They must live under the conditions of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). You have accepted this material body voluntarily for enjoying this material world. You enjoy it to the fullest extent under the condition of stringent laws of material nature. Now, in the human form of life, civilized human form of life, your consciousness is now developed. There is a chance to understand why you are conditioned. You don't want condition; you want liberation. This question arises in the human form of life, not in the cat's life, dog's life. No. So we should remember this is the difference between other bodies and this body. Here, we become awakened that "Why I am conditioned?" Just like Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he approached Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu... He was minister, great man, very opulent. So the first question was put before Lord Caitanya, 'ke āmi,' 'kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya.' "My dear master, I have come to You to ask the first question, that 'What I am?
Our consciousness (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"my consciousness"
|"our consciousness"
|"their consciousness"
|"your consciousness"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Therefore here it is said, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra. Kaitavaḥ means cheating type of religious system. Real religion means "God is there. I am there. God is great. I am subordinate. I must abide by the laws of God." This is religion. At the present moment, under the spell of illusion in this material condition, we have forgotten our real religion. Real religion means to revive our consciousness—we say, "Kṛṣṇa consciousness"—or God consciousness, by which we agree to abide by the laws of God. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā at the end, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). He says that "You have manufactured so many religious system. So you give up all these. You simply surrender unto Me." Therefore real conclusion is, real religion means, to surrender unto God.
That is not dharma. As soon as you say "stone," it must be solid. As soon as you say "water," it must be liquid. So this liquidity and water, the liquidity is the dharma of water. The solidity, or dharma... Similarly, we have got a dharma. We are forgotten now what is our dharma. The dharma is... Here it is stated, dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣ... (SB 1.2.8). How to awaken our consciousness to understand Kṛṣṇa, that is real dharma. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). This is the description of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
So there is no question of the created dharma. Therefore Bhāgavata says, dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavaḥ atra: "Cheating type of dharma is completely rejected." Real dharma is to know our relationship with God. Our relationship with God is that He is the Supreme Prabhu, the Supreme, and we are aṇu.
There was tulasī plants, devotees, śrī-vigraha. Everything was there. So actually, it was replica of Śrī Vṛndāvana.
So therefore the most important thing is, to make advance in devotional service, to increase the appetite for hearing. Viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ, notpādayed ratim, kathāsu ratim. Kathāsu means, rati means attraction to kathāsu, that means hearing. Śravaṇam. So this is the test, that anyone who is supposed to be advancing in devotional service, bhakti-yoga, the test will be how much he has awakened his intense desire for hearing about Kṛṣṇa. That is the test. That is the test. So the perfectional platform is stated here, that "You may execute your different occupational duties, dharma, but the test will be whether you have developed your consciousness, you have developed your Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the test. So you can read the purport.
Please take the child. So this formula is that you may execute your occupational duties first class, svanuṣṭhitaḥ, as it is prescribed, very nicely, regularly, faithfully. You are discharging your occupational duties. But if it does not awaken your dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then it is useless. Śrama eva hi kevalam. Because the human life is meant for awakening Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our consciousness is now polluted. Just like the rain water. As soon as it falls down on the ground, it becomes muddy. Otherwise, the rain water is distilled water, very nice, clear, crystal water. But as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes dirty immediately. Similarly, originally, we are all Kṛṣṇa conscious because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel." Just like the son is the part and parcel of the father, for crude understanding, so we are also similarly part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
The same example: Just like rain water falling from the sky is crystal clear distilled water, but as soon as it comes in touch with the ground, it becomes muddy, dirty. So at the present moment our consciousness is dirty. Abhadra. It is stated in Bhāgavata in one place, śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi (SB 1.2.17). Abhadrāṇi, the dirty things within the heart, hṛdy antaḥ-sthaḥ, within the heart. We have got so many dirty things within the heart. Now, how it has grown? Due to our contact with the material nature. This is our disease. Another place in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Sad-asat means nice body or very abominable body. You may get a very nice body—learned, scholar, beautiful, very aristocratic—or you may take a body of the worm of the stool.
If you want peace of mind, if you want full satisfaction, then your dharmic life, your religious life, should be how to advance yourself in devotional service of the Lord. Then yayātmā suprasīdati. Then you will feel satisfaction. Then it is said that dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ (SB 1.2.8), "By executing your religious principles, if you do not develop your consciousness about God, then it is simply waste of time and labor." Then it is said,
- vāsudeve bhagavati
- bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ
- janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ
- jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam
- (SB 1.2.7)
Then he says that "If you devote yourself in the service of Vāsudeva, then you will get perfect knowledge and renunciation without any doubt."
Some of them, community conscious, society conscious, nation conscious, or international conscious. Utmost. No more, finish their business. But still, you have to extend more and more. "International" means within this u..., within this planet. But what is this planet? It is only insignificant spot within the universe. So if you increase your consciousness more and more, then it may be interplanetary consciousness. But what is this interplanetary? This universe contains millions of planets. That's all right. But there are millions of universes also. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi (Bs. 5.40). Not only one universe. This universe which we are seeing, this is only one of them. Caitanya Mahāprabhu compared this universe... One devotee, he requested Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "My Lord, You have come. Please liberate all the people of this universe. And if they are sinful, so all their sins, I may take, but they may be delivered." This is Vaiṣṇava philosophy.
"Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body. This is gross body. The body which you are seeing, which I am seeing, this is gross body. Just like shirt and coat. Within your coat, there is shirt, and within your shirt, there is a body. Similarly, the pure soul is covered by shirt and coat. The shirt is mind, intelligence and false ego. Mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means that the wrong conception that "I am matter.
Manīṣiṇaḥ means those who are thoughtful philosophers, those who can take up things by philosophical conclusion, that "I am consciousness. I am the part and parcel of the supreme consciousness. Therefore my duty is to act according to the supreme consciousness." Just like your hand is the part of your body. Now, it is moving according to my consciousness. The hand is not moving in its own way. As I want, that let the hand be moved, let my legs be moved, let my eye be opened and see, so I am dictating and these parts are working. Similarly we are all parts and parcel, parcel of the supreme consciousness. When we train ourself to move and act in according to that supreme consciousness, then we become transcendental to all these pious or impious activities. That is the technique.
The Bhāgavata explains therefore: abhijñaḥ sva-rāṭ. He's not dead stone. Abhijñaḥ. He has got consciousness. He has got consciousness. What kind of consciousness? Anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ. He knows everything, directly and indirectly.
Now suppose we are also conscious. So what is the nature of our consciousness? Our consciousness is that I know directly everything of my body, or of my self. But I do not know indirectly about yourself. I cannot say what is going on in your mind, in your body, what pains and pleasure you are feeling. But I can speak about myself that "I am feeling like this. I am thinking like this. I am willing like this." That I can say. So my consciousness is not perfect. It is perfect so far I am concerned. But I, my consciousness does not spread upon you. But here it is said, anvayāt itarataḥ abhijñaḥ artheṣu abhijñaḥ. "The Absolute Truth knows everything, directly and indirectly."
