Friday 18 December, 1998

	The next day a number of new faces showed up to hear Srila 
Gurudeva speak that evening, mostly practitioners of hatha-yoga and 
various impersonal philosophies.

	Srila Gurudeva started by explaining how Krsna is the 
supreme personality of Godhead, and then described Krsna's teachings 
from Bhagavad-gita. Half way through his class, as if sensing some 
restlessness in the audience he motioned to Krsnadasa brahmacari to 
lead some kirtana.

	After the kirtana was finished, and the audience was looking 
much more enlivened Srila Gurudeva began to describe the futility of 
material existence.

	"Although human life is intended for God realization, most 
people are not interested in this, engaging instead in sinful 
activities, not caring to know what is their true nature or their 
future. They are like animals who are lined up at a slaughter house 
waiting to be killed. Although they know that they are going to be 
slaughtered very shortly, if some food is there, they will all start 
to fight each other for it. So we are like that, fighting each other 
for temporary material facilities. We can make atom and hydrogen 
bombs and have some limited destructive power, but we cannot create 
even a blade of grass, or a leaf. We can destroy Hiroshima, but can 
we bring a dead body back to life? This is false ego. So Krsna is 
saying don't have this false ego. Understand how you are part and 
parcel of God.

	"Although conditioned souls think that they can find 
happiness through their advancements in medical science, 
transportation, communication and their inventions like airplanes 
and computers, have they discovered love and affection for all? No. 
Love and affection is the true religion of all. Because it is the 
constitutional nature of all beings, it is the universal religion. 
So can these materialists make a thief become religious? They cannot 
put love and affection in the hearts of those who are quarreling, 
but we can very easily. We see that nowadays as soon as children are 
grown, they give up their parents and go to live alone. And we also 
see so much divorce. Why? Because people have no love and affection. 
All are self interested. Krsna sends realized souls into this world 
to show us that we're part and parcel of god, and that by 
constitution we have love and affection which we have now forgotten.

	"Just as we have shape, God has shape also. One may say that 
God has no shape, since we cannot see it, but in all scriptures it 
is stated that God has shape. Even in the Bible it is stated that 
God created man after his own image. Also in the Koran it is 
written 'inallahaa khalakaa mensurat hi' God created man to be like 
himself. If God has no shape, then where has this world come from? 
Have we ever seen something coming from nothing? If God is nothing, 
then it means that he has no power. We have shape which is 
transcendental. So Krsna tells Arjuna that he should adopt yoga to 
know all this, how we've deviated from God, and how we can be with 
Him. We want that you should meet with God, otherwise you cannot be 
happy. If you are put in prison, and are left alone for years then 
you may die. But if you have some very good company, then you can 
both survive. But alone you cannot. So what is yoga? 1 + 1 = 2. Yoga 
means two things coming together. If there is only one thing or 
nothing, then how can there be any union? Those who don't accept, 
their yoga is zero. If all is one as they claim then nothing can be
added which means that there is no yoga taking place. All souls 
should unite with the supreme personality of Godhead and this is 
yoga. If God is shapeless and so are we, then how is that yoga? 
Zero + zero = zero. We may do some exercises, (Srila Gurudeva waves 
his arms) and say it is yoga but what is being added? Nothing. 
Therefore it is not yoga. So you'll have to come to Gita to know 
what yoga actually is. Yoga means to join two things together. And, 
to do this, something is needed to join them, to make them stick. 
For instance, if you want to connect two bricks together then you 
will need some cement to do it. If there is no cement, then there 
will be no connection. Or, if you only have one brick, then 
certainly there cannot be any connection. And if there are no bricks 
at all, then there is also no connection. So there is God and the 
jivas, two things. We want to connect them. But how? What with? With 
the cement of love and affection. In this world just as boys and 
girls are connected to each other by love and affection, in the same 
way we can be connected to God. There is no other means. God has 
given us this potential, and we have to develop it. 'Charity begins 
at home' so we should start with ourselves. All living entities must
collect this love and affection. It can only be obtained from the 
names of God. Whichever name, no harm. It can change a man very 
soon, and he can have love of God. This God is so attractive and 
beautiful, so He is called 'Krsna'. He takes away all sufferings, 
problems, birth and death, so He's also called Hari. And because 
He's so beautiful He's called Rama. This is not something I'm saying 
out of sectarianism or partiality, it is universal. These are names 
of God, they are not Indian. Now this subject is so grave and deep, 
so I request you to come here for the next three or four days. Please 
mercifully come to this place, I want to give you what I have, and, 
if you think it is worthy then you can take it. And I also want to 
take what you have, if it is something good, in a mood of 
reciprocation. I'm so happy and inspired to see all of you assembled 
here, at least one hundred people."

	Srila Gurudeva now finished speaking, and ordered Urukrama 
prabhu to say some words. Standing up, Urukrama prabhu began to 
explain the maha-mantra after which sundara-arati was performed to 
the accompaniment of energetic and blissful kirtana. When the arati 
was finished prasada was served to all the guests.

end

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