Prabhupada 0053 - First Thing is We Must Hear
Lecture on SB 2.1.5 -- Delhi, November 8, 1973
So we are also prakṛti. We are also energy of God. And because we are trying to utilize the resources of matter, therefore material things have got value. Otherwise, it has no value, zero. But our business is... That is stated here, that because we are now entangled with this matter... The matter is not our business. Our only business is how to get out of the matter. That is our real business. If you want that business, then the prescription is here. What is that? Śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca (SB 1.2.14). Unless you hear, how you can understand your position? When you understand God, Kṛṣṇa, and you understand that you are part and parcel of God, or Kṛṣṇa, then you can understand your position: "Oh, we are part and parcel of God." Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Person, ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇam, full of all opulences. Just like a mad son loitering in the street, when he understands with good brain that "My father is so rich, so powerful, and why I am loitering in the street like a madman? I have no food, no shelter. I am going from this door to door and begging," then he comes to his consciousness. That is called brahma-bhūta (BG 18.54) stage. "Oh, I am, I am not this matter. I am spirit soul, part and parcel of God. Oh." That is consciousness.
This consciousness we are trying to arouse. This is the best welfare service to the people, to awaken his lost consciousness. He is foolishly thinking that "I am of the material product, and I have to adjust my things in this material world." This is the foolishness. Actual intelligence is that is Brahma-bhūta, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am part and parcel of God. God is supreme Brahman. I am, being part and parcel..." Just like part and parcel of the gold, gold mine, it may be small earring, it is also gold. Similarly, the small particle of sea water is also the same quality, salty. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we have got the same qualities. Qualitatively, we are one. Why we are hankering after loving? Because there is love in Kṛṣṇa. We are worshiping here Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Originally there is love. Therefore we, being part and parcel of God, we are also trying to love. A man is trying to love another woman, woman is trying to love another man. This is natural. This is not artificial. But it is perverted in the material covering. That is the defect. When we are free from this material covering, then we are qualitatively ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), as jolly... As Kṛṣṇa is dancing always... Kṛṣṇa you will never find... You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He is fighting with the Kāliya serpent. He is dancing. He is not afraid of the serpent. He is dancing. As He is dancing with the gopīs in rāsa-līlā, similarly, He is dancing with the snake. Because He is ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. He is ānandamaya, always jolly. Always. You will see Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa... Just like in Kurukṣetra the fighting is going on. Kṛṣṇa is jolly. Arjuna is morose because he is living entity, but He is not morose. He is jolly. That is the nature of God. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. This is the sūtra, in the Brahma-sūtra, that "God is ānandamaya, always jolly, always cheerful." So you can become also cheerful when you go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our problem.
Therefore how we can go there? The first thing is we must hear. Śrotavyaḥ. Just try to hear what is God, what is His kingdom, how He acts, how He is cheerful. These things are to be heard. Śravaṇam. Then as soon as you are convinced, "Oh, God is so nice," then you will be eager to demonstrate or to broadcast this news to the whole world. This is kīrtanam. This is kīrtanam.