SB-text-054
"How To See The Absolute Truth"
Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.24
August 27, 1972, Los Angeles

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Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

parthivad daruno dhumas
tasmad agnis trayimayah
tamasas tu rajas tasmat
sattvam yad brahma-darsanam

Translation: "The firewood is the transformation of the earth, and smoke
is better than the raw wood, and fire is still better, because by fire we can
derive so many benefits by superior knowledge, or Vedas. Similarly, rajas
quality of matter is better than tamas quality, but sattva quality is the
superior quality by which one can realize the Absolute Truth."

Prabhupada: (aside Here the translation is different. So the example is
given here, that... The translation is... [break] Anyway, parthivad daruno
dhumah. Parthivat. Suppose you want fire. So there are so many stages. Earth,
then there is wood. Wood is produced from earth. From wood, there is, first
instance there is smoke, and then comes the fire. But you require the fire. When
you get fire, you can get so many things done through fire, electricity. All
industry is going on through fire. Your household affairs, cooking, that is
also, you require fire. For your living condition you require fire, heat. So
fire is necessity, not the earth, neither the wood, nor the smoke. Similarly,
although Brahma, Visnu, Mahesvara, they are one, from Krsna -- they are
different incarnation of different modes of material nature -- but actually,
Visnu is required. Brahman, brahma-darsanam. If you want to see the Absolute
Truth, then neither Brahma nor Siva is required, but Visnu is required.

The example is: just like if you want to have your work done, then fire is
required. The wood is also another stage of fire; the smoke is also another
stage of fire. But as fire is necessity, similarly, to come to the platform of
goodness, that is necessity, especially in this human form of life. In other
forms of life, they're mostly in the ignorance. Just like the earth. The earth
has got potency to produce wood, trees and plants, but there are some earthen
plot of land, it is not producing anything, desert. It has got the potency. If
you pour water, it has got the potency to produce wood, but, in that...
Similarly, the mode of ignorance, those living entities, those who are in the
mode of ignorance, they cannot have any knowledge of the Absolute Truth. That's
not possible. Therefore it is gradual evolution, from mode of ignorance to mode
of passion. And passion, there is little activity. Just like animal, they have
got activity. Just like a dog, we have seen, in the beach and other places,
running very swiftly here and there, but there is no meaning. A monkey is very
active. You have not seen monkey in your country. In our country there are
monkeys. Unnecessarily creating disturbance. But they are very active. But human
being, they are not so active, but they have got brain, they're working with
brain.

So foolish activity has no meaning. Without brain, simply active, that is
dangerous. Sober activity is required. Just like a high court judge. He is paid
very lump sum, money, but he's sitting on his chair and simply thinking. The
others may think that "We are working so hard, we are not getting so big salary,
and this man is getting so big salary. He's sitting only." Because foolish
activity has no value. It is dangerous. So this modern world, they very active,
but they're foolishly active, in the ignorance and passion, rajas tamas.
Therefore there is confusion activity. Foolish activity, there is accident.
Sober activity required. Because, just like unless you come to the platform of
fire, you cannot utilize the material things. Fire is required. Similarly, to
make your life successful, there is gradual evolution from aquatics to plant
life, plant life to insect life, insect life to reptiles, reptiles to bird's
life, then beast life, then human life, then civilized life.

In this way, gradually, evolution, we come to the platform of human life.
And the Vedic knowledge is meant for the human beings, not for these other
animals. Therefore it is said, dhumas tasmad agnis trayimayah. By Vedic
injunction, the human society, civilized human society, they require to perform
sacrifices, fire sacrifices. Just like we do in all auspicious ceremonies... It
is said that through the fire, God eats. We give to the fire the grains and the
fruits and other thing. That is, means, God is eating, through fire. So
sacrifice means you sacrifice for God, and God is accepting. God is accepting
also when we offer prasadam to the Lord, He's accepting, but we want to see.
That is our disease. We want to see everything. Therefore, the fire sacrifice,
you can see that whatever is offering, it is being eaten up. God can eat in many
ways. Because a third-class man, they want to see that God is eating, therefore
this is required, sacrifice. God, as it is stated in the Brahma-samhita: angani
yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. His every limb of the body is as good as the
other part of the body. Just like we have got our eyes. With eyes we can see,
but we cannot eat. But God can do that. He can see, eat also, through the eyes.
Angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti. He can hear with eyes. He can eat with His
ear. He can see with His tongue. That is God. Every part of the body is equally
good as other part of the body. That is called Absolute Truth. Our, this body,
is relative. I cannot see... I am, if I close my eyes, I cannot see with my
hand. But Krsna can do that.