How they are forming into blood, and so many things are going on within the body, I am not directly concerned. Neither I know directly. But the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Being, He knows everything, in any corner of the cosmic manifestation. Therefore His consciousness and my consciousness is... As, so far possessing consciousness, the Absolute Truth and myself are one, but His consciousness is all-pervading. My consciousness is limited. So the Absolute Truth cannot be limited, but we are limited.
Therefore here it is said, bhejire munayaḥ athāgre bhagavantam. In this... We have already discussed that the Absolute Truth is realized in three features: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate. The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases: impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā, and the Supreme Person, Bhagavān. So the ultimate realization is Bhagavān, not the impersonal Brahman. That is not ultimate realization. That is partial realization.
"Formerly I spoke to the sun-god." So because He does not forget past, present, future... Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's always conscious, fully conscious. Whatever was done in the past, what will happen in the future, and what is happening, everything is known to Kṛṣṇa. Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. But we have lost our consciousness. We have lost our memory that we have past, that we are parts and parcels of Kṛṣṇa, and we are identifying with this material world in different capacities. Somebody's identifying with this body; somebody's identifying with the society or community or nation or country. But Kṛṣṇa does not become such materially affected. Vijñānena vijṛmbhitaḥ. He's always conscious.
So the Paramātmā... Although the Paramātmā is within this body, antaḥ-praviṣṭa ābhāti, without Him... Both the Paramātmā and jīvātmā are within this body, and the intelligence is coming from the Paramātmā. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi-sanniviṣṭaḥ.
Similarly, God consciousness is there, dormant in every living entity. But the perception varies according to the development of body. Just like child. You say something serious, say, about sex life, they do not understand. But the same child will understand sex life when the consciousness is developed. Similarly, in this material world, our consciousness is covered, God consciousness. So there are different species of life. Just like the aquatics in the ocean. There are so many living entities. But if you preach there Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible Their number is far greater than human being. Still, they have no capacity. Next development, plants and trees, there also, no sensation. You cut the trees, no protest, because there is no sensation. There is practically consciousness... There is consciousness, very slight. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose has proved that when you cut tree, he feels, and that is recorded in what is called, that machine?
So everyone has got consciousness. Living entity means there is consciousness. But they have their consciousness only for eating, sleeping, sex life and defending. There is consciousness amongst the fish. Their consciousness is so strong, two miles away if some big fish is coming, they can understand. Immediately they can take precaution defending. These are all described.
So different animals in different species of life, they have got one type of consciousness very strong. Just like you can see the vultures. It is a low-graded animal. But it goes four miles above the earth and it can see where is a dead body. You cannot do that. You cannot see even twenty yards after. But the animal, another animal, the vulture, he can see... From four miles away he can find out where there is a dead body. So this consciousness of eating, sleeping, mating and defending, that is common. In one animal or, it is very strong. In another man, animal, it is not so strong. But this consciousness is there.
Tree is naked or a animal is, an animal is naked, but they have no sense. But if a human being becomes like that, then he is considered uncivilized. So Nārada Muni says that kālena sarvatra gabhīra-raṁhasā. We should try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, even if we go in higher standard of life, our, sometimes our consciousness is so degraded that, that that two sons of Kuvera, although they were, they got the body of demigods, still, they had to come down to take the birth of the life of trees, Yamala-Arjuna.
So there is every chance, every chance of falldown. Why there are so many species of life? Why we are thinking that "Our life is guaranteed; we shall continue like this"? This is called ignorance. Any moment this standard of life, this comfortable standard of life, may be lost. Therefore Nārada says that "Everyone should try to achieve that benefit of life which is not available within the fourteen worlds, fourteen," I mean to say, "different types of planetary system."
Everything is possible simply by bhakti-yoga. So bhakti-yogena, by the means of bhakti-yoga, his mind was cleansed. Bhakti-yogena manasi samyak praṇihite 'male (SB 1.7.4). The mind became completely cleansed. The whole trouble is our mind, our consciousness, unclean. So Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has given us the saṅkīrtana movement for cleansing the heart, the consciousness, the mind.
So Vyāsadeva, under the instruction of his spiritual master Nārada, he meditated in bhakti-yoga, and he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Apaśyat puruṣaṁ pūrṇam. Pūrṇam means complete. So we are also puruṣa, living entities. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So we are trying to enjoy, but we are incomplete, not complete. We have got so much desire to enjoy, but we cannot because we are incomplete. There are... That song sung by Vidyāpati, that tātala saikate vāri-bindu-sama.
Still, you are...?" "Yes, I am satisfied. Yes, I am satisfied." "How?" Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Because I have learned by the grace of Nārada Muni how to chant Your holy name." That's it. Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta. "This chanting of Your glorification is mahāmṛta, a great nectarean." Tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "My cittaḥ, my consciousness, is always absorbed in the thought of Your glorification. Therefore I am not at all unhappy." "You are not unhappy in spite of so much tribulation given by your father?" "Yes. I'm not at all." This is Vaiṣṇava. He cannot be unhappy. We see that Prahlāda Mahārāja was put into so much trouble by his father. Even, even this Draupadī, she was put into so much trouble-immediately, her sons are killed. But she is, actually she is not unhappy. This is Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava cannot be unhappy in any circumstances.
Ahaituky apratihatā. That is explained. Ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati.
Why these things, indiscrimination, dirty things, they are accumulated within the heart? It is due to our sinful activities. The more we become sinful, the more dirty things will cover our consciousness, and it will be difficult to understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. One who is freed from the reaction of sinful life... Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Persons who are engaged in pious activities, they do not do anything which is vicious. Therefore they remain pure, without any contamination. Therefore pious activities are recommended. For common men it is recommended in the śāstra that "You take your bathing in the Ganges." That will make him pious. If he simply takes his bathing daily, regularly, automatically he'll be pious. Or go and see the temple and offer your obeisances. Everything will be taken.
So as soon as the body's finished so I am not going to take birth again. So long I am living, let me enjoy life." This is the modern philosophy, hedonism. But that is not the fact. Kuntī is therefore anxious: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). Apunar bhava, not to repeat. If you see always Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Your consciousness should be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought.
Therefore we give different varieties of engagement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not divert our energy. Now when we are selling book, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are selling book. But if we think that the selling book may be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not very good idea. That is not very good idea. Then we become again jeweler. Punar mūṣika bhava. Again become mouse. We should be very much careful. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be diverted.
