Kali yuga and its symptoms

680323mw.sf

Morning Walk at Stow Lake

—
March 23, 1968, San Francisco
Devotee (1) (girl): March 23rd, Stow Lake, walk with Swamiji.
Prabhupāda: First thing is that calculation of Candra, moon
planet, there are different views. Different scientists, they have
different views. It is not a standard. They have not agreed to the...
Somebody says something, somebody says another thing.
Speculation. That's all. But that idea, that it is very low in
temperature, that is mentioned in Bhāgavata. You cannot live in the
water. You have to qualify yourself. (Sound of ducks). Just see. Their
body is made just suitable for the water. So you have to qualify
yourself. That is... Just like, in the spiritual sky they can live only
spiritual body, and material body cannot live there. Material body is
not allowed there. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-
sthā madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ [Bg. 14.18]. Those who are too much
passionate, they are meant to live in this planet. This planetary
system, status. There are many other planets like this world. So they
are allowed to live here. Here all living entities, they are very much
passionate. And adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. And there are other
planets, they are dark, dark planets, below this earthly planet. And
the animals, they are in darkness. Although they're on this park, but
they do not know where they are, darkness. Their knowledge is not
developed. This is the result of the modes of ignorance. And those
who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are neither in darkness, nor in
passion, nor in goodness. They are transcendental. So if one
cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely, he is at once promoted to the
Kṛṣṇaloka. That is wanted. You are all chanting sixteen rounds? No?
(laughs)
Śarādīyā: I did at first but then I slipped back.
Prabhupāda: Is it very difficult?
Mālatī: No, we do not know how yet to regulate our time too well.
Some days we chant sixteen rounds and then the next day, I don't
know what happens. I think we sleep too much, I mean I think I
sleep too much.
Prabhupāda: How many hours you are sleeping?
Mālatī: About six to eight.
Prabhupāda: That is not much. Sixteen... It takes only two hours,
sixteen rounds. Huh? Two hours, or more than that?
Mālatī: Two hours is all it takes to do the rounds.
Prabhupāda: So you have to spend two hours for Kṛṣṇa out of
twenty-four. (walks for awhile and chants japa) Yes?
Devotee (1): Is there something wrong with sleeping eight hours?
Prabhupāda: Sleeping and eating, this is the material disease.
Sleeping, eating, mating... So they should be reduced as much as
possible.
Devotee (1): If you're still tired...
Prabhupāda: No, you can sleep till you are refreshed. Somebody's
refreshed by sleeping four hours. Somebody is refreshed by sleeping
ten hours.
Mālatī: But we should not sleep when we have, in place of our
devotional service.
Prabhupāda: No, of course not. Devotional service is first.
Mālatī: So if we miss some sleep we should do it.
Prabhupāda: We should forego sleeping even. The real regulated
life is that if sixteen rounds is not completed, then we have to forego
sleeping. You should take out hours from sleeping. We should be...
The main thing is that we should always be careful that... We are
going, we have taken up a very responsible
task, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So we should be very much careful in
discharging the duty. The devotee should be so much careful that
he'll always see "Whether this moment is spoiled or
utilized?" Avyartha-kālatvam [Cc. Madhya 23.18-19]. Avyartha-
kālatvam, that "My time may not be wasted." He should be so
careful, "Whether my time is being wasted?" and time wasted, the
time we engage for our bodily necessities, that is wasted. Generally,
conditioned souls, they are simply wasting their time. Only the
period which we have engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is
utilized. So we should be very much careful whether time is being
wasted or being utilized.
Devotee (1): Sometimes, well, if you (we) slept less, we could do
more for Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time you (we) would be very tired. I
mean, you could be... Well, you could regulate that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Practically everything depends on
practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-
gāminā [Bg. 8.8]. Abhyāsa-yoga. Abhyāsa-
yoga means yoga practice... Practice it. So this
whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to practice transferring
from one kind of consciousness to another. So we require practice.
Just like one man can run few miles. I cannot run even one mile. He
has practiced. We see some boys, they run, run on. They practice.
Practice it. Strength of the heart increasing by practice. And if I run,
my heart will be palpitating. Because I have no practice. So by
practice, everything can be
attained. Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. [break]
...determination. And this determination is increased by
celibacy. Brahmacārya is recommended to keep oneself
determined. A brahmacārī, if he determines something, he executes.
