So this battlefield, because Kṛṣṇa wanted to kill them, and the result was—you will find in the Bhagavad-gītā, they all attained svarūpa. Anyone who was killed, who died in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, in the presence of Kṛṣṇa, they all attained their original, constitutional position, spiritual form. They all went back to home, back to Godhead, everyone. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is Absolute. Either His killing or His protecting, it is all the same. You don't think that Kṛṣṇa is killing. No. If anyone is killed by Kṛṣṇa, he immediately gets liberation: the liberation for which great great saintly persons, sages, they undergo severe austerities for life after life, simply by being killed, he gets that. So by becoming Kṛṣṇa's enemy, one gets this benefit.
Back to Godhead (Lectures, BG)
Expressions researched:
"Back to God"
|"Back to Godhead"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
No, no, that one old lady is requesting her husband, "Chant chant chant," and the husband is replying, "Can't can't can't." (laughter). There was a cartoon. So we are requesting everyone, "Please chant," and they are replying, "Can't." Still, they will not chant. This is the difficulty. Otherwise, we can deliver all the people on this earth back to home, back to Godhead, simply by this process. Chant and take prasādam. This should be...
Just like the other day we held the festival, Ratha-yātrā. Chant and take prasādam. That's all. Organize this all over the world. They will be saved. They will understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam... (Brs. 1.2.234). Kṛṣṇa will appear. Kṛṣṇa... You cannot see Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. You cannot order Kṛṣṇa, "Please come, I will see You." No. When He is pleased with your service, He will come. "Yes, I am here. See Me." That is the history. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. Dhruva Mahārāja was meditating, and within six months, he saw Kṛṣṇa, face to face. So everyone can see. Everyone will be able, provided we utilize the tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. Jihvādau. Jihvādau means "beginning with the tongue." We have got senses, all senses, eyes, ears, touch, so many senses. But begin with the sense, tongue. Try to control the tongue and engage in Kṛṣṇa's service.
Simply by trying, not perfectly. Even imperfectly. Because he is endeavoring to understand Kṛṣṇa, that very activity will make him liberated. That very activity. It is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa. He is so great, unlimited. How we can understand Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa cannot understand Himself. Or Ananta cannot understand. So... Actually, that is the fact. We cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. But still, whatever Kṛṣṇa says about Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā, if we accept so much, then we immediately become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home. Simply. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means in truth. The tattvataḥ cannot understand.
This is Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa. He's come simultaneously, not only within your heart, within the atom. Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-sthaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... (Bs. 5.35). Not only within your heart, but within the atom. Just imagine. How many atoms there are. So Kṛṣṇa is everywhere. These are..., we have to take information of Kṛṣṇa from the śāstra. Śāstram eva cakṣusā (?). Vedānta-sūtra. Your eyes should be śāstra, not your so-called imagination. śāstra-cakṣusā. Yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma... (BG 16.23). If you give up the direction of the śāstra and manufacture your own way, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ, as you like, then na sa siddhim avāpnoti: you will never get siddhi, perfection, never get. Na sa siddhim avāp..., na sukham, neither happiness. And what to speak of parāṁ gatim, going back to home, back to Godhead. So śāstra-cakṣusā. Everything we have to take from the śāstra. Because we are blind now. śāstra-cakṣusā. Our, the śāstra-jñāna, because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with śāstra-jñāna, therefore he is spiritual master. If the spiritual master bluffs the disciple, then he is not spiritual master. Bluffing.
So this problem, attachment for this material world, gradually we have to cut it. That is the Vedic civilization. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then at the same time, if you remain attached to this material world, so-called society, friendship and love, then it is not possible. So long you will have a pinch of attraction with this material world, there is no possibility of being transferred to the spiritual world. This is the position. Therefore by training, by education, we have to become detached. Detached, this society, friendship and love. We have to understand the falsity of this so-called society, friendship and love. It is just like... because we are being carried away by the waves of māyā. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, māyār bośe, jāccho bhese, Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. Just like we see sometimes in rainy season, so many plants and creepers and vegetables and so many other things are floating in the river, going.
So long we are in this material world, we are being tossed by different currents, and sometimes I am here as the master of some kingdom, and sometimes I am dog of somebody else. This is my position. The same thing. Very good example, that we are being carried away by the waves of māyā. Sometimes we are gathering together. So many straws and vegetables, they gather together. And sometimes the same vegetables and straws are thrown asunder. One is there, one is here. So here also, we assemble here as society, friendship and love exactly like that. In the waves of māyā. Then nobody is your father, nobody is your mother, nobody is your sister, nobody. It is simply māyic, illusory combination. Illusory combination, temporary combination. And we are so much attached to this combination that we are refusing to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our position.
So from the beginning we have to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness if we are actually serious to go back to home, back to Godhead. Not that let it be left for two or three years before death. Oh, it is not so easy. It is not so easy. Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends therefore,
- kaumāra ācaret prājño
- dharmān bhāgavatān iha
- durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
- tad apy adhruvam arthadam
- (SB 7.6.1)
He was five years old, Kṛṣṇa conscious, from the womb of his mother. He heard instruction of Nārada. Nārada was instructing his mother. He was in the womb. Fortunately, by God's grace, he heard all the instruction of Nārada when he was in the womb of his mother. And the result was, from the beginning of his life, he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. From the beginning. As soon as he took birth, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. So he was advising his class friends, preaching. Just see. He was five-years-old boy, but he was taking the opportunity of preaching. Because the teacher... He is born of demon family. So all those class friends, they were also sons of demons. So there is no question of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he learned Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the womb of his mother.
You have no experience in your country, scorching heat. But India, 122 degrees. Just imagine, this year. Still they have to go to work. So somewhere it is severe cold and somewhere it is severe scorching heat. This is nature's law. You have to suffer. While you are in cold country, you think that "India is very warm. They are very happy." (laughs) And in India they are thinking, "In England they are very happy." This is the way. This is illusion. Nobody thinks that there is no happiness within these three worlds, beginning from Brahmaloka down to the Pātālaloka. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). There is no happiness, even if you go to the Brahmaloka and get the opportunity of living like Brahmā, millions of years, and thousand times better standard of life. Still it is not happiness. They do not know it. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). Therefore mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. Therefore our aim should be only how to go back to home back to Godhead. That should be.
So without becoming a disciple in bhakti-yoga, nobody can study Kṛṣṇa. It is not possible. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). So the whole thing, Bhagavad-gītā is there, how to understand Kṛṣṇa. As soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). There is no more again birth in this material world. You go back to home, back to Godhead.
The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virāt body. Virāt means gigantic. Kṛṣṇa will show His virāt-rūpa to Arjuna. So this external body, exactly just like we have got our this external body. Internal body.
Now, simply by chanting harer nāma, the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa, you become again situated in the original position. Everything is adjusted because it is transcendental. So there is no other way. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is so merciful that from the śāstras he has selected this process of saṅkīrtana movement: ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanam (CC Antya 20.12). The human life is meant for extinguishing the blazing fire of material existence. But we are not in regulative principles. We have lost everything, our sanātana-kula-dharma, everything. Under the circumstances, Caitanya Mahāprabhu gives us the greatest facility according to śāstra. That is the boon of this age: kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, everyone becomes free from all contamination of this age, mukta-saṅgaḥ, paraṁ vrajet. And he becomes so purified that he becomes fit to go back to home, back to Godhead. So this opportunity, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we should not miss. We should... We must. Where is the difficulty, Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting? Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā. This is the only savior for the human society of this age.
Of course, when woman comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that position is different. We are speaking of ordinary woman. Because Kṛṣṇa says, in another place, striyo vaiśyas tathā śūdraḥ (BG 9.32). They are considered, women, vaiśya, the mercantile community, and śūdra, and the worker class, they are less intelligent. Pāpa-yoni. When the progeny is defective, then they become less intelligent. So Kṛṣṇa says:
- māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
- ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
- striyo vaiśyas tathā śūdras
- te 'pi yānti paraṁ gatiḥ
- (BG 9.32)
Even pāpa-yoni, degraded birth, even women, śūdra and vaiśya, they also can become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious by training. And they can also go back to home, back to Godhead, without any check.
So if we are actually human beings, manuṣyāṇāṁ... (break) Kula-dharma, this family tradition, is not meant for the cats and dogs. If you live like cats... (break) ...there is no question of family tradition. But if you live, want to live like human being, manuṣyāṇāṁ, then this system must be... (break) ...puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān (CC Madhya 8.58). Catur-vārṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Then society must be divided into four classes... As we have got four divisions in (break) ...brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra must be there. (break) And each one should serve according to his guṇa-karma, quality and capacity to work. Then the whole society is organized... (break) ...will be perfect, there will be peace... (break) ...no war, nothing of the sort, and gradually making progress back to home, back to Godhead. Otherwise it will be chaos... (break) ...become at the present moment.
So it is great sin." That's a fact. If the warfare in the Kurukṣetra battlefield was for Arjuna's sense satisfaction, then it was a great sin. But actually, it is not being done for Arjuna's satisfaction. It is to be done for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. So therefore the conclusion should be that whatever we do, if we do it for our own sense satisfaction, that is mahā-pāpam, sinful activities. But if we do the same thing for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction, that is spiritual advancement. This is the difference. So outsiders, they think that... A karmī is working for his own satisfaction and a devotee is working for Kṛṣṇa's satisfaction. Although two things are similar, externally it appears the same thing, but there is great difference. Whatever you do for your own satisfaction, for the satisfaction of your whims, that is mahā-pāpa, great sin. The same thing, when you do for Kṛṣṇa, that is opening your path to liberation, back to home, back to Godhead. This is difference. You have to change the consciousness. What you are doing? For whom you are doing? For yourself or for Kṛṣṇa? This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is the perfection of life. In whatever position you are, whatever you are doing, it doesn't matter.
So this is Gauḍīya-Vaiṣṇava philosophy. It requires time. So the activities of Kṛṣṇa, the rascals, if they simply see that "Kṛṣṇa is enticing Arjuna to fight; therefore Kṛṣṇa is immoral," that is, means wrong vision. You have to see Kṛṣṇa with separate eyes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ ca. Divyam (BG 4.9). These transcendental activities of Kṛṣṇa, if anyone can understand, simply if anyone can understand, then he becomes liberated immediately. Liberated. Not liberated ordinary liberation, but for going back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The greatest liberation. There are different types of liberation also. Sāyujya sārūpya sārṣṭi sālokya sāyujya... (CC Madhya 6.266). Five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya means to merge into the existence, Brahman, brahma-laya (merging in the impersonal). That is also liberation. The Māyāvādīs or the jnani sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence, Brahman existence. That is also mukti. That is called sāyujya-mukti. But for a devotee, this sāyujya-mukti is just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. So for Vaiṣṇava, kaivalyam, to, monism, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, is compared with hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). And the karmīs... Jñānīs are anxious to merge into the existence of the Brahman effulgence, and the karmīs, their highest aim is how to be elevated in the higher planetary system, Svarga-loka, where Lord Indra is there, or Brahmā is there. That is karmī's ambition, to go to the heaven. They all, except Vaiṣṇava philosophy, in all other literature, all other scripture, means Christian and Mohammedan, their aim is how to be elevated to the heaven.
So yogis also, they try to control the senses, not only tongue, but all other, ten kinds of senses, by that yogis mystic process. So why they are trying to control? Because the senses are just like serpents. A serpent... Just like they touch anywhere, immediately something up to death. Injury there must be up to death. This is exemplified: just our sex impulse. As soon as there is illicit sex, there is so many difficulties. Of course, nowadays it has all become very easy. Formerly it was very difficult, especially in India. Therefore a young girl was always protected, because if she mixes with the boys, somehow or other, as soon as there is sex, she becomes pregnant. And it will be no more possible to get her married. No. Touched by the serpent. This is... Vedic civilization is very strict. Because the whole aim was how to go back to home, back to Godhead, not sense gratification, eat, drink, be merry, enjoy. That is not the aim of human life. So everything was planned with that aim. Viṣṇur aradhyate.
