Attitude in outreach 1 – Present the product before the process – Be a role model

[Bhagavatam class at Port of Spain, Trinidad]

Today morning, we’re discussing from the pastime of Ajamil, 6th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, where Ajamil, who is being dragged by the Yama Dutas, they are stopped by the Vishnu Dutas, and they are telling that you are actually doing adharma by dragging away this Ajamil.
And then they’re saying that if a wise, if a person who is in authority, misappropriates authority, abuses the authority, then that sets a very bad example, that causes adharma in society. By telling that, they’re giving a general principle that as the influential people behave, common people behave accordingly, and their behaviour becomes a standard. So, we human beings, in general, are not just human beings, all living beings, they follow what is called as the herd mentality.
The herd mentality means that, just like a sheep, a group of sheep are moving in a herd, and everybody starts moving in that direction. So, if one sheep just goes off a cliff, all the other sheep also go off the cliff, they don’t understand, what am I doing? Why should I be doing this? So, we just follow the herd mentality. And herd mentality, everybody just goes along in the same way.
And this also leads sometimes to what is called as mobocracy. Like we have democracy, where people rule. We have monarchy, where one king rules.
So, we have mobocracy. Mobocracy means mob rules, the mob mentality. A mob comes together, and then if some one person incites their emotions, they collectively do things which they would never have done individually.
People often commit such brutalities which they would not have done individually. Why? Because everybody, in general, is influenceable. And if somebody has some capacity, some power, some influence by which they can act, then they act in such a way that people get, then they propagate and people get influenced.
So, in every society, there will always be some leaders. Even in the most poverty stricken society, in the most mismanaged society, there are some leaders. And those leaders may be misleaders, those managers may be mismanagers.
But every society has somebody at the top. And the way the people at the top are, others become like that. Because we all, right from our childhood, we model behaviour based on what we observe.
So, what our parents do and what we see them doing in childhood, that becomes normal for us. So, if our parents are spiritually minded, they come to a temple, they go to a holy place, they go to a place of worship and they worship over there. Then, we also, as children, do the same thing.
So, right from childhood, we human beings are by nature imitative. So, for us, initially the parents are models. Then when we come to teenage years, especially then our peers become the models.
So, among our peers, whoever made the most attractive, whoever has the most following, now everybody starts becoming like that. So, in youth, people have two challenges. Either to imitate, how to imitate, how to reject authority and how to reject others and how to imitate others.
Because if you reject authority, if you reject somebody’s model, we have to follow something. So, what do we follow? At that time, the youth, they reject their elders. They have to follow someone.
Then they end up following their peers. So, actually, if we see in society, nobody can live without following anyone. So, there was a guru who said, don’t follow any authority.
And they said, don’t follow any authority. Essentially, what is happening? That guru is telling people, follow my authority. Because if people follow him and say, don’t follow any authority, that means what are they doing? They’re following his authority to follow no authority.
So, ultimately, we cannot avoid authority. So, if you’re going to reject all authority, then you can reject the authority of this particular guru also. So, we have to follow someone or the other.
And the key test is, if we are to grow, whom do we follow? So, there is the human mentality, which is always to follow others. And whom we follow, that sometimes we choose consciously, sometimes we choose unconsciously. So, in the past, even 50 to 100 years ago, most people’s models were, say, some kind of leaders of society who were doing some kind of constructive work.
Maybe patriotic national leaders. Maybe some writers who wrote some good works of literature. But today, most people’s models are sports stars, movie stars.
Or even for children, the characters that influence them the most today are often fictional characters that they see in video games, in movies, in cartoons. And I was in one place, one city in America, in Columbus, Ohio. And then, I was just talking with one child, young, maybe 7, 8-year-old boy.
Why do we have such skyscrapers in cities? So, we’re discussing that. And he said, so that Superman can jump off them. So, the values get, the ideas get so skewed that people just don’t understand reality.
They get disconnected from reality. So, on one side, we are often, we don’t have much, we don’t carefully discern when we choose our models. On the other hand, society also doesn’t provide as many models.