He has got that strength of mind. Those who are too much addicted
to sex life, they cannot be determined. They cannot be fixed-up. They
are fluctuating, changing. People are, in modern day, they cannot sit
down in a place for a long time. Therefore so much traveling. The
traveling business is very prosperous. Everyone wants to travel. They
cannot fix, fix up. So the processes recommended, they're very
valuable, but it is not possible to follow them all in the present age
because everything is reducing. So our method is to pray to Kṛṣṇa to
give us the necessary strength. That's all. Otherwise, by regular
practice, this age is very difficult. Unfavorable. First thing is memory
is very short. We cannot remember. Life is very short. Life is short,
at the same time, so much disturbed by anxiety, by disease, by
natural disturbances. Roga-śokādibhiḥ. Short life; that is also
disturbed by disease and lamentation. Every moment there is
something for which you have to lament. "Oh!" Roga-
śokādibhiḥ. And disease. This body is a breeding ground of all kinds
of disease. Life is short and it is so much disturbed. So how it is
possible to practice? Therefore, this one practice—
chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hearing—that is very nice. And praying
to Kṛṣṇa, "Please give me strength." Hare, "O Energy of Kṛṣṇa,
O Kṛṣṇa, I am fallen, I have no strength. Please accept me." That's all.
"I have no qualification. I am frail. I am trying, but I am failing." All
these appeals should be made. And Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful, He can do
anything. Even we, we do not perform, trying our best, if we
fail, Kṛṣṇa will help us. Just like a child tries his best, but he falls
down. The mother takes up and, "All right. Come on. Walk." Like
that. Yes?
Devotee (1): Swamiji? Is doing something other than chanting, like
going to school and paying attention to what's there, if you're doing
that so you can spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is that just as good as
chanting?
Prabhupāda: Chanting is good everywhere.
Devotee (1): Yes, but, I mean, if you can't chant all day.
Prabhupāda: If there is some inconvenience in chanting loudly,
you can chant slowly. Loudly, slowly... Within mind you can chant.
This simple practice, you'll give up all kinds of (microphone
rattling)...
Devotee (1): Sometimes in school you have your, your mind is
focused on their problems that they are, I mean... (plane going
overhead)
Prabhupāda: Not sometimes. Practically, we are always disturbed.
(Walks for awhile)
Devotee (1): Swamiji, would it be all right for Cathy to become a
devotee?
Prabhupāda: I don't follow.
Devotee (1): To be initiated. Cathy. To be initiated. She's the girl
with the baby.
Prabhupāda: Oh. If she can perform the..., there is no objection.
Devotee (1): She would like to.
Prabhupāda: You are very kind upon her. (laughs) Yes. Vaiṣṇava is
very kind. (pause) It is very heavy?
Devotee (2) (boy): No, not too heavy. If I had a memory I
wouldn't need this. (Prabhupāda laughs)
Mālatī: So you're carrying your memory in your hand?
Devotee (2): Yes.
Prabhupāda: Because memory is reducing, therefore nature is
helping to manufacture so many machines.
Mālatī: Is that why people are making these machines, because they
can't remember? Is that a sign of Kali that there's more machines to
help people?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. And nowadays in the courts, they use
machines. The judges also cannot remember what has been argued
between the parties. So they take this tape recorder and give
judgement. Because the argument is going on for two days, three
days, how much he can remember? And when he gives judgement he
has to take consideration of all the arguments, then give his
judgement. So this machine helps.
Mālatī: If somebody had a big dollar bill the judge would
remember.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Mālatī: If somebody gave the judge a big dollar bill he would
remember.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That means truthfulness is not there,
diminished. The same thing. Because truthfulness has diminished,
therefore you can bribe anybody and he can tell lie for you. We are in
a very precarious condition. Very unfavorable condition. The best
thing is to pray Kṛṣṇa, "Please pick me up very soon and let me go
back to Your place." If you have to come back again, oh, you do not
know how much misery we have to undergo. Because with the
advancement of Kali-yuga, everything is becoming more and more
miserable. There is no happiness in family life, there is no happiness
in social life, there is no happiness in political life, there is no
happiness in earning livelihood. Everything is encumbered. All
impediment, full of impediments.
