(August 11, 1976, Tehran Morn Walk)

“Prabhupäda: ...I.A.S. civil service examination before one

man is posted in some responsible office. Similarly, to be
recognized by Kåñëa, as He says na ca tasmän manuñyeñu,
one has to pass examination, severe test of examination. All
the big, big devotees we see. Närada Muni, before becoming
Närada Muni, he had to pass through severe examination,
test. That chance is there in the human form of life, to pass
the examination, test. But they are passing this human life
with ordinary animal propensities. They are not trained up to
pass the examination and be recognized by God. That
civilization is lost, Vedic civilization, to prepare the human
beings for passing the test, examination for being recognized
by God.

tapasä brahmacaryeëa çamena ca damena ca tyägena

satya-çaucäbhyäà yamena niyamena vä

These things are required, tapasä brahmacaryeëa.

Ätreya Åñi: To pass the examination, one must follow a strict,
austere life.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Tapasä brahmacaryeëa, beginning tapasya,
austerity. Brahmacarya, celibacy. Tapasä brahmacaryeëa
çamena damena, controlling the senses, controlling the
mind. Tyägena, by renunciation. Satya-çaucäbhyäm, by
following truthfulness and cleanliness. Yamena niyamena vä,
by practicing yoga, yama-niyama. These are the different
items of being qualified. But all these things can be done by
one stroke, kevalayä bhaktyä, by engaging oneself in
devotion, väsudeva-paräyaëäù.

kecit kevalayä bhaktyä väsudeva-paräyaëäù aghaà

dhunvanti kärtsnyena néhäram iva bhäskaraù

One becomes qualified by one stroke of bhakti to Väsudeva.

Just like the sunrise immediately dissipates the fog. Aghaà
dhunvanti kärtsnyena néhäram iva bhäskaraù. In the Kali-
yuga, this one item of bhakti can make one perfectly fit
candidate to pass the examination. Aghaà dhunvanti
kärtsnyena néhäram iva bhäskaraù. What is this nonsense
life? There is no tapasya, no spiritual culture,”

(New Vrndavana, 1976)

Prabhupäda: Now questions?
Devotee (1): So is there ever, for someone whose
determination wavers and slackens here and there, is there
ever a point where the neophyte devotee is in danger of just
forgetting everything and falling, tumbling completely back?
Prabhupäda: Everyone is neophyte. He should practice
determination, that’s all. If he cannot practice, then why
should he enter into this association? Let him remain aloof.
One who has entered with the determination that “I must
practice,” so if he cannot practice, then why this make show
that “I belong to Kåñëa consciousness movement. I am
initiated.” Why this farce? He must practice with
determination that “By practicing I’ll be success.” That is
wanted. He has no determination, why should he make a
show? Dåòha-vrata. Bhajante mäà dåòha-vratäù. Dåòha-
vrata, that is wanted, determination. Hmm, go on. When one
is determined, his success is assured. If he’s not determined,
then success or failure.
Devotee (1): Can one develop determination gradually?
Prabhupäda: Why gradually? When you promise before your
spiritual master that no illicit sex, no gambling, no meat-
eating, why should you fall down? If you have no
determination, why should you promise in presence of the
Deity, fire, spiritual master, Vaiñëava? Why do you make this
farce, if you have no determination? If you want to make it a
farce, that depends on you. But you should not.
Devotee (1): When we make that promise...
Prabhupäda: Yes, you should not fall down, that is
determination. That is gentleman’s determination, that “I
have given my promise. Why shall I fall down?” That is
determination. “I must respect promise.” That is called
dåòha-vrata. So he’ll success. Where is the difficulty? There is
no difficulty. But if we want to cheat, that is another thing. If
we have no determination, we should not take up this life.
Therefore, chance is given that “Stay with us for six months
or one year, be determined. Then be initiated.” If you are not
determined, what is the use of false initiation?
Devotee (1): Sometimes this weakness seems to be...
Prabhupäda: Weakness there, you should rectify weakness.
Why you should give any importance to weakness? Weakness
is weakness. Rectify it.
Kulädri: This promise is the minimum determination.
Prabhupäda: Hmm?
Kulädri: This promise of following four regulative principles,
chanting sixteen rounds daily, that is the minimum
determination. Then, from there, he must increase.