This is Kṛṣṇa's craftsmanship. Aṇor aṇīyān mahato mahīyān. He can create bigger than the biggest and the smaller than the smallest. Now human being, according to their conception, they have manufactured the 747 airplane, supposed to be very big. All right. According to your consciousness, you have produced something big. But can you produce a small airplane like insect flying? That is not possible. Therefore greatness means that who can become greater than the greatest and smaller than the smallest. That is greatness. If you can act one-sided... That is also not perfectly.
This is impurification. So they do not know that "Death is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am dying. Birth is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am taking birth." Janma-mṛtyu... Four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Janma, birth, is due to my impure consciousness. Therefore if we purify our consciousness by advancing, by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we become pure. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, cleansing the heart. And all these purificatory methods, they are based on cleansing the heart. If I think myself that "I am something of this material product..." The scientists, they say that "I am these material things." They do not understand what is spiritual identity. And I do, I act, according to that material conception, that is impurity of my consciousness. First thing is to understand that "I am not this material body."
There is everything of our material life, as for the beginning and at the end.
So here in this material world, every one of us, we come here ignorant, like animals, no knowledge. There are so many varieties of living entities. Gradually, by evolution, we come to the human form of life, when our consciousness is developed. We can understand higher knowledge. And that is called Veda. So Veda does not mean it is meant for the cats and dogs. Vedas means knowledge, this knowledge, is meant for the human beings. Vedic... Therefore Indian civilization, based on Vedic knowledge, is estimated so high, perfect. Perfect scheme system for human society, based on Vedic civilization. Everything is correctly visioned, and the ideas are given by persons who are above material contamination. Mukta-puruṣa. Mukta-puruṣa means one who is not affected by the material incompetency. There are material incompetencies. We commit mistakes. We are illusioned. Our senses are imperfect.
Arjuna did that. Therefore Arjuna learned the Bhagavad-gītā, and it was always relief for him when he was perplexity. Haranti smarataś cittam. Haranti. What is that haranti? Hṛt-tāpa. Hṛt-tāpa, the blazing fire within the heart, within the core of the heart, immediately becomes minimized, haranti. Smarataś cittam. As soon as I remember, my consciousness, my heart, core of heart, becomes immediately relieved. How it is relieved? Why it is relieved? Govinda abhihitāni me: "Govinda instructed." Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govinda means Kṛṣṇa. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Govinda.
That consciousness, the consciousness is spread all over the body, and Kṛṣṇa says that that thing which is spread all over the body, consciousness, that is immortal.
So now our consciousness is immortal consciousness or mortal consciousness, that is to be seen. I am absorbed in thought of this mortal consciousness, "This is my country, this is my body, this is my family, this is my community, this is my nation..." They are all mortal. But immortal consciousness is that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is immortal consciousness. "Kṛṣṇa is mine, and I am Kṛṣṇa's." This is immortal consciousness. When you come to this consciousness—that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then you are saved. Immortal consciousness. So long you have got temporary consciousness, then... Just like our mind changes. I accept something now; I reject something again.
If you love somebody, then you can see him always. When you are in office, you are seeing. When you are eating, you are seeing. You are seeing... If you are actually love. So if it is possible materially, how much greatly it is possible spiritually and perfectly? It is possible. Simply by this method, bhaktyā viśuddha-dhiṣaṇāḥ pare.
Viśuddha. Viśuddha means purified. Our consciousness is not purified at the present moment, but if we purify it... That purification also is possible by becoming in touch with Kṛṣṇa always. And this touch is very easily made possible. Śṛṇvatām. This is the chance, śṛṇvatām. Śṛṇvatām means by hearing, by aural reception. Simply those who are coming here, even they do not know anything about it, but God has given this ear, and let him hear about Kṛṣṇa. We are therefore discussing so many... We have written so many books simply about Kṛṣṇa. Not all books published—we have published about twenty books—but we have to finish it. It cannot be finished, but at least, to some extent it will be finished by sixty books.
Just like a child. His consciousness is not developed. A child goes to capture a fire because his consciousness is not developed. But that does not mean the child has no consciousness or the child has no soul. Just like some rascal says, "The animals, they have no soul." So why the animals have no soul? Their consciousness is not developed, but soul is there. If the animal has no soul, then the child has also no soul because the child behaves like an animal. In the family, a small child and a dog, they're behaving similarly, and therefore dog is also considered as one of the family members, children, because his consciousness is not developed.
This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham... (BG 3.27). The evolution means evolution of consciousness. The same child, when he's... He'll get a different body. Just like a female child. By evolution, means when she gets another body, youthful body, her consciousness is different. If you get the body of a pig, your consciousness is different from the consciousness of a man. A pig will very easily eat stool, but a human being will not eat. Similarly, in every behavior... Just like we, Kṛṣṇa conscious people, we have given up intoxication. Now, if somebody comes and bribes and offers some money that "You take this one thousand dollars and drink," you'll not agree. Because your consciousness is developed. So evolution is not of the body. Evolution of consciousness. And as your consciousness develops, you get a particular type of body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Therefore, the evolution should be of the consciousness.
Jīva Gosvāmī, very learned scholar and philosopher. He was the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So they were all very important men of the society. They joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu to make life successful. So these examples we should take and make our life successful.
The successful life means to make our consciousness changed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is success. Labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte. We have got this after many, many births, mānuṣyam, this human form of life. Therefore the śāstra says, tūrṇaṁ yateta. I am very glad. You all young boys and girls, you are fortunate. I am not bluffing you. Actually you are fortunate. You have come to the right place, where you can learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the greatest boon of life. Tūrṇaṁ yateta. The śāstra says that "Very quickly you should try to finish this business." Because Parīkṣit Mahārāja, he was aware that he was going to live for seven days. But we do not know whether our life is still for seven days or seven minutes.
Always stick to Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet so māyā may not be able to touch you. Just like in a contaminated, diseased area, the doctor is also fearful, but he has got prophylactic administration. He is quite fit. He can go even in the contaminated state. Similarly, if we are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even if we are in the midst of mayic activities, it will not affect. So everything is there, but if you change your consciousness, then you are safe. Icchatā abhayam, no more fearfulness. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
I am conscious. Why? Because I, the soul, is present. So consciousness is the symptom of the presence of the soul. Therefore when the soul transmigrates the consciousness is also there in another body. But this consciousness, if I take God consciousness, then I go to God. And if I take dog consciousness, I go to dog. That's all. The consciousness is there. Therefore we have to purify our consciousness. Instead of dog consciousness we have to make it God consciousness. That will be our perfection of life. Otherwise, the consciousness which you carry at the time of your death, you get a similar body. There are 8,400,000 species of life, and we may think of in a varied way. That is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At the time of, if we keep our Kṛṣṇa consciousness intact, that is our perfection of life. Otherwise we do not know what is my next life. The example is given just like air is passing. Air is very subtle matter.