Even the creation is annihilated after millions and trillions of years, the living entities, they are not annihilated. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). They remain. So when this whole cosmic manifestation will be annihilated, the living entities will remain in the body of Viṣṇu. Then when again another creation will take place, they will come out again to fulfill their desires. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead.
So this chance is given. So if this chance is misused, this life, human form of life, it is very, very risky. Again we will have to accept the cycle of birth and death. And not only that, if we do not fulfill the mission of life, then again there will be annihilation of the whole creation and we will have to stay within the body of Viṣṇu for millions and trillions of years. Again we will have to come. So therefore it is called anādi karama-phale. Anādi means "before the creation." This is going on. And to teach the befooled living entities, Kṛṣṇa personally comes. Kṛṣṇa is very much anxious to take us back to home, back to Godhead. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Suppose if your son is loitering in the street, are you not anxious, "Oh, there may be some accident, and the poor boy will be killed." So you go, try to find out. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's position is like that.
So long I am working for the maintenance of this body. Now I understand that body is my superficial shirt and coat dress." One should not take simply care for the shirt and coat. Any gentleman knows. Shirt and coat, we take care of course, but not that as the self. Similarly, the present civilization is in a shirt-coat civilization, present civilization. They do not know what is there within the shirt-coat. That they are missing. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is therefore very important. The missing point is being presented that you are not this body. You are within this body, spirit soul. You just try to come out of this entanglement of birth, death, old age, and go back to home, back to Godhead.
I think so. (laughter) Not only I, all of my disciples. They are going to... Because we are not speaking nonsense. This is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. Any one who understands Kṛṣṇa factually, the result is tyaktvā deham, giving up this body, he never accepts again material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore, because we are trying to understand Kṛṣṇa, and if by Kṛṣṇa's grace we can understand Him, then we are not again going to accept any material body. That's a fact.
So if we have to prepare ourself in this life for the next body, why not prepare yourself for a body back to home, back to Godhead. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are teaching every man how he can prepare himself so that after leaving this body, he can go directly to God. Back to home, back to Godhead. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Tyaktvā deham, after giving up this... (break) ...we have to give up. I may not like to give up this body, but I'll have to. That is nature's law. "As sure as death." Before death, we must prepare ourselves, what is next body. If we are not doing that, then we are killing ourselves, committing suicide. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to save the human kind from being fatally injured by the wrong conception of bodily concept of life. And the simple method is by chanting the sixteen words, or if you are philosopher, if you are scientist, if you want to know everything scientifically, philosophically, we have got big, big books like this. You can either read books or simply join with us and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Yes. To go back to Godhead means you don't get this material body. So long you get this material body, you have to change. That is the material nature. Anything which is material, it has got a date of birth and it has got a date of annihilation. And in the via media there is growth, their existence. So this body, not only this body, even this material world, it has got a date or creation, and it will be annihilated. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). It comes into manifestation once, and again it is destroyed. This is material existence. When you go back to home, back to Godhead, you haven't got to accept this material body. Your spiritual body is already there within this material body. And in that spiritual body you shall exist along with God. That is the highest perfection of life.
Just like we are holding this class. Even those who are not devotee, outsider, if they come they can also understand, then he becomes, one becomes very seriously anxious how to understand God, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Then Kṛṣṇa immediately helps. This is the process. Kṛṣṇa is there within your heart. As soon as you become little serious, immediately, Kṛṣṇa is ready. Kṛṣṇa is ready, He is sitting with you as a friend. Simply looking for the opportunity when you'll come back to Him. That is Kṛṣṇa. He's always sitting with you. But we are not willing to go back to home, back to Godhead. We want to become God in this material world. This is our position. Instead of going back to home, back to Godhead, live with God, we want to become God here. That is our position. Therefore, we are suffering. Here, you can... Nowhere you cannot be God. God is one. Nobody can be equal or above Him. Everyone must be subordinate to God. Therefore those who are not learned—foolish people—they are trying to be happy in this material world by adjustment and becoming himself God. This is atheism and this is demoniac tendency. But those who are advanced in knowledge, they know that "We are eternally servant of God; we cannot become God. Better to remain servant of God; that is our happiness."
They are meant for the lesser intelligent class of men. Devotees' business is always to talk about Kṛṣṇa. Why they should stop talking? Maunam? No. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one has to chant and talk of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. Where is the question of maunam, silence? There is no question of silence. Silence is for those who are nonsense. "Be silent, don't talk." For them. At least they practice silence means at least they stop talking nonsense. But those who are actually advanced, for them there is no such restriction. Vācāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. We should use our talking power for describing the glories of the Lord. Vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. That is kīrtana. That is chanting. Abhavad naiyāsaki-kīrtane. Just like for seven days when Parīkṣit Mahārāja was going to die... He had only seven days left. So twenty-four hours without any eating or without any drinking a drop of water, he went on hearing from Śukadeva Gosvāmī. And similarly, Śukadeva Gosvāmī also went on speaking, speaking Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrī-viṣṇu-śravane parīkṣit. They got, both of them got salvation back to home, back to Godhead. How? One was hearing, and one was chanting. These two processes. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was hearing and Śukadeva Gosvāmī was chanting. And what was the subject matter? Kṛṣṇa. That's all.
Therefore this human form of body is meant for going back to home, back to Godhead. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). We are eternal. As God is eternal, we are also eternal because we are part and parcel of God. As God is always blissful, jolly, similarly our nature is always blissful and jolly. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal, and cit means blissful, cit means full of knowledge; and ānanda. Ānanda means blissfulness. That is our nature. Therefore we want to live. We do not wish to die. We do not wish... Nobody wishes to die, but we are forced to die. That is our punishment. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This instruction you will get in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "The living entity is eternal," śāśvata, "very, very old."
So this is material creation. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). As we have got this body, we have got the chance, not to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and if we miss, then I do not know where I am going next life. But I am not going to die, that's a fact. That will be explained in the next verse. I am not going to die. So we existed in the past, we are now existing at present, and we shall continue to exist in the future. This is the position. But how we shall exist? What kind of body, either demigod's body or dog's body or tree's body or fish's body, that will depend on my work. Or we go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa like... We get the spiritual body like Kṛṣṇa. Everything is possible.
So immediately we may not be able to purify. As it is prescribed—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, no intoxication—it may not be possible because those who are accustomed, it is difficult to give up. Therefore the process is given very simple: "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." So purification is absolute. That is necessary. Without purification, you cannot understand God. But the method we are prescribing... Not we are prescribing; it is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prescription. We are simply propagating that "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." Yes.
So I am very glad to see that you Mexican young boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen are coming here and joining the chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So I request you to continue this procedure. Please come here, join this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and take prasādam and go home. And surely you'll be purified and qualified for going back to home, back to Godhead.
So we are spirit soul. This is the chance of rectifying or purifying our existence. If we like, we can purify our existence in this human form of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify the existence, and after death, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, means you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti (BG 4.9). Simply by understanding and acting accordingly, you can purify your existence, and next life means after giving up this body... This body we have to give up. But those who are not purifying their existence, they will accept another material body. And those who have purified the existence, they will go back home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
So it is the duty of every father, every state, every guru, every friend, every relative how to engage the boy in spiritual life. Kaumāra ācaret prājñaḥ. Śāstra says, pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt: "One should not become father, one should not become mother," na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. The father and mother's duty is to the children that "This child has come to me in my womb," mother, "this is the last. He will have no more to come back to the womb of mother. I will teach him in such a way that he will be liberated." That is the duty of the father and mother. If one's father and mother is not able to coach and teach his children like that, how to get out of this entanglement of birth and death, he should not become father and mother. That is real contraceptive method, that "I should not produce cats and dogs. I should produce a child who will never come back again to another mother. He will be liberated. He will go back to home, back to Godhead." That is the duty of the father and mother. Not that produce cats and dogs. And therefore, the world is in trouble. They are fighting like cats and dogs, because cats and dogs have been produced and they have not been trained up. No brahmacārī system, no gṛhastha system, no vānaprastha system. Therefore, the Vedic conception of civilization is the perfect for human society. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). You will find everything in the Bhagavad-gītā.
That is also in this material world. When I shall go to the spiritual world, there is no more change of body. Eternal. As Kṛṣṇa has got His eternal body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), form, eternal blissful of knowledge, similarly, when we go back to home, back to Godhead, we get also similar body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). That is the difference. When Kṛṣṇa comes, He does not change His body. In this material world, Kṛṣṇa does not change. Therefore His name is Acyuta. He never changes. He never falls down, because He is the controller of māyā. And we are controlled by māyā. That is the difference. Material energy.... We are controlled by the material energy. But Kṛṣṇa is the controller of the material energy. Not only material energy, spiritual energy, all energies. Everything that we see, everything manifested, whatever we see, that is Kṛṣṇa's energy.
If you prepare yourself... Just like in childhood, boyhood, if you prepare yourself, nicely educated, then you get nice job, nice situation, you will be happy. Preparation for the next life. Similarly, if you prepare yourself in this life for going back to home, back to Godhead, then where is perplexity? There is no perplexity. "I am going to Kṛṣṇa I am going back to home, back to Godhead. Now I will have not to change material body. I will have my spiritual body. I shall now play with Kṛṣṇa, dance with Kṛṣṇa, eat with Kṛṣṇa." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Prepare yourself for the next life. Don't be... The man, dying man cries because maybe he is dreaming next life, horrible life. Because according to karma... Those who are very, very sinful, they cry, because they see horrible scenes at the time of death, and he is going to accept some type of body... But those who are pious, those who are devotees, they are dying without any anxiety. They are dying.
So the simple process is, as we are preaching in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that if you try to understand only what is Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa or Christ, the same thing. Then you get your original spiritual body. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be awakened simply by chanting the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, or the holy name of God. So keep yourself aloof from four kinds of sinful life and keep always in touch with Kṛṣṇa, and (or) God, Then you go back to home, back to Godhead. This advantage is possible in this human form of life. Otherwise, we are missing the chance. We may be again put in the cycle of that 8,400,000's forms of body. The process is very simple and easy because you can remain in your occupation, in whatever position you are. Simply you chant the holy name of God. Not only Hare Kṛṣṇa. You can chant the holy name of God, Christ. Christ is also the same as Kṛṣṇa. So do it. There is no expenditure, but the profit is very, very great.
So the conclusion is we should not put ourself in the cycle of birth and death continually in 8,400,000 species of life. To stop it and go back to home, back to Godhead, and regain your original spiritual life. (aside:) I can stop it? So thank you very much. If you have got any question on this subject matter, you can ask.
Yes. By chanting the holy name of God, you associate with God. God is absolute. He's not different from His name. So when you chant God's name means you immediately become in touch with God. And by chanting more and more, your association becomes more and more intimate. Then everything is disclosed to you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
- (BG 10.10)
If you keep in touch with God with faith and love, then God is within yourself, He'll give you intelligence how you can go back to home, back to Godhead. There are many different processes or yoga system to be in touch with God, but for the people in this age, this is the easiest method, to be in touch with God simply by chanting His holy name.
Oh, yes. That I've explained just a few minutes before. The animals were put into the sacrificial fire. By Vedic mantra, he was given new life. But at the present moment such expert priests and brāhmaṇas are not available. Therefore it is stopped. Animal sacrifice is stopped. Because it is Kali-yuga. Nobody is reading, cultivating Vedic mantras. So in this age, this mantra is called mahā-mantra, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That's all. All Vedic mantras are now gone to hell. You see? Nobody can properly chant Vedic mantras and take the benefit out of it. But this mantra, any way you chant, neglectfully or properly, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and the result is there. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative, kalau, in this age. So the Vedic mantra is now gone. This is also Vedic mantra, but this is Vedic mahā-mantra, the greatest of all mantras. Yes. So sacrifice everything and chant this mantra and go to Kṛṣṇa, back to Godhead. That's all.
