Prabhupada, Bombay, January 14, 1973: Before speaking on the verses already quoted by my disciples, I may be permitted to read a portion of my preface to the Hare Krishna movement. Those who are my, our life members, they have got the Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Canto, Part One. There he will find this preface. But for general information as to the need of this Krishna consciousness movement, I may read a portion of it.
(reads) “We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits.” Just like we are traveling all over the world, not only once, but twice, thrice in a year. Because there is facility for traveling the airways, so it has become very easy to go from country to country. And practically, while I am in India, all my disciples are coming here from different parts of the world every morning.
There are facilities now. Therefore the world is now not limited by geographical condition. Anyone can go anywhere very swiftly. You can go to London from Bombay within nine hours. So the world is not bounded any more by geographical limits to the particular countries or communities. “Human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state of human society.” There is already the United Nations. In New York they have constructed a big organization, establishment, United Nations, but actually, when we pass through that road—I think it is First Avenue—instead of being united, the flags of the nations are increasing. They are becoming disunited. Just like in India our independence movement was started by Mahatma Gandhiji for uniting all the different section of the people. But actually, the result was that instead of being united, India was partitioned. And the partition has become so poisonous that formerly there was only sporadic Hindu-Muslim riots in some place; now there is organized fighting between Pakistan and Hindustan. So although the tendency is to unite, but in fact it is not being united. They are becoming disunited more and more. Not only the Hindus and Muslim. Now in India there are many provincial questions. Just like in Andhra the fight is going on for separation. Punjab is already separated. So actually we are not being united. We are being separated.
So “The ideals of human society is broader than in the Middle Age, and the world tendency is towards one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad- Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings.” This Krishna consciousness movement is meant for not only uniting the human society but also all living entities. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, panditah sama-darsinah.
vidya-vinaya sampanne brahmane gavi hastini suni caiva sva-pake ca panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18]
When one is actually pandita, learned, he becomes sama-darsi. Vidya-vinaya-sampanne: one learned brahmana, gentle brahmana. Vidya dadati namrata. Education means one becomes gentle, sober, cool-headed. Therefore it is said, vidya-vinaya-sampanne. When one is learned, advanced in education, he must be very gentle, not haughty. So vidya-vinaya-sampanne gavi hastini. And one side, the brahmana with gentle behavior, learned scholarship, and the other side, an animal, say, a cow or a dog or an elephant, and another side the candala, the lowest of the human society. According to Vedic civilization, the dog-eaters are called candala. Just like in Hindu society, a person is not permitted to eat cow’s flesh. Even in human society, although they are eating different types of flesh, one is considered abominable than the other. The cow-eaters are taken as abominable than the goat-eaters. And the dog-eaters are accepted as abominable than the goat-eaters. So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaisnava philosophy, because a Vaisnava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, panditah sama-darsinah… [Bg. 5.18] If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status because… The reason is that a learned Vaisnava… Vaisnava, brahmana-Vaisnava, brahmana-pandita, these are the designations. A brahmana cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brahmana, one has to become Vaisnava. Brahmana, generally, brahma janatiti brahmanah. One who knows brahma, brahma-bhutah… At the present moment we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. “I am Indian,” “I am American,” “I am brahmana,” “I am ksatriya,” “I am sannyasi,” “I am brahmacari,” “I am grhastha…” There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaisnava.
brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu bhutesu mad-bhaktim labhate param [Bg. 18.54]
Mad-bhakti. Vaisnava means bhakta, devotee.
So this Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-bhagavatam or Krishna consciousness movement is meant for devotees. Without becoming devotee, one cannot become Krishna conscious.
Full Lecture: http://causelessmercy.com/t/t/730114LE.BOM.htm
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