(Morning Walk at Stow Lake, March 23, 1968, San Francisco)

“Prabhupäda: We should forego sleeping even. The real

regulated life is that if sixteen rounds is not completed, then
we have to forego sleeping. You should take out hours from
sleeping. We should be... The main thing is that we should
always be careful that... We are going, we have taken up a
very responsible task, Kåñëa consciousness. So we should be
very much careful in discharging the duty. The devotee
should be so much careful that he’ll always see “Whether
this moment is spoiled or utilized?” Avyartha-kälatvam.
Avyartha-kälatvam, that “My time may not be wasted.” He
should be so careful, “Whether my time is being wasted?”
and time wasted, the time we engage for our bodily
necessities, that is wasted. Generally, conditioned souls, they
are simply wasting their time. Only the period which we have
engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, that is utilized. So we
should be very much careful whether time is being wasted or
being utilized.
Devotee (1): Sometimes, well, if you (we) slept less, we could
do more for Kåñëa, but at the same time you (we) would be
very tired. I mean, you could be... Well, you could regulate
that.
Prabhupäda: Yes. Practically everything depends on practice.
Abhyäsa-yoga-yuktena cetasä nänya-gäminä. Abhyäsa-yoga.
Abhyäsa-yoga means yoga practice... Practice it. So this
whole Kåñëa consciousness movement is to practice
transfering from one kind of consciousness to another. So we
require practice. Just like one man can run few miles. I cannot
run even one mile. He has practiced. We see some boys, they
run, run on. They practice. Practice it. Strength of the heart
increasing by practice. And if I run, my heart will be
palpitating. Because I have no practice. So by practice,
everything can be attained. Hare Räma Hare Räma Räma
Räma Hare Hare. (break) ...determination. And this
determination is increased by celibacy. Brahmacärya is
recommended to keep oneself determined. A brahmacäré, if
he determines something, he executes. He has got that
strength of mind. Those who are too much addicted to sex
life, they cannot be determined. They cannot be fixed-up.
They are fluctuating, changing.”

(Lect SB. 6.1.13-14 NY 7/27/71)

Vimarçanam means to be thoughtful. Without being
thoughtful, philosopher, how one can understand, what is his
position? Thoughtful. And that thoughtfulness comprehends
so many things. Tapasä. One has to learn it by tapasya. Just
like if one wants to pass M.A. examination, then he has to go
school, follow the principle of the schools, college, study, and
take some pains. Then gradually he’ll come a passed M.A.
student. And if he plays all the day on the street, how he
can...? That is not possible. Therefore the process is being
explained by Çukadeva Gosvämé: tapasä. First thing is
tapasya, austerity. Even it is painful... Austerity’s painful.
Brahmacarya is painful. Because we want, unrestricted, to do
everything. But no. As soon as it is regulated it appears to be
painful. When it is practiced, it is not painful. One
brahmacäré in Indian city, in severe cold, he was sleeping in
the open air, without any covering. And it was severe cold.
But it was practice. During Mägha-melä, many saintly
persons come there on the bank of the Gaìgä, Ganges. This
year we had our own camp; we have seen. The whole night
they are sitting in the open air, without any covering.
So practice. So practice means if you undergo austerity,
tapasya, everything will be practiced. That is a Bengali
proverb: çarére nä mahäçaya(?). Mahäçaya is a word used in
India, a very respectable gentleman, mahäçaya. So this
çaréra, this body is mahäçaya. Ya sa haye sa taicha(?).
Whatever he’ll practice, it will be accustomed. So practice. So
here this Kåñëa consciousness movement is bringing them to
the practice. Therefore you find, so nice, boys and girls,
they’re practiced. As soon as they’re neglectful to the
practice—-falls down. They cannot stay. Immediately goes
out. So that is called austerity, tapasya. Practice. Practical
life. So these are the processes.

tapasä brahmacaryeëa çamena ca damena ca tyägena

satya-çaucäbhyäà yamena niyamena vä deha-väg-buddhijaà
dhérä dharmajïäù çraddhayänvitäù kñipanty aghaà mahad
api veëu-gulmam ivänalaù

