The following is a transcription of a discourse delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 12, 2000

 

My humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my dīkṣā guru, nitya–līlā–praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and to my śikṣā-guru, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja. We are very fortunate to assemble here (tape break). I will speak more. I have come from very far away, India, Vṛndāvana, to give you some (tape break). As they have told me, we all want happiness and peace of mind. No one wants suffering, difficulties, sorrows, and suffering. Even ants, monkeys, dogs, and hogs want happiness. But how can we be happy? This is the problem.

Nowadays, there are many religious movements and missionaries. For instance, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and sanātana-dharmī. We all want happiness. In this, we see that there are different theories. Buddhism is being preached everywhere in India, now in China, here, there, and in the entire world. They say, “You should follow me, and I will give you happiness.” They say, “This world is zero. From zero, everything has come. From zero, everything has been created and has come. So that anything like this, and after this, we will all be, the whole world will be zero.” But we ask them, if we are zero, where did this world come from? And why do we want happiness? And from where did all the species in this world come? Different kinds of humans, trees, creepers, and animals, from where do they come if everything is zero? And then, why bother preaching if the whole world is zero? To whom are you preaching if they are all zero, and how can you preach to zero? Very strange and wonderful. If everything is zero, then how can they give happiness to others? So, it is evident that they cannot give pleasure, happiness, or peace of mind.

They give an example of how they will be happy. There was a Buddhist person, a guru. He was at the age of eighty. There was a mountain, and in that mountain, there was a very deep cave. And he went inside. And he told his disciples to put a very heavy stone into the mouth of that cave. And there was nothing, no food, no air, no water. He died inside. He became so weak that he could not open the mouth of that cave, and thus, he died. They say that this is nirvāṇa, and he became so happy. So, one should be very careful.

We also see that Christians speak of a God. But we want bread and butter from God. “Oh, God, please give me butter and bread.”

Devotee: Daily bread.

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja: “Daily bread and everything.” But they believe God has no form, attributes, or qualities. If God has no form, then how can He be very merciful? But in their religious book, the Bible, in the First Canto, it has been told, “God created man in His own image.” So then, God has a form, and from His form, like His form, He has made us humans. I don’t know why they don’t admit this, though it is written in the Bible, First Canto. You can open and read it. So, God has a form.

G-O-D. Three letters. G – Generator of this world, He has generated this world, creator of this world. O – Operator. Who is operating this world? So many people are taking birth, and so many are dying; some are wealthy, some are rich, some are blind, some have good eyesight, and some are very poor. Who is managing this world? Who? Who is giving intelligence? Who is giving this body? Someone is there who controls everything. And D – Destructor. How can He do all these activities if He is a formless person with no power or attributes? So, a Supreme Personality of this whole universe, a Supreme Personality of Godhead, must be there, and He must have a very beautiful form. Where did this world come from if God is formless, with no mercy? There is an idea that, from zero, nothing can be created; there must be something or a whole thing. And that is why in the Vedas, it has been stated:

oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ
pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate
pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya
pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate

Śrī Īśopaniṣad (1)

[“The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.”]

That God is akhaṇḍa, complete. And we are all eternal servants of that Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is so beautiful, three-folded. At a very young age, he stands, playing on the flute, charming to all, even creepers, trees, and animals. He is very charming. And He has created humans, us, who are very beautiful. How beautiful you are! So He is very charming and attractive, which is why He is called Kṛṣṇa. You may also call Him Christ, no harm. Because the word Christ has come from Kṛṣṇa. We have a history. We have a history that Jesus came to India, and he went to Vṛndāvana, he went to Jagannātha Purī, and he saw that attractive Kṛṣṇa, and then he became a very pure devotee, like a son, and then he came to Jerusalem, and there he preached. In India, also Kṛṣṇa is called Kṛṣṭa, Kṛṣṭa is called Christ, and from that, Jesus ‘Christ’ came. This word is derived from there. So, they also accepted that Christ embodies wholesale love and affection. So, this Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, very beautiful, attractive, and having all the qualities, and He has created this whole world and is managing everything.

Also, in the scriptures of the Mohammedans, it has been told. They don’t even accept the form of Khudā or Allah. They accept that Khudā or Allah is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But even in their Purāṇa, it has been written ‘innālāhā khālākā men sūrātahi’, that Allah or Khudā has created all human bodies like Him. So everywhere, the same thing is stated. In our Vedas, it is stated that Kṛṣṇa was very beautiful in His young age, and He will always be young in three phases of time (past, present and future).

Somehow, we have forgotten [Him], and if we remember His name, then we will liberated, and we will be happy forever. Kṛṣṇa has invested His whole power, mercy, and attributes in His names. And these names are what? Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. We guarantee you will be happy forever by chanting this name regularly, following the pure process, and giving up bad habits and certain foods like eggs, meat, wine, etc.

Nityānanda Prabhu Himself has guaranteed that “You must be happy, you must be happy, you must be happy,” He declares this. So today, in brief, I explained this to you, and I request that you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Again, I request you to come with your friends and colleagues tomorrow, and we will discuss many things.

Source: Purebhakti.com

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Unless indicated differently, all verse translations and quotes are from the books by Śrīla Prabhupāda (Vedabase.com)