View source for We must learn how to see Krsna. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our this feeling, bhava, will be lost

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{{terms|"As soon as we think of stone statue, then our this feeling, bhāva, will be lost"}}
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{{compiler|Visnu Murti}}
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[[Category:We Must (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Learning (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:See Krsna]]
[[Category:Our Seeing (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:We Should Not (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Not Think]]
[[Category:Our Thinking (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Here Is]]
[[Category:Stone]]
[[Category:Statue]]
[[Category:As Soon As We... (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Feelings (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Bhava]]
[[Category:Will Be]]
[[Category:Lost]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, either His virāṭa-mūrti or this mūrti. So what we can see? We can see stone, wood or material things. So when Kṛṣṇa appears to be seen by you and He appears like a stone statue, He's not stone statue. Don't think. Therefore we must learn how to see Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our this feeling, bhāva, will be lost. So the answer is that if we establish some temple and Deity and take it as a means of livelihood...
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[[Vanisource:760924 - Lecture SB 01.07.27 - Vrndavana|760924 - Lecture SB 01.07.27 - Vrndavana]]
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Suppose for the impersonalist, virāṭa-rūpa, the sky is the head of the Personality of Godhead. They think like that. And the big, big mountains are the bones, and big, big oceans are the holes of the body, and the trees, they are... In one sense, it is all right. But if you take the virāṭa-rūpa, how you can capture? It is impossible. He has virāṭa-rūpa. He has shown virāṭa-rūpa to Kṛṣṇa (Arjuna), but you cannot capture that virāṭa-rūpa. You are teeny. Therefore He is so kind that He has appeared before you in this temple so that you can touch Him actually, you can serve Him, you can dress Him, you can offer Him eatables. It is... Therefore, if we think like that... Not think; it is a fact. Because God is not only very big. Mahato mahīyān aṇor aṇīyān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20). He can become smaller than the smallest. That is God. Brahman does not mean simply big so that you cannot capture. That is omnipotency. Whatever He likes, He can become. He can put all the universes within His mouth. When Yaśodāmāyi challenged that "Kṛṣṇa, You are eating earth. Your friends are complaining," "No, mother, I did not. They are telling false." "Now Your elder brother, Balarāma, also is saying." "No, He has... This morning He is angry with Me; therefore He has joined with them." "I want to see Your face." So she opened the mouth and the mother saw that millions of Yaśodā and millions of universes are within the mouth. Then she thought, "Maybe something... All right, don't do it." That's all. "Finish with this." Now Kṛṣṇa, millions of universes within the mouth, He's being punished by Yaśodāmāyi. This is Kṛṣṇa. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. This is Kṛṣṇa.

So when Kṛṣṇa comes, you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. You cannot capture Kṛṣṇa, mahato mahīyān. When He comes before you, arcā-mūrti, arcā-vigraha... This is arcā-vigraha, Deity. Arcye viṣṇau śilā-dhīḥ (Padma Purāṇa). Kṛṣṇa has appeared. Just like the same thing: Kṛṣṇa..., Yaśodāmāyi wanted the Supreme Personality of Godhead as his (her) son, for which hundreds of years he undergone..., or she undergone austerities. And when the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared before him..., before her, both the husband and wife: "What do you want?" "Now we want a son like You." So Kṛṣṇa said, "There is no second one beyond Me, so I shall become your son." So He became son. So He must play perfectly, that Yaśodāmāyi may not understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Then the feelings of mother and son will disappear. Kṛṣṇa is playing exactly like a little child. So that is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Similarly, to us. We are not so elevated like Nanda Mahārāja or Yaśodā Mahārāja. We're just beginners. So we do not know what is Kṛṣṇa. We cannot see Kṛṣṇa, either His virāṭa-mūrti or this mūrti. So what we can see? We can see stone, wood or material things. So when Kṛṣṇa appears to be seen by you and He appears like a stone statue, He's not stone statue. Don't think. Therefore we must learn how to see Kṛṣṇa. So we should not think that "Here is a stone statue." As soon as we think of stone statue, then our this feeling, bhāva, will be lost. So the answer is that if we establish some temple and Deity and take it as a means of livelihood... (break)

So at least we Indians, we are trained up like that. Not only trained up, we are born devotees. Anyone who has taken birth in India, that is special facility. In their previous birth, they had performed many austerities, much austerities. Even the demigods, they desire also to take birth in India to get this opportunity. So India... Don't think... India means this planet, Bhāratavarṣa. There is good opportunity. So we should not think. If we think that "Here is a stone statue," then it will not prolong many days. It will not... Galagraha. No more vigraha, but galagraha. Suppose I have established this temple. Now, under my direction, my disciples are worshiping vigraha. Vigraha means the form of the Lord, rūpa. But if there is no following of the regulative principles, then after my death it will be galagraha, a burden, that "Our rascal Guru Mahārāja established this temple, and we have to worship, early rise in the morning, all botheration." This will be... That is called galagraha, a burden, "He has left with us a burden." This is the risk. Then this such a big temple will be mismanaged, and you'll find that "This is breaking" and "This is unclean," and "there is no attention". This will be our... That is called galagraha: "The rascal has given us a burden."

So it is very difficult. If we lost, if we have lost that feeling that "Here is Kṛṣṇa. Here is a chance to serve Him..." Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ (Gurv-astaka 7)... Not that. Śrī-vigrahārādhana-nitya-nānā-śṛṅgāra-tan-mandira-mārjanādau (Gurv-astaka 3). As soon as... Therefore we are very much vigilant, "Why you did not this? Why you do not this? Why...?" As soon as the feeling of devotional service will be lost, this temple will be a burden. This is the way. It will be such a big temple; to manage, it will be a great burden. So they are feeling burden. Therefore they don't mind if somewhere is broken sometimes. "All right, let us, whatever money we have got, let us eat first of all." This is the position. Vigraha and galagraha. You should understand. If we forget that "Here is Kṛṣṇa personally present. We have to receive Him very nicely. We have to give Him nice food, nice shelter, nice dress, nice..." Then it is service. And as soon as the feeling comes that "Here is a stone idol"—they say sometimes "idol worship"—"and we have been instructed to dress Him, to give Him..., all botheration." Then finished. Finished. That has come everywhere. I have seen in Nasik in many, many big temples there is no pūjārī, and the dogs are passing stool. Not only they're breaking. In Western countries also the churches are being closed—big, big churches. In London I have seen, very big, big churches, but they're closed. When there is meeting on Sunday, the caretaker, two, three men and some old lady, they come. Nobody comes. And we are purchasing. We have purchased several churches. Because it is now useless. It is useless. In our Los Angeles we have purchased, and several others. In Toronto, that recently we have purchased. Big, big churches. But they would not sell us. One church, the priest said that "I shall set fire in this church, still I shall not give to Bhaktivedanta Swami." (laughter) This Toronto church was like that also. And in Melbourne, the condition was, sale condition was, that you have to dismantle this church building. We said, "Why?" He said, "Utilize as temple now, then we shall not give you." They refused. You know that? So they do not like that "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will purchase our churches and install Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity." They do not like that. But it is not going on.
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