Veëu-gulmam ivänalaù. Just like there is a jungle—so many

unwanted creepers—so you set fire. Everything will be
burned into ashes and the field will be cleared, cleansed. So
it is said: deha-väg-buddhijaà dhérä dharmajïäù
çraddhayänvitäù. Those who are dhéra... Dhéra and adhéra.
Dhéra means sober and adhéra means extravagant. There
are two classes of men, dhéra and adhéra. Here Çukadeva
Gosvämé’s speaking of the dhéra. Who is dhéra? Dhéra
means in spite of provocation, in spite of something present
which agitates the mind, one remains, I mean to say, in his
position, steady. He’s called dhéra.

The dhéra example is given by Kälidäsa Paëòita, a great poet

in India, Sanskrit poet, long, long ago. He has written one
book: Kumära-sambhava. Kumära-sambhava. In our college
we read that book in Sanskrit class. Kumära-sambhava. So he
has given one example of dhéra about Lord Çiva, Mahädeva.
He was meditating and the demigods, they had a plan, that
“The demons are fighting with us. We are being defeated. We
want a commander in chief, who must be born out of the
semina of Lord Çiva.” But he was in meditation. So how to do
it? So Pärvaté, she was sent. She was young girl. And she
was worshiping the genital of Lord Çiva. So a young girl,
touching the genital, and she’s present, but still Lord Çiva
was in meditation. So Kälidäsa—-here is the example of
dhéra. He’s called dhéra. In spite of presence of a young girl
touching the genital, he’s not, I mean to say, disturbed.

Just like Haridäsa Öhäkura. You have heard the Haridäsa

Öhäkura. He was chanting Hare Kåñëa mantra, and
somebody wanted to cut down. He was young man. So young
prostitute was sent at dead of night. And he, she proposed...
Haridäsa Öhäkura said, “Yes, it is very nice proposal. Please
sit down. Let me finish my chanting, and I shall enjoy.” So it
became morning. The prostitute became, I mean to say,
perturbed. And Haridäsa Öhäkura replied, “I am very sorry. I
could not finish my chanting. Please come this night again.”
The first night, second night..., third night the prostitute fell
down on his feet and said, “Sir, this was my intention. I was
induced to do this act by some man who is your enemy. So
kindly excuse me.” So Haridäsa Öhäkura replied, “I knew
that. But because you came to me, therefore I allowed you to
come here, three days, so that you may be converted to be a
devotee. So now take these chanting beads. You sit down. Go
on chanting. I am leaving this place.” Here is another dhéra.

So here it is said, deha-väg-buddhijaà dhérä dharmajïäù. One

who has control, deha, the body, väk, the words, buddhi,
intelligence—they are dhéra. So this tridaëòé. This tridaëòé-
sannyäsa means to become dhéra, controlling çaréra; deha,
the body; väk, words; and intelligence. These things should
be utilized. How? By dhéra, those who are dhéra. Dharmajïa.
One who knows actually the principle of religion. Dharmajïa.
Deha-väg-buddhijaà dhérä dharmajïäù çraddhayänvitäù,
kñipanty aghaà mahad api. So because our life is
continuously committing sinful activities, from time
immemorial... You do not know when it began. Evolution,
many births. Therefore this life is meant for rectifying all
mistakes that we had committed in our previous life or in this
life. How? By this process. Kñipanty agham. Agham means
the resultant action of sinful life. Mahad api. Although it is
very great, mahad api, how? Veëu-gulmam, veëu-gulmam
ivänalaù. Just like if you set fire to unwanted grass and
creepers in the field. You set fire, and they will be all burned.
Similarly, by this process, tapasä brahmacaryeëa, you can
liquidate all of your sinful activities of life and you become
purified.

The first thing is tapasya. The first... Tapasya means you

have to accept some austerity. The same example can be
given that the doctor says... Suppose a diabetic patient. So
doctor prohibits him that “You cannot eat. You have to starve
for some days.” So I do not like to starve, nobody likes to
starve. But because doctor says you have to starve, if you
want to cure a disease, then I have to voluntarily accept,
accept starving. This is called tapasya: voluntarily accept
some miserable condition of life. That is good. And human life
is meant for that purpose.

