Although the material world and householder life are inherently confusing and temporary, sincere devotional service under a spiritual master can transform any home and easily reveal the absolute truth. Drawing on the humble examples of Kardama Muni and Srila Prabhupada, the speaker highlights the power of chanting the holy names and the importance of cultivating loving, respectful relationships among devotees.
(Chanting)
namo oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
So Kardama Muni, he presents himself as, one could say, an ordinary person, and one can see his humility shining through his words here. So he feels, what should one say, "unworthy." Yes, so he...
So householders, married couples, they have a tendency to neglect spiritual life. This is latent in this material world. And when one neglects spiritual practice, one becomes confused in this world. This world is full of confusion. Arjuna expresses this at the beginning of the Bhagavad-gītā: dharma-sammūḍha, "Now I am confused about what my duty is" and "I am asking you to clearly explain to me what is best for me." śiṣyas te 'haṁ, "Now I am your disciple" and one who has completely surrendered to you, "Please instruct me."
So this is the nature of this material world, that it is confusing. And why? Well, because one does not see the difference between what is permanent and what is temporary. That is the basis of all confusion, I mean that one does not see the difference. And one believes, one acts in relation to that which is temporary as if it would last, even though it does not. And because of this, one ultimately always becomes disappointed and finally ends in sorrow, in tragedy, because everything that becomes dear to a person, everything one becomes attached to in this world, will leave. It leaves us or we leave it. And no one wants it to be this way. We see in this world how everyone struggles against this. One wants what is dear to remain, but it does not. So it is painful and it is confusing.
So Kṛṣṇa is so kind, he does not focus on our shortcomings but looks at what is good, and he, so to speak, "finds the spark" — the good, the positive. So Kṛṣṇa encourages and he also protects. He is there as the Supersoul constantly, giving memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. Kṛṣṇa says this in the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, that "I am seated in everyone's heart as the Supersoul, and from Me come memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness." So it is Kṛṣṇa who in this way constantly guides us in this world, giving memory, knowledge, and forgetfulness. So it is described, he is spoken of as bhakta-vatsala, that he has a special feeling for and love toward his devotees.
Prabhupāda said that this is natural. That one can have a general feeling of goodwill toward people in general, but one has a special love for one's own children. And no one accuses a person of this, but it is completely natural. So bhakta-vatsala, the devotees are very dear to him.
So one cannot understand the Vedic scriptures merely by studying. One can have a great capacity for study, be very intelligent on the material plane, but that does not help one understand the ultimate Vedic conclusion of the absolute truth. This is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā:
advaitam acyutam anādim anantarūpam
ādyaṁ purāṇa-puruṣaṁ navayauvanaṁ ca
vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
So vedeṣu durlabham means that one cannot understand the Supreme merely through study. But adurlabham ātma-bhaktau, that he can be easily understood by those who are devotees, by those who are bhaktas. So this is the mystery surrounding devotional service, that Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to one who is engaged in devotional service to God. So by engaging in devotional service under the guidance of a spiritual master, everything is actually revealed. He goes on in this verse:
jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ
yeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ
teṣām ādityavaj jñānaṁ
prakāśayati tat param
"When one is enlightened by knowledge..." How did it go in English? "When however one is enlightened with knowledge by which nescience is destroyed, then his knowledge reveals everything, as the sun lights up everything in the daytime." Thank you very much. So knowledge is like the sun. And it is also described: kṛṣṇa - sūrya-sama; māyā haya andhakāra, yāhāṅ kṛṣṇa, tāhāṅ nāhi māyāra adhikāra, that Kṛṣṇa is like the sun and māyā is like darkness. And wherever the sun is, there is no darkness. And as soon as one takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the darkness of ignorance disappears.
So one must seek out a spiritual master. It is described: ācāryavān puruṣo veda, that "one who has an ācārya, one who has a guru, can also understand the Veda."
