
- If one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage, then one’s life becomes successful.
- No one can banish desires altogether because desiring is the living symptom. Without having desires a living entity would be dead, which he is not. Therefore, living conditions and desire go together.
- The Lord, as the Supersoul in the heart of every living being, knows what is in the mind of each living entity, and no one can do anything without the knowledge of the Lord within.
- By His superior intelligence, the Lord gives everyone the chance to fulfill his desires to the fullest extent, and the resultant reaction is also awarded by the Lord.
- “First deserve, then desire.”Why foolishly you desire something for which you do not deserve? That is your fault. That is misuse. Don’t desire something without being deserving. So these are the process given how to think, how to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. So practice it. Become qualified. Then you will see everything. Without being qualified, why you want to see?”
- Perfection of desires may be achieved when one desires to serve the Lord, and the Lord also desires that every living entity banish all personal desires and cooperate with His desires.
- Oneness with the Lord therefore consists of dovetailing one’s desires with the desires of the Supreme Lord. That makes for the perfection of all desires.
SB 2.9.5 TRANSLATION:
Lord Brahmā said: O Personality of Godhead, You are situated in every living entity’s heart as the supreme director, and therefore You are aware of all endeavors by Your superior intelligence, without any hindrance whatsoever.
The Bhagavad-gītā confirms that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart as the witness, and as such He is the supreme director of sanction. The director is not the enjoyer of the fruits of action, for without the Lord’s sanction no one can enjoy. For example, in a prohibited area a habituated drunkard puts forward his application to the director of drinking, and the director, considering his case, sanctions only a certain amount of liquor for drinking. Similarly, the whole material world is full of many drunkards, in the sense that each and every one of the living entities has something in his mind to enjoy, and everyone desires the fulfillment of his desires very strongly. The almighty Lord, being very kind to the living entity, as the father is kind to the son, fulfills the living entity’s desire for his childish satisfaction. With such desires in mind, the living entity does not actually enjoy, but he serves the bodily whims unnecessarily, without profit.
BG 16.23
[WHIMSICAL ACTIONS]
He who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.
Whim – a sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained.
Example- a sanyasi in Paris went to confectionery shop and bought sweets and ate them even though they might have eggs, he wanted to take a chance and finally he fell down..
All grapes have Sulphur Dioxide on them.
All croissants have egg
As described before, the śāstra-vidhi, or the direction of the śāstra, is given to the different castes and orders of human society. Everyone is expected to follow these rules and regulations.
- If one does not follow them and acts whimsically according to his lust, greed and desire, then he never will be perfect in his life.
- In other words, a man may theoretically know all these things, but if he does not apply them in his own life, then he is to be known as the lowest of mankind.
- In the human form of life, a living entity is expected to be sane and to follow the regulations given for elevating his life to the highest platform, but if he does not follow them, then he degrades himself.
- But even if he follows the rules and regulations and moral principles and ultimately does not come to the stage of understanding the Supreme Lord, then all his knowledge becomes spoiled.
- And even if he accepts the existence of God, if he does not engage himself in the service of the Lord his attempts are spoiled.
Therefore one should gradually raise himself to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service; it is then and there that he can attain the highest perfectional stage, not otherwise.
The word kāma-kārataḥ is very significant. A person who knowingly violates the rules acts in lust. He knows that this is forbidden, but still he acts. This is called acting whimsically. He knows that this should be done, but still he does not do it; therefore he is called whimsical. Such persons are destined to be condemned by the Supreme Lord. Such persons cannot have the perfection which is meant for the human life. The human life is especially meant for purifying one’s existence, and one who does not follow the rules and regulations cannot purify himself, nor can he attain the real stage of happiness.
BG 16.24
[CAUSE OF ALL FALL DOWNS]
In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns. That is the greatest offense of human life. Therefore, māyā, the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the holy man, and deride the proper understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They disobey the instructions of the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures. In spite of hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted. Thus they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human society which lead to the demoniac status of life. If, however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage, then one’s life becomes successful.
In Europe many priests are drunkards. Original wine was grape juice and not alcohol. Famous monks made wine.
“In vino veritas” – in wine there is truth
BG 16.21
There are three gates leading to this hell – lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
The beginning of demoniac life is described herein. One tries to satisfy his lust, and when he cannot, anger and greed arise. A sane man who does not want to glide down to the species of demoniac life must try to give up these three enemies, which can kill the self to such an extent that there will be no possibility of liberation from this material entanglement.
