Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4th canto, chapter 22, text 45.

Sainapaknyam tarajam ca, dhananisva tam eva ca, sarvalokadhipaknyam ca, neda-sastra-viharati.

Since only a person who is completely educated, according to the principles of Vedic knowledge, deserves to be commander-in-chief, ruler of the state, the first to chastise and the proprietor of the whole planet, Dhritaramaharaja offered everything to the Kumaras.

In this verse it is clearly stated that a kingdom, state or empire, must be governed under the instructions of saintly persons and brahmins like the Kumaras.

When monarchy ruled throughout the world, the monarch was actually directed by a board of brahmins and saintly persons.

The king and the administrator of the state executed his duties as a servant of the Brahmins.

It is not that the kings or Brahmins were dictators, nor did they consider themselves proprietors of the state.

The kings were also well-versed in Vedic literature and thus were familiar with the injunction of Sri Sripadisha, Isha Vakshamidham Sarvam.

Everything that exists belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna also claims that he is the proprietor of all planetary systems, sarva-loka-mahesvaram.

Since this is the case, no 1 can claim to be proprietor of the state.

The king, president, or head of the state should always remember that he is not the proprietor but the servant.

In the present age, the king or president forgets that he is a servant of God and thinks himself a servant of the people.

The present democratic government is proclaimed to be a people's government, a government by the people and for the people, but this type of government is not sanctioned by the Vedas.

The Vedas maintain that a kingdom should be governed for the purpose of satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and should therefore be ruled by a representative of the Lord.

The head of a state should not be appointed if he is bereft of all that he acknowledged.

In this view, it is clearly stated, Vedas Shastra Vidhya Hrithi, that all high government posts, or especially meant for persons who are well conversant with the teachings of Avedis.

In Avedis, there are definite instructions defining how a king, commander-in-chief, soldier and citizen should behave.

Unfortunately, there are many so-called philosophers in the present age who give instruction without citing authority and many leaders follow their unauthorized instruction.

The modern theory of dialectical communism set forth by Karl Marx and followed by communist governments is not perfect.

According to Vedic Communism, no 1 in the state should ever starve.

Presently there are so many bogus institutions for collecting funds from the public for the purpose of giving food to starving people that these funds are invariably misused.

According to the Vedic instructions, the government should arrange things in such a way there will be no question of starvation.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that a householder must see to it that even a lizard or a snake does not starve.

In actuality, however, there is no question of starvation, because everything is a property of the Supreme Lord, and He sees to it there is ample arrangement for feeding everyone.

In the Vedas, Kathupanishad 2.2.13, it is said, ekabhahanam yo vidhati kamam.

The Supreme Lord supplies the necessities of life to everyone.

If anyone starves, it is due to the mismanagement of the so-called ruler, governor or president.

It is clear, therefore, that a person who is not well versed in the Vedic injunctions, Vedas, Shastras, should not run for election as president, governor, etc.

Formerly, kings were rajarshis, which meant that although they were serving as kings, they were as good as saintly persons because they would not transgress any of the injunctions of Vedic scriptures and then rule under the direction of great saintly persons and Brahmins.

According to this arrangement, modern presidents, governments and chief executive officers are all unworthy of their posts because they are not conversant with Vedic administrative knowledge and they do not take direction from great saintly persons of the Brahmins.

Because of disobedience to the orders of the Vedas, the Brahmins, King Vena, Prithviraja's father was killed by the Brahmins.

Prithviraja therefore knew very well that it behooved him to rule this planet as a servant of the saintly persons of Brahmins.

Vandeham Shri Guru Shri Jatapada Kamalam Shri Guru Vaishnavam Shra Shri Rupam Sagarajatam Sahagana Raghulitham Vittamtam Sajeevam Sadwaitam Savadhootam Parijana Sahitam Krishna Chaitanya Devam Shri Rabha Krishna Padam Sahagana Lalita Shri Vishakam Vittam Shra Namaam Vishnu Padaya So what can we say?

Prabhupada is very much criticizing the modern day governments.

Where do we see a proper government anywhere on this planet at this present time?

In India, nowhere there is proper government according to Vedic principles.

Other people, by the people and for the people.

Pashu, shva vidvara ushtra karai, samsthita parishak pashu, na jata karma patau peta, and another, they are all animals, pashu, shva-vibhara-ushtra-karai, samsthita-parishak pashu, na jata-karma-puto-peta, datanam agadagna-ja, men who are like dogs, hounds, camels and asses, praise those men who did not listen to the transcendental pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna, the deliverer from all evils.

If the Paschus go to vote, who will they elect?

Since we have a government, all our governments are run by animals, actually lower than animals.

Animals are flattering them because actually the animals act strictly according to the laws of nature.