If it is passing on the rose flower, the flavor is carried in other place also, rose scent. And if the air is passing on the stool, the scent or the bad smell of the stool is carried to the other place. Similarly, if you make your consciousness rosy, then your next life is rose flavor. (laughs) And if you make your consciousness stool, then your next life is condemned. Yes. Yes.
The idea is that they are sleeping, don't disturb. So the consciousness of the trees are admitted in the Vedic literature. Similarly, the consciousness is developed from tree to worms, microbes, worms, germs—their consciousness is little more higher. Then birds, their consciousness is little more higher; then beasts, their consciousness is little more higher. This is development, gradual process of evolution. Gradual process of evolution means gradual process of developing the status, the state of consciousness. In this way the consciousness in human form of body is further developed, very nicely developed. And similarly, there are other elevated living condition in higher planets. They are called demigods. They are far advanced, very more and more intelligent. Their standard of living, their everything, is far, far above than all these planets, thousands and thousands of times. Just like we can discriminate here, even on this planet.
If you try to read Vedic literature... Not very many. Try to understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Try to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. These two books will give you sufficient knowledge, and we should take advantage of it, because our consciousness is developed. We should not waste our time simply reading these all nonsense literatures, sex literatures. Simply wasting their time. Tad vayasaṁ tīrtham. To read nonsense ordinary literature and books or newspaper is compared just like the pleasure place of the crows. The crows, they are very much attached to the rejected refuse, garbage. In your country I don't see many crows, but in our country there are many crows, and the garbage section is pleasure, pleasuring place there. Where rejected things, they take pleasure in that. But the swans, the ducks, they take pleasure in clear lake with lily flower, nice garden, and nice birds are chirping. They take pleasure in that place.
That will be taken away, however I may try to keep it intact. Nobody can keep it; it will be taken away. But the spiritual education which you are receiving in this class, oh, either the sun or sun's father, his father, nobody can take it away. It becomes a solid asset. Therefore we should utilize our consciousness, how to make it a solid asset. And that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you chant twenty-four hours very easy thing—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... That means this time cannot be taken away by the sun. Just like he has taken away the time of, pertaining to my body. Just like I was also young man sometimes, say, fifty years ago, or, say, some years ago, but that is taken away. Now that cannot be returned. But the spiritual knowledge which I received from my spiritual master, that cannot be taken. That cannot be taken away.
So don't be proud that "I have got human body" unnecessarily. Don't be proud that "I can live very, very longer period than the cats and dogs."
These things are very nicely discussed here. We shall try to explain. The beginning is taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . The beginning of this... How our consciousness is developed and important, that is stated in these pages, that taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti. You are proud of having a little long duration of life than the cats and dogs; therefore you are proud? Oh, don't you see how long the trees also live, for seven thousand years, many thousands of years. So what is there in living for long duration of life? So there is no actual wonderful achievement by the so-called material advancement of life unless you have got developed consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is false. False means maybe, temporary. You are American. You are feeling that you belong to the rich country, very beautiful body, no scarcity of food.
We are busy with the bodily affairs of life, but we do not take care of the soul. That is the mistake of the present civilization. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is teaching to the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists, the leaders, that this is not the way of civilization. You try to develop your consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. Any question? (break)
Because the Bhāgavata, the topics of Śrīmad-Bhāgavata was due to Parīkṣit Mahārāja being cursed by the brāhmaṇa boy. So at the time of his death he wanted to know from the great sages what was his duty at the time of death, and it was decided that he should hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
That is the business of elevated consciousness. We should not waste our time by reading or by, I mean to say, mixing our consciousness with so many rubbish things. We should try to purify it. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). This chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra will cleanse your consciousness, and if you hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, Bhagavad-gītā, then it becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. That should be the duty of everyone. (break)
Yes, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means superconsciousness. Kṛṣṇa You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Just like father and son. Father knows, "He is my son," and the son knows, "He is my father." So this father, paternal consciousness, is there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is real consciousness, but we color it with other consciousness. That is polluted. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify your consciousness.
This is the difference between material and spiritual. The things are already there. You have got your ears; you have got your tongue; you have got your hand; you have got your leg; you have got your eyes; everything is there. You can utilize it for material purpose and for spiritual purpose. How you can utilize? If you change your consciousness, then you can realize. So if you change your consciousness to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and utilize the senses for that purpose ... Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Just like you are American and I am Indian. We are not concerned about hearing about Indian and American.
This is the difference between developed consciousness and undeveloped consciousness. A tree has also consciousness. Modern science, they have proved, they have got consciousness. Very much covered, almost dead.
But it is not dead. There is consciousness. So the more you develop your consciousness, the more you become a freedom lover. Just like in the human society, there is fight for freedom. But in the animal society, they do not know what is freedom. Ours also, the so-called freedom. But still, we have got some consciousness that we fight for freedom. And they fight for eating. That's all. So here, Parīkṣit Mahārāja... This emancipation... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means emancipation from this material attachment. So he became so much advanced... Because from his childhood, from his birth, from the womb of his mother, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). But He is particularly mentioned here: vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. We are trying to enjoy life by making friends, ātma-bhāvam. Ātma-bhāvam means very intimate. Intimate, near relative, or beloved. So we have to change our consciousness. Instead of trying to make this material world as beloved, you have to make Kṛṣṇa as beloved. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The everything is there. You get everything in return, as here, you are trying to enjoy, but without any inebriety. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja attained this stage. Therefore he could give up all his kingdom, all his family, all his animals and everything, and he simply became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Read the purport?
Just like mother, or like a small child, dressing morning in some way, in the evening another way, changing dresses. Māyā is our mother, and she is giving us a different type of dresses, māyayā bahu-rūpayā, and therefore we are changing into bahu-rūpa. But because we are attached to the dress, so according to the form, we are forming our consciousness. Now I have got a different body, different form, so I have got a different consciousness. You have got a different body; you have got a different consciousness. So everyone, all living entities The dog is thinking Because he has got a dog's body, he thinks, "I am dog." "I am American," the same way. This is all māyā. Bahu-rūpa ivābhāti māyayā bahu-rūpayā. Then next?
This is not my life." He does not know. Similarly, a human being, if he does not know what is bondage and liberation, then he's animal. From animal life, this human life is evolved for understanding this: what is mukti and what is liberation.
So mukti and liberation, if you keep your consciousness materially affected... Guṇeṣu saktam. Material world means the three qualities, tri-guṇa, guṇamayī. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, guṇamayī, mama māyā. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Tribhir guṇamayair bhāvaiḥ. We are being conducted in this material world by three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Out of these three guṇas, the sattva-guṇa is the best. Knowledge, the qualification of brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42).
Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. They are not interested. But when we can stop these four principles of miserable condition, namely, no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more old age, that is called liberation. You can have it. Simply you have to clear your consciousness. How to clear? Now, guṇeṣu saktaṁ bandhāya. If you become conscious of these three material modes of nature, then it is for bondage. Rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. And when your consciousness is Kṛṣṇized, simply think of Kṛṣṇa, then it is liberation. Clear idea.
So how this perfect yoga can be achieved? That is explained in this verse. Puṁsi, rataṁ vā puṁsi muktaye. If you, your consciousness is become, is attached to Kṛṣṇa, only thinking of Kṛṣṇa, that will give you liberation. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: "Always chanting about Me." Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma... And yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ, and endeavoring with great determination. Just like you see in this temple. They rise early in the morning, at four o'clock. Immediately after taking bath and being prepared, they offer the maṅgala-ārātrika at five o'clock, kīrtana, then study. There are rules and regulations. That is called bhajana-kriyā. "A bhajana... In the mind, I am thinking of..."
Then detachment will be possible. First of all nullify the attachment, and then give him better attachment. Then he will forget. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. You cannot force a living entity by force. Gradually... The same example: a child has got attachment, but by some system, its attachment is turned over.
So similarly, our consciousness is there. Somehow or other, it is now contaminated. So gradually, this contaminated consciousness has to be purified, and then Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically will arise, will be awakened, because the Kṛṣṇa consciousness is original consciousness. Somehow or other, it is now covered by material attachment. So how to give up this material attachment and become attached to Kṛṣṇa, developing Kṛṣṇa attachment? The process is sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). That is... Sa eva sādhuṣu kṛtaḥ mokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtam. We have got so many attachment for so many things in the material world, and if you simply... You cannot make it zero; that is not possible. You have to purify.
The consciousness is gone. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam avināśi tu tad viddhi, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Sarvam idam, this body. This body, wherever you pinch it you feel pain. Why? Because consciousness is there. So Kṛṣṇa advises that consciousness is eternal. Therefore we have to purify our consciousness, then our life is successful.
Consciousness will go with us. At the time of death the consciousness carries me to another body. Sūkṣma, the fine, or the subtle body, the mind, intelligence, and ego, but we do not see that mind, intelligence, ego. And the soul, it is still finer. Mind is, we know you have got mind, you know I have got mind but you do not see. I know you have got intelligence, you know I have got intelligence but you can not see. But how the mind, intelligence carry the soul to another body, how you can see?
They never said, "We have seen Kṛṣṇa." And Caitanya Mahāprabhu also, He said, "I was dreaming of Kṛṣṇa, and why you wake Me? I have lost the chance." In this way they were making bhajana. This is called viraha-bhajana, viraha-bhajana, separation. That is very recommended process. So we should be awakened, awaken our consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in such a way that being separated from Kṛṣṇa, we shall become mad after Him. This is called kṛṣṇa-prema. That prema was being distributed by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And He is still distributing.
So how this prema can be awakened easily, that has been recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, quoting from Lord Brahmā's prayer to Kṛṣṇa, jñāne prayāsam udapāsya namanta eva. Don't try to understand Kṛṣṇa by your tiny knowledge. We are imperfect. How we can speculate on Kṛṣṇa? That is not...
Just like within the earth you have seen, you go to the beach, you'll find within the sand, there are so many living entities. But they are inferior, and the plants on the sand, we have seen there are many green plants, herbs, they are better. They have improved their consciousness. But better than these plants and herbs are the crawling insects, snakes, snail, because they can move. The herbs, they cannot move, and within the sands there are living entities, they cannot sprout. So in this way, this is called evolution, one after another. So the insects, the reptiles, they are better than the standing herbs and plants, and these insects, the worms, they grow wings at the end of their life. In this way they are elevated to the bird's life. In this life they could not attain the bird's life, but on account of very strong willingness they grow the wings, and next life they become small birds, they fly. So they are better, the small birds, they are better than these insects.
Development, development of consciousness. But originally we are all pure living entities. We are contaminated by the modes of material nature. The more we are contaminated, our consciousness is covered. Therefore it is said, guṇair vicitrāḥ.
Vicitrāḥ means varieties. Why there are varieties? The varieties are because according to our association with the different material modes of nature, therefore there are varieties. There are 8,400,000 varieties of forms simply on account of different type of association. Bhagavad-gītā also says, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. So many varieties of living entities in this material world, they are due to guṇair vicitrāḥ, by the different qualities, mixture of qualities. So on the gross estimation the mixture is sattva, rajas, tamas, the first mixture.
And the devotees, the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they know that this is all false—not false: temporary, simply bewildering. On account of contaminated consciousness, people are trying to be happy in this way, but devotees know that this kind of endeavor is simply bewildering, simply waste of time. Real business is how to purify my consciousness, come to the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is real business. Svacchatvam avikāritvam. That is our real business. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching is that our only business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is wanted. Without this, whatever we are doing, in the words of Śrīla Prahlāda Mahārāja, "It is all māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān, māyā-sukhāya (SB 7.9.43)."
There is consciousness—this is called suṣupti, unconscious. So again, as soon as the body is complete, then we get back our consciousness. Then we become in sleepy condition. Then again, when we come out of the mother's abdomen, that is awakening state. There are three states of conditions: jāgara, suṣupti, and svapna-dreaming condition, awakening condition, and unconscious or deep... Actually, we do not die. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. There is no question of death. It is simply sleeping or deep sleeping, like that.
So if we keep Kṛṣṇa consciousness very active always, that means try to understand Kṛṣṇa from different angles of vision. Here also, as we are studying analytically the functions of agni, but what is this agni?
That is nondevotee. And a devotee recognizes. This is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee.
So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to turn the consciousness. Everyone is thinking in a different way, consciousness. We are just trying to transfer their consciousness into Kṛṣṇa. Then he will be happy. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). If we practice like that, then we become eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram. We have to give up this body. But if we give up this body, at the time of death, if we can think of Kṛṣṇa, it is very difficult, but if we practice it... Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Sadā means always. If we practice this simple method: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma..., then it is possible. So where is the difficulty? Where is the loss?
If you don't get anything because there is nāma-aparādha, offenses in chanting... There are ten kinds of offenses. So if you can avoid the offenses... The name is pure, "Kṛṣṇa." But even though it is chanted offensive, by chanting, chanting, you become cleansed. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. It may take little time, but be sure that your consciousness will be cleansed, clear, transparent, and that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The... At the present moment we have got consciousness, but that is contaminated. "I am American conscious," "I am Indian conscious." Somebody is dog conscious, cat conscious, so many consciousness. But by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, this contamination of the consciousness will be cleansed, crystalized. It will be. Then you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And as soon as you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are in direct touch. We are direct in touch with Kṛṣṇa, but it is covered by some cloud of ignorance. Otherwise, nothing can exist without Kṛṣṇa's touch. That is not possible.