So in a householder's home, even though there are many flaws and shortcomings, Prabhupāda said that if, in a devotee family, the devotees gather, preferably both morning and evening, just together and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, just have that simple fellowship, and preferably also hear something from the Bhāgavatam, and offer the food, then this will transform the entire atmosphere. It becomes as though... everything becomes auspicious. Especially the holy name is so powerful in Kali-yuga. So it is described: kali-kāle nāma-rūpe kṛṣṇa-avatāra, nāma haite haya sarva-jagat-nistāra, that in this age of Kali, the chanting of the holy name is Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. The Supreme Lord reveals Himself in the holy name as an avatar.
So simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, even in an ordinary home, it can actually transform everything, transform the entire atmosphere. And I know, Srila Prabhupāda — there is an interesting book by Mulaprakriti Devi Dasi, she interviewed various devotees who met Srila Prabhupāda, who had friendly relationships with Srila Prabhupāda many times before he came to the Western world. And it's very interesting, one can get a little glimpse, a little insight into how Prabhupāda lived as a householder. And I can just give one example of this. His name was Nayanānanda dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. This interview was done in 1999 and he passed away shortly after that. But he describes how he visited Prabhupāda many times when he was a gṛhastha in Calcutta. And he tells how Prabhupāda, first of all, was so very humble. His character was so respectful and humble toward everyone. He describes that Prabhupāda always did daṇḍavats, full reverential obeisance, to all those who were initiated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja. Because for Prabhupāda it took 11 years before he was initiated. So many times he was older. He had of course received instructions from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati at such an early stage, and he was very, very serious about following this. But he showed all respect and reverence by doing daṇḍavats to all those who were initiated before he himself was.
Prabhupāda was initiated in 1933. So Nayanānanda dāsa Bābājī describes that he was so serious as a householder. He was very simple and very humble. So he lived for a period on Sitakanta Banerjee Lane in Calcutta. He lived there and also had it as an office for his business. So he describes that he was always so very affectionate toward the devotees who came to visit him. And the door was always open to Gaudiya Vaishnavas. He describes that sometimes they held preaching programs in Calcutta and it was late in the evenings. And Prabhupāda always had a policy that they could simply come and knock on the door, even if it was late, and Prabhupāda would just open the door and immediately, with joy and enthusiasm, receive them, and many times he gave up his own bedroom to brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs, let them sleep there, and he served them. He was the earliest up in the morning, he cooked for everyone, and he served everyone. So he describes, this happened, he experienced it many times when they were out preaching in this way in Calcutta.
He described that it was interesting that they did not have Deities at home, because Prabhupāda felt that they did not have that standard, since his family members were not so inspired to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Prabhupāda, he describes, had a picture of Radha-Kṛṣṇa, a picture of Gaura-Nitai, and a picture of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupāda. And he worshiped these pictures every day, offering all the bhoga and so on. So he describes, he had his own room and it was so clean, everything was in such perfect order. So that was where Prabhupāda had his own private life. And he also describes that Prabhupāda used to chant 64 rounds, even during the time when he had great responsibility for his business and for his family and so on. And as soon as he got even a little time to spare, he immediately sought the association of the devotees. He often visited the temple in Baghbazar, the Baghbazar temple, which the Gaudiya Math had in Calcutta. And sometimes he traveled to Nabadwip or Mayapur to visit the holy places.
So I was just thinking about this when it is described here about family life — it can never be perfect, there are always shortcomings and there will be challenges and problems and disturbances and so on, but the most important thing, so to speak, is that one tries to do one's best. Prabhupāda describes so often how the most important thing is that one tries to be serious. That one is sincere and serious. Kṛṣṇa is bhāva-grāhī janārdana, that he is there as the Supersoul, he sees one's disposition, one's attitude, one's mentality, and that is ultimately what is important, whether a person is serious. So even though there are shortcomings, faults, and flaws in family life, if one just seriously tries one's best.