The animals never violate the laws of nature.

But these lower than animals so-called leaders, they violate the laws of the nation.

As Bhagavata points out here very aptly, on the Vedic civilization by Krishna's arraignment Eko bahunam yo vidadati kaman, the 1 supreme eternal, Eko, bahunam, is providing the necessities for all the singular eternal and the plural eternal.

That singular eternal is providing all necessities for the plural eternal.

It is only due to the mismanagement of the so-called administrators that people are starving right now.

Well, that's why it's so important, these books are distributed, this knowledge is distributed.

We have to keep educating, educating, educating with the hope that someday in the future the people will know not to elect a rascal to the presidential or governor or senator or congressman or mayor or a congressman or a city council member.

Hopefully someday they will come to that point.

That's why we want to keep preaching Krishna consciousness.

That hopefully someday the people will understand that unless somebody is Krishna conscious they don't get my vote.

That's what it should come to hopefully someday in the future.

Actually as I mentioned before, Palabhai actually at 1 point in ISKCON started a party, the Engagment Trust Party, to elect Krishna conscious leaders to government positions.

In Gainesville our Temple president Amarinder Prabhu ran for the city council or mayor, I forget which position, but he had a lot of votes actually.

But because it's illegal for a church or religious organization to engage in politics, we had to be stopped.

But the idea is that some devotees outside of ISKCON should do that.

That in God We Trust party can again be started.

Especially here in America that's the slogan on the dollars, in God We Trust.

So some householders outside of ISKCON who have the intelligence and the mean to actually start a political party and run candidates through office.

But ISKCON cannot do that, that should be done outside of ISKCON.

So, we have a great difficulty in this age.

So How can we actually spread Krishna consciousness so we can actually get proper leaders in the future?

What can we do to spread Krishna consciousness?

Rupa Goswami has very clearly stated, vāca-vegam manasa-krodha-vegam, sivāvegam mudhara-upasate gam, itanvitanyo viśahit-siddhi-rasa-vamukhī-mam pati-vimucha-śiṣya.

1 can conquer mind, words, anger, tongue, belly and genitals and make disciples all over the world.

So we can make devotees to whatever extent we have brought our own pushings, they are called vagums, to whatever extent we have brought

our own pushing, they are called vagums, to

every extent we have brought our own mind, words, anger, tongue, belly and genitals under our discipline, under control.

You see right now, instead of Engaging these in the service of the Lord, we are the servants.

I am serving my mind, I am serving my anger, I am serving my prajapah, my nonsense talking, I am serving my tongue, my belly and my genitals.

Instead of serving them, we have to engage them in the service of Krishna.

When serving them, they are called a Gau Das.

When he is bringing them under control, engaging in the Lord's service, he is called a Gau Swami.

No, everyone in this country should be a Goswami.

The sannyasis, the vanaprasas, the householders, the brahmacharis, we should all be Goswamis here.

We should be bringing mind birds and telling them that we are on the service of the Lord.

And to whatever extent we are actually successful in doing that, we will attract more and more and more devotees.

So the fact that we are not attracting so many devotees indicates that we are not doing a very good job of controlling this mind, words, anger, and talk about the angels.

Instead of being Goswamis we are still Godasas.

Those who are successful in attracting many devotees they are actually Goswamis.

So we have to be a little embarrassed and see that we are not very successful in attracting many many people to this movement because we are still serving our mind, words, anger, tongue, belly and genitals.

So then how can we get out of this fallen position of being Gau Dasas and actually become Goswamis?

That's given by singing last night that nice bhajan by Govinda Das, Shravanakirtana.

In this way, by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, becoming a servant of the Lord, making friendship with the devotees, in this way we can, by engaging everything in Krishna's service, so this way we have to learn, this art of how to stop being a rascal, lazy, animal-like so-called devotees and actually become fixed up in Krishna consciousness.

Let my every thought be Krishna conscious.

Any thought that is not Krishna conscious, weed it out.

It's not going to be sweeped on the kitchen floor.

We have to get all that dirt, pick it all up, put it in a dustpan and throw it out.

So we have to sweep the mines out, all the dirt that's in the mines.

Sweep the mines, get all that dirt out of there, the mind will be completely pure.

Baba actually said we can conquer the world.

Of course, some people think it's just some hype, some pep talk, But actually we can have a big impact.

To whatever extent we are successful in cleaning that dirt out of our minds, to that extent we can actually be successful in spreading this movement.

So we have to be embarrassed and see how much we want to have a big huge impact on the world, but how much impact we are having?

Right now there is so much sin going on, it is actually shocking all the karmic reactions that are coming down now.