The spiritual body means full of knowledge, just opposite. So we can get that body next life, and we have to cultivate how to get that type of body. We can cultivate to get the next body in the higher planetary system or we can cultivate the next body like cats and dog, and we can cultivate such body as eternal, blissful knowledge. Therefore the best intelligent person will try to get next body full of blissfulness, knowledge, and eternity. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). That place, that planet, or that sky, where you go and you'll never return back to this material world... In the material world, even if you promote to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, still, you'll have to come back again. And if you try your best to go to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead, you'll not come again to accept this material body.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to educate people for that purpose. Now, one may say that "If I simply devote in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then how my material necessities will be supplied?" So the answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that anyone who is simply engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for his necessities of life Kṛṣṇa will look after. Kṛṣṇa is looking after for everyone's maintenance. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān: "That one Supreme Person is maintaining the necessities of all living entities." So for a devotee who is trying to go back to home, back to Godhead, there will be no scarcity. Be rest assured. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham: (BG 10.10) "A devotee who is engaged always in My service, I look after, how his necessities of life will be fulfilled." A practical example is that in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have got one hundred centers, and each temple, not less than twenty-five, up to 250 devotees live.
We have to learn how to tolerate. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, the good descendant of Bharata Mahārāja, you try to tolerate this." Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has advised, therefore, just to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, how one should be tolerant. He has said, tṛṇād api sunīcena: "Just you become humbler than the grass." Just like one grass so many people are trampling over. It does not protest. Tṛṇād api sunī..., taror api sahiṣṇunā: "And tolerant more than the tree..." Just like tree. Somebody is taking his branches, somebody is snatching its fruit, sometimes cutting it, but still, the tree is giving you shelter, fruit, and leaves and fruits and flowers. Very good example. So anyone who is desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead, he has to learn to be tolerant and forbearing. That is the instruction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, tṛṇād api sunīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā, amāninā mānadena: "For himself, one should always think that he has no respect. He doesn't require to command any respect. But all respects he offer to others." In this way, if we become practiced, then we become fit for going back to Godhead, back to home.
"If one practices like that, then he becomes fit for going back to home, back to Godhead." So practice, anything you practice... In Bengali it is said śarīrera nama mahāśaya ya sahabe tai sa.(?) You practice in you body, and if you come to the point of tolerance, then anything you can practice and it will be tolerable. Just like in the morning, when we go for morning walk, they are practicing running. Eh? So many people are practicing running, but I cannot run. But... So if I practice for some days, I can also run.
So anything you practice, you'll be successful. So if by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you can go back to home, back to Godhead, why should you neglect it? That will solve your all problems. The real problem is birth, death, old age and disease, and if you can solve this problem simply by practicing some regulative principles, why don't you do it? So that is our request. We are opening hundreds of centers to give training to the people to practice this and go back to home, back to Godhead. But you cannot go back to home, back to Godhead, so cheaply. You have to practice certain regulative principle; then you will be fit. That is not very difficult, and if you practice, that will be very easy, and the beginning should be chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra so that you'll be fit for practicing also. So therefore, take full advantage of this movement. Now it is one... We have got center in your city. I request you to take full advantage of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be successful in your life. But rest assured. Do not be misled that (sic:) after finishing this body, every one of us will have to accept another body. If we neglecting the rules and regulation, if we have to accept the body of a dog, just imagine how much displeasing it will be. We have to take to this principle, as Kṛṣṇa says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām: (BG 9.25) "Anyone who is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he comes to Me." So practice this Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead. Now any question? No question? Everything all right?
As long as you are unable to go back to home, back to Godhead, you have to change this body, either dog or this or that or this. And there are 8,400,000 forms of body. You have to accept one of them. Now you make your decision whether you are ready to accept all these different types of body or you get original, spiritual body. In the spiritual body there is no more birth, death, old age and disease, and the material body continuously there should be birth, death, old age and disease. You can get that spiritual body simply by little cultivation in this human form of life, next life. But if you get next other than human form of life, then you have to wait again millions of years to come to this human form of life. After all, we are under the stringent laws of nature. You... We are..., every one of us, we are under the grip of the laws of material nature. It will go on. You cannot change it unless you come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nobody is allowed to enter kingdom of God without becoming bhakta. (break) And there is no difficulty of becoming bhakta because the..., to become bhakta means four principles. One thing is to always think of Kṛṣṇa. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. That is bhakta. Simply by thinking of Kṛṣṇa... That is Hare Kṛṣṇa. When you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you think of Kṛṣṇa. You become bhakta immediately. Then after becoming man-manā bhava, mad-yājī: "You worship Me," māṁ namaskuru, "and offer obeisances." It is very simple thing. If you think of Kṛṣṇa and if you offer little obeisances and if you worship Him, these three things will make you bhakta and you go back to home, back to Godhead. We are teaching this thing: chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, offer obeisances unto Deity and worship. Finish all business. So why they should go to the jñāna path? It requires so much knowledge and so much grammatical, so much nose pressing, so many things. You avoid all these things. Simply do these three things and you become bhakta. Why don't you take the easiest process and go back to home, back to Godhead? Thank you very much. (end)
That is required. That is spiritual vision. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ. Therefore a devotee is first-class paṇḍita. A devotee. Because he's sama-darśinaḥ. Sama-darśinaḥ means he's feeling for others. A Vaiṣṇava... Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī, kṛpāmbudhir yaḥ. Vaiṣṇava is very kind-hearted, merciful, because he feels for others. He feels for others in this sense that he knows what he is. He sees every living entity as part and parcel of God: "Now, here is a part and parcel of God. He would have gone back to home, back to Godhead, and danced with Him, and lived very nicely, eternally, blissfully. Now he's rotting here as a hog, or as a human being, or as a king. The same thing. It is for few years only." So a devotee therefore tries to take him out of this illusion. Therefore, he's called para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. He's actually feeling others' distressed condition. Not these political leaders or social... What they can do? They make their own fortune. That's all. Or what is that fortune? That is also misfortune. If somebody thinks "I have got some money. I am very fortunate." It is, actually it is not fortune. Real fortunate is he who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He is fortunate. Otherwise, all are unfortunate. All are unfortunate.
So, but we do not know. We want to become powerful here by so-called science, so-called yoga, kuṇḍalinī and what other nonsense they are think... They are trying to be immortal, powerful. No, sir, that is not possible. It is not possible. Therefore, people do not know. Na te viduḥ. They do not know. Svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum. Our aim should be how to approach Viṣṇu. How to go back to home, back to Godhead. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā (SB 7.5.31). They're hoping, very durāśayā, means very badly, wrongly, that they want to be happy by adjustment of this material world. The yogic process is also another material gymnastic. We have not heard any yogi has become successful to get immortality. No, that is not possible. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). Those who are trying to adjust this material world by science or yoga, without caring for Viṣṇu, what they are? Andha. They are blind. Andha. And their leaders? They are also blind. Andhā yathā upanīyamānāḥ andhena. One blind man is trying to lead another blind man.
That's it. That should be the aim. That we are eternal soul. We must be again replaced in our eternal life. But if you forget this mission of life and simply become engaged how to become happy in this material world, how to avoid distress and how to get happiness... People are engaged in that way. Simply trying to get happiness and avoid distress, and forgetting that he has got a mission of life, to realize his self and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the defect of the modern civilization.
Actually it is not difficult, but because we are habituated, we feel difficulty. So if you are actually anxious and serious to stop this repetition of birth and death, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because without Kṛṣṇa consciousness nobody can stop the repetition of birth and death. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises in this verse that "Accept this little difficulty." Actually there is no difficulty, but because we are practiced, in the beginning we find little difficulty. Therefore here Kṛṣṇa says, yaṁ hi na vyathayanty ete: "All these so-called difficulties, if they do not bother or give some pain to a person..." Yam... All these difficulties... Just like I am feeling difficulty. I am habituated to smoke. Now I am forbidden, "Not to smoke." So I am feeling difficulty. So therefore Kṛṣṇa said, "Although it is not difficulty, but although one feels difficulty—still he sticks to the principle—then he becomes fit for going back to home, back to Godhead." So indriyāṇi pramāthīni, in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Our senses are very strong, like mad snakes. There is some statement in Vedic literature, indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī. Indriya, the senses, are just like dreadful snakes. But there is a means to subdue the snake. It is said, indriya-kāla-sarpa-paṭalī protkhāta-daṁṣṭrāyate, means the snake may be very dangerous, but somehow or other, if you take out its poison teeth, then it is no more dangerous." The snake is dangerous on account of the poison teeth. So if, somehow or other, the poison teeth extricated, then the snake is no more dangerous. So our strong senses, snakelike senses, can be bereft of the poison teeth by accepting Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So we have to realize this, that we can become eternal, immortal, all qualified like God, if we get out of these material clutches. And for this, we have to become dhīra. Dhīra means, I have already explained, not to be disturbed, even the cause of disturbance is there. So that is the qualification of becoming immortal. So little tolerance of the sensation... Just like there is some sensation. If you have got some itches and you are feeling that "I should itch," but if you stop itching, this will be cured, and if you go on itching, it will increase. So itching... Anyone who has got some experience of itching... Itching is very pleasing at the time of itching, but next time it is not very pleasing. It has created so many disturbing condition. Therefore śāstra says that we should try to control the itching of our senses. Then he is dhīra. And as soon as you become dhīra, you are the first-class candidate for going back to home, back to Godhead. So there is method; there is practice; there is process. If you like, you can adopt them—actually there is no difficulty—and solve all the problems of your life. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Try to understand and adopt it. Now any question?
So in this age, this is simply waste of time. If you actually interested in spiritual advancement of life, if you divert your attention in so-called worship of this demigod, that demigod, this demigod, then you'll simply waste your time. There will be no advancement. And even you become perfect in worshiping the demigods, then what will be your profit? The profit will be: yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). You can go to the planets where the demigods live. But the planets and this material world, everything will be annihilated. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣām (BG 7.23). Suppose you are promoted to the Brahmaloka. That is also antavat. It will be finished, because by the end of Brahmā's duration of life, everything within this universe will be finished. Therefore antavat. That is not permanent. But if you manage to go back to home, back to Godhead, then yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). Then that is perfect life.
Then here is the solution. He's simply taking unnecessary trouble. Kṛṣṇa says that "I'll supply you everything. There is no necessity of going from here to there." No. But I'm not accepting it. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). One who understands this, "how Kṛṣṇa is helping me, how He is my, the greatest well-wisher, friend," immediately we can stop all these problems of life and go back to Godhead, go back to home.
So whole universe is being managed by God's assistant, according to the Brahmā, the most powerful assistant. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). In the Brahmā's heart also, tene brahma hṛdā, hṛdā, again hṛdā. Because Brahmā was alone, so what to do? Brahmā was perplexed. But Kṛṣṇa gave instruction, "You do, you create this universe like this." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give intelligence." So everything is there. Everything is there, Kṛṣṇa is always with you. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then Kṛṣṇa is ready to give you all instruction. "Yes, yena mām upayānti te." He gives instruction, "Yes, you do like this. Then you will finished, your, this material business, and after giving up this body, you'll come to Me." But if you want to continue this material existence, then vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22), you have to accept one body; and when it is no more usable, then you have to give up this body and accept another body. This is continuation of material existence. But if you want to end it, if you are actually disgusted with this kind of business, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), take birth once, again die, again take. But we are so shameless and so rubbish that we are not very much disgusted with this business. We want to continue, and therefore Kṛṣṇa is also ready: "All right, you continue." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.
As you like. It is up to you. Make your selection where you want to be. You have, somehow or other, you have come here. That's all right. But Kṛṣṇa gives you chance to be elevated to any planetary system you like. Ultimately, if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, that is also given, everything. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. So if you want to go to the moon planet, there is no need of the sputnik. There is a process so that after this body you become elevated to the moon planet. Why should you make research for, and futile research, going to the moon? You just prepare yourself. There are different processes. If you want to go to the moon planet, you can go. If you want to go to the heavenly planet, you can go. Similarly, if you want to go to the planet where Kṛṣṇa is, you can go. So sane man, intelligent man, should consider that "If I have to prepare myself for going, for being elevated to the higher planetary system, but we have to come back again, kṣīṇe puṇye martya-loka, why not endeavor for going back to Kṛṣṇaloka?" That is intelligence. But there are big, big yogis, they elevate themselves to the higher planetary system. They... Before going to the spiritual world, they want to see how the higher planetary system are working. Just like the visitors, tourists. They are going somewhere, and drop, by journey, somewhere to see. But you should not make such ambition. You should endeavor directly going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. That should be your endeavor. Yes. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mam (BG 9.25).
Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12), we are, by nature, we want blissfulness. But we do not know how to become actually happy and blissful. That is ignorance. In the material world, they also want to enjoy, everyone. They are thinking that this wine, woman, meat-eating, gambling, intoxication, these things will give me pleasure. So ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti. The Bhāgavata says that ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, means ultimate solution of miserable condition, is in the fact that we realize God and we go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our philosophy. And persons who cannot understand what is God, what is kingdom of God, they want to adjust. The aim is the same, ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛtti, ultimately solution of all miseries. In a different way. So Kṛṣṇa says, putting forward the Buddha philosophy which was formerly known as lokāyatikas and vaibhāṣikas... These two kinds of philosophers, they did not believe. Mostly the materialistic philosophers, they have no understanding of the soul.
You take this process. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. At least, you will be purified, you'll understand the situation. And if you follow the rules and regulation... It is very simple to avoid these four principle of sinful life and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you are sure, back to home, back to Godhead, and be happy eternally.
So we do not know that we are standing on a tottering platform. So however nice arrangement we may make, this will be finished in one moment. That is, we are missing. We are simply sticking to a false platform that "This will save me, this will save me." No. Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura says that jaḍa-bidyā jato māyāra vaibhava. This material advancement of civilization, very nice, very dazzling. Just like when we pass on the street or road of your American cities, it looks so nice. So many lights and so many night—illuminating signboards. But we should always remember that this nice situation is not permanent settlement. Any moment I'll have to give up everything. Everything. So therefore, if one becomes attached to this false platform, illuminating, so-called illuminating, false platform, then his determination to go back to Godhead will not be very much intense. That is being explained. So bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām. What is the English translation? Yes.
In this way the whole process from God's side is to put ourself always on the right path. That is the process going on. Now, just like in your Christian religion. Lord Jesus Christ, he claimed himself that he is coming from God as son of God to reclaim to back to Godhead, back to home. That is the mission. Every, every reformer or every great religious leader or God Himself, He comes on this earth to reclaim these conditioned soul to back to Godhead, back to the kingdom of Godhead. That is the whole idea of incarnation. Now, at the present moment... Not at the present moment. Practically always, the people, by material contact they forget their relation, their relationship with the Supreme Lord, their constitutional position. Now, this, whatever we earn, if not the whole thing, but if at least some portion of our income we engage in the service of the Lord for propagating the teaching of God consciousness, that is engaging our fruitive activities, the result of our fruitive activities, in the service of the Lord. And another thing, if we want to prosecute our spiritual life, then there are certain formulas. Certain formulas mean that we should not take more than what we need. We should not take more than what we need. We should not neglect also that, the portion which we actually need, but at the same time we should not accumulate more than what we need.
If you practice in your life, while you are human being, you, if you utilize your life in that way, then at the end, when you give up this body, you go back to Godhead for eternal life, eternal bliss, eternal knowledge, and live happily, without any material miseries. That is the result. It is very difficult to dovetailing our consciousness with the supreme consciousness? Not at all. Not at all! No sane man will say that "It is very difficult problem. Oh, it is not possible." You eat. "Yes. Eh?" So God wants to eat something. Why don't you offer it first to God? Then you eat. "No. If God takes it away, then how shall I eat?" No, no, no. God will not take it. We are offering daily. After preparing our foodstuff, daily to Kṛṣṇa, there is witness, Mr. Paul. We offer Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa does not take it. Whole thing, we eat. You see. He does not regard... He eats! But because His spiritual eating is such that even after His eating, the whole thing is there. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Īśo Invocation). So we shall not suffer a pinch if we dovetail our desires with the Supreme Lord. Simply we have to learn the art, how to dovetail. That's all. And some of the instances I have already cited to you... Just for the matter of eating.
We are being bound up by some false illusory beauty of this world. Mirage. The exact example is the mirage. What is mirage? Reflection of the sunlight on the desert appears like water. Where is water there? There is no water. The animal, thirsty animal, is after the mirage. "Oh, here is water. I'll be satisfied." Similarly we are hankering after, running after the mirage. There is no peace, there is no happiness. Therefore we have to divert our attention back to Godhead. Don't run after this mirage. Just turn back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is our propaganda. Don't divert your... Don't engage your senses in the illusory material beauty. Just apply your senses to Kṛṣṇa, the real beautiful. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Sudāmā: Purport: "The material creation by the lord of creatures, Viṣṇu, is a sort of chance offered to the conditioned souls to come back to home, back to Godhead."
Prabhupāda: Yes. This material creation, you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā that... Just like our body. This body is created at a certain period by the father and mother, and it remains for some time, it grows, it gives some by-product, then it dwindles, then vanishes. Just you can study from... Similarly the whole cosmic manifestation, this is a huge body. So it has a time of creation, its development, its by-products, its activities, then dwindling, then it will also vanish. It will also vanish.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The Lord, being potent, can speak by breathing air as is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, for the Lord has omnipotence to perform through each of His senses the actions of all other senses. In other words, the Lord can speak through His breathing and He can impregnate by His eyes. It is said that He glanced over the material nature and thus fathered all the living entities. So after impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of the material nature, He gave His direction in the Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that the conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for material enjoyment, and the Vedic directions are so made that one can satisfy one's perverted desires, then return to Godhead, having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the conditioned souls to attain liberation. Therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the process of yajña by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Those who have not followed Vedic injunctions may adopt the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that will take the place of performance of Vedic yajñas or karmas."
Sixteen: "My dear Arjuna, a man who does not follow this prescribed Vedic system of sacrifice certainly leads a life of sin. For a person delighting only in the senses lives in vain (BG 3.16)." Purport...
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is very important.
Therefore in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended that you do not require to change your position. You simply try to hear about Kṛṣṇa from the rightful source. That's all. Then everything will be all right gradually. Everyone of us are mistaken or whatever you may call, but Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He gives His book, Bhagavad-gītā, He sends His representative, He comes Himself as Lord Caitanya to deliver us. He sends Lord Jesus Christ. So so many arrangement, but we don't take advantage. We are so fool and sinful. But still, the propaganda will go on.
Just like father, however misguided a son may be, whenever the father gets a chance, he says, "My dear son, you don't do this. It is not good. You do this." So that is the duty of the father. Similarly, we are bent upon continuing our sinful activities but there is sufficient arrangement by Kṛṣṇa to instruct us and to lead us back to Godhead, back to home.
There are two classes of men, demon and god. Those who are engaged in God consciousness they are not God but godly. And those who are not... Because this human life is meant for this purpose. Forgetting our father, forgetting our God, we are criminal within this material world. Therefore our only business is how to get out of this prison house and go back to home, back to Godhead.
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to liberate these foolish persons who are entangled in this material world and changing one body after another, sometimes very happy and sometimes very distressed. This is going on.
So if you want to be free of anxieties... Nobody can say that "I am already free of anxiety" unless he is a madman. A madman will say, "I have no anxiety." But no sane man will say that "I am free of anxiety." This is material life. So if you want to become free of anxieties, then you come to the spiritual life. That is the only remedy. Harim āśrayeta. Accept the lotus feet of God. That is the mission of God. God comes Himself. God sends His son or devotee or servant. The same thing. That religion may be different. That is not very important.
Anyone who has preached... The religious leaders all over the world... Take Lord Jesus Christ or Kṛṣṇa or Mohammed or Lord Buddha. Nobody has said that "You will be happy in this material world." Nobody has said. "You continue this manufacturing of factories, and you will be happy." Has anybody said? No. "Back to home, back to Godhead. Then you will be happy." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, back to home, back to Godhead.
We have go speak many things. We have got books. So try to understand and prepare yourself next life to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the business of human life. All other business are simply useless waste of time. Thank you very much.
According to Vedic understanding, they are born in the family of mleccha or yavana, or caṇḍāla, like that. There are different terms. But Bhāgavata says, never mind what he is, or Bhagavad-gītā says never mind what he is. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the statement by Kṛṣṇa, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32), anyone, it doesn't matter what he is, even he's born in sinful family, it doesn't matter if he takes shelter of Me. Māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatiḥ, they all are promoted to the supreme planet, back to home, back to Godhead. Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (BG 9.33), then if they can be promoted, what to speak of persons who are really born in the brāhmaṇa family. So it is a great opportunity to make your life successful. Don't spoil your life like cats and dog, just become a brāhmaṇa. We don't expect that everyone will become brāhmaṇa, but if a little percentage of persons becomes brāhmaṇa, the whole problems of the world will be solved.
The aim of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life. We are fallen in this material conditional life. We are suffering. But we do not know. We are so fool. Just like animals. We do not know what is the aim of life. Aim of life, that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). When we can understand that "This process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, this is not wanted by me..." Nobody wants to die, but death is forced upon him. He does not think that "This is my problem. I do not want to die, but death is as sure as anything." So this is the problem. Nobody is careful how to solve this problem. They are simply engaged in the, I mean to say, temporary problems. The temporary problems are not problems. Real problem is how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop old age, and how to stop disease. That is real problem. That can be done when you are liberated from this material world. This is our problem.
That is our aim. The human form of life is meant for finishing all these problems, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), and go back to home, back to Godhead. But people do not know... They are not educated what is God, what is God's place, where to go back, what is my position, what is my relation. Nothing of these things are educated or given lessons in any university anywhere. But it is there, the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa is personally giving you instruction. Kṛṣṇa is giving instruction to Arjuna. "Arjuna" does not mean that Arjuna is to take that lesson. Every one of us. And it is very old. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "Don't manufacture new type of religion." What you'll do that? It is simply waste of time. You cannot manufacture anything. But they are after modernized religion. What is this nonsense modernized religions? You are living entity. You are part and parcel of God. It is old relationship, Purāṇa. It is said, Purāṇa. Purāṇa means very old. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit, nityaṁ śāśvato 'yaṁ purāṇaḥ. We have to accept that Purāṇa. We are Purāṇa, eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not destroyed simply by destruction of this body. We remain. We accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13).
I wanted to enjoy something. Kṛṣṇa gives us full opportunity: "Now here is the opportunity. You can do it." Anumantā. He's so kind. But that is not our actual business. Our actual business is to go back to home, back to Godhead, not to enjoy in this material world. But still, because we want it, Kṛṣṇa gives us all facilities. Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). If we want to enjoy this material world, Kṛṣṇa will give us all the opportunities. You can become the topmost living entity like Lord Brahmā, and you can become an insignificant ant. According to your karma. Anumantā upadraṣṭā. So this is going on.
And this is the process, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam (SB 7.5.23), chanting and hearing of this Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with aural reception, submissive aural reception. That very process will teach us the truth of the Kṛṣṇa science, and when we understand the Kṛṣṇa science, automatically we understand what is Kṛṣṇa, and as soon as we understand Kṛṣṇa, the next result is that after leaving this material, this present material body, we go at once to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This is the whole process. Tyaktvā deham, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Then he does not come again to this miserable world. He goes back to Godhead, back to home.
Just like... It is very easy to understand. A person trying to appear in the M.A. examination, if he passes, he's all right. Otherwise next chance he will have, another. It does not mean that he has to study again from ABCD. No. Next year he can appear. But his motto should be: "Why shall I wait for next year? Let me pass in this year." Similarly, we should be very serious: "Why we shall wait for the next life? Let us finish this life and go back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and dance there."
So one has to learn this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very carefully. It is very nice and very scientific. And if we simply try to understand my position, try to understand God and what is my relation with God, janma karma me divyam, simply by understanding this, I become qualified to enter into the spiritual kingdom. And as soon as I enter into the spiritual kingdom, then, as it is stated in this verse, that tyaktvā deham, after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma... (BG 4.9). Punar janma means again taking birth in this material world. Na eti, na, no more. This continued repetition of accepting different kinds of body is finished simply by understanding what is God, how He appears, how He disappears, what are His activities. Simply this understanding. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), or so 'rjuna. He comes to Me. And in another place it is stated, the same thing, mām upetya tu kaunteya, "One who comes to Me," mām upetya tu kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), nāpnuvanti. "One who comes back to Me, goes back to home, goes back to Godhead, he never comes back again to this miserable conditional life of materialistic status."