So, both ways, there’s a problem. First, if there is options from which we can choose. But first of all, there are some options to choose from.
It is said that if there is a new salesman who wants to sell a car, cars will make the pitch and then the salesman will say, so, would you like to have the car? But if there’s an experienced salesman, the experienced salesman says, so, sir, which car would you like to have? The blue one or the red one? Now, basically, there is an illusion of freedom. There is an illusion of freedom, but actually, there’s no freedom. It’s like that you have to take a car, which car would you like? So, sometimes, when there is a, the illusion of freedom is often the best way to take away people’s freedom.
So, basically, it’s telling you, force you to take the car, but which car do you want to take? So, apparently, there is freedom. So, now what happens, if the options themselves are very limited, then the freedom also gets limited. So, in today’s world, for most people, their options themselves are limited.
Because certain stars are glamorised in society, certain characters are talked about everywhere. And they think, if I have to be successful, if I have to be, if I have to be it, if I have to make it in life, then this is how I have to become. And that becomes a serious problem.
So, what we need is the right kind of models. And the right kind of models means that we need, actually, so, on one side, we can’t choose if we don’t have the options also. And the options, if they’re present, then gradually people will choose.
So, the whole purpose of human culture, human culture, what does it mean? Every part of the world, there is some kind of culture, people speak some language, people wear some dress, people eat some food. Now, that itself can be called as the culture of that place. And yes, different places have different cultures.
But another way of looking at the word culture is, human culture means that culture which brings out the humanity among people. So, for example, if we have bacteria culture, bacteria culture means that’s an environment, a biochemical environment, yeast culture, which is a place where yeast grow. So, human culture would be that culture which brings out the humanity among people.
Now, unfortunately, in many ways, today’s culture is that which doesn’t bring out humanity. It brings out the animality within people. It brings out the bestiality within people.
Now, there is systematic propaganda to trigger people’s lust, trigger people’s greed, trigger people’s anger. And then by that people get manipulated. So, the model that a society glamorises, they arise from the underlying worldview of the society.
So, certain societies may have materialistic models, or materialism may be the worldview. And when materialism is the worldview, then naturally people will chase after materialistic things. And then those who are successful in chasing after materialistic things, they will become the models of that society.
So, it is said that, that actually, if even there is a rat race going on in society, and the problem with the rat race is that even if you win the rat race, you still remain a rat. Actually, that means nothing essentially changes. It is okay, somebody achieves a particular goal, I get the best car in the town.
But what happens after that? You know, tomorrow a new best car comes out. And somebody else gets the best car. Oh, I want to get that car.
And I get that car. I get a smartphone. And then somebody else gets a smarter phone.
I want to get a better phone. I get a better phone. Somebody else gets a better phone.
So, basically, even if we win the rat race, the rat race still keeps going on and on and on. And we still say rats. And that is why, essentially, at the material level of consciousness, when people follow some models with a materialistic worldview, then there is just no end.
Just keep chasing, keep chasing, keep chasing. And in the process of chasing, Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that actually, he says that, So, he says that the materialistic worldview is, in 16.11, he says, that the enjoyment of worldly pleasures is the topmost goal of life. And that is there.
These people are certain that there is no other goal. Confirmed about that. And then what happens by that? They become bound by desires.
They are bound by hundreds of desires. And they are bound to lust and anger. And for the purpose of getting kama, for the purpose of fulfilling their desires, Anya means immorality, injustice, atrocity.
They do all this. So, basically, what Krishna is telling, sensuality leads to immorality. So, Krishna is telling over here that when people become too sensual, sensuality breeds immorality.
Because why is that? When we have sensual desires and we want to get sense objects for enjoying those desires, then it is not easy to get sense objects. And by moral means, people will feel, oh, I will never get enough. Therefore, somehow that I get the sense objects.
So, morality, I put aside. So, what happens? All of us have a good side within us. All of us have a bad side within us.
Human culture should be that culture which brings out the good side. But a materialistic culture that is there, that brings out the bad side within people. Because, oh, you know, I want a car.