Therefore it is, America, is now so rich, because their standard of living and their standard of living is different. They could also develop this country very nicely, but their civilization, their standard of living, their consciousness, was different. So it is on the basis of different standard of consciousness the standard of living and existence is dependent.
So our process is to come to the standard of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no denial; the demands of the body are to be supplied because without supply of the demands of the body, how can I live? That is not to be neglected. But Ṛṣabhadeva advised, "My dear sons, your demands of the body should not be like the demands of the body of the hog and cats and dogs. That is not..." So... Now what is the aim of the demands of the body? The demands of the body, the ultimate aim is pleasure.
Prabhupāda: Why? Why? Consciousness, you understand. If you have got some occupation... Consciousness there must be. You are conscious, but your consciousness is absorbed in some thought, particular type of thought. Is it not?
Student: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Student: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: That you have to learn. Yes. That you have to learn, how they are becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious, what is the process, how they're executing. But Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as generally the consciousness is absorbed in a particular type of thought, similarly, when your consciousness will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa's thought, that is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is your perfect consciousness. Yes.
No, that is not artificial. That is rebellion to the established law. That is not, I mean to say, freedom. There are so many things. Therefore you have to understand what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. You see? Not to... Not in an hour or in a minute you can understand. We are... We have got so many literatures, books, and you can study them. You can try to understand, if you are serious. But we... Actually, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means, as our thoughts are always absorbed in some type of consciousness, we are absorbed in some type of thought, similarly, when our consciousness will be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought, that is the perfection of life. (pause) Yes?
That is wanted, not to accumulate money. Nothing will go with us. Everything will remain. The bank balance will remain in the bank, and we have to go, and there will be fight amongst the claimants. So that will be created. But nothing will go with you. Simply your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, will help you. At the time of death, if you remember Kṛṣṇa... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Some way or other, if you remember at the time of death Kṛṣṇa, then your life is successful. So it doesn't matter whether you remain outside home or inside home, what is your occupation, but do not forget your real business. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So here, it is suggested that in this human form of life, you have got two choices. Either you again go to hell or you go back to home, back to Godhead. Two choices, that in, by evolutionary process, you come to the human form of life after going through eight million forms of lower-grade life. Then you come to this human form of life, when your consciousness is developed. You are not exactly like animals. The animal propensities are there, but it is decent. Because you have got good, advanced consciousness. The animals eat; we also eat. But our eating process is more decent than the animals. We have got nice kitchen. We can prepare varieties of foodstuff by mixing so many eatables. Because we have got intelligence, we can do. The animals cannot do. So similarly, sleeping. There are animals. There are animals. They also sleep. We also sleep, but our apartment is very nice, we have got nice bed—in a improved way.
So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness... Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahma-jyotir. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). That is full consciousness.
Similarly, we, although very minute particle of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but qualitatively we are one. Quantitatively we are different. So if one understands that we are small particles of the Supreme Lord and our business is to dovetail our consciousness with His consciousness, that is perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But it is not very easy also at the same time. To immediately accept that "My consciousness may be dovetailed with Kṛṣṇa's consciousness," then I become almost like Kṛṣṇa. The example I have given here in this class many times, that a car, motorcar, is running at seventy miles speed, but if a cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also run on the same speed. So although the cyclist is small... Similarly, although we are small particle... Just like in the fire, these sparks, the particle sparks, we can see they are very small in comparison to the fire, but when the fire and the sparks are together, everything is beautiful. Everything is beautiful.
We give immediately alternative. You dance. You don't dance in the naked club; dance in the Kṛṣṇa's temple. The dancing is there, but is purified. In the club there are also girls are dancing and boys are dancing. Here also, girls are dancing and boys are..., but they are dancing for Kṛṣṇa ecstasy. So nothing is stopped. This is bhakti. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means you have to simply change your consciousness. Consciousness is there. At the present moment our consciousness is polluted. Just like water. Water is always pure. But when it is... Just like rain falls from the sky. You catch. Before touching the earth, you catch the water, it is distilled water. It is distilled water. Sometimes they catch, they hold the water. It is distilled water. You take so much time to distill water. Rain is distilled water, purified, without any contamination. But as soon as it touches this surface of the earth, it becomes muddy. Similarly, we are also...
He lives. Otherwise it is suffocating. Just imagine if you are put in a airtight box, tied up, hands and legs. How long you can live? So we remain in that condition, unconscious stage. Then, when the body is formed, we get our consciousness. Therefore at the age when the child is seven years, er, seven months old, it moves because he feels the pains.
So in this way we have to remain within the womb of the mother. And when the body is formed, time is right, then by nature's way the child comes out. But he forgets that "I was in such condition. Now I am relieved." But he forgets. The mother or the father or the relative takes him. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung these different conditions. So we forget. That is spell of māyā. Then, even in this childhood, there are so many pains. Just like our... Here are children. They are crying. There is some pain. But we cannot understand what is the pain. Suppose some bug is biting.
The so-called Darwin's evolutionary theory... Some way or other, he brings to the human body, but he has not discussed what is after human body. He has avoided. But after this, that depends on your work. Because your consciousness is developed than the animal, than the cats and dogs. And the śāstra is giving you information, how you can get the other body, next body.
My duty is, this body belongs to God, I belong to God, my mind belongs to God, everything belongs to God. And I simply have to offer, "My dear Lord, I have brought this little flower, this fruit, kindly accept it." Nothing belongs to you. The fruit is God's. The flower is God's. You are God's. Simply you have to change your consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everything is given by God. You have not manufactured the fruit or flower or your body or... Nothing. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, when you understand that "Everything belongs to God. Why it should be utilized for other purpose?" It should be utilized for God.
There is another example. Just like somebody drops his money bag, unconsciously drops. So somebody picks up and he thinks, "Oh, here is so much money. Put it in my pocket." (laughter) He's a thief. He's a thief. That is karmī. Karmī is trying to simply take from God's property and putting in his own pocket. That is karmī.
We do not know when, but since a very, very long time, anādi... Ādi means it is beginning of this creation. And before that, anādi. Anādi bahir-mukha jīva. We are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa since a very, very long time, and going within the cycle of birth and death, transmigration. So we get the opportunity, this human form of life. So we must revive our consciousness by going through, by understanding, by hearing these literatures. Veda-Purāṇa. Veda-Purāṇa. Anādi bahir-mukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela. Our position is: we have forgotten God. But this forgetfulness can be subdued, and we can revive our original consciousness. Just like a man sleeping, but if you call him again and again, "Mr. such and such, get up. Get up. Now your time is to go to office and do this, to do that," similarly, although we are sleeping on the lap of māyā, kota nidrā yao māyā piśācīra kole, so we can be awakened by simply this chanting process, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
One should be cautious, that's all. Therefore one should hear, one should be cautious, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will help. We should be cautious, but if something is done unwillingly, that is excused by Kṛṣṇa. That is another thing. We are offending in every moment, but when it is within our consciousness we should take some precaution that "This should not be done. If I have done, ask excuse." That's all. Finish.
