Quintessence Touchstone for the Inquisitive rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyam pavitraḿ idam uttamam pratyaksyāvagamaḿ dharmyaḿ su-sukhaḿ kartum avyayam Jan/Feb/Mar 2007 RETURNING TO THE SPIRITUAL PLATFORM This conversation between His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and reporters took place in Melbourne, Australia, on June 29, 1974. Inside this issue: Reporter 1: Your Divine Grace, often when way to achieve this liberation from matter? Is people pursue what you term "spiritual life," chanting the only way to be "situated on the Srila Prabhupada Speaks out 2 they seem to forget about pursuing the things of spiritual platform"? this world—making this world comfortable. Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Chanting the Hare Inquiries into the Absolute 3 Srila Prabhupada: Making this world Krishna mantra means chanting the holy names Peace-Part 2 3 "comfortable"? That will never be possible. Do of Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, and Radha, or you understand this? Let us say you take a fish Mother Harä, the Lord's personified spiritual Pride Goes Before a Fall 4 out of-the water and put him on the land. Now, energy. So chanting Hare Krsna means you you may give the fish a lovely velvet cushion Response to Criticisms of 6 come into direct association with the Lord by Rasa Lila and everything nice. But will the fish be com- taking shelter of His spiritual energy. Hare fortable? Kåñëa: "O Lord, please engage me in Your devo- Holy Places of India-Remuna 8 Reporter 1: No. He'd be out of his element. tional service. O devotional, spiritual energy of Veggie Corner 9 Srila Prabhupada: Similarly, we living entities the Lord, please let me take shelter of You." are spirit soul. So being in this material body in Being situated on the spiritual platform means Lessons from the Gita 10 this material world—this means we are out of you take shelter of the Lord's spiritual energy. our element. For instance, when you approach a heater, you Pearls of Wisdom 10 But unfortunately, our system of education is so are taking shelter of the heater's heating energy. Pitfalls of Leadership 11 dull that the authorities do not know that we are Similarly, when you approach Kåñëa, you are not this body—we are spirit soul. They are pre- taking shelter of His spiritual energy. Editor’s Jottings 11 senting themselves as big, big philosophers and What’s New in Universities 12 big, big statesmen and big, big social planners. Or take the example of the sun, the great fiery Yet they are forgetting the real thing: that we are planet. When you approach the sun, you are not this body but spirit soul. Today even the taking shelter of the sun's heating and lighting leader is accepting this material body as his real energy. Is it not? When you are in the sunshine, self. And he is thinking, 'These bodily comforts in one sense you are in the sun. Of course, in will make me happy." But that cannot be. Be- another sense you are not actually in the sun— cause the body and its comforts are made of because the sun's fiery temperature is so high matter—and we are spirit soul. that had you been actually in the sun, you would Consider the same example: if you take the fish have been immediately blown up, burned into from his natural environment, the water, and put ashes. But still, when you take shelter of the him on the land, hell never be happy. Similarly, sunshine, you take shelter of the sun. as long as you continue to have this material body, you cannot enjoy real, eternal happiness. So Kåñëa, the Supreme Lord, is situated as the And you will have so many problems. The main supreme fire. Whatever we are experiencing is a problems are birth, death, old age, and disease. spark of His energy. And just as we can enter And these problems are due simply to having into the sun's all-pervasive fiery energy, even this material body. though the sun itself is ninety-three million miles Therefore, an intelligent man should know that away, so similarly, even though the Lord is very "You may give a fish out of water a "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. My natural far away, we can take shelter of the Lord's all- lovely velvet cushion and everything field of activities is on the spiritual platform. If I pervasive spiritual energy simply by chanting nice. But will the fish be can somehow return to the spiritual platform, His holy name—because Kåñëa, being absolute, comfortable? then I will be happy." So the sum and substance is not different from His name. Therefore, if you Similarly, we living entities are of