I want a good looking spouse. I want a big house. I want this.
I want that. And by honest work, I won’t be able to get all that I want. So, therefore, let me by hook or crook, let me throw honesty to the winds and get what I want.
And let me enjoy. So, material objects when you want to get, then to get those resources, often morality seems to be an obstacle. And people just put aside morality.
So, so materialistic culture inevitably brings out the worst within people, brings out the lower side within people, because to get material things which are out there by moral means will not never get much. So, by hook or by crook, people try to get it. And thus, it goes to immorality.
Krishna says in the next verse, what happens further? He also says that, He says that, idamadyamayālabdhaṁ imaṁ prāpse manorathaṁ idamastÄ«dam api me bhaviá¹£yati punar dhanam asaumyāhataḥ Å›atrur haṇiÅ›ye cāparāṇapi Ä«Å›varoham aham bhogi siddhoham balvāṁ sukhi ādhyo abhijanjvānasmi kaunyosi sadruÅ›o mayā yāká¹£e dāsyāmi modiá¹£ya ityajñānami mohitaḥ So, Krishna says in a series of verses here, one by one, they think, I want money. asaumyāhataḥ Å›atrur, I’ll kill this person. And haṇiÅ›ye cāparāṇapi, I’ll kill this person also.
idamadyamayālabdhaṁ, this much money I’ve got. idam prāpse manorathaṁ, by this scheme I’ll get more money. And then, in the craze for acquiring money, the person starts thinking that, now whoever comes in my way, I will eliminate.
And then, the person says, now I have come to the top. īśvaroham aham bhogi, I am the controller, I am the enjoyer. kaunyosi sadruśo mayā, who is there like me? I am the best.
There’s no one like me. And all famous people are coming to me, ādhyo abhijanjvānasmi. All aristocratic people are coming to me.
Now, Prabhupāda tells the mentality, that even the worshippers of God, even devotees of God, when they need money, they come to me. So therefore, that proves that I am greater than God. So this is total illusion.
Person is not understanding that, okay, the devotees of God are coming to you, not because you are greater than God, but because they want to engage you in the service of God. Resources of God which are there, temporarily under your possession. Now, things may belong, but for how long? Things may belong to me, but for how long will they belong to me? Now, I have things, I may have a huge amount of possessions, but if they were really mine, then they should always be there with me.
And Prabhupāda met Alfred Ford, Ambarish Prabhu, for the first time. Ambarish Prabhu was the great-grandson of the famous Henry Ford, who had made the Ford Motors, and he was phenomenally wealthy. So, Ambarish Prabhu was also quite wealthy.
And when Prabhupāda met him, the devotees introduced him, so he is the great-grandson of Henry Ford. And Prabhupāda said, no, so you are the great-grandson of Henry Ford? Where is he now? Where is he now? So, as soon as Ambarish Prabhu said that, when I heard it, Prabhupāda said, I understood, that Prabhupāda is a real saint. What Prabhupāda is saying is, Henry Ford earned so much money, but his soul has gone somewhere else now, and all the money is left behind.
So, we may acquire a lot of money, if we have it, we can use it constructively. But if we become proud of that, if we become arrogant of that, and if we think that I am so great, then what is happening? That is a great illusion, because that is only temporarily with us. That will go away.
And, itti ajñāna vimohitah, this is ignorance. Ajñāna, ignorance is to think that what I have presently, defines me permanently. What I have presently, defines me permanently.
Because I have wealth, so I am such a wealthy person. Because I have good looks, therefore I am such a good looking person. Because I have such capacity to speak, therefore I am a great speaker.
Yes, I may have these gifts, but they are gifts. No, wealth is not going to stay permanently. Good looks are not going to stay permanently.
Even the ability to speak, how long is it going to be there for us? If it is there, good, we are going to use it properly. So, now, the point which we are discussing is about models over here. So, this idea of materialism, and the materialistic models that people have, those actually bring out the worst within people, bring out their lower side.
Radha, Gopinath, Bhagwan, Nakeesha. So, the way out of such materialism, is to recognise that, if we want to bring out our higher side, and not our lower side, then we need to change our models. And to change our models, we need to change our worldview.