So, when we offer Krsna foodstuff, He eats. He says in the Bhagavad-gita,
asnami.

patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah

Krsna says that "My devotee, when he offers Me something eatable, with
faith, love and devotion, I eat." Then is He speaking lies? No, He eats. But the
atheist class of men, they do not know. They see that the plate is full.
Sometimes, if He's forced, He can eat also, there are some incidences. Anyway,
He, simply by seeing, He can eat. Simply by seeing. If you don't believe that
He's not eating... But from the Vedic injunction we can understand that you put
the food plate before the Lord, and Lord is seeing, and that is His eating. He's
not hungry, but He can eat the whole universe at a time. This is God's position.
He can devour the whole universe, as you have seen the virad-rupa.

So this yajna performance required fire. Tasmad agnis trayimayah.
Trayimaya. Trayi means Vedas. There are three departments of Vedas; therefore it
is called trayi. Trayi means three: karma-kanda, jnana-kanda and upasana-kanda.
So in karma-kanda platform, fruitive activities, the sacrifice is required, and
for sacrificing, you require fire, so that you can gradually understand what is
the Absolute Truth. Similarly, if you want to see Brahman, the Supreme Absolute
Truth, then you have to come to the platform of goodness. You cannot remain on
the platform of ignorance and passion. Therefore our training to the student is
to bring him to the platform of goodness, brahmana. Brahma janatiti brahmanah.
Brahma-darsana. Brahma-darsana means one who has seen brahma, or one who has
known brahma. He's called brahmana. Brahmana is not that being born in the
family of a brahmana and having a sacred thread, two-cent worth. No. Brahmana
means one who has seen, brahma-darsana. Darsana means seeing. So, in order to
see the Absolute Truth, one has to come to the platform of goodness. Tamasas tu
rajas tasmat sattvam yad brahma-darsanam. Yad sattvam, the platform which is
called goodness. And in that platform you can see God, or you can realize what
is Absolute Truth.

So the so-called scientists, they are trying to find out the ultimate
source of everything, the Absolute Truth. But because they are not on the
platform of goodness, how they can see? They cannot see. The Absolute Truth is
coming before us, in person, and is showing His activity as Absolute Truth, and
big, big acaryas, they're accepting Him, the Absolute Truth. Still, these
rascals, they cannot see. The so-called scientists, rascals, they cannot see --
because, they're not on the platform of goodness. They're in the platform of
ignorance. Therefore they... Even... Just like Krsna, when He appeared on this
planet, there were so many millions of people. But very few of them could
understand that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only the inhabitants
of Vrndavana and the Pandavas and some others. Not that all of them. Because all
of them cannot understand. Manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye [Bg.
7.3]. Out of many millions of persons, kascit, somebody is trying to become a
brahmana. That is siddhaye. Kascid yatati siddhaye. Siddhaye means to become
successful. And yatatam api siddhanam [Bg. 7.3]. And out of many millions of
persons who has become successful, out of them some may know what is Krsna.