If some person, like in a wheelchair, they fall down, they are wheeling and they happen to fall down on the pavement, they can be severely burned with third degree burns which are very, very serious burns.

You have to go to the hospital and they have to put new skin on.

If someone falls down on asphalt, and it's horrible, a thing going on now, this heat wave.

It's going on, it's spreading all over the US.

It's spreading in the west but now it's going to cover the whole US.

This heat wave, this is unprecedented heat wave going on now on this planet.

We're suffering the karmic reaction from all these sinful activities.

All these babies we're killing in the abortion clinics, all these cows we're killing in the slaughterhouses.

These so-called pro-abortionists, they say that, they say we are pro-choice.

They said, there's 1 group, pro-life, who's against killing the children.

I can keep my baby or I can murder if I want to.

How can we expect things to be peaceful and happy on this planet where so many sins are going on and the leaders are supporting it.

The leaders themselves are supporting it.

The so called leaders are supporting all these sinful activities.

But at least we can get ourselves out of it.

At least we can understand, I'm also suffering from so many sinful reactions.

I have mental problems, I have physical problems, I have financial problems, I have this problem, that problem.

What can I do with all these problems that are being hit?

And they're bothering me at every minute.

Well, the Bhagavatam very nicely explains the 10th canto.

Tate nukam tam sumikso sumikshamano punjada evatma-katham vipabhukam srila-goporavirvidunam namaste jivete jo samukti-pudeva-dhaya-vata My dear Lord, the person who is constantly awaiting your cause of mercy to be bestowed upon him, who goes on suffering the resultant reactions of his previous misdeeds while constantly offering you respectful obeisances from the innermost core of his heart is certainly an eligible candidate for liberation or it has indeed become his rightful claim." So that's the key.

Instead of trying to find fault, you know, you caused this, I'm suffering because you did this to me, you know, instead of trying to blame others for our suffering, that's what we do, we try to blame others, well, you know, this person is not treating me properly, therefore I'm suffering in so many ways.

Instead of blaming others we should understand take a full blame for whatever difficulties I'm going through, take the full responsibility.

Yes, actually Krishna has given me a token reaction for all the nonsense I've done in this lifetime and previous lifetimes.

It's a little token, but even this token is so heavy I can hardly even handle it.

Just go on suffering and say, OK Krishna, why are you doing this to me?

I'm chanting my rounds and following the principles.

Instead of following Krishna as the spiritual master and following the Vaishnavas, we should think, OK, this is Krishna's mercy, I'm just getting a token.

And that much will be my reciprocation with all this suffering I'm going through, constantly offering obeisances.

Namo brahmanadevaya, govramanayitayaccha, sikharitaya krishnaya, govandaya namo namah.

Namah Om Vishnu Padaya, Krishna Visaya Bhutale, Shrimate Bhaktivedanta Swamini Tinamane, Namaste Sarasvati Devi, Govindamani Pachaline, Nirvisheshwari Shunyavadi, Vashkatevesa Tadane.

As they say, we have to have an attitude of gratitude.

Instead of having a fault finding attitude, have an attitude of gratitude and that will bring us to the liberated position.

No longer being pinched by the Tamogun, Rajogun, Sarfagun.

Beyond the pinches of the material nature.

My body may be suffering, but I am situated beyond the body on the transcendental platform.

We have to situate ourselves beyond these material bodies made of earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, the false ego, also the subtle body.

We have to situate ourselves beyond the gross and subtle bodies on the transcendental planes.

Jivara-svarupa-haya krishna-nirvana-nirchidatta.

The constitutional position of living entity, the eternal servant Krishna.

So we have to take help of So many blessings we are getting from Prabhupada.

He gave us the Hare Krishna mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Gave us these principles, no illicit theft, no meat eating, no intoxication, no gambling.

And then he gave us Mangal-arati, a wonderful thing called Mangal-arati, we can observe, Sam-saradha-vananidha-dhokam.

And then after I joined, and I joined with only Mangal-arati, there was no Talsi worship in Guru Puja.

But then after I joined a new thing was introduced, Talsi worship.

Now we can worship the Talsi Devi, we can circumambulate Talsi Devi and get free of our sinful reactions just by circumambulating Sathya Devi.

And then a couple of years later something new came after the Myerpur festival, Guru Puja.

We were already worshipping Prabhupada in Mangal Aarti, but now it's even more focused on the spiritual master, the Guru Puja.

So we take advantage and then Papa introduced in the beginning it was just chanting and dancing on the street and a new type of Sankirtan, book distributions.

So Papa gradually introduced all these things.

He gave us Bhagavatam, Chaitanya Chaturmita, Nectar of Devotion, Krishna book, Bhagavad Gita, Sri Yukteswar, Shri Shapanishad, Easy Journey to the Other Planet, Nectar of Instruction, Sravada's Blessings, 1 blessing, another blessing, another blessing.