So, the Krishna conscious society, the Bhakti wisdom that the scriptures teach us, at one level, it is universal. Throughout the world, there have been different cultures, different religions, different wisdom traditions, and they have all talked about some things by which people can bring out their higher side. And when we are sharing Krishna consciousness, our purpose is not simply to just spread one organisation.
If we are one organisation, there are thousands of organisations like this. It is just one organisation that is trying to spread. That is not our understanding.
Our understanding is, we want to equip people to bring out their higher side. We want to help people to bring out their higher side. And Prabhupada defined, once Prabhupada was asked, how do we know your followers? And Prabhupada said, they are perfect gentlemen.
Perfect gentlemen, perfect ladies. That means they are well behaved people. The idea is, we just do not want people to join an organisation.
The purpose is, we want to help them bring out their divinity, bring out their higher side. And to the extent we succeed in doing that, to that extent, we are actually helping people, helping make the world a better place, helping everyone evolve towards Krishna. Sometimes, when we come to Krishna consciousness movement also, and we may forget this.
We just get so caught in the daily practises. Oh, I have to chant my rounds. I have to do this service.
I have to get this done. Now, all these are important to do as practical activities. But the purpose of these activities should be that our higher side comes out and our lower side gets removed, get purified of it.
And if this is not happening, then there is something wrong. We get so caught in the details that we have forgotten what we have come here for. We might just think, oh, I want to become more influential in the movement.
I want to become more powerful. I want to do this. I want to do that.
And we forget this purpose of bringing out our higher side. Sometimes, within the devotee community also, what may happen is, because we are all human beings with our conditioning, so sometimes some particular devotee may behave or act in a way that that brings out our lower side. Sometimes, as soon as we see someone, we just feel angry with that person.
We can’t blame that person that you are bringing out my anger. It is just that we have that conditioning which is coming out. That person is triggering us.
So like that, it may happen that even in the devotee community, while practising bhakti, instead of our higher side coming out, our lower side may come out. And then if people see that, see, the society is watching. And we are meant to preach, but our actions speak louder than the words.
So if our actions are such that we appear judgemental, we appear insensitive, we appear self-righteous. When I was in Texas, and that’s considered to be like a Christian state. So there, on a car, people put a poster, a note on their car bumper.
So it was, Oh, God, please save me from your preachers. God actually saves us through his preachers. Isn’t it? The preachers are the means who tell us about God, God’s glory, they attract us to God.
But if the preachers come out to be very self-righteous, if you don’t follow me, you’re going to go to hell. If they become self-righteous like that, then people, people will get put off. I don’t want to be with such people.
So it’s easy to laugh at others when they do like this. But sometimes we may also be doing things which alienate people. So we are meant to be, Prabhupada says in this parpola that, you know, our purpose is so that we can counter the suffering condition of people.
And how will the suffering condition be countered? When people see that this Krishna consciousness works, you know, this person is such a nice person. Now this person, this man, this woman, these children, these people, they’re such nice people. I would like to be like them.
I would like to become like them. I want to know how they become like them. So now when we say people should see that they’re nice people, now people won’t see, the world won’t see, you know, how nicely, how attentively we’re chanting our awns, how clear our philosophical understanding is.
These things are important. But what the world will see is how is our behaviour. So if in their eyes, we are courteous, sensitive, we are understanding, we are respectful, and we are wise, then people start getting attracted.
Oh, yeah, I want to be like this person. I want to know what makes them tick. And then they also start coming.
They also, because of that, they become attracted. So people need to see the product to follow the process. It’s like if we want to, if we want to sell a particular machine which makes a particular food item or a particular product, people want to taste, what is the food product like? And then, okay, oh, this is so good.
You know, okay, you make some sweets with this, make something with this, this comes out very good. I would like to have this. I want this machine.
So like that, we are telling people to follow the process. Now, come on, come to the temple, chant Hare Krishna, practise bhakti yoga. But then people need to see the product.
