Bhagavad Gita the king of all knowledge’s by Radhanath Swami
Radhanath Swami says in Bhagavad Gita Krsna explains the ultimate & most important form of education;
räja-vidyä räja-guhyaà
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakñävagamaà dharmyaà
su-sukhaà kartum avyayam
That the knowledge of Bhagavad Gita is the king of education. It is the most essential & important of all forms of knowledge. And all other branches of knowledge when they are applied within our life to the basic teachings of Gita, then that knowledge can be of real benefit to our selves & to the world. But without understanding the transcendental science of the soul; all forms of knowledge, technology& science only creates more serious problems & suffering within the heart & within the world. Therefore Bhagavad Gita teaches us that real education is not simply meant for information but for transformation; to transform our character, our lives into a life & pursuance of truth rather than pursuance of an illusion. Evaders were spoken for this purpose; Veda is literally translated in English language as knowledge.
God, the perfect source of absolute knowledge by Radhanath Swami
We understand that the Vedas are different from other forms of knowledge, because the origin is the supreme absolute truth or God himself.
tene brahma hådä ya ädi-kavaye muhyanti yat sürayaù
The Vedas are explained in the Upanishad to be coming from the beginning of the lord; they have no beginning & no end. At the beginning of each creation this knowledge of sanätanaù dharma is imparted by lord Narayan onto the ear of Brahma who is the original great grandfather of every living entity. After performing tapasya & hearing submissively from the lord Brahma not only understood but realised this knowledge. And in turn he repeated this exact same message to his disciple Shri Narada rishi. And we find within the histories of the Vedic literature so many great disciples whom Narada imparted this knowledge to. One of them was Veda Vyasa; Veda Vyasa specifically incarnated, he was an avatar of bhagavän in order to put the Vedic teachings in writings. And from him the four Vedas, the Puranas, the Upanishads, the Itihasa, the Vedanta sutra was given to human society.
Radhanath Swami explains how different religions have same message.
And all the various scriptures in the world, the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Quran are all manifestation of this original Vedic knowledge according to a place, time & circumstance, but the message is Sanatan dharma. And what is the meaning of Sanatan dharma? Dharma means occupation. But more clearly the acharyas explains, dharma means that which cannot be separated from its source. For instance the dharma of sugar is to be sweet, the dharma of fire is to produce heat & light, the dharma of water is liquidity; the dharma of every living entity is to serve. Everyone is engaged in some sort of service; service to the nation, service to society, service to family, service to one’s own senses & mind. And Sanatan dharma means eternal occupation, the eternal nature of every living entity.
jivera svarupa haya krsnera nityadasa
That we are all eternally the servants of Krsna or bhagavän. And to serve the lord with pure unmotivated love is the supreme occupation for all humanity.
On modern education.
Radhanath Swami explains how modern society missing spiritual touch.
sa vai puàsäà paro dharmo
yato bhaktir adhokñaje
ahaituky apratihatä
yayätmä suprasédati
And Bhagvata explains any knowledge, any occupation that does not culminate in a loving transcendental offering of service to the supreme lord is çrama eva hi kevalam; it is simply a waste of time. Human life is meant for self realization, human life is not meant simply for preservation of this body & pleasure of these senses & the mind. Because these opportunities are perfectly available even to the lower species of the insects, the fish, the birds, & the animals. They are eating & sleeping & mating &defending, they have their home, they have their family, they have their way of providing food, and they have their ways of enjoying. Today in the name of modern education people are simply being trained in more sophisticated processes by which they can eat, sleep, mate & defend. Becoming two legged animals, Athäto brahma jijïäsä. Human life begins when we inquire into the eternal truth of our relationship with God. The Vedas explains there are three ways of achieving knowledge; the first is called pratyaksha, through our sense perception. We absorb so much knowledge within our life by what we see, what we hear, what we taste, what we smell, what we feel. But this type of knowledge is limited; the truth can never be understood simply by this; because our senses are imperfect. When we see the sun in the sky it appears to be no bigger than our thumb. The next form of knowledge is called anuman; anuman means theories which are created by material evidence, the inductive process of reasoning through our mental intelligence to try to grasp higher truth. But this is also very limited, because our mind & our senses and all the theories we create on this bases cannot see what is beyond gross matter. Therefore the third process of acquiring knowledge is considered the highest; & that is shabda, by hearing from authority.
Guru-shishya parampara, the perfect process of disseminating knowledge.