So in order to attain this perfection of life, one has to make this progressive spiritual advancement. Vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ (BG 4.10). One has to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa or His representative. Therefore this movement is to give chance to the people how to think of Kṛṣṇa constantly. The human form of life is meant for attaining jñāna. Jñāna means knowledge that "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." This jñāna can be attained by tapasya. Tapasya means austerity. And if we attain knowledge and undergo austerities, then we become purified. Therefore,
- vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhā
- man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ
- bahavo jñāna-tapasā
- pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ
- (BG 4.10)
That the whole aim is how to get out of this material attachment, and in our spiritual body, we go back to home back to Godhead.
Means that if you simply try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, why does He appear in this material world, what are His actual activities—if these three things you can understand, then after giving up this body, you don't accept any more material body, but in your spiritual body go back to home, back to Godhead. Of course, it is very difficult task to understand Kṛṣṇa, but it is due to our misunderstanding or uncleanliness of the consciousness. If the consciousness is cleansed, then you can very easily understand what is Kṛṣṇa. This cleanliness of the consciousness can be effected by chanting the transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. It is open to all. It is not a secret thing. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra very loudly. Everyone can hear it and chant it.
Because we have no knowledge, therefore jñāna-tapasā. And if there is knowledge and if there is tapasya, penance, then pūtā, purified. You become purified. Therefore it is said, bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. Then you come back to home, back to Godhead. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for teaching how one can be detached from this material existence and voluntarily accepting some so-called, I mean to say, sufferings. We should be steady. But actually, there is no suffering. It is simply imagination.
Just like there are many meat-eaters. We do not eat meat. What is our suffering? It is simply imagination. If you ask the meat-eater that "Don't eat meat," he'll think, "Oh, it is horrible." He'll say horrible. Yes, actually they say. Even big, big man.
Nowadays, ladies, they can understand. This is the process. Mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. Our this human form of life is meant for going back to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving information to the people in general how to make life successful. What is that successful life? To go back to home, back to Godhead. This is not our home. This material world, this is foreign country. We are... Just like I am travelling all over the world. My home is in India, but I am going to so many countries, Europe, America, Canada, Australia, Africa... But my home is in India. This is a crude example. Similarly, we are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says. "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel."
So our position is always like that. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or His bona fide representatives who come here, they can force you to go back to Godhead, but they do not do that. They want your voluntary cooperation. Unless you are prepared to cooperate voluntarily oh, there is no question of my improvement. So we must accept our voluntary cooperation with Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, or His representative who comes before you to canvass, "My dear sir, please be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Please look to the leadership of the Supreme Lord." Now it is up to you.
Now, He says that "Actually they are following my leadership." Because they are servant, they are followers of leader. They are servant of some created leader materially. So that means there is a propensity, that intrinsic background of following some leader, is there. That you cannot avoid. That you cannot avoid. Mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ. They have to... Every man has to follow the same principle. He cannot go out of it. His constitutional position is to follow a leader. He cannot go out of it. Nobody can go out of it. He has to follow either A, B, C, or D, or anyone. He has to select.
We are continuing from yesterday's subject matter, how one can become purified and go back to home, back to Godhead.
Here the second line of this verse is very important. It is said, mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ: "All human being is searching after Me." As we have explained yesterday, Kṛṣṇa means sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1), the transcendental form of eternity, knowledge and blissfulness. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the summarized philosophy of Vedic knowledge, it is said, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt: "The spirit soul by nature is jubilant." So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is supreme living being, and we are also living being, but we are not the Supreme. Try to find out this difference. But both of us, we are of the same quality. That means jubilant. So our present position being materially contacted... Just like a man in his healthy condition, he is happy, but in his diseased condition he is not happy, similarly, we, being part and parcel of the Supreme, we are naturally jubilant, but on account of being contacted in material nature, we are morose.
The immediate result and remote result is described in Sanskrit word, śreyas and preyas. Preyas means immediate benefit and śreyas means ultimate benefit. So those who are interested in the ultimate benefit go back to home, back to Godhead. For them, worshiping the Supreme Lord is most beneficial. And those who are interested in the matter of temporary benefit, dhanaṁ dehi, rūpaṁ dehi, yaśo dehi. Just like by worshiping Goddess Durgā we want all these things. But we forget that whatever we get, material benefit, with the end of this material body, everything is lost. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "At the end, I, as death, I take away all your material possession." Sarva-haro mṛtyuḥ.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. How, we are helping people how to get out of this material body, and revive your own spiritual body and, in that spiritual body, you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). But people are so attracted to this material body that they are prepared to become cats and dogs next life, but they are not prepared to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the problem.
So why this problem? Because the human society is in chaos. A chaotic condition. There must be division of four classes. One class must be brāhmaṇa, intelligent class of men. And one should be kṣatriya, one class, the administrators. Because human society, they require good consulting brain, good administrators, good producers and good worker. That is the division of brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says: catur varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). In order to keep smooth facilities for human life, there must be four divisions. If you say that don't, "We don't require brāhmaṇa,"... If you don't require brāhmaṇa, then you'll suffer.
We are part and parcel of God. We have come from God to enjoy this material world, but we are suffering. But if you want to go back to home, back to Godhead again then try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
And there is no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining in the Bhagavad-gītā what He is. You read this book very carefully and try to understand Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you understand thoroughly Kṛṣṇa, then tyaktvā... You have to give up this body. That's a fact. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). Then no more accepting material body. Then what happens? Mām eti, Kṛṣṇa says, "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." That is the solution of life, and everything is described in the Bhagavad-gītā and all the Vedic literature.
That is advice of Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, that "You follow the previous ācāryas, previous personalities, authorities." Just like svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). I have already described. "You follow them, and act like that, and you try to understand that what is My position. If you simply understand My position, immediately you become liberated." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is liberation. If you simply understand, try to understand Kṛṣṇa, why Kṛṣṇa comes, what is His instruction, why He says, yadā yadā hi dharma, these things, if you simply understand, then you become liberated person.
And this is required in human life to be liberated. What is this nonsense business, sometimes human being, sometimes cat, sometimes dog? But they do not know. But this is a fact, that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yau..., tathā dehāntara (BG 2.13). You have to change your body, transmigrate, but change for the better, or stop this change, go back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So if we... Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya: (BG 4.9) "If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the result will be that after finishing this term of your body..." We have got different terms of body. "So this term of body, you come unto Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So our problem is that. We are not going to adjust here. Here any kind of, any amount of adjustment will not make us happy. That is a fact. Because this place is like that. So we have to completely get free from this repeated birth and death of the material world and go back to home, back to Godhead and live peacefully with eternal life, knowledge and bliss. That is the whole thing Bhagavad-gītā is teaching. Kṛṣṇa's business is not to stop war or this or that. Any other question? (end)
Similarly, when we fall down from Kṛṣṇa's association, the fire, big fire and the sparks, if we be in touch with the modes of goodness, then we keep some Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like the brāhmaṇas. The quality of satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. And if we fall down on the ground, then we keep sometimes the fiery quality. That is passion. Three qualities, goodness and passion. And if we fall down in the ignorance, just like the spark falls down on the water, then it is extinguished, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, finished. But it can be revived. That is explained in the Prema-vivarta,
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
- (Prema-vivarta)
As soon as we want to imitate, even in the material world, those who are trying to go up again, back to home, back to Godhead.... There are different processes, karma, jñāna, yoga. Kṛṣṇa is explaining the karma. How to go back again to the original consciousness, that is being described, karma, how to work.
Now, Kṛṣṇa says that if the five things are transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Brahman realization, then the result will be that the man who is performing that sacrifice is sure to attain his spiritual salvation and go back to Godhead. This prescription is recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā, that
- brahmārpaṇaṁ brahma havir
- brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam
- brahmaiva tena gantavyaṁ
- brahma-karma-samādhinā
- (BG 4.24)
Now, brahmārpaṇam. Sacrifice for whom? For the Brahman. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Brahman. Therefore sacrifice for Kṛṣṇa is brahmārpaṇam, means, sacrificing for the Brahman, Supreme Brahman. Because Kṛṣṇa is described in the Tenth Chapter as the Parambrahman, the Supreme Brahman. Brahman means, we are also all Brahman. Because we are all fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, therefore we are also Brahman. Just like particles of gold is also gold, similarly, we are fragmental portions of Kṛṣṇa. Do not understand that as material fragments... We are not material fragment. But just because we have no other conception at the present moment except material understanding, therefore I am just trying... This is translated into English as "fragment," but not like that material fragment.
That you can see how many percentage are going to join our saṅkīrtana movement. We can see from the audience. You see? So it is difficult, but it is the fact. If we perform this sacrifice nicely, according to the rules recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we are sure to get salvation. Niścitam. Niścitam means sure. So let us perform this sacrifice with patience and perseverance, with steadiness, and then surely we shall achieve the desired result, spiritual salvation, which is that... It is stated, brahmaiva tena gantavyam. The whole thing is meant for go back to home, go back to Godhead. That is the whole thing. This is not our home; neither it is our place. We come here as a foreigner.
Everyone is very busy for fulfilling his self-interest, but actually he does not know what is his self-interest. Na te viduḥ. The self-interest is Viṣṇu, to go back to Godhead. That is self-interest. Self-realization, self-interest, and so many things—everything is meant for going back to Godhead. That is self-interest.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "Because people are very much illusioned by this external energy..." The material energy is called external energy. "Because people are deluded by this external, by the glimmer of this external energy, they have forgotten that their self-interest is Viṣṇu, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And they are conducting their life, general process of life in a manner..."
Yasya, if we actually find a spiritual master, bona fide spiritual master, and if we can make him satisfied by my service, then my path for realization of God is guaranteed. This is the thing. Here it is. First of all we have to find out a bona fide spiritual master. Then by my service, by my surrender, by my questions, if we utilize, then my path for back to Godhead, back to home, is guaranteed. That is the... It is very important verse. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā, upadekṣyanti te jñānam (BG 4.34). That knowledge by which you can go to the point of your self-interest, Viṣṇu, that knowledge you can realize.
So these things are recommended. Kṛṣṇa is personally explaining. Why should we not take advantage of these things? Why we are neglecting? It is suicidal. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is personally instructing how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, how to become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma (BG 4.9), then you can go back to home, back to Godhead. Why we should not take advantage of this opportunity? This is not very good. We should take advantage. We have got this human form of body. We have got intelligence. And the statement and explanation is being given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally. Why we should not take advantage? This is suicidal policy. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So your struggle should be—human form of life—the struggle should be how to realize yourself, how to go to, to go back to Godhead, back to Kṛṣṇa. That should be your struggle, not for economic development. The economic solution is there. If it is there for the elephant, for the ant, why not for you? Because we are in ignorance, we are thinking that we have to devote more time for economic development than to spiritual realization. No. The whole thing is planned like that, that for economic development you need not, you need not try, you need not attempt. You simply try for spiritual realization, for getting out of this entanglement of material life. That is knowledge. And that will make your solution. Thank you very much. If there is any question, you can ask. (end)
Indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu. There are senses. They have got use. So even the tattva-vit who is in perfect knowledge, he is also using his senses, but he knows that Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the senses, and he's instrumental only. "As He is directing, my senses are working." Or, in other words, when our senses work in that direction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we gradually make progress to back to Godhead, back to home, back to liberation.
- brahmaṇy ādhāya karmāṇi
- saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ
- lipyate na sa pāpena
- padma-patram ivāmbhasā
- (BG 5.10)
There is a very good example here, that lotus, lotus flower and leaves of the lotus stem. So if you put some water, that water does not stick into the lotus leaf. By natural way. It will not touch. It will then never be moist. Similarly just like the lotus flower leaf does not moist, although it is in the water... Lotus flower is in the water, and the leaves are also in the water, but it has no connection with the water. Even a drop of water, if you put on it, it will at once fall down. Lotus flower. It is so made by nature.