So anyway, brahma-darsanam. Brahma-darsanam means the preliminary
understanding of the Absolute Truth. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate.
In the preliminary understanding, impersonal Brahman is realized; and if you
make further progress, then you are, you realize the localized aspect,
Paramatma. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati [Bg. 18.61]. In your
heart you will see. And, further progress means you'll see Visnu, or Lord Krsna
-- brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti. The one thing, thing is one, absolute, but
a different capacity. Just like the... I have given several times, that the sun
and the sunshine and the sun globe and the inhabitants of the sun globe, they
are one, but at the same time different. To become in the sunshine does not mean
that you are in the sun globe. That requires a very good qualification, how
to... They cannot enter even into the moon planet and what to speak of entering
the sun planet. It is fiery. So, as it is not possible for ordinary man, but
there is sun planet and there are inhabitants also. They have bodies also, fiery
body. Therefore it is so glowing and it is so hot that the temperatures, from
ninety millions of miles, it is giving us temperature. It is made of fire;
that's a fact.

So, as by different position one can understand complete sun... Ordinary
men, those who are in the sunshine, they cannot understand what is the
temperature in the sun globe. And even if you go nearer to the sun globe, it is
very difficult to enter into the, within the planet. Similarly, the first
understanding of the Absolute Truth is impersonal Brahman, brahma-darsanam.
Then, if you can make further progress, then you will see that Absolute Truth
within your heart by yoga system. And if you make further advance, then you see
Him eye to eye and give your service, render your service personally. These are
the stages.

So, on the whole, to understand the Absolute Truth, even brahma-darsanam,
Absolute Truth, you have come to the light, not in the darkness. If you want to
see the sun at least, then you have come to the sunshine. Not that in the dark
room, closing your doors, you can see sunshine. You have to come out. Tamasi ma
jyotir gama. Therefore the Vedic injunction is "Don't remain in the darkness.
Come out to see the light." Just like in the morning, somebody is sleeping,
closing his doors and windows tightly, and he's sleeping, snoring. Although it
is ten o'clock, daytime, he thinks it is night going on. And he's enjoying
sleeping. This is darkness. Rascal. And, those who are advanced, they rise early
in the morning at four o'clock: "Now there will be sunshine. Prepare." That is
the difference. The same human being: one is in the darkness, one is in the
passion, and one is in the goodness. And if you come to the goodness, then you
see, brahma-darsanam. You can understand what is Absolute Truth.

If you remain in ignorance and passion, you cannot see, you cannot know.
You can go on with your so-called rascaldom talks about God, but it is not
possible. You cannot understand God, or Absolute Truth, by eating meat, drinking
and having illicit sex and gambling. No, that is not possible. Then you'll have
to remain in the darkness for good, and next life you'll again become cats and
dogs, that's all. Because you are given the opportunity to come to the light,
but if you neglect it, if you think that natural life, animal life, to become
naked and do all nonsense, then "All right. You, next life you become a tree,
naked. Stand up naked for ten thousands of years." You want to be naked? That's
all right. Nobody will protest. So many trees are standing naked. So many
animals are loitering in the street naked. Nobody protests. But in human
society, if you become naked, then you'll be punished by law. But they are
thinking they are advancing by becoming naked. This is the knowledge: ignorance.

So Krsna will give you opportunity to remain naked, become animals, trees,
like that. So that is not our aim of life. Our aim of life, the human form of
life, is meant for understanding the Absolute Truth: athato brahma jijnasa. That
is the Vedanta-sutra says. Brahma -- what is brahma? What is Absolute Truth?
This inquisitiveness must be there in human life, then it is human being.
Otherwise, he is animal. The animal does not inquire what is Absolute Truth,
neither the Vedanta-darsana and all these Vedic scriptures are meant for the
animals. They're meant for human being. A human being has got the brain, he can
understand, he can be trained up to become a brahmana. These are the
opportunities.

So, Krsna consciousness movement is giving this great opportunity to the
human society. They're training them how to become a brahmana, we are giving
them all important Vedic literature, translated into English and other. This is
the greatest boon to make human life successful. But if the people want to
remain in darkness, then what can we do? But not that everyone wants to remain
in darkness. So many people are coming forward and taking this movement
seriously. They are first-class men. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita,

manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
[Bg. 7.3]

So take advantage of this great movement. Come to the platform of goodness
and see the Absolute Truth. Then your life is successful. Otherwise, you remain
like cats and dogs, eat like cats and dogs.