And it is for this reason that the supreme personality of godhead speaks the Vedas & establishes truth within the world. Tat vijnartham sagurum ebam abhigacchet, and the Upanishads explains that, there is only way to properly hear from the Vedas; & that is by proper spiritual master or guru who is coming disciplic succession from the original teachings that the lord first instructed to brahma. Krsna explains in Bhagavad Gita,
tad viddhi praëipätena
paripraçnena sevayä
upadekñyanti te jïänaà
jïäninas tattva-darçinaù
If you want to know the truth approach the spiritual master, inquire submissively, render service in this way a self realized soul can impart knowledge to you; because that person has seen the truth & has hears the truth.
Bonafied guru never claims himself to be God.
Radhanath Swami shares Srila Prabhupada was such a spiritual master, some time people wanted to worship him as God. But Srila Prabhupada in his great humility was very much against this idea, in fact one time in Hare Krsna movement the devotees decided that, Prabhupada was God… he was bhagavän. Although he was being very humble, he was not admitting it. We should worship him as non different than Krsna. And when Srila Prabhupada heard this he became very much alarmed that this misconception can destroy our whole disciple succession. The spiritual master is not God, he is the eternal servant of God; he is the messenger of God. Srila Prabhupada explained that he had one qualification, that he was simply repeating what he had heard from his gurudev without adding or subtracting anything through his words & through his life. When we receive knowledge by this process, then we know for sure, we are receiving the real highest genuine truth. Srila Prabhupada sometime said, I am simply the postal peon of my guru & Krsna.
evaà paramparä-präptam
imaà räjarñayo viduù
The disciple succession of truth has come through the various sampradayas & Vedas recommend this is the only that we can understand räja-vidyä räja-guhyaà, the real secrets of the truth, the knowledge of the soul.
Although body is subjected to sufferings, the driver of the body is always blissful.
Bhagavad Gita teaches that, the eternal soul which is full of knowledge & full of bliss is the active force, the person residing within everyone’s heart. And the soul temporarily takes the residence within the body. But the body is temporary, it is subjected to so many sufferings; adhyätmika, adhibhautika and adhidaivika, suffering caused by disease of the mind & the body. Suffering caused by other living beings, suffering caused by natural disturbances; & we cannot escape these three fold miseries. And ultimately there is old age, disease, birth & death; which no one can avoid. This is the condition of the body, whether you are mahatma or whether you are duratma, whether you are the grossest atheistic materialist or whether you are the greatest saint. Your body will grow old; get disease & die, because that is the law of nature. But what is the difference? The mahatmas, those broad minded souls they realized through direct experience through the blessings of God coming through parampara, that they are their eternal souls. väsäàsi jérëäni yathä vihäya & death is simply change of clothes for such great souls. We can experience the unlimited treasure of transcendental pleasure that we are all seeking when we understand through experience that, our true identity is we are eternally part of God, that we are full of bliss, that we are the eternal servant of the lord. And being the servant of the lord naturally means to serve everything in relationship to the lord, & everything within creation is in relation to the lord.
Poverty means spiritual poverty.
oà pürëam adaù pürëam idaà
pürëät pürëam udacyate
Whatever assets we have in the form of intelligence, material abilities, wealth it is all meant to be utilized for our real benefit & to the benefit of human society. And what is the greatest need in human society? There is poverty…the age of Kali Yuga is an age of great poverty. Yes we see so much hunger & homelessness, but this type of poverty is not the real problem. The cause of this poverty is the poverty of the heart. People are spiritual stricken with poverty & therefore they are lonely, they are miserable, their lives are aimless & they are trying to fill this great gap, this great void with so many artificial forms of intoxications like novels, like cinemas, like television & social events & all various forms of drinking & drugs & whether you are in the mode of goodness, passion or ignorance there are various ways of trying to somehow or other forget the void, the emptiness within our hearts. Because the heart is looking for, longing for that eternal loving relationship with God. And this process of Bhakti which Srila Prabhupada has brought to the world can transform our hearts & our lives into life & pursuance of the highest truth. Srila Prabhupada taught us just chant Hare Krsna & be happy. This Hare Krsna mantra is the very conclusion & very essence of all knowledge of the Vedas & it is the most important responsibility for every human being. Srila Gopal Krsna Maharaj recited a beautiful sloka from the Bhagvata.
kaler doña-nidhe räjann
asti hy eko mahän guëaù
kértanäd eva kåñëasya
mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet
This age of Kali Yuga which we are living in now is an ocean of faults, & you cannot change that. During the monsoon rainy season you cannot stop the rain, but you can protect yourself from the rain & not suffer due its influence. And you have others do the same. So similarly in this ocean of faults mandäù sumanda-matayo manda-bhägyä hy upadrutäù ther is one & only one benediction, that simply chanting the holy name of Krsna; anyone & everyone can achieve the supreme perfection of liberation & that same lord shri Krsna who spoke the Bhagvatam, who is glorified in the pages of Bhagvatam & Gita descends in this world in the age of Kali as the Yuga avatar, lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Lord Sri Caitanya descended to teach by his example how everyone can achieve real happiness in this life.
