Lecture at Angkor University

Borey Seang Nam, Siem Reap. Monday, 24^th March 2014

By the mercy of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, the Dean of Angkor University, Mr. Then Panhean, gave permission to HH Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja to conduct a lecture at the university. At 04.00 pm, Maharaja entered the class of about fifteen students. Then Maharaja gave a lecture about the basic knowledge about the body and the soul. Maharaja spoke in English and one of the teachers from the English Department translated into Khmer language.

His Holiness explained the presence of three types of bodies in our present body. The first body, the gross material body visible to our eyes, is made up of five elements i.e. earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Then the second body, the subtle material body not visible to our eyes, consists of manah (mind), buddhi (intelligence), and ahankara (ego). The third body, the spiritual body, also not visible to our eyes, is our real self, what we call “atma”, “jiva” or in English, the spirit soul.

Maharaja also explained about dharma. Dharma is the nature or the distinct quality of something. Maharaja explained that the nature of the spirit soul is sat (eternal), cit (full of knowledge), and ananda (full of happiness). The nature of the two material bodies is just the opposite of the spiritual body called the soul. So, as far as we are embodied within these two material bodies, we will be forced to experience birth, death, old age, and disease, all of which cause us suffering. To stop this suffering, we must learn how to become freed from these two material bodies. This requires some knowledge that is founds in ancient Vedic literatures.

Maharaja then continued to explain about one book where this information about the nature of matter and spirit is taught, the Bhagavad Gita, which teaches the essence of Vedic knowledge. The Bhagavad-gita is the most famous book of knowledge around the world spoken by Lord Sri Krishna about 5000 years ago.

Near the end of the lecture Maharaja gave the students a chance to ask questions to which Maharaja answered. At the end of the presentation, Maharaja distributed Krishna prasadam to all the students attending the lecture one by one. Also, Maharaja gave small booklets to the students entitled “Urgent Need of Krishna Consciousness” in Khmer (Cambodian) language along with an invitation card to visit the center.

Before leaving, Maharaja gave thanks to the representatives of the university for giving the devotees a chance to give the lecture and then donated one edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is to the library. The teachers happily received this important book of knowledge. After taking some pictures in front of the university, the devotees returned to their ashram temple and reached at around 05.00 pm.

Hare Krishna.