Prabhupada 0184 - Transfer the Attachment from Material Sound to the Spiritual Sound
Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975
So the sound is very important thing. The sound is the cause of our bondage in this material world. Just like in big, big cities they are attached to the sound vibrated by the cinema artist. And not only that, so many other things we are hearing through the radio message. Attachment for the sound. And because it is material sound, we are becoming materially entangled, entangled more and more. Some actress, some cinema artist, singing, and people are so fond of hearing that singing that the artist is paid fifteen thousand rupees for one song. There are many here in Bombay. So just see how much attraction we have got for the material sound vibration. Similarly, the same attachment, if we turn to hear about Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then we become liberated, the same sound. One is material; one is spiritual. So you practice to be attached by this spiritual sound vibration. Then your life will be successful.
- ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
- śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
- ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
- sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
- (CC Antya 20.12)
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that "You have already attachment for sound. Now just transfer this attachment for spiritual sound. Then your life will be successful." This is Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, teaching people how to transfer the attachment from material sound to the spiritual sound. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings, golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana, rati nā janmilo kene tāy. This sound coming from the spiritual world, golokera prema-dhana, by chanting, by hearing this sound, we shall develop our original dormant love for God. That is wanted. Premā pum-artho mahān. In the material world we are accepting dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣa (SB 4.8.41) as very important. Puruṣārtha. Dharma, to become religious, and by becoming religious, we develop our economic development. Dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi, dehi dehi. Kāma. Why dehi dehi? Now, kāma, to fulfill our desires, lusty desires. Dharmārtha-kāma, and when we are disgusted or unable to fulfill desires, then we want mokṣa, to become one with God. This is the four kinds of material business. But spiritual business is premā pum-artho mahān. To achieve love of Godhead, that is the highest perfection. Premā pum-artho mahān.
So to achieve this goal of life, premā pum-artho mahān, in this age especially, in Kali-yuga, because we cannot do any other thing, it is very, very difficult. The time is very obstacle, full of obstacles. Therefore kalau... This is the method, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam: (CC Adi 17.21) "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra," kevalam, "only." Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. In the Kali-yuga, because main business is how to get relief from this material bondage... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). People do not understand even that what is really our distress. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality of Godhead says personally, "These are your miseries." What? Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi: (BG 13.9) "Repetition of birth and death. This is your real misery of life." What you are thinking of this misery or that misery? They are all temporary. They are all under the laws of material nature. You cannot get out of it. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti will force you to do something because you have contaminated the material modes of nature. Therefore you have to act under the direction of this prakṛti, material nature. And so long you are under this material nature, you have to accept this birth, death, old age and disease. This is your real misery.