The drunkard does not derive any profit out of drinking, but because he has become a servant of the drinking habit and does not wish to get out of it, the merciful Lord gives him all facilities to fulfill such desires.
The impersonalists recommend that one should become desireless, and others recommend banishing desires (buddhists) altogether. That is impossible; no one can banish desires altogether because desiring is the living symptom. Without having desires a living entity would be dead, which he is not. Therefore, living conditions and desire go together.
Merging into brahman is a materialistic desire
In Brahman there is no devotional service, no cit and no ananda.
Lecture
Seattle Sept. 30, 1968
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/680930le-seattle
In this way, there are many examples. That is greatness. What I… Just like the modern scientists, they are trying to fly some space machine in the good speed so that they can go to the moon planet. So many scientists of America, Russia and other countries, they are trying. But they cannot. Their sputnik is coming back. But just see God’s power. Millions of planets are floating just like swabs. This is greatness.
So any nonsense, if he says that “I am God,” he’s a rascal. God is great. You cannot compare yourself with God. There is no comparison. But the rascaldom is going on: “Everyone is God. I am God, you are God”—then who is dog? You show the power of God, then you say. “First deserve, then desire.” What power we have got? We’re all His dependent. So God is great, and we are dependent on God.
Seattle Sep 30
Lecture on SB 5.5,23
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/761110sbvrn/
So this is the way, brāhmaṇa. That brāhmaṇa, the India, the brāhmaṇas, their sons later on, later ages, taking advantage of the facility offered to the brāhmaṇas, so without qualification of brāhmaṇa, they wanted the facility for nothing, very cheap. Therefore the brahminical culture is failure now. They are… They should be real brāhmaṇas, śamo damo. But nobody is prepared to practice śamo damo titikṣa, but he wants the respect of a brāhmaṇa. This is the cause of India’s culture being failure at the present moment. They… “First deserve, then desire.” So without deserving, they desired. Therefore whole thing is…, it became false. So that is not the purpose. Even somebody says that “Without culture one can remain a brāhmaṇa,” but śāstra does not say that. Śāstra says culture is the first consideration.
Example – Sudama
Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.28.21
Type: Srimad-Bhagavatam, Date: Nov. 1, 1975, Location: Nairobi
https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/751101sbnai/
Prabhupāda: Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam [Bg. 10.10]. When Kṛṣṇa sees that “He is worshiping Me with faith and reverence and love,” then buddhi-yogam dadāmi tam. He’ll give you intelligence. He is within you. Therefore I was saying, “First of all become fit. First of all deserve. Then desire.” Why foolishly you desire something for which you do not deserve? That is your fault. That is misuse. Don’t desire something without being deserving. So these are the process given how to think, how to meditate upon Kṛṣṇa. So practice it. Become qualified. Then you will see everything. Without being qualified, why you want to see?
Perfection of desires may be achieved when one desires to serve the Lord, and the Lord also desires that every living entity banish all personal desires and cooperate with His desires. That is the last instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Brahmājī agreed to this proposal, and therefore he is given the responsible post of creating generations in the vacant universe. Oneness with the Lord therefore consists of dovetailing one’s desires with the desires of the Supreme Lord. That makes for the perfection of all desires.
The Lord, as the Supersoul in the heart of every living being, knows what is in the mind of each living entity, and no one can do anything without the knowledge of the Lord within. By His superior intelligence, the Lord gives everyone the chance to fulfill his desires to the fullest extent, and the resultant reaction is also awarded by the Lord.
Past Time of Ramanujacharya
He had a friend named Dhanur Dasa. His friend was very attached to his wife’s beauty and not her soul. Ramunaja asked him if he wanted to see the real beauty. He took him and showed the deity of lord vishnu. He gets detached from his wife’s beauty after that..
Sanyasis’ clothes were mixed and they started arguing. They started fighting for a piece of cloth.
Ramanuja asked a disciple to steal the jewels of Dhanurdasa’s wife when he was not there.
She turns over so the disciple can take the rest of the jewel. He runs away and waits for dhanurdasa to come and react. She tells him that we should help devotees, lookslike they need money for service of the lord and they are struggling..she said she turned so he can take the jewels on the other side. Dhanuradasa was upset that instead of turning and scaring him she should have given all the jewels away to him. She agreed it was an offense due to her false pride and how they can advance..
Ramanuja taught by Example and precept –
Wine – everyone drinks, even all the popes do . they do a ceremony or ritual called
Eu·cha·rist with the wine.