this Krsna consciousness movement is to chant the Hare Kåñëa mantra without offense, spirit soul. So being in this material educate people in how to be situated on the spiri- then you directly associate with . This is Kåñëa body in this material world—this tual platform, how to be happy. liberation from matter. Spiritual liberation, situa- means we are out of our element.” Reporter 2: Your Divine Grace, do you think tion on the spiritual platform. that chanting the Hare Krsna mantra is the only Contd on Pg 5 Page 3 Quintessence HH Romapada Swami is a disciple of His Divine Grace AC INQUIRIES INTO THE ABSOLUTE Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He travels frequently dis- Answers by His Holiness Romapada Swami seminating the science and philosophy of the Vedic scriptures to students and other educated audiences around the world. Q) I would like to really understand what humility is. Can humility, the focus is on one's own inadequacies rather than upon you please explain the same to me? Krishna's mercy; 'I' am in the center, not Krishna. That is the crucial distinction. Humility is often mistaken to simply be some sort of meekness in behavior. Vaishnava humility is, however, a completely spiritual In a previous issue, we discussed the example of Hanuman re- quality, not a material one. It comes from understanding one's garding his burning down Lanka. He did many other mighty real self in relation with God. Real humility is the understanding tasks such as crossing over the ocean, and even carrying Lord that one is but an instrument or ordered servant of the Supreme Rama across the stone bridge and bringing Lakshman back to Lord: "I do not have any good qualities whatsoever; on my own life. But he was not in the mood of a doer; it was by the power of strength I cannot accomplish anything independently, and I am of Rama's Holy Name alone that he was able to accomplish these no special significance in the vastness of creation. My only quali- feats and he was simply an order carrier. fication is the order of my spiritual master and Krishna. By Their potency I may be empowered to do anything as They wish." Srila Prabhupada himself was such an example of perfect humil- ity. At an advanced age, he single-handedly pioneered and estab- Srila Prabhupada defines humility as "not hankering for the satis- lished a world-wide movement, and accomplished many hu- faction of being honored by others." (Bg 13.8 p) Thus a manly impossible tasks. But he passed on all the credit to his vaishnava does not endeavor to prove his/her worth to others or spiritual master and admitted that his only credit was that he fol- to themselves; they simply endeavor to serve and please Krishna. lowed his spiritual master's instructions and repeated his words Ironically, when the meaning of humility is not properly under- with strong faith. He never attracted any attention to himself, so stood, one could be "acting humbly" just to attract others' atten- much so that most people did not even know his name or who he tion to appreciate how so-called humble one is! was! The 'founder of the Hare Krishna movement' was all they knew, and he was content simply to popularize Hare Krishna and In the mood of real humility, one can act very boldly and confi- canvas for Krishna. dently. On one's personal behalf, a vaishnava is very meek and tolerant, but when Krishna's service demands a humble vaisnava You are welcome to send in your questions to HH Romapada Swami at will do the needful in a complete mood of service. In mundane [email protected] with the word "Question" included in the subject line. Radhikesh Das is a disciple of HH Jayapataka PEACE-HOW EVERYONE WANTS IT BUT FEW KNOW HOW TO ACHIEVE IT-PART 2 Swami and has been practicing Krishna con- By Radhikesh Das sciousness for the past 20 years. He assists in 'Livehelp' at Krishna.com and lives in Iowa. What is the most sought after commodity in the are there. Because he remains satisfied in the tran- world? What do people, from the politicians in scendental loving service of the Lord, he can re- the world to the participants in beauty pageants main steady, like the ocean, and therefore enjoy would like to have? Peace. We all want peace, full peace. Others, however, who want to fulfill which seems to be so elusive. We want to have desires even up to the limit of liberation, what to peace with other countries, or at least with speak of material success, never attain peace. neighboring nations, with our relatives, friends, with our neighbors, with our spouses and with One who gives up all objects of enjoyment but our own selves.