Yes, this is the summary that the sages... Sages means those who have undergone austerities, penance, and many tribulation for attaining perfection, they are called sages. "The sages knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of sacrifice." Now if you perform austerities and penances that is a kind of sacrifice. But yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find these are explained that yad icchantaḥ. Simply by desiring to go back to home, back to Godhead one is supposed to follow the vow of brahmacārī. Brahmacārī, to live the life of celibacy, this is called brahmacārī. So it has got so nice effect that if anyone from the birth to the death simply observe this life of celibacy he is sure to go back to home. Simply by observing one rule: yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti. It is so nice, brahmacarya. So this is sacrifice. Sacrifice means my senses dictate that "You enjoy," but I am not enjoying. I am not enjoying. This is sacrifice.
So if you have trained up your consciousness to the yogic principle, then you get a body, similar body. You get good chance, you get good parents, good family where you'll be allowed to practice this system and automatically you'll get chance again to revive your same consciousness in which you left your previous body. That is explained here. By virtue of divine consciousness. Therefore our present duty is how to make the consciousness divine. That should be our business. If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way.
It is, try to understand, that, the Supreme Lord, God is pure. And His kingdom is also pure. And anyone who wants to enter there, he must be pure. That is very natural. That if you want to enter into some particular society, you must qualify yourself. Qualification is to go back to home, back to Godhead, the qualification is that you should not be materially contaminated. And what is that material contamination? The material contamination is sense gratification. Unrestricted sense gratification. That is material contamination. So you have to make yourself free from material contamination. Then you become eligible to enter into the kingdom of God. That process of being freed or being washed of all material contamination, is yoga system. Yoga system does not mean that you sit down for fifteen minutes for so-called meditation and you continue all your material contamination. Just like if you want to be cured from a certain type of disease, you have to follow the regulation made by the physician. Similarly, in this chapter the process of yoga practice is recommended, how you have to do it. So that means if you execute these prescribed methods, then you become freed from material contamination. Then you are actually situated for linking up, for making connection with the Supreme. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Therefore Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung: jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā. Jaḍa-bidyā, the material education, they are simply paraphernalia of this illusory energy, māyāra vaibhava. And the effect of this advancement of material civilization means stopping one's relationship with God. Jaḍa-bidyā jato, māyāra vaibhava, tomāra bhajane bādhā, anitya saṁsāre. Anitya means this temporary life, this... Everyone, we are in this material world, say, for fifty years, sixty years, hundred years. That is temporary. In the unlimited time, a duration of life, say of hundred years, that is nothing. Even, not even a point. It is very temporary, but in this temporary life, we are addicted to so many unnecessary things, and we are forgetting our real business, how to go to home, back to home, back to Godhead.
If you want to transfer yourself to other planets, yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means transferring yourself to other planets. The ultimate perfection or success is go back to Godhead, back to home. So when Kṛṣṇa consciousness will be perfect, you'll be transferred from this planet, or from this material world, to the spiritual world, and you'll talk with Kṛṣṇa just (as) you are talking with me.
That is called second birth. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. At that time he is given chance to study and understand what is Vedas. Veda-pāṭhād bhaved vipraḥ. By studying very nicely all the Vedas, one becomes vipra. Then, when he actually realizes what is Brahman and his relationship with Him, then he becomes a brāhmaṇa. And above that situation, when from Brahman understanding, impersonal Brahman understanding, he comes to the platform of understanding Viṣṇu, Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he becomes a Vaiṣṇava. This is the process. That is the perfectional process. Kṛṣṇa therefore says in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. "Anyone who knows Me in truth," what happens to him? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti: (BG 4.9) "Such persons, after giving up this body, do not come back again in this material world to accept a material body." Then what happens to him? Mām eti: "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead."
As soon as we try to forget Kṛṣṇa, immediately māyā is there. Therefore the reversing process, reversing process, if we want to go back again to Kṛṣṇa, then daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot go back to home, back to Godhead, by your own speculation. That is not possible. Ciraṁ vicinvan. You can go on speculating to become one with God. That is another thing. But if you actually want to know God and see God, then as Kṛṣṇa says, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te: (BG 7.14) simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa and māyā will give you no more trouble. You can see Kṛṣṇa. This is the process.
So there is a process. If we adopt that process, then everyone can become mayy āsakta-manāḥ, Kṛṣṇa āsakta-manāḥ. We have to accept the process. That process is called yogaṁ yuñjan mad-āśrayaḥ. You have to accept the yoga system under the protection of Kṛṣṇa personally or His bona fide devotees, representative. Then you will be... Then what will be the result? The result will be asaṁśayam, without any doubt. Now people are educated in all other institution about God, but they are all full of doubts, full of doubts: "What kind of God? What is the nature of God? Whether there is God? Whether there is no God?" So many doubts. But if you accept this Kṛṣṇa consciousness yoga system, then you can understand Kṛṣṇa asaṁśayam, without any doubt. And samagram, in fullness, not that partial. Partially understanding of God, that is also understanding, but it will again take time, because unless you fully understand what is God, you cannot go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the formula.
We are changing our form of life from one body to another, but if we want to understand God... That is essential. So long we do not understand God, so long we do not go back to home, back to Godhead, our struggle for existence will continue. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). They struggle. Everyone struggles hard to become happy, but that is not possible. Simply searching after, searching after happiness, our time comes: "Finished. Your business is finished. Now get out." That is called death. So death is also Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Mṛtyu, Kṛṣṇa, comes as death. During your lifetime, if you do not understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this Kṛṣṇa will come as death and take away everything what you have got. Sarva-haraḥ. Then your body, your family, your country, your bank, everything business, business—finished. "Now you have to accept another body. You forget about all these things." This is going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).
So these are the processes. So Kṛṣṇa is saying, summarized. They are explained by the mad-āśrayaḥ, those who are devotees. So in this way we have to increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa. And when we increase our attachment for Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa says, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ māṁ yathā jñāsyasi tac chṛṇu (BG 7.1). Now everyone has got some doubt, whether there is God or not, whether God is person or imperson, whether He is something... He has no idea. In any religion you take, ask him, "What do you know about God?" That he cannot explain. Because he is not in the platform, how he can be understand God? That is not possible. It is not... But we are confident what is God, what is His father's name, what is His name, what is His address, everything. No saṁśaya, no doubt. Everything complete. Asaṁśayam. We are confident that we are going to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. There is no doubt, asaṁśayam and samagram. Sama means full. What is God meant? Asaṁśayam... (end)
So that one religion is given in the Bhagavad-gītā: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). To surrender to God the great and to abide by His instruction, that is called religion. It may be that the Hindus may be following the same principle in a different way or the Christian may be following the same principle in different way. That is called deśa-kāla-pātra. According to time, atmosphere, and the performer, there may be little difference. But real purpose of dharma is to surrender to God and try to love Him. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Because we are part and parcel of God... We have now forgotten. We have to revive our God consciousness. Then we go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our business.
"These living entities, they are My part and parcel, or they are as good as I am, part and parcel." A small particle of gold is gold. It is no other thing. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of God, we are also the same quality. Not the same quantity but same quality. So we have come here, and we are struggling for existence with our mind and senses. This is our position. Therefore our business is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is our main business. We are teaching that.
That is māyā. It will never be comfortable, but they are all trying to make it comfortable. This is called māyā. Kleśada āsa dehaḥ. So long you'll have a material body you'll have to suffer. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not on the bodily platform. It is on the spiritual platform. To come to the spiritual platform, it is necessary that you reduce or make nil sex life. So if one remains brahmacārī throughout the whole life it becomes very easy for him to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the secret. Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is based on first of all brahmacārī, no sex life. Gṛhastha, that is also very regulated. Only for begetting child one can have sex life, father, mother, man and woman. So dharmāviruddho kāmo 'smi. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find Kṛṣṇa says that "Sex life which is prescribed by the religious system, that is, I am." Otherwise it is illicit sex. So illicit sex, there is punishment. These things are there. So tapasya means tapasā brahmacaryeṇa śamena damena vā (SB 6.1.13). You have to control. The more one controls, he becomes advanced in spiritual culture.
So to understand Bhagavān, Para-brahman, that is the mission of human life. The cats and dogs cannot understand Bhagavān. That is not possible. A human being can understand. This Bhagavad-gītā is for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. So Kṛṣṇa says that "If you want to know Me..." It is not easy to understand Bhagavān, or God. God is not the exact word of Bhagavān; therefore we use the word "Godhead." "Back to Godhead." Bhagavān means the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Being. God means the ruler, the controller. But when we come to the supreme controller, He is Bhagavān. You are controller, I am controller. I am controller of my disciples within the Kṛṣṇa conscious society, but I cannot control the whole world. I have got some... You are controller in your home, of your wife, children, servants. But you are also controlled. You are not absolute controller. Therefore Bhagavān means the absolute controller.
Just like if a student is studying nicely, he will pass his examination. Where is the difficulty there? If he neglects, he may fail. But even if he fails, then he gets the chance of getting a human body. Otherwise there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change this body. But what kind of change? That will depend on your work. You are being educated with the expectation of being situated, posted in some nice occupation, but that occupation will depend on your work in student life. You may become a high-court judge, you can become a great engineer, you can get so many things, or you could not get anything, such post. That will depend on your work. Similarly, this life is preparation for the next life. So best thing is that you prepare, heart and soul, for going back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the highest perfection of life. Our students are being taught in that way, highest perfection of life.
Swedish woman (5): No.
Prabhupāda: No. We have got experience. (laughter) But if you become worried, "Oh, so many ants have come here. Where shall I accommodate?" It is like that. There is ample arrangement for accommodating them. You should not worry. You better mind your business, how to become God conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead.
Swedish woman (5): Yes, but you can't neglect that there are.
Prabhupāda: No, we are not neglecting. We have come here to teach you. Therefore we are not neglecting you.
Swedish woman (5): Yes, I see that you can't neglect that.
Prabhupāda: Yes, we are not neglecting. We are not neglecting. But we are not worried. That is the difference. We are trying to serve you, but we are not worried about you. Because I know that you will be provided with everything by God. Eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. It is stated, nityo nityānāṁ cetanaḥ. God is not very poor man that He cannot maintain you. He will maintain you. There may be millions of population. God is quite able to feed them. Why do you think that God is so poor? We have already explained that He is full with all opulences. So it does not matter whether there is increase of population. But if the people are unfaithful, they must be punished with starvation. That is God's will. It is not that they will not be fed. There is no question of overpopulation.
There are, just like at the present moment, everywhere, every time, every, always we are fearful. Bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād. As soon as we forget our constitutional position and Kṛṣṇa, then an artificial way of fearfulness is created. So vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ man-mayā mā upāśritāḥ. But this bhaya can be overcome, and this attachment can be overcome when we become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. Mad-bhāvam, My nature. The spiritual nature of the spiritual world, that came. How? This is the process, vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ man-mayā mām upāśritāḥ. Bahavo. Not only one, two, but bahavo, many. Bahavaḥ jñāna-tapasā pūtā. By..., one has to be purified. That is called pūtāḥ. Without being purified you cannot enter into the spiritual world. Vīta-rāga-bhaya, jñāna-tapasā pūtā, mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. So these are the statements of the Bhagavad-gītā and there are many others, statements. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for taking back all the suffering humanity, all living entities, back to home, back to Godhead. This is the sum and substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So, here Kṛṣṇa says that, "I am explaining to you how that knowledge of going back to home, back to Godhead can be attained." Therefore He is saying here, jñānaṁ te ahaṁ sa-vijñānam. Jñānam means theoretical knowledge. That is called jñānam. And sa-vijñānam means practical knowledge. Just like in the scientific department of colleges, there are, for understanding anything scientifically there are two divisions: practical and theoretical. So jñānam is theoretical, and vijñānam means practical. Simply to know there is God, this is theoretical knowledge.