So tapasya is required. Without tapasya you cannot make

advancement in spiritual life, or life of knowledge. If you
simply give away..., in the animal propensities of life, eating,
sleeping, mating and defending and don’t accept the process
of tapasya, then your human life is failure. You have to
accept some tapasya if you want to make solution of the
problems of life. Çukadeva Gosvämé first recommends
tapasya. Just like here, in our institution, whoever comes and
becomes an initiated member, we first of all ask them to
undergo tapasya. Tapasya. Especially in your country, it is a
great tapasya to give up illicit sex life, to give up intoxication
up to the point of smoking and tea drinking, and to give up
meat-eating, and to give up gambling. Although they’re only
four, but it is very difficult to give up these four items. Even
Lord Zetland, in England, when he was asked to do this, one
of my Godbrothers, Lord Zetland, Marquis of Zetland, he
inquired from my Godbrother, “Swamiji, whether you can
make us brähmaëa?” So he said, “Yes, why not? You have to
give up these four principles of life, prohibited: no illicit sex,
no intoxication, no gambling, and no meat-eating.” The Lord
Zetland replied “Impossible.” Yes, it is impossible. Because in
Europe and America, this is the way of life from the very
beginning. And from India, our Indian gentlemen come here
to learn this art, how to do it nicely. And they think it is
advancement. India is automatically taught this tapasya by
their culture, but they come here to forget that culture and
accept another type of life.
But real, real fact is if you want to advance in spiritual
understanding, if you want to make a solution of all the
problems of your life, then you have to accept this life of
austerity, tapasya. Restriction. Restriction is meant for
human beings, not for the animals. Just like in our common
dealings, when you drive your car, you have got some
restriction. You cannot drive your car on the left side. That is
offense. “Keep to the right.” You cannot drive your car when
there is red light, or yellow light. You have to follow the
restriction. But the dog, if it keeps to the left or crosses the
street when there is red light, it is not punished, because it is
animal, dog. But if you violate the laws, you’ll be punished.
Why? That means you have got advanced consciousness. If
you do not follow the rules and regulation, then you are
nothing but animal. Human being, human life means
voluntarily accepting the laws, the rules and regulation. That
is human life. But now the propaganda is that everyone, one
wants to be free, no regulative life. This is animal life. Just try
to understand. The regulations, lawbooks, restrictions, they
are meant for human being, not for animals. And if you want
freedom from all restrictions, then you come to the animal
life. Therefore Çukadeva Gosvämé recommends first tapasya.
If you want to stop the problems of life, then you have to
accept the life of austerity, tapasya.
And what is the tapasya? That is also... Brahmacaryeëa.
Brahmacaryeëa. Brahmacaryeëa means restricted sex life.
Real meaning is no sex life, no sex, celibacy, completely. This
is tapasya. Therefore, according to Vedic culture, the first
beginning of life is brahmacäré. (break) But in the
brahmacäré life there is no sex life. Only in the gåhastha life
there is sex life, married life. I was reading the other day a
magazine, Watch... What is that? Watchtower. So this paper
was criticizing so many immoral activities in the Christian
world. And one item I was surprised to read that a Christian
priest has sanctioned marriage between man to man. That
was written there. I do not wish to discuss all those things,
but people are degrading for want of this tapasya. People are
not taught how to execute tapasya life, tapasvé life. Simply
by criticizing will not do. Practically you have to be trained in
the life of tapasya. Then it will be effective. Just like we are
doing. Here, in our Kåñëa consciousness movement, in every
center, everyone, at least who are living within this temple,
must get up at four o’clock to perform the ärätrika. This
morning I was asking somebody that if you cannot rise, then
you cannot live in this temple. Because this temple is meant
for tapasya, not for extravagancy. Unless you follow the life of
tapasya, you cannot make progress.
So this temple, we are inviting everyone to live here, to live
with us, and practice tapasya. Then your life will be
advanced. Then you’ll understand what is your constitutional