Can you imagine the austerities that Prabhupada went through to write all these books, sleeping only 3 and a half hours a day, I think it was 2, An hour and a half and 1 and 2 hours in the other time.

It was 2 hours at night and an hour and a half in the day.

3 and a half hours a day and that was it.

3 and a half hours a day and then preaching, conversations, morning walks, classes.

It's just amazing so many lectures are recorded, hundreds and hundreds of recordings of Prabhupada speaking, videos also, there's so many amazing things you can tune in, you can hear Prabhupada, you can see Prabhupada and there's so much association we can get And actually that physical association, I might say, well I didn't get any physical association.

But actually physical association is not very important.

Papa himself said, I only associated with my Guru Maharaj only 10 times.

We see in ISKCON so many devotees associated with Prabhupada hundreds of times, the personal servants, the sannyasis, hundreds of times they associate with him, not even in ISKCON anymore.

So the personal physical association is not that important.

The important thing is to take the instruction and the spiritual master is in my very life and soul.

Whatever my Guru Maharaj has instructed me I take that in my very life and soul.

So my life and soul is fully dedicated to carrying out his word.

The only desire of the disciple should be, how can I please my spiritual master?

How can I give up thinking, speaking and acting in ways that do not please him?

And how can I always think, speak and act in ways that please him?

Because we cannot jump over the head of the spiritual master and go to Krishna.

Krishna will not accept some upstart who wants to jump over the head of the spiritual master.

He wants to see how much we are dedicated to our spiritual master.

How much we are always thinking how to please my Guru Maharaj, by my every thought, word and deed, in all times, places and circumstances.

Then Krishna says, Oh yes, this is my very, very, very dear devotee.

He is a totally sold out servant of his spiritual master.

It's like Papa gave that saying, if you love me, love my dog.

He may approach a master, some big, big man, big, big business man, you can't even approach him.

But you go on a walk and you pat the dog on the head, or give the dog something to chew on, the parent says, oh he's pleased my dog.

So we can somehow please our spiritual master.

Krishna is a very big man, not so easy to please him.

We can somehow please our spiritual master and Krishna is pleased.

We take every opportunity to think, speak and act in such a way that will please the spiritual master.

The spiritual master's teaching is in so many ways giving this instruction, that instruction.

We have to take every opportunity to hear our spiritual master and see how we can tune in to him, tune in to being what he wants us to be.

Right now we are tuned in to material nature.

The 3 modes of it were turned into the moods.

Sometimes it was turned into sadhvaguna, sometimes it was turned into vajraguna, sometimes it was turned into dharmaguna, turned into the modes and being dragged actually by the modes.

Being dragged is like somebody, it's like 3 ropes, they're called gunas, rope also.

It's like somebody comes with some ropes and they tie you with the ropes and they take 1 rope around your head, 1 rope around your waist and 1 rope around your legs and they start dragging you and pulling you.

So we have to cut through these modes of motion.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare This way you can cut through the most.

Srivirgunamaya, Hare Hare, Mahitamna, Vijanadena.

Even the amount of goodness will not liberate us.

Being a nice person, even feeding the poor, whatever, Even being a nice person will save us, unless you distribute prasadam to the poor, then you transcend the mode.

Simply feed, even vegetarian food, you feed the poor vegetarian.

Let's say I open a charity hospital and give so much charity medical service to the poor people.

I get to become, take birth after birth, get free medical treatment from all these people who got free medical treatment from me.

So what's the great advantage of sadhva guna?

Even sadhva guna keeps you entangled in the cycle of birth and death.

So we have to come to shoot us out of the platform, pure goodness.

Why is it called pure goodness as opposed to goodness?

Because the motive of goodness is still tinged with passion and ignorance.

You take the motive of goodness and you move the passion, the tinges of passion and ignorance then you have pure goodness and that comes on the platform called devotional service, Bhakti Yoga.

So we have to take very seriously the teachings of our beloved founder Acharya, his divine grace Om Vishnu Pad, Paramahamsa Parivajakacarya, Ashtapada Sada Srimad Bhagavate Bhaktivedanta Sri Dandigopala Maharaj, then our lives will be successful.

But our trouble is our conception, our idea of success is wrong.

We think success is material advancement, the more I become famous, the more I become rich, the more I become powerful, the more I can acquire so many goods and nice house in Cedar Park or whatever you see.

Even you become a big successful like Alexander the Great or Napoleon Bonaparte or Adolf Hitler, but it's all finished at death, you lose everything.

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SB 04.22.45 Pleasing Spiritual Master should be the only goal Important 2023-07-25 Austin.mp3