- Don`t lose your life in these things. Irkutsk. (Eng-Rus)

Don`t lose your life in these things “What is real knowledge, what is real education? Some external knowledge of this world cannot be real knowledge. Actually, what materialists call knowledge, Vaisnavas called – avidya – ignorance. Because this world is born of ignorance – it is temporary, full of suffering. Didi says that actually what scientists are doing, they are just doing a research – they are finding what is already here, nothing else. Real knowledge is understanding what is the cause (of everything). Understanding this temporary world with this material senses cannot give the perfect knowledge. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu talked with Ramananda Raya, He asked him: `What is the essence of knowledge? Of all type of knowledge, what is the real knowledge? Ramananda Raya answered: `Knowledge of krsna bhakti is the only real knowledge.` So we should not take our material education so seriously. Of course, some knowledge we need in this world, but if this so called knowledge covers our devotion, what is the use? When our Gurudev toured to the West for the first time, he would preach so much about that why sannyasis go to the mundane universities. What will you learn from the meat eating professor? Bhaktivinoda Thakura had written: `This material knowledge is the product of maya (illusionary energy) and it makes obstacle for your bhajana. This material knowledge makes a person to become like a donkey, who carry many things which are not in relation to him.` Sometime people say: `I have many responsibilities`, but who gave them that responsibility? They themselves. Guru Maharaja used to say that donkey is very foolish, he carry many things on his back to the market and what he gets (in return)? Beating form his master, some dry grass and a little bit of sexual enjoyment. Specially materialists work very hard like donkeys and what they get when they come home? Little food, little bit of sexual life, and (still) thinks: `My life is perfect!` Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself showed uselessness of so called knowledge. Of course, He is made of knowledge. Who is Bhagavan (God)? Jnana svarupa – the embodiment of all knowledge. Krsna`s (Krishna`s) body is made of knowledge, but which knowledge He considered important? It is true that Vedas contain many materialistic topics, but Krsna gives warning to Arjuna: ` Mostly Vedas deal with this three modes of material nature. This knowledge comes from sattva guna, raja guna and tama guna (goodness, passion and ignorance). But, Arjuna, you should come to the transcendental platform (above this gunas).` Materialistic knowledge of this word is sattvik, rajastic or tamastic, so we should look for the knowledge which is beyond this world and that is - the seva of Krsna. Krsna said: `After many lifetime when his knowledge is perfect, that person understands that Vasudeva is everything and that what is separate from Krsna, that is called maya.` Even Vedic study which is separated from Krsna is also maya vaibhav. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu showed to this world not to be so much attracted by (material) education. Don`t lose your life in these things! That knowledge will not help you at the time of death. Just learning something from some blind persons and blindly following them, Prahlada Maharaja condemned that: `Like the blind leading the blind.` Even though Gaurakisora dasa babaji could not read or write one letter, Sarasvati Thakura said: `All perfect knowledge is contained in one piece of dust of the lotus feet of my Gurudev!` Before people used to get the knowledge from gurukul (school under the guidance of spiritual master). Guru would give all type of relevant material and spiritual knowledge. But who is now in charge of the colleges? All are sudras, alcoholics, meat what will they teach you? Who is teaching the knowledge of the soul, knowledge about who are you? Nobody is teaching these things. So this Krsna consciousness Gaudiya math movement is educational movement, to remind people what is the real knowledge. If you forget your real goal of life, you will be deviated. Caitanya Mahaprabhu told all these things.“ Srimad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja . Irkutsk