position, what is God, or Kåñëa, what is your relationship with
Him, what is the aim of life, how to execute it, how to make
life successful. These things are taught here. This is called
tapasya. And in the Vedas it is said that those who are
executing the regulative life of tapasya, they are brähmaëas.
Etad viditvä yaù prayäti sa eva brähmaëaù. Etad aviditvä
yaù prayäti sa kåpaëaù(?). These are the Vedic injunctions.
One who is dying... Everyone is dying. Nobody can live here
permanently. That’s a fact. But one who is dying after
executing the life of tapasya, he’s a brähmaëa. And one who
is dying like cats and dogs, without any execution of tapasya,
he’s called kåpaëa. The two words are there in the Vedic
literature: one is brähmaëa and one is kåpaëa. Kåpaëa
means miser, and brähmaëa means liberal, broad-minded.
Brahma jänäti iti brähmaëaù, or one who knows the
Supreme, the Absolute Truth, he’s brähmaëa. And one who
does not know, that is animal. This is the difference between
animal and man. Man should be educated to understand the
Absolute Truth. Therefore in the human society there is
school, colleges, universities, philosophers, scientists,
mathematician. Because human life is meant for knowledge.
The animal life, they’re not required to take education. They
are simply busy with how..., with the business how to eat,
how sleep, how to mate and how to defend. That’s all.
So the tapasya life begins from celibacy, brahmacaryeëa.
Çukadeva Gosvämé recommends. Brahmacarya is described
in the çästras that smaraëaà kértanaà keliù prekñaëaà
guhyam äsanam(?). Sex life, smaraëam, thinking of sex life,
that is against brahmacarya. Complete celibacy means one
should not think of even sex life. Smaraëam. Or talk of sex
life. Our modern literature, newspaper and everything,
simply full with talks of sex life. But this is against
brahmacarya life. Smaraëaà kértanaà keli. And actually
indulging in sex life. Prekñaëam: looking, overlooking a nice
boy or nice girl, that is also against brahmacarya. Guhyam
äsanam: whispering between girls and boys, that is also
against brahmacäré. Guhyam äsanaà saìkalpam. Then
determination of sex life. Vyavasäya: endeavoring how to
effect sex life. So when we can stop all these activities, that
is real brahmacarya. It is very difficult at the present age.
Etan maithunyam añöäìgaà pravadanti manéñinaù vikärita
brahmacaryam eda astanam lakñaëam iti(?). So
brahmacarya means that you cannot think of sex life, you
cannot talk of sex life, you cannot whisper about sex life, or
you cannot endeavor for sex life. These eight types of
activities in sex indulgence are against brahmacäré life. But
here it is prescribed that if you want to make solution of the
problems of life, then you adopt, you have to adopt a life of
tapasya, austerity, which begins from brahmacäré.
To summarize this brahmacarya life in this age, we have
given a simple formula, that “No illicit sex.” Sex is there. Sex
is not bad. In the Bhagavad-gétä it is said, dharmäviruddhaù
kämo ’smi: “Sex life which is not against the religious
principles of life, that is I am.” Kåñëa says. So
dharmäviruddha, according to Vedic civilization, one should
have sex indulgence only once in a month. That is the
prescription. And when the wife is pregnant there is no sex
life. That is dharmäviruddha. That is not against the religious
principles. Even in your life, married life, if you indulge sex
life more than once in a month, or in pregnancy, that is
against religious principles. So Kåñëa dharmäviruddhaù kämo
’smi: “Lust, sex indulgence, which is not against the rules of
religious principles, that is I am.” That means only for
begetting children, nice children, so that there may not be
disturbance. Unless there are nice population, children born
in a systematic way, how you can expect peace in the world?
That is described in the Bhagavad-gétä. When there are
varëa-saìkara the whole world becomes hell. This is described
in the Bhagavad-gétä. So the life of austerity begins from the
life of celibacy, brahmacarya. So brahmacarya, the
descriptions are given here, how you can execute
brahmacäré life. You cannot think of sex life, you cannot talk
of sex life, you cannot whisper about sex life. There are eight
types of different regulation to stop sex life. But these things
are very difficult in this age. Therefore we have simply
summarized that don’t have sex life beyond the married life.
That is not good.
Then how brahmacarya can be executed? That is also given
