Prabhupada 0057 - Cleansing the Heart
Lecture on SB 6.1.34-39 -- Surat, December 19, 1970
Revatīnandana: We always encourage chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, is that so?
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the only method in this age. By chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, one's... The reservoir of understanding will be cleared. And then you, he can receive, he can receive the spiritual knowledge. Without cleansing the heart it is very difficult to understand and receive spiritual knowledge. All these reformatory measures—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha—they are simply the cleansing method. And bhakti is also a cleansing method, vidhi-bhakti. But by engaging oneself in this Deity worship, he also becomes cleansed. Tat-paratve... Sarvopādhi... As he becomes enlightened or advanced in understanding that he is eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, he becomes purified. He becomes purified. Sarvopādhi means he doesn't... Sarvopādhi. He tries to eliminate his upādhi, his designation, that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." So in this way, when you become fully eliminated of this bodily concept of life, then nirmalam. He becomes nirmala, uncontaminated. And so long this concept of life is going on that "I am this," "I am that," "I am that," he's still in the... Sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. (aside:) Sit down properly, not like that. Sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ. Arcāyām eva haraye... Even in this process, when they are engaged in Deity worship, arcāyāṁ haraye yat-pūjāṁ śraddhāyehate, with great devotion doing, but na tad bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, but he has no sympathy with others or he does not know what is the position of a devotee, then sa bhaktaḥ prakṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ: "He is called material devotee, material devotee." So we have to elevate ourselves from material devotional stage to the second platform when one can understand what is a devotee, what is a nondevotee, what is God, what is atheist. These discriminations are there. And in paramahaṁsa stage there is no such discrimination. He sees everyone is engaged in service of the Lord. He does not envy anyone, he does not see anything, anybody. But that is another stage. We should not imitate, try to imitate, but we may know that paramahaṁsa is the highest stage of perfection. Just like as a preacher we have to point out... Just like I told this boy, "You sit down like this." But a paramahaṁsa will not say. A paramahaṁsa, he sees, rather: "He is all right." He sees. But we should not imitate paramahaṁsa. Because we are preacher, we are teacher, we should not imitate paramahaṁsa. We must tell the right source, right course.
Revatīnandana: You must be higher than the paramahaṁsa stage, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: I am lower than you. I am lower than you.
Revatīnandana: You are so beautiful. You are paramahaṁsa, but still, you are preaching to us.
Prabhupāda: No, I am lower than you. I am the lowest of the all creatures. I am simply trying to execute the order of my spiritual master. That's all. That should be the business of everyone. Try best. Try your best to execute the higher order. That is the safest way of progressing. One may be in the lowest stage, but if he tries to execute the duty entrusted upon him, he is perfect. He may be in lowest stage, but because he is trying to execute the duty entrusted to him, then he is perfect. That is the consideration. (end)