So our this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy is like that, that we simply want to serve Kṛṣṇa. We have no other desire, no mukti, no bhukti, no siddhi. That is real siddhi. That is real siddhi. So people do not know that real siddhi is to approach to go back to home, back to Godhead. And either you go to Vaikuṇṭha or to Goloka Vṛndāvana planet after giving up this body, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9), that is real siddhi, not this yoga-siddhi, jñāna-siddhi, karma-siddhi. That is not siddhi. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati (BG 7.3). They do not know what is siddhi. That is the defect.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very difficult to understand, but by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, it has been made very easy. Easy. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. It was explained by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He described the faults of the Kali-yuga, but he encouraged by one verse. "My dear king, there is one very nice opportunity in this Kali-yuga." Kaler doṣa-nidhe. Doṣa-nidhi: "It is the ocean of faults, but there is one very nice gain in this Kali-yuga." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet: (SB 12.3.51) "Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one can become free from all the troubles of this yuga, Kali-yuga," and mukta-saṅga, "and he becomes liberated, and he goes back to home, back to Godhead." So take it very seriously and make your life perfect.
Devotee (3): Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa you can go back to home, back to Godhead. So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and not follow the regulations, not reading your books, can you go back to Godhead?
Prabhupāda: Begin chanting. Then everything will be all right. Begin chanting. Then all other things will be adjusted.
- yena tena prakāreṇa
- manaḥ kṛṣṇe niveśayet
- sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
- etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ
There are vidhi-niṣedhā, regulative principle. If you see that you are unable to follow, then chant Hare Kṛṣṇa sincerely. Then you'll be able to follow the regulative principles. Automatically.
We cannot understand perfectly, but so far our ability is concerned, we can understand Kṛṣṇa. And if we a little bit understand Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Simply by little understanding Kṛṣṇa. What is that? Now, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar... That is the highest perfection. After giving up this body... Ordinarily, we give up this body and we accept another. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That we have to stop. We are trying our best to make solution of all problems of life. The real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), birth, death, old age and disease. But if you can conquer over birth, no more birth... As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more birth. "Then it is finished? I am finished?" No, you are not finished. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti. "You come to Me. You come to Me." Go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is very easy. Everyone can adopt. Why should you give up? Take it very seriously and be happy.
So we should not die like cats and dogs. We should die like brāhmaṇa. Even in one life a solution is not made, then you get next life opportunity. Just like all these boys who have come to us, it is to be understood that they tried in their last life for making a solution of this problem, but it was not finished. There is another opportunity. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. So now, this life, you should be determined. Those who are coming to the touch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and initiated to execute, they should be very determined that "In this life we shall make a solution. No more. No more coming again." That should be our determination. (break) ...and go back to home, back to Godhead, where we get eternal, blissful life of knowledge. This is the sum and substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. (break) ...do you think, our Austrian friend? What is your name? Alfred?
"You are the supreme shelter," paraṁ dhāma. Pavitram. This word is there, pavitra. So without being pavitra, without being pious, without being free from contamination of material activities, nobody can approach Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact. But Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He orders that "Even if you have got some kāmanam, some desire, material desire, still, you can take shelter upon Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66). "You do not take shelter of anything else. Simply depend on Me." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. "You haven't got to depend on anything else. I will give you protection." So we have to take faith in the words of Kṛṣṇa and put our complete faith and devotion at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That will make us happy and make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to achieve the highest goal of life, back to Godhead, back to home. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6).
So our request on behalf of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that from... Of course, as far as possible, we have tried to convince you during this eight-days' function, but if you also cooperate with us, taj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmani, then the result will be very quick. Simply if you go back home, hearing all these instructions of Kṛṣṇa, that will not help. Of course, any sane man will think over this. That is recommended in the śāstra. Through good association, by hearing from the devotees, one becomes purified, one becomes thoughtful about Kṛṣṇa. But he practically applies in his life the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, then he makes progress in spiritual life or towards the ultimate goal of life, to go back to home, back to Godhead. It is not a function that there is no planet as Kṛṣṇaloka. No. There is. From Bhagavad-gītā you have understood. There is another nature. Besides this material nature, there is another nature, which is called sanātana-dhāma. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20). And there are innumerable planets, they are called Vaikuṇṭhalokas, as much as there are innumerable planets within this material world.
But he remains in the body. He remains in the body. But the extra covering which had, he had grown, that is also gone once he gives up. Everything, every education, is there in the nature's study. We can see the, the snake give up the covering, but he remains in his form. Similarly, we... Muktvā kalevaram means this extra... Just like this dress, this is covering. I can give it up, but I remain in my original body. Similarly, mukti means I have got my original body already. It is covered by this material coating. So when there is no more material coating, that is called mukti. That can be achieved when you go to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. At that time, you do not become formless. Form remains. As I am individual form, similarly, when I go to Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa has also His individual form, I have also my individual form... Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He's the chief of all living entities. So that is called mukti.
Therefore our only duty is to think of Kṛṣṇa, Puruṣottama, so that we may die at any moment, but we become spiritual salvation. This is our only duty. We have no other duty. How to remember Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours? That is the greatest process of yoga perfection. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā. Mad-gatenāntar-ātmanā: (BG 6.47) "Always thinking of Me, he is first-class yogi." So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so nice that as soon as you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, you immediately remember Kṛṣṇa. You go on chanting; that means remembering. So in chanting, chanting, if there is death, so I am remembering Kṛṣṇa. What is my fear? I am going to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. It is so nice.
So always be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Then you are sure and safe not only in this life, but also you are going home, back to Godhead. It is so nice thing.
The Lord says that the purpose of all Vedic instruction is to achieve the highest goal of life, back to Godhead. Any scripture of any country, not only of this Bhagavad-gītā, but any scripture, they are aiming simply how to get us back to Godhead. That is the purpose. Take for any ex... Take for example any of the great religious reformers or ācāryas of any country. In your country, Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Buddha. Of course, Lord Buddha, he advented himself in India, but later on his philosophy was broadcast all over Asia. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, or Hazrat Muhammad—anyone take. Nobody will say that "You make your best plan in this material world and live peacefully." That is a common factor. There may be little difference according to country, climate and situation in the scriptural injunction, but the main principle—that we are not meant for this material world, we have our destination in the spiritual world—that is accepted by everyone.
That will depend on his work. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to the association of the material nature, you get the next body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). We have got different types of bodies. That is due to our association, past association with the different modes of material nature. Therefore, in this life, if we associate with the modes of goodness, then there is possibility of being promoted to the higher planetary system, or if we become God conscious, then we go back to home, back to Godhead. This chance is there. Now it is up to us to utilize it properly.
This is dharma. This is dharma. Otherwise you can manufacture so many other dharmas—that is not dharma; that is your concocted dharma. But real dharma this is: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam (BG 18.66), man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī... This is most confidential dharma. So anyone who is not interested in this dharma, but he manufactures his own dharma, then what happens to him? Aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya mām: (BG 9.3) "He does not get Me." Does not get. This is the mission of human life—to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The real mission of life: how to go back to Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to Vaikuṇṭha-loka, the spiritual world. That is real mission. But that we do not know; therefore is most confidential. People do not know it that there is another world, the spiritual world, there is Vaikuṇṭha-loka. This, this material world is one-fourth creation.
So if we execute this devotional service, rāja-vidyā, then we can go back to home, be transferred to the spiritual world. They do not know. Aśraddadhānaḥ. Then, aprāpya mām: they do not know how to go back to home, back to Godhead. Aprāpya. Then what happens? Aprāpya māṁ nivartante mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani (BG 9.3). He remains here in this material world and goes on transforming, transmigrating from one body to another, one body to another. And we should know, we should be very responsible that what kind of body we are getting next. If you don't care... Big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they say that after finishing the body... Our men in Delhi, New Delhi, they are making some life members amongst the parliamentary M.P.s. So one M.P. said that "We don't believe in this. The last perfection is to become zero, to become zero." Because they cannot think, those who are materialist, they cannot think that there is another, spiritual world.
Similarly, those who kills another body, or those who kill another body, or those who make suicide, they become again criminal. Again criminal. This is the law of nature, but they do not know. Therefore one who does not know the laws of nature, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). The prakṛtiḥ, the laws of nature, is going on under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. One who does not know, aśraddadhānaḥ, one who has no faith, puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa aprāpya mām: the result is he does not go back to home, back to Godhead. Then what is? Nivartante: he wanders, he travels within this material world, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Because you cannot avoid mṛtyu. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9), this is the law of this material nature. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. But if you want to avoid this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani, then you must be Kṛṣṇa conscious, you must surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
So if we can go back to home, back to Godhead, there is no darkness. It is all illuminating. It is stated in the śāstra that there is no need of sun, there is no need of moon, there is no... Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ (BG 15.6). In the spiritual world there is no need of sun; there is no need of moon; there is no need of electricity or fire. That is the description. Here in the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na śaśāṅko na pāvakaḥ. We cannot imagine how without sun, without moon, without electricity, without fire, one can live. Yes, but there is a world like that. You do not require sunshine. You do not require. They are all illuminated. So that is uttamam. Udgata tama yasmāt, the Sanskrit word, "from which the darkness is completely eradicated."
Kṛṣṇa is within your heart. It is not that you have to create a Kṛṣṇa or God or you have to call. He is there. But due to darkness we cannot see Him. But by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), by cleanings the core of our heart, you will be able to see Kṛṣṇa within yourself. Yena mām upayānti te. The instruction is how he can come back, go back to home, back to Godhead—mokṣyase aśubhāt—being free from all inauspicity. That stage can be attained. How? Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). If you engage yourself always in His service. Satata-yuktānām. Satata means always, always engaged in His service. Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. And worshiping the Lord with prīti, love, prīti... Bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam. So this is being instructed to the students who have entered this institute, how to worship the Deity. The Deity worship is there just to give chance to the devotee satatam, satata-yuktānām—always engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. From early morning, half past three, four, up to night, ten, they are engaged. That is called satata-yuktānām. Only a few hours given to them for taking rest because, after all, we have got this material body. It requires little rest. Otherwise there is no question of resting. Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa.
So this is the opportunity. So this knowledge, rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam, susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (BG 9.2). Avyayam means in ordinary fruitive activities whatever you do... Suppose by karma, by material activities, fruitive activities, you become very rich man or very learned man, very good office. But everything will be finished with your death. As soon as the body is finished, all your asset finished. But if you become a devotee, your body may be finished but the soul is eternal. The soul will carry your assets of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and nature will give you another chance of taking birth in a very rich family or in a Vaiṣṇava family. To get birth in a Vaiṣṇava family is greater asset than to take birth in rich family. Rich family means there is no economic problem. But on account of richness one may fall down, but if one takes birth in a Vaiṣṇava family there is no more fall down. He makes progress further and further. In this way he is allowed again go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
The foolish people, they are trying to adjust this world and be happy. That is not... That is a first-class foolishness. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). They'll never be able to make a solution of this material world. (break) ...do not accept this principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness the result is that they do not go back to Godhead, but remain in this material world for continuous struggle for existence. Dharmasya iti, imaṁ bhakti-lakṣaṇaṁ dharmam. This... This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is also a principle of religion. Religion... Religion means which has connection with God. Without any connection with God, oh, that is not accepted as religion. Religion, generally understood—searching after God, understanding about God, relationship with God. This is religion. Atheism is not religion. Atheism not religion.
Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthāḥ. Jaghanya means abominable, abominable, without any distinction. "Whatever I like, I shall do." No. You cannot do that. You have got now super consciousness. You must decide whether you want to stop this evolutionary process, cycle of birth and death, and go back to home, back to Godhead, or if you want to continue again the cycle of birth and death. That is up to you to decide. This is the human form of life. Therefore how you can promote yourself to the higher status of life or how you can degrade yourself to the lower status of life, that is to be decided.
So here it is said that aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣāḥ (BG 9.3). Kṛṣṇa is giving you a system as you can go to Him, back to home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Why one should go to God? No, that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). You can go to any other planets. You can have very long duration of life. The standard of living is very, very high. Just like here in this planet sometimes we see the standard of living condition in Europe, America, is better than other places. They become very much clever, that in Europe and America, and Australia also, another addition of European... So big, big roads, big, big skyscraper house, all very comfortable. So as you see differences of standard of living here, similarly, each and every planet there is different standard of living. And it is said in the śāstra that if you go to the moon planet, then you live there for ten thousands of years, ten thousand of years, and their calculation of time is also greater than ours.