We have got already... We have come to this material world to fulfill our lusty desires. Naturally whenever there is any lusty activities, our heart disease immediately becomes impeted, and the same thing happened to Ajāmila. And graha-grasto vicetasaḥ. Graha-grasta. Just like when we are haunted by ghost—a ghost captures, then vicetasaḥ, we are lost, lost of our our consciousness, our intelligence—he became like that. Tām eva manasā dhyāyan. Then, instead of meditating on Kṛṣṇa, he began to meditate on the lusty affairs of the śūdra and the śūdrāṇī.
Even in this material world, goodness, that is also bondage, and what to speak of passion and ignorance. So Kṛṣṇa says anyone who is engaged in devotional service, immediately, sa samatītyaitān guṇān. Etān guṇān means these three qualities of material nature, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). That is real stage of ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Śaṅkarācārya taught his philosophy, to develop your consciousness to the platform of Brahman understanding. When one understands himself that "I am not this body, I do not belong to this material world. I am spirit soul," that is Brahman understanding. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). At that time he becomes very jolly. So there are many different process of austerity to come to this platform of Brahman understanding, but if one is engaged in this devotional service, sravanam kīrtanam visnu, he is to be understood as already on the Brahman platform. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "I think such person has studied completely. His knowledge is perfect." Tan manye adhītam uttamam.
This is all defense. So eating, sleeping, defense, or sex life is required, but you have got another prerogative. Consciousness. That is to be changed into, that is to be improved into Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. That is your duty. So unless we are trained up to change our consciousness which we have had in many other animal life Because this is evolutionary process. Jalajā nava-lakṣāni. From 900,000 species of life of aquatics, then trees and plants, then reptiles, worms, then birds, then beasts, then uncivilized men, then we have come to this form of civilized men who are, there is intelligence for production, there is nice brain for so many things. So how it should be utilized? Prahlāda Mahārāja says it should be utilized for understanding God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, it is simply a misuse of life. Thank you very much.
Then what is the ultimate solution? Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). If we surrender to Kṛṣṇa, then we revive our original position. That is... Kṛṣṇa consciousness means instead of keeping so many things in consciousness... They are all polluted consciousness. The real... We have got consciousness, that is a fact, but our consciousness is polluted. So we have to purify the consciousness. To purify consciousness means bhakti. Bhakti, the definition given in Nārada Pañcarātra...
Otherwise, we are missing the point. We are missing the opportunity of this human form of life. We are simply living like cats and dogs and dying like cats and dogs. And if we maintain that mentality like cats and dogs, then next life... Because we are given the opportunity by nature to utilize our consciousness, to utilize our intelligence, to understand God. But if we do not utilize, if we live like cats and dogs, then next life we have to accept, by nature's law, the body of cats and dog. This is bhāgavata-dharma. This is an opportunity. Here is the opportunity to make your choice whether again you are going to be cats and dogs or whether you are going to be elevated to the highest position, back to home, back to Godhead.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemam. Kṣemam means auspicity. The highest auspicity of life is to reconnect his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga. Real yoga means this, that we are, at the present moment we have lost our consciousness. Not actually we have lost our consciousness; we have lost our memory. Consciousness is there, but consciousness may be differently contaminated. Different person, your consciousness may be different from my consciousness. You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination. Just like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal.
Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body, and as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness. There is no feeling. So our consciousness should be purified. Now the consciousness is contaminated by material association in so many ways. Just like the blood purification tonic is given. If the doctor finds by examination of the blood... In your country, as soon as you go to a doctor, immediately, "Please offer your blood." The demand is immediately blood. That is, of course, scientific, modern science. But according to Ayur Vedic system, there is no demand of blood.
So anyway, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ: "Instead of wasting your time for increasing the standard of sense gratification, the best thing will be to apply your energy for reviving your original Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. Na tathā vindate kṣemaṁ mukunda-caraṇāmbujam. Tat-prayāso kartavyo: "That endeavor should be done by which your time is not wasted, but you can revive, you can purify your consciousness, you can revive yourself to your original position, and that is your highest gain."
Our business is to revive our original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It doesn't matter in which pot I am at the present moment. Ahaituky apratihatā. You can taste Kṛṣṇa consciousness without any hesitation, without any check, without any hindrance. You can have. Simply you have to see inside to our consciousness and rectify the consciousness. That is required in this human form of life. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja in the beginning said, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. This understanding, this knowledge can be attained only in human form of life. This analysis of unhappiness and distress can be explained before a human being. If I call three dozen dogs here and ask him, "Now hear Bhāgavata," it is not possible. The dog will not be able to understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but a man, however low he may be, if he has got little intelligence, he will be able to understand. Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. You have got the opportunity to understand what is bhāgavata-dharma. Don't lose it like cats and dogs.
So the whole idea is that our desires, ko nv artha-tṛṣṇām... Artha-tṛṣṇām meens desiring for getting money, visṛjet. That is not possible. So long you are in this material world, one cannot give up these desires. Therefore I was saying these Europeans, American boys, they prefer to become hippies. That is another process of desirelessness—don't want. They are coming from rich man's house, but they don't want. That is a desireless, but it is not properly utilized. Now they have got this opportunity: how to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they are advancing so quickly. So desirelessness is not possible. Desire there will be. When we change our consciousness, desire is transferred for Kṛṣṇa's service, that is perfect life.
And this consciousness, what is that consciousness? It is the effulgence of the soul. Consciousness is also not you are. It is just like this lamp has got some effulgence and illumination. Similarly, the soul has got illumination. That illumination is this consciousness. So this illumination, this consciousness is also limited. Your consciousness, my consciousness, they are limited. You cannot perceive or understand what I am thinking; I cannot perceive or understand what you are thinking. If you are feeling, I mean to say, uncomfortable, I do not understand it. And if I am feeling happy, you do not understand it. In this way, if you make analytical study, you'll know that every one of us is individual and we have got individual consciousness, limited consciousness, not extensive. The Māyāvādī philosophers who mistake that "I am unlimited consciousness," no. If you deliberate, if you think wisely, then you are not unlimited consciousness. Your consciousness cannot approach my perception. Therefore I am limited consciousness.
And sound sleep, just like you are sleeping sound, somebody is taking you away to another place. You do not know. I have got experience. I have got, underwent some, some surgical operation. So I was under chloroform. So I did not know when I was operated, when I was in the operation table, then who brought me again to my bed. And in this way I did not... But when gradually I got my consciousness, I remember still, that I am sleeping, and then I am dreaming. Then I come to consciousness, active consciousness. This is the position.