Kardama Muni and Devahūti — we have read about this, how for a long time they had a period like a honeymoon, how on the material plane they had a fantastically enjoyable and good time, but that it all ended with them experiencing a bitter aftertaste, that it felt ultimately empty, hollow. And that is life in the material world. Even though for the moment one becomes as if intoxicated by sense gratification, one loses one's intelligence, one does not see things as they are, one forgets how short-lived it is, how temporary it is, one simply becomes intoxicated. Like when people go out on a Friday or Saturday night and get intoxicated, and it feels like: "Now I own the city." It feels fantastic, it's so much fun, and I'm here with my friends, and it just... it feels like satisfaction. But how short-lived this is, just a few hours at most, and then back to reality, down to earth, up like a sun, down like a pancake as they say. That is life in the material world. It seems like now it's working, now it feels so good, and then one thinks in some way that it has substance, but in reality it has no substance, it is just so fleeting, so temporary.
So Kardama Muni and Devahūti, in such a refined, sophisticated way, and through the arrangement of the Supreme, were able to live such a life, but still they had this bitter aftertaste. And Devahūti simply felt that: "I am wasting so much time." So this is an interesting lesson for us. If they experience it at that level of culture and in such a refined way of living, how much more so is it not at this Kali-yuga level, where one tries to enjoy sense gratification that is so fleeting and temporary? So now they are blessed with Kapiladeva, the Lord, the Supreme Personality Himself, choosing to appear in their family, in their home.
So Prabhupāda was often so very pleased with gṛhasthas who tried to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who had this spirit of sharing Kṛṣṇa consciousness with others. And one example he often brought up was the three couples who traveled to London in 1968. And they were so enthusiastic, and were prepared to go through so much tapasya, so much self-sacrifice, to please Prabhupāda. That is what they lived for, to in some way just please Prabhupāda. And Syamasundara had this idea that they should meet The Beatles. And at that time they were like gods. It was a very unique situation. They were in a category of their own. They were so loved, admired, respected, and all of this. So just to set their sights that way, that we want to meet The Beatles, we want to give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If they become Kṛṣṇa conscious, what effect that would have on the world. So that was the spirit, the one Prabhupāda had instilled in them, this spirit of boldness, fearlessness, simply: "Okay, we'll do it. We depend on Kṛṣṇa, we rely on Kṛṣṇa, and then everything is possible." And Prabhupāda was so pleased with them, and he gave the example that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had sent his top preachers, sannyāsīs, to London in the 1930s. And indeed, they had invested so much in trying to somehow gain a foothold in London. But they did not achieve very much. Something, but not very much. And Bhaktisiddhanta was not so pleased with the result. But here Prabhupāda sent his disciples, three married couples, and they managed to accomplish something wonderful. So this is an example of how, even though it is family life, gṛhastha life, because it is the sankirtan movement, because pañca-tattva's mercy is there, Srila Prabhupāda's mercy is there, it is open to anyone, anyone can spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and accomplish something wonderful. Like George Harrison — what they did was bake apple pie or cookies every day, I think various kinds of apple pies, and send them to the Apple Store to The Beatles, and they ate this every day. And they received prasāda. And then one day George Harrison saw Syamasundara there in the lobby of Apple, and went straight up to him and said: "Where have you all been?" And it turns out that they had for a long time been listening to an LP record, which Prabhupāda had recorded, I believe in 1966 in New York, and it had somehow come into The Beatles' hands. And they had listened to it and appreciated it very much, especially George Harrison and John Lennon. And so they had heard Prabhupāda talk about the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, which is on that recording on that record. So in that way, George Harrison said: "Where have you all been?" He had a wish to meet the devotees because of this transcendental recording of Prabhupāda. And then one thing led to another, and they even managed to buy, or obtain, a temple right in the middle of London, and Prabhupāda was invited, and Prabhupāda was very, very pleased in this way with their endeavor and the result of their preaching, even though they were householders, new, young devotees.
So I thought I would end here.