Devotee (1): One of my friends said, "(inaudible), you want to tell
us everything, so why don't you build a machine to
chant Hare Kṛṣṇa for you?"
Prabhupāda: Huh? Yes. Machine was not made for
chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, but we are utilizing it so that the machine-
maker may be benefited. Because we employ everyone's energy
to Kṛṣṇa. So by his energy he has manufactured this machine, so we
are employing in Kṛṣṇa's service so that he may be benefited,
purified. We are showing him the mercy. Just like one flower picked
up from a plant offered to Kṛṣṇa is offering benefit to that plant.
Because his energy is in the service of Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, the person
who has manufactured this machine, when it is employed
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, he's benefited. Indirectly, we are
giving him opportunity, although he does not know it. But his energy
is being utilized for Kṛṣṇa. We offer prasādam, the same principle. A
man does not know about Kṛṣṇa. But he wants to eat. By eating, he'll
be gradually Kṛṣṇa conscious. So you have... Our business is to give
opportunity to all forgotten souls to be engaged
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, today or tomorrow. The boys and girls who
have come to this society, they have accumulated in that way,
knowingly or unknowingly, some Kṛṣṇa conscious qualification, and
therefore they have taken this opportunity. (Pause) We have no dog
friend. (Laughs)
Mālatī: It's a dog taking a man for a walk.
Prabhupāda: We are all devotee friend. Where is your dog?
Mālatī: Oh, he's gone.
Prabhupāda: Gone? (laughs)
Mālatī: Yes. Some very nice people who worship dogs took him.
Prabhupāda: The dog saw that "My master has become devotee, so
it is useless to keep here."
Mālatī: These people who took him, they think he is a person.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Mālatī: They treat him like person.
Prabhupāda: He's a person. Dog is a person. Why imperson?
Mālatī: Pardon?
Prabhupāda: Dog is person also.
Mālatī: Yes, but they treat him like I would... They... Human
person. They treat him like... They worship him.
Prabhupāda: Yes, but what is the difference between human
person and dog person? No difference. So far eating, sleeping,
mating, and defending, they are equal. Human personality is there
when he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise he's an animal, as good as dog.
Mālatī: So these... If you do not take to Kṛṣṇa conscious, you are a
dog.
Prabhupāda: Yes, equal to dog. Because he has no other
conception except those four principles, eating, sleeping, mating and
defending. That is there in the animals. Don't you see the swans?
They are enjoying sex life. So what is the difference between man... A
man also does like that. So long one is not above these four
principles of animal demands, he's as good as animal. To meet
animal demands in a polished way is not civilization. One must be
above the animal demands. That is civilization. You have read that
poetry, "Alexander and the Robber"? Have you read?
Mālatī: I don't think so. Say again?
Devotee (2): "Alexander and the Rabbit"?
Mālatī: No.
Prabhupāda: Alexander the Great, you have heard the name?
Mālatī: Yes.
Prabhupāda: He conquered all over the world almost. He went to
India also. So he met one robber. So he arrested, Alexander. He was
king. The robber said, "Why you have arrested me?" "Because you
are robber." "Oh, you are also great robber." When Alexander was
charging him that, "You have done this," oh, he charges, "You have
done this. I have entered a private house; you have entered a private
state. So you are a big robber." Then he released him, "Yes, what is
the difference between robber and me?" And Alexander, from that
day, he stopped his conquering propaganda. "Alexander and the
Robber." The robber proved that "You are a big robber only. But
because you are big robber, therefore you are called 'Alexander the
Great.' But my business is the same as yours-encroaching upon
others' property. Why do you think that I am culprit and you are
innocent? You are also culprit. If I had power, I could have punished
you. And you have now power, you are trying to punish me." So
Alexander the Great was convinced by robber.
Devotee (1): (Inaudible)
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee (1): Did he kill himself?
Prabhupāda: Who?
Devotee (1): Alexander the Great?
Prabhupāda: He killed himself?
Devotee (1): I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Oh, I do not know.
Devotee (2): He died from a... He died. (end of walk recording)
Gargamuni: This was recorded at Stow Lake in San Francisco on
March 23rd, 1968, about 7:30 in the morning. Stow Lake is
Swamiji's favorite walking place. (end)