"What sort of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is there? They are also eating. They are also typewriting. They are also going to office. They are also working. And everything is there. They are looking after printing press. And so many things, everything. What is this Kṛṣṇa?" Because it is simply being done on account of Kṛṣṇa. The consciousness is the same. Your consciousness, my consciousness is the same. If you apply to certain objective, that is called "that-consciousness." Similarly, if you apply your consciousness simply for Kṛṣṇa, ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167), just favorably, you, I mean..., engage your senses for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa advises in the Bhagavad-gītā, yudhyasva mām anusmara: (BG 8.7) "You fight. At the same time, think of Me." That is the prescription. So Arjuna, he was a fighter. In the beginning, he was a fighter. At the end he remained a fighter. He did not change his position. After hearing Bhagavad-gītā, he did not change his position—he was a fighter, and he become a mendicant, or he become a swami. No.
So that is described in Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, that you are this consciousness. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That you are, that permanent, the consciousness. And what is that consciousness? That consciousness is, pure form, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I am servant of God." This is pure consciousness. So long my consciousness is designated, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Chinese," "I am Russian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian..." These are all designations due to this body. But actually I am neither American, neither Indian, nor Christian, nor Hindu, nor Muslim, but I am eternally the servant of God. So Prahlāda Mahārāja is submitting that "If you are servant of God, eternally, then you find out your engagement, eternal engagement. That is the duty of your human form of life. Don't be misled by designation." Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to become free from all designations. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). You have to become free from all designations. Tat-paratvena nirmalam.
I am quite safe." Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ. "Then why you are...? You appear to be very anxious. Why you are anxious?" "Yes. I have got anxiety." What is that anxiety? Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa: "I am simply disturbed for those rascals who are bereft of Your consciousness. Who have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I am simply anxious for them." Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa. "Why you are anxious for them?" Because indriyārtha-māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). "These foolish rascals, they have created a very troublesome civilization simply for sense gratification. That's all. Their so-called advancement of civilization, machine and machinery and so many things, they've complicated. But what is their purpose? The purpose is indriya sukha. Indriya sukha means sense gratification. That's all. And what is that sense gratification? Māyā sukha indriyārtham. For the matter of the senses.
If you have always that consciousness that it belongs to Kṛṣṇa... Just like a bank cashier. He knows that millions of dollars is coming to him, but he knows that "This is belonging to the bank. I am simply cashier." Similarly, you can deal with all the worldly things, but if your consciousness is Kṛṣṇa then you are free. Nikhileṣv apy avasthāsu jīvan muktaḥ sa ucyate. In any condition of life if one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, he's always liberated. He's not affected. So that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness does not teach you to become a false renouncer. What is the use of becoming a renouncer? After all, you have got this body. How can you renounce it? Either you cover it with underwear or either you cover it with costly dress, you have to cover it. So that covering also belongs to Kṛṣṇa. So we have to be situated under the consciousness that "Everything is Kṛṣṇa's. Nothing belongs to me." That is the actual fact.
Just like a crazy boy forgets his father and mother and home, goes away. But the relationship between the son and the parents cannot be lost. As soon as the son comes back, the parents receives him very nicely. Similarly, we are all sons of the Supreme Lord. We have forgotten our father, we have forgotten our relationship, and we are loitering in this material world as helpless, and if we revive our consciousness, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "My home is in the spiritual world. I am a foreigner in this material world..." Just like a foreigner is traveling from one place to another, similarly, I am also changing my body from one body to another, one planet to another. But there is no permanent settlement anywhere in this material world. This is our condition.
Janārdana: You're not supposed to ask from God anything for yourself. So you can ask from God maybe things to help improve your consciousness?
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Janārdana: He is asking this question. (break)
Prabhupāda: Ask anything for your necessities. That is pure consciousness.
Janārdana: (translates into French)
Prabhupāda: Just like a child. He does not ask anything from his parents. The parents are careful to supply everything he needs. Similarly, God is already careful to supply our needs. Just like in the beast society, bird society, they do not pray. They haven't got any church. They do not go to the church to pray, "My dear Lord, father, give us our daily grains," but they are supplied without prayer. So that arrangement is already there. Therefore one who is intelligent, his prayer should be simply gratitude, that "My dear father, You have supplied the necessities of my life so much amply, I must be feeling very grateful. So these preparations I have made for You because it is Your goods. You have supplied these grains, so You kindly first of all take. Then I will take." So Kṛṣṇa-prasādam. This is Kṛṣṇa-prasādam, acknowledgement. So we are not prepared even to do that, neither we are prepared to follow the rules and regulation. We must follow the rules and regulation, what is allotted for us or what should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. If we want to offer Kṛṣṇa something, then we must offer such things which Kṛṣṇa wants to eat.
People do not know the seriousness of material existence, and they continue and waste their, the chance, human being. Human form of life is a chance to rectify, but they do not care. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. Everyone, door to door, a devotee has to go and teach them that "You are leading a very, very irresponsible life. Be responsible to your consciousness and be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That will save you."
Now, as I have already explained to you, that being qualitatively one, as we have got consciousness, God has also got... He is also conscious. He has got consciousness. So when this individual consciousness is in agreement with the superconsciousness, it is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that our consciousness at the present moment is misguided. We have to dovetail it with Kṛṣṇa's consciousness. This is called oneness, or agreeing with the superconsciousness. That is called oneness. For example, just like you are citizens of this German state. If you are in agreement with the state laws, your life is secure and safe. But if you are in disagreement with the state laws, your life is not safe. Similarly, when we are in agreement with the supreme consciousness, then we become immediately peaceful and happy. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā.
Just like Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "You do it," but He does not force him: "You do it." "If you like, you do it." Kṛṣṇa does not touch your independence. He simply requests you, "You do it."
So we can become happy and peaceful by keeping our individuality if we dovetail our consciousness with the supreme consciousness. That is also explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This surrendering process, this voluntarily surrendering oneself to dovetail his consciousness with Kṛṣṇa, is possible after many, many births.
The formation is just like a small grain. That grain develops because the spirit soul has taken shelter. Then body... It is not that the body develops automatically, and at seven months there is life. No. Life... The consciousness may be there. That is another... Consciousness... Sometimes, if I am surcharged with anesthetics, if I am chloroformed, my consciousness is not there. That does not mean I am not there. Consciousness sometimes may be absent. One man fainted; there is no consciousness. That does not mean there is no life. There is life. The consciousness has not developed.
So this increasing the artificial necessities of life is possible when there is no higher thought. After all, we are thoughtful. We have got better consciousness in the human form of life than the animals. Our consciousness is developed. But because in this age, material world, we have no spiritual idea, so whatever power we have got in thinking, we are trying to increase artificially material way of life. "The idle brain is a devil's workshop."
| Page Title: | Our consciousness (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of May, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=91, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 91 |