If you want, nature will give you facility. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih
karmani sarvasah [Bg. 3.27]. Prakrti means nature. He's giving, by nature. Just
like, if you infect, if you become infected with some disease, so you'll get
that disease. It is nature's way. If you touch fire, your finger will be burned.
Not that nature has to make a particular arrangement. By nature it is there.
Similarly, if you remain like cats and dogs, then by nature you'll get the body
of cats and dogs. There is no necessity of making separate attempt, "How shall I
become a dog? How shall I become cat?" Prakrteh kriyamanani. Prakrti, nature,
will give you. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah. How nature is
helping? Nature, this material nature is matter. How it is being done, how
matter is working? That is, answer is given in the Bhagavad-gita, that
mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram: [Bg. 9.10] "He's acting under My
direction." God is giving direction. How he's giving direction? Isvarah
sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese [Bg. 18.61] -- God is situated within your heart. When
He sees that you are very much anxious to become a cat, a dog, He knows. He asks
nature that "Just give him a body of dog. He wants to become a dog. He wants to
become a hog; give him a body of hog. He wants the body of a tree, he wants the
body of god; give him the body of god." Anything, you can take. You can have the
body of a dog, or you can have the body of a god, as you want.

Krsna, God is so kind. Whatever you want, you take. That is, nature is
helping. Nature is working under the direction of God, and whatever you want, He
understands, because He is sitting with you within the heart, like two birds.
One bird is eating, one bird is simply seeing. The seeing bird is God and eating
bird is the living entity. So that is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita:
sarvasya caham hrdi sannivistah. Fifteenth Chapter. "I am sitting in everyone's
heart." Mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]. One Dr. Farquar, in our
college life, he was a Scotsman, so he did not believe in the karma-vada. And
there are so many philosophers like that. But actually, isvara, Krsna, God, is
sitting within your heart. He is witness.

In the Bhagavad-gita it is said anumanta upadrasta. Upadrasta means
witness. This is also explained in the Upanisads, that one bird is eating,
another bird is seeing. The seeing bird is God, upadrasta. He's noting down that
you like this. He's noting down that you like to eat such and such thing. You'll
find so many animals; they are eating differently. The hog is eating stool, the
tiger is eating fresh blood, another animal is eating something, something. All
facilities are there. Open hotel: you come on and take whatever you like. And
the witness... God is so kind, this person has no discrimination of eating, so
let him become dog, hog. The hog has no discrimination. Whatever you think: you
give him halava, he will eat; you give him stool, it will eat. There are goats,
so many animals, and no discrimination. The human being, there must be
discrimination. Everything is eatable? So why don't you eat stool? No. Your
eatable is different. It must be different from the animal eatables. Your teeth
is different, your nature is different. A child, a child, you cannot give
anything. She wants, he wants to drink milk only. Natural food. Artificially,
the child is taught to eat something else. If you, if the child simply drinks
mother's milk for six months, it becomes stout and strong for whole life.
Because that is natural food. But there is no milk in the mother's breast.
Artificial. So how the child will be healthy? This is modern civilization.
Otherwise, if we get our natural food, there is no question of disease, there is
no question of doctor's bill.

So that is science; that is human civilization. One who knows how to eat,
how to sleep, how to have sex life, how to defend, that is human civilization.
Without knowing, in the modes of ignorance -- simply animal life. They are
simply like animals. They, that is not civilization. Therefore, we have come to
the platform of goodness, to see brahma-darsanam. That is civilization.

WOULD LIKE TO READ AND OR HEAR THE REST OF THIS CLASS GO TO

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Thank you very much. (end)


Please Look At "Krsna The Resevoir of Pleasure" for a nice understandment
of Krsna Consciousness -------- http://krsnawonders.tripod.com
Your Humble
servant Jaya Kesava Dasa



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© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.

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