His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Actually, in English language, love is considered the most used word, most popular word. But when it comes to defining it, why is it so difficult? Love actually, this is the thing, nobody knows what love is. What goes on in the name of love is lust. Lust is an arrangement to exploit others for ones sense gratification. Therefore love and lust is diametrically opposed. Love and lust is not the same thing.
Now let us look for the definition in Caitanya Caritamrta. There are two expressions. Love has been described as prem. The Sanskrit word for love is prem, and the Sanskrit word for lust is kama. So Caitanya Caritamrta is describing that ätmendriya-préti-väïchä—täre bali ‘käma’, kåñëendriya-préti-icchä dhare ‘prema’ näma (CC Adi 4.165). The desire for our own sense gratification is called lust. But the desire to give pleasure to Krishna’s senses is called prem. So what is prem? Prem means or love means what? To give pleasure to Krishna's senses, and what is lust? Lust is the arrangement for our own sense gratification. So is it the same thing? No. Its completely opposed, opposite. Therefore it says ataeva käma-preme bahuta antara, käma—andha-tamaù, prema—nirmala bhäskara (CC Adi 4.171). Therefore, there is a great difference between love and lust. Lust is the deepest region of darkness, whereas love is brilliant as the sun.
Now again we go deeper in that expression. What is love? Love is actually an energy. An energy that is manifest in performing some act. Through energy we get something done. What does this energy love do? This energy love unites the soul with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This energy is there, through this energy, the living entity is connected to Krishna, or is meant to be connection to Krishna. Now again we go back. What is the relationship between Krishna and the living entities? Whets the relationship? What is a living entity in relationship with Krishna? A living entity is a part and parcel of Krishna.
Now a part is meant to be connected to a whole. If the part isolated, if the part is separated from the whole, does that part have any significance? Does the part bear any significance? Like if my finger is cut off from my body, and lying on the floor, will that finger have any value? The value of the finger is in its connection with the body. The moment the finger is separated from the body it loses its value. So similarly, the living entity is parts and parcel of Krishna. The utility, of the existence of the living entity is in its connection with Krishna. If a living entity is not connected to Krishna then (the) living entity existence doesn’t bare any meaning. Its meaningless. Why? Because it has become separated from Krishna, separated from the whole. What is happening to us in this material nature?
In this material nature everyone is standing on his own, isolated from Krishna, trying to find some meaning or purpose to his existence. But does it actually have any meaning of his existence? Everybody thinks he is very important, but do the rest of the world think that they are important? Most cases not. Even if someone is, even if someone becomes important, for how long does importance last? The moment he leaves this body, leaves this planet, the moment he dies, all his utility is lost.
So the utility of ones existence lies in his connection to Krishna. We all are spirit souls. Do you all accept that? Who are you? How many of you think that you are spirit souls? Please raise your hands. How many of you think that you are this body? Please raise your hands.
(laughter)
Very bold declaration!
So we are in reality, at least we have found out from Prabhupada’s books, that we are spirit souls in our actual identity. What is the body? The body is only the external covering of the soul. Anyway, that has been elaborately explained in Bhagavad Gita, I don’t want to get into that. But the general understanding I can see most of you accept that you are a spatial soul, and that spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna. How many of you accept that you are a spirit soul, and the spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna? Ok.
Now if the spirit soul is a part and parcel of Krishna, then shouldn’t the spirit soul become connected to Krishna? How many of you think that the spirit soul must be connected to Krishna? Now what is the means to be connected to Krishna? How can a soul become connected with Krishna? Here comes the word love. Where is love situated? Did you ever consider? I’m sure you know that?! Where is love situated?
A Devotee : Heart.
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: In the heart. Very good. Why in the heart? Because (the) heart is the seat of the soul, and love is with the soul. Therefore love is generate from the heart, the region of the heart. Don’t we say “I love you with all my heart?”
(laughter).
A Devotee : And soul!
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: Yes, and soul! How many of you, how many ever say, did you ever hear anyone saying “I love you with all my head!”?
(laughter)
His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami: We never come out with such expressions. We love with our hearts. Why? Love is with the soul, and soul is with, situated in the region of the heart.
Now this love as I mentioned earlier, is the energy that unites us with Krishna. So this energy is meant for uniting us with Krishna. But when you are oblivious to Krishna, when you are forgetful of Krishna, then what happens? We have our love in our hearts, but we forgot Krishna. Then what happens? Did you ever consider? You all know. Because we forgot Krishna, we try to offer our love to somebody else. And thorough that offering of love, we want to experience joy, This is how love and joy are interrelated. Through love we want to experience joy. But that joy will only be experienced when love is offered to Krishna. But instead of offering the love to Krishna, when we offer our love to somebody else, no matter whoever it may be, through that love we want to experience joy and bliss, but do we get that? No.
The point is, only when the love is offered to Krishna, the heart will experience the joy that it is hankering for. Now do you want to be joyful? How many of you want to be joyful? (All raise hands) Okay, very good. Now if you want to be joyful, what are you going to do? Aren’t you going to function, or aren’t you going to act in a way that will give you the joy? The way to do that is offer the love of your heart to Krishna.
So Krishna consciousness movement, ISKCON is teaching everyone how to love Krishna. So ISKCON is actually establishing the real meaning of our existence, and showing us the way to fulfill our existence. It may sound like a very big claim, but it is true. If you want to be not only happy, if you want to become even more than happy, if you want to become joyful, then please come to ISKCON, and act according to the instructions that Srila Prabhupada has given in his books. ISKCON is the institution that has been designed by Srila Prabhupada to distribute the love of Godhead. Love for Krishna, to teach us how to love Krishna.
Is Prabhupada concocting some ideas or developing some new way or..? No. Srila Prabhupada and actually presenting the process that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna has given. Prabhupada did not create anything new. Krishna has given us all these information’s. One of the main books is Bhagavad Gita that Krishna Himself spoke. Krishna gave this knowledge in various ways. Basically at the time of creation, Krishna gave this knowledge in the form of the Vedas to Lord Brahma. But then He personally came, about 5,000 years ago and gave the essence of the Vedas in the form of Bhagavad Gita.
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