And the product should appear good in their eyes also, not just in our eyes. You know, if something looks, if something doesn’t taste good to them, people say, I don’t want to take this. So what people in general do not know about bhakti.
So if we may be very good devotees, we chanting very nicely, understand the philosophy very nicely, that’s all very good. At the same time, in people’s eyes, how do we appear? So people don’t really care about our philosophy, our practises. They care about our behaviour.
And if we are like cultured gentlemen and ladies, Prabhupada, when you were asked, what are your followers? How do we know your followers? Prabhupada could have said they chant Hare Krishna 24 hours a day. But then that would not have made any sense to people outside. OK, you chant, so what’s the big deal about it? But people outside will say, how do you behave with this? So Prabhupada said, perfect gentlemen, perfect ladies.
So when that is there, then by that people become attracted. So to the extent we practise bhakti yoga and help our higher side to come out, and that higher side starts manifesting and people start seeing it, then they will become attracted to Krishna. And they will themselves start practising bhakti.
When they start practising bhakti, then the process of Krishna, then the process of bhakti yoga will be seen as potent, as working, as transformational. And then as people get, as society gets more and more better role models, then society is moral level, society is ethical level, society is spiritual level will gradually rise. So we can at one level just condemn how degraded society is.
And what is the point of that? Well, it is, that is the way it is today. If we are to make a change, change has to begin with us. And change beginning with us means, we focus on creating a positive model for ourselves.
Prabhupada was like that. Prabhupada spoke strongly against materialistic society. But Prabhupada himself set an example of spiritual consciousness.
And through his example and through his explanations, people became attracted. So rather than condemning the foibles and fallings of materialistic society, we focus on providing an example in our lives, by which people start getting attracted. As they get attracted more and more, then we can contribute in our own small ways, assisting Sri Prabhupada’s mission, to help people find out their better side, bring out their better side, find Krishna in their heart, express Krishna through their life.
And thus become happy themselves and radiate happiness towards others. So I will summarise. I spoke today about how we human beings and all living in general are imitative creatures.
Like sheep follow the herd mentality. Humans often are affected by mobocracy. You know, whatever a mob, some one or two people in the mob do, everybody starts doing like that.
So everybody needs models, right from childhood, infancy, children, kids, children do what their parents do. When they come to the teenage years and they reject their parents and they start imitating their peers or whoever is the most attractive among their peers. Somebody may say don’t follow anyone, but then we are following the person who is saying don’t follow it.
So we can’t avoid models. Somebody or the other follows someone or the other. Now, today’s models are materialistic.
People who have achieved a lot of power and fame and prestige and pleasure. And so materialism becomes the default philosophy today and materialistic models are glamorised. Unfortunately, when materialism is the default philosophy, then material pleasure, sensuality becomes the goal of life.
And in the pursuit of sensuality, morality often becomes an obstacle. So people become immoral. And then thus materialism brings out the lower side in people and makes them worse.
So human culture is that which brings out the humanity within people, not the bestiality within people. It’s like say bacteria culture or yeast culture, that which helps bacteria or yeast to grow. So truly human culture is actually spiritual culture.
Because the spiritual culture helps people bring out their best, bring out their higher side. And when we are following bhakti yoga, our purpose is not just to join an organisation or get other people to join the organisation. Our purpose is to get our higher side to become more tolerant, more humble, more sensitive, more courteous, to become perfect gentlemen like us.
And we can’t market a process unless we show the product. And the product has to be appealing to those whom we are marketing. So people won’t see how nicely we are practising bhakti.
People will see how nicely we are doing our, how we are dealing with them in normal affairs. So basically, the mode of goodness behaviour, if we can model that will attract people. And thus, when we are rather than condemning society for its immorality or for its degraded models, we focus on trying to model the right behaviour based on our spiritual practises.
And then that will help us to become the change that we wish to see in the world. And it says, Prahlada Srila Prabhupada modelled the change and he inspired millions of people. So following in his footsteps, he can in a small way, help people to change by showing them the example of change and sharing with them the process for change.
Thank you very much. Thank you. Is there any question or comment?