So God is Himself explaining how you should live. That is Bhagavad-gītā. Therefore it is said, aśraddadhānāḥ puruṣā dharmasyāsya parantapa: (BG 9.3) "My dear Arjuna, if somebody has no faith in My words..." Then what will be the result? The result will be, aprāpya mām: "He'll not get me." Aprāpya means "not getting Myself." Then what he will get? Aprāpya māṁ nivartante: "Again he goes back." Instead of going back to home, back to Godhead, he goes back to where? Now, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani: (BG 9.3) "Again in the cycle of birth and death." Again cycle of birth and death. Suppose in this human form of life you can make your life so perfect that immediately after death, after giving up this body, you go back to home, back to Godhead. You regain your eternal life. But if you misuse this human form of life, do not endeavor for going back to home, back to Godhead, then again go back to the cycle of birth and death. This is nature's law. You are not independent. Nature is working like that.
You are thinking foolishly, as a rascal that you are independent. You are not independent. You are completely under the control of material nature. Now, in this human form of life, there are two ways: you go back to home, back to Godhead, or go back to again to become a pig, hog, and tree, and plant. This is the plan of Bhagavad-gītā. Thank you very much.
Prabhupāda: Hitler or anyone, if he does not take advantage of this human form of life for going back to home, back to Godhead, he'll be put into again in the cycle of birth, maybe different forms of body.
Guest (1): I have another question. You were talking about the planets, the planetary systems. The planets in our solar system, are they in the middle planetary systems or the lower planetary systems?
Prabhupāda: What is the question about planetary system?
Gurukṛpā: This planet, where is it situated in the planetary system.
Prabhupāda: You cannot understand it? The whole planetary system is just like a big tree, and there are many fruits. So here, this planet is one of the fruits of the planetary system.
Is it guaranteed that because one is son of high-court judge, he'll also become a high-court judge? There is no such guarantee. Everyone is individual. We are sons of God, that's all right, but we have got little independence. If we misuse our independence, then we become lower. Kṛṣṇa is perfect, there is no doubt, but we are part and parcel of. Just like another example. There is a fire and there are sparks of fire. The sparks are very little, small fire particle. Sometimes they fall down from the fire and becomes extinguished. The fiery quality is lost. Similarly, we are all parts and parcels of God, but when, by misusing our intelligence, our independence, we come here in this material world to enjoy, our godly qualities becomes lost. Again if you revive, then you go back to home, back to Godhead.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to help people how to revive his God consciousness. Again goes back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). It is clearly said. If simply one tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or God, and if he actually understands, then after giving up this body he is no more going to accept any material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. Why don't you try for that? Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is explaining himself. You take this Bhagavad-gītā as it is and read it regularly. You will understand Kṛṣṇa. Life is successful. You have asked one question. Any more? What is your question?
Kṛṣṇa (is) instructing that there are two pathways. One is go back to home, back to Godhead, and other path is remain in this material world which is full of miseries, especially birth, death, old age and disease. Two paths. Actually, we living entities, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. We are eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and we are part and parcel of Him, just like father is there and he may have many children. So every child is the part and parcel of the father. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, God, we all living entities, we are sons, or part and parcel of God. Qualitatively we are one. Just like a small particle of gold is also gold. It is not a different thing. But one is small particle and one is big lump. But qualitatively, both of them are gold. So we are small particle of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is vibhu, the great, God is great, and we are small particle.
So there are two ways, as I have already explained, that if you like you can become free from this bondage of material body. If you like. And if you don't like you can continue your material way of life, changing different material bodies. Changing different material body is described here: mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. Mṛtyu. Because with any body, material body, either cat's body, a dog's body or human being's body or demigod's body or even Brahmā's body, you have to die. There is no escape. Therefore it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. And the, another path is, aprāpya mām, this mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani means you don't get Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says aprāpya, not getting mām, Me. Two alternatives. Either you get Kṛṣṇa and go back to home, back to Godhead, this is one path. And the other path that you remain in this material world and repeatedly get a body and die again, get again another body. This is going on. Repetition of birth, death, old age and disease.
There are two ways. One destination is to go back to home, back to Godhead. Another destination is to be involved in the cycle of birth and death. So this human form of life is the junction to decide where you make your way. You are going to back to home, back to Godhead, or again you are going back to the cycle of birth and death, mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani? Vartmani means path. That you have to decide in this human form of life because you are not animal. Animal, they have no intelligence. Their first duty is where to get money, or not money, food. Money is required for purchasing food, but the animals, they do not know that food can be purchased. They are searching after food. But we are civilized; we are searching after money. Money is required for purchasing food. Why don't you produce food directly? That is intelligence.
So in this way, by the process of evolution, we come to this point of human form of life. And if you are actually civilized, then take advantage of the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and make your choice, whether you are going back to home, back to Godhead, or again in the cycle of birth and death. This is the point. So if we accept the instruction given by Kṛṣṇa with faith, then our life are successful. And why you should not take? It is not very difficult. And if we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction... He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is speaking everything which is correct. If you take instruction from others... Others means those have no connection with God, or Kṛṣṇa. They cannot give you correct information because they are conditioned under the laws of nature. The defect is, ordinary person will commit mistake, will be illusioned, his senses are imperfect, and he has the tendency to cheat. This is ordinary living being. And those who are followers of Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa Himself, they have no such defect. Whatever they say, that is correct. So if we take correct knowledge, then our life is successful. And if we want to be cheated, then there are many cheaters. They'll cheat you. So make your choice, which way you shall go, whether you shall go back to home, back to Godhead, or again go to the cycle of birth and death. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).
If we get a nice body, human form or demigod, we may live very happily. Not happily, at least better than the animals. But if we get the body of an animal, then just imagine what is the suffering. If you get the body of a tree, now just imagine. A tree is standing in the open atmosphere. There is snowfall, there is scorching heat, but it has no power to move an inch. That is also life. And you can move from here to there. You have facility. So now, in the human form of life, you have got all facilities given by God. You take advantage of it. Don't put yourself again in the laws of nature and be liberated. Go back to home, back to Godhead.
Just like this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is giving opportunity that you can go back to home, back to Godhead, but if we don't take this opportunity, if we manufacture our own way of life, then the... you cannot manufacture because the laws of nature is above you. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā (BG 3.27). If by false prestige or false egotism you try to manufacture some ways and means for your happiness, that will never be possible because above you the strong nature's law is there. Nature's law will act in its own way. It will not allow to change it by your so-called devices and fertile brain. That is not possible. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). It is simply by false prestige he is thinking that "I can chalk out my own way of life." No. That is not possible. You are completely under the laws of nature, and whatever nature will do, you'll have to accept. Next life, if nature, by nature, he gives you better body, demigod's body, you'll have to accept. And if the nature offers you a dog's body you have to accept it. You cannot change it. That is not possible.
So we must be very careful. Kṛṣṇa says very easy, that one can go back to home, back to Godhead very easily. How?
- janma karma ca me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaun...
- (BG 4.9)
Kṛṣṇa says, "I appear in this material world. I appear just like ordinary child appears. I take birth." Actually Kṛṣṇa does not take birth. If you read Bhāgavata, you will see how He appeared. Anyway, even if you take Him that He appeared as the son of Vasudeva or Mother Yaśodā... You can say that He played just like a child in the hands of Mother Yaśodā. So that's all right. But you try to understand what kind of, this child display or līlā of Kṛṣṇa in front of Mother Yaśodā. That is required. Janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). That is all divine, transcendental. So if we understand that "God has become a child" or "These people, accepting a child of certain woman whose name is Yaśodā as God," then you are mistaken. And if you understand that God has come as a child of this great devotee, Mother Yaśodā, just to fulfill her desire. Because Mother Yaśodā wanted God as her son, so God, being very much pleased on this devotee, He has appeared as a son of Mother Yaśodā. Two understanding. If you take Kṛṣṇa that "Here is a child born in a vaiśya family of Mother Yaśodā, Nanda Mahārāja, and these people are accepting Him as God," then you are mistaken.
Therefore śāstra says that gurur na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt pitā na sa syāt, in this way, that na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum. This is the perfect knowledge, perfection of life. Samupeta-mṛtyum. We have got a situation in this material world, repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. But śāstra says, "One should not become a guru, one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, one should not become a relative, one should not become a friend," in this way, he says, "if one cannot give relief to his friend or son or disciple, relief from the impending birth, death, old age, and disease." This is real contraceptive method. If you think that "If a child is born, I shall educate him in such a way that this birth will be his last birth. Next he is going to back to home, back to Godhead," then produce a child. Otherwise don't produce. This is spiritual contraceptive. This is real father and mother. Otherwise a dog is also becoming a father. The such kind of father-becoming is not recommended in the Vedic civilization. Now, just become a real father to give the real benefit to the son. Then you become a father.
So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself from this external energy to the internal energy. That is the purpose of all Vedic literature. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To understand God and go back to home, back to Godhead, that is perfection of life. So here we are in the God's energy. There is no doubt. Mayā tatam, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Everything. Bhūtāni means all living entities, anything which has grown. The trees, the plants, the hills, the ocean, the sky—everything is resting in God's energy. Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni na cāhaṁ teṣv avasthitaḥ. But it is not that... The pantheists, they think that "If God has expanded in everything, then whatever I worship, that is God's worship." No. That is the... Kṛṣṇa said, "No, that you cannot take."
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Gurukṛpa: She wants to know what's the best activity to perform to go back to Godhead.
Prabhupāda: You are already performing Hare Kṛṣṇa chant, very easy thing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). That is the best education, to hear about God, to chant about God, to think about God, to worship God. In this way there are nine processes recommended. You are following that, at least trying to follow. Then, when you are perfect, then you'll go. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). No more material body. You follow strictly the devotional process. There are nine different ways. But if you simply hear about God, then you also become perfect. Any one of them... You take nine of them, eight of them, seven of them, six of them, five of them—at least one you take, and you'll be perfect. One must take. Just like Mahārāja Parīkṣit, he took only one. He listened to Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He became perfect. Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he simply chanted; he became perfect.
So here it is said, na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni. Where God is forgotten... That is Godlessness. Na ca mat-sthāni bhūtāni paśya me yogam aiśvaram. Although they are living within the kingdom of God, still they have forgotten because they wanted to forget. God is giving us facility that if you want to forget Him, He will give you good facilities to forget Him forever. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). But if you want God, He will give all facilities to come back to Him, back to Godhead. So this is our position in the human form of life. If we want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then we can do that in this life. And if we want to forget Him again, we have got this chance. If we want to forget Kṛṣṇa, God, then we are again in the cycle of birth and death.
Two things, that is explained. Aśraddadhānāḥ. What Kṛṣṇa is speaking, the instruction, if we have no faith to believe Him, and if we don't accept it, then the result is that he is losing the chance. He got this human form of life to understand God, but if he is missing this opportunity, then the result will be aprāpya māṁ nivartante. We have come from God. Either you go back to home, back to Godhead, or again we go back to the cycle of birth and death. Mṛtyu-saṁsāra-vartmani. The cycle of birth and death, it is called mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Saṁsāra means tribulation, tribulation, sufferings. Suffering... The ultimate suffering is mṛtyu, death. So death, again birth. That is also suffering. Although we forget, but to take birth is a great suffering. Great suffering means you have to enter the womb of the mother and you have to grow your body and there is risk of being killed also. Especially at the present moment they are killing the child in the womb. So just imagine how much suffering it is. And if he is killed, if the child is killed, then his term of imprisonment in that body is not finished. Therefore he has to enter again another body, again enter into the mother's womb. And, it may be, many hundreds of years may pass on before he can again see light. So it is great suffering.
In Upaniṣad also there is a verse that the two birds are sitting in one tree. One bird is eating the fruit of the tree and the other bird is simply observing. The observing bird is Kṛṣṇa or the