The fundamental religious principle in the age of Kali is the chanting of holy names of the lord.
Lord Caitanya while living in Navadweep would have wonderful kirtan in the home of one of his devotee Shrivas throughout the entire night; & his most intimate loving associates all Paramahamsas, pure devotees of the lord would experience the ecstasy of prema Bhakti through the chanting of Krsna’s names; because Krsna in non different than his name. And during the time many blast famers, atheists, materialistic religious pundits they were criticizing the lord in so many ways. But the innocent common people of the town, they very much defended lord Caitanya. And one day they came to his home & they all brought gifts for him; simple gifts, bananas, cloths & so forth. And they bowed down & then lord Caitanya taught the common people of this world how they can achieve the perfection of life. With tears of love & compassion for everyone in his eyes & folded palms he begged the citizens of this world; please devotedly serve lord Krsna. Please always chant the holy name of Krsna & discuss his glories. Please with great happiness hear this Mahamantra, the greatest of all mantras, the proper medicine that can cure the disease of ignorance & suffering to all living beings. Take this Mahamantra as your life & soul. Chant these sixteen names of the lord Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. That same supreme absolute truth, the personality of god head who appeared as Varäha Dev & destroyed the demon Hiranyaksh, he appeared as Lord Narasiàha Dev & with his he killed Hiranyakashipu, he appeared as lord Sri Ramchandra & with his arrow & bow he destroyed the demon Ravana, he appeared as lord Krsna with Sudarshan chakra he killed so many demons.
namo mahä-vadänyäya
kåñëa-prema-pradäya te
kåñëäya kåñëa-caitanya-
nämne gaura-tviñe namaù
In this age of kali Yuga the lord appears in his most compassionate & merciful form. Rather than killing the fallen souls…
pariträëäya sädhünäà
vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm
With folded hands he comes with all humility & he begs us, please take this Mahamantra, chant the japa of this Mahamantra through the day; by doing so you will achieve all the perfections of life. Wherever you are at any time, in all circumstances chant the holy names of the lord, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. In your own home with your parents, with your children, with your wife or husband or with your friends; gather together it’s very simple, clap your hands & chant the holy name of the lord the great Mahamantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. In this way lord Caitanya instructed the whole world of the yuga dharma & the devotees when they heard his instructions, it went into their hearts & they bowed to the lord & lord Caitanya lifted up each person & embraced him, & put straw between his teeth & with folded palm & all humility the all supreme absolute truth is begging us, my brothers & sisters please day & night always remember Krsna, always serve Krsna & always remember his holy name. When the devotees heard the lord & saw him they wept tears & they went to their homes & they all began chanting the holy names. In fact through the day all that was heard throughout the city of Navadweep was the chanting of the holy names of lord, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. And with jubilant hearts, with their body, their minds, with their words they absorbed themselves in the beautiful sound of the holy name.
Showering causeless mercy on entire world.
And from every house could be heard the beautiful sound of mådaìgas and kartäls; as each family & all their friends & relatives came together to perfect their homes, to perfect their families, to perfect their human lives by chanting the Mahamantra, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. In this way the chanting of the holy name began to spread from village to village. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spread the Yuga dharma throughout India, but he saved a very a special part of his mission to a very special soul who descended in this world for only one purpose, to show the greatest compassion & mercy to all humanity; & that soul was his divine grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. At the age of seventy years old & the instruction of his guru maharaj & all the power of the parampara & bhagavän behind him, he travelled alone & penniless to America. And there sitting in a park, he gave this same instruction as lord Caitanya gave to the world. Please with great humility he spoke, please perfect your lives. Stop decorating your bodies throughout the day; your bodies are dying, they are ultimately to be food for worms or birds or fire. Stop wasting your life sleeping, wake up… wake up. Realise & understand the eternal bliss of your heart, & chant the holy names of Krsna. In this way gradually a few people began to chant the & dance with him. And soon millions of people throughout the world take up to this Hari naam sankirtan movement & gave up all sinful & materialistic ways. gåhe thäko, vane thäko, sadä ‘hari’ bole’ òäko, whether you are a grahasta living at home or whether you are a sanyaasi or Brahmachari living in the forest or in the ashram, it doesn’t matter; what matters is we live a God centred life, a pure life & utilize whatever we can do in the service of the lord & purify our hearts & find eternal joy by chanting Hare Krsna. Srila Prabhupada took the name of the lord & the message of Bhagavad Gita to every town & village of throughout the world practically. In we are here tonight to honour that great mahatma. The greatest spiritual ambassador of India & the more the people of India appreciate him& take serious the gift that he has given us, the more your lives, your families, the nation & the world will achieve greatest benefit.