here: tapasä brahmacaryeëa çamena. Çamena means
controlling the mind. The yoga system, añöäìga-yoga system,
practicing the äsana, sitting posture, breathing exercise,
controlling the senses from outside engagement, pratyähära,
these are, this yoga system is meant for controlling the mind
and controlling the sense. If there is no control of mind and
no control of senses, the so-called yoga practice is bogus. It
has no meaning. Yoga indriya saàyama. Yoga means to
control the senses. That is the real meaning of yoga. So if one
is unable to control the senses... I have seen in some yoga
practice institution in New York. They are practicing some,
this äsana, and just after finishing, immediately smoking. You
see. This much control they learned. So these, these are all
bogus. This is not yoga system. Yoga system is not so easy,
especially in this age. Yoga system means to control the
senses, control the mind; and control the mind means you
have to control so many things—your eating, your sleeping,
your behaving. These are prescribed in the Bhagavad-gétä,
how to practice the añöäìga-yoga. You have to find out a
suitable place, a sacred place, a solitary place. Therefore real
yogis, they used to go to Himalaya. Sometimes some young
men, here, in your country, they inquire from me how to go
to Himalaya, and what you’ll do there, going there,
Himalaya? So you are not practiced. So instead of practicing
yoga in the Himalaya, you practice yoga here. We have come
here to help you. Here this Kåñëa consciousness movement
is there. If you are serious about practicing yoga, this, take
bhakti-yoga. That will come, how it happens in the next lines.
So this añöäìga-yoga is not possible in this age—çamo
damaù, controlling the mind, controlling the senses. Because
nobody can properly practice the añöäìga-yoga system.
Impossible. It is not only impossible now—even five thousand
years ago, when Kåñëa was advising about this añöäìga-yoga
to Arjuna. Arjuna was not ordinary man. He was friend of
Kåñëa. He was a great son of a royal family. And Arjuna’s
name and fame, everyone knows. So he said to Kåñëa: “My
dear Kåñëa, this yoga practice is not possible to be
performed by me. I am unable.” So Arjuna said frankly that
he was unable to practice this yoga system. And what we
are, in comparison to Arjuna? So this añöäìga-yoga system is
not possible at all in this age. If you are satisfied by learning
some sitting posture, artificially, that may give you some
chance of good exercise of the body. You can keep good
health. But there is no chance of spiritual realization by
añöäìga-yoga practice in this age. So Çukadeva Gosvämé
says çamena. Çama means manasa-niyamam, controlling
the mind. The mind’s business is acception, acceptance and
rejection. This is mind’s business. Even one is very elevated,
the mind’s business is mind’s business. Mind will accept
something: “It is very good,” and next moment it will reject.
That is mind’s business. But you have to fix up your mind in
something which you cannot reject. That is only the lotus feet
of Kåñëa. If you fix up your mind on the lotus feet of Kåñëa,
then your mind cannot go elsewhere. You practice it and
you’ll see it. Sa vai manaù kåñëa-padäravindayoù.
Therefore Ambaréña Mahäräja fixed up his mind always... Our
Kåñëa consciousness movement we are teaching our
students, how to fix up the mind always in Kåñëa, some way
or other. That is the first-class yoga system. And Kåñëa also
advises. (break) ...feet, and pray, bhajate. “Kåñëa, I am Your
eternal servant. Kindly again engage me in Your service.
Somehow or other, without being engaged in Your service, I
have been dragged to the service of mäyä. Service I am
going. I am rendering service. Because I am eternal servant,
therefore my serving process is going on. But where it is
going on? I am serving my lust, I am serving my anger, I am
serving my greediness. So that means, in one word, I am
serving my sense gratification. So kindly help me. Instead of
serving my sense gratification, let me serve Your sense
gratification.” That is yoga. That is first-class yoga. Pray
always, fix up your mind in Kåñëa’s lotus feet, and pray that
“I am eternal servant. Now I’m engaged in the service of my
sense gratification, and You please help me. I have come to
my senses, to engage my(self) in Your sense gratification.”
The business is there, sense gratification. But Kåñëa
consciousness means instead of satisfying one’s own senses,
one should be ready to satisfy the senses of Kåñëa. That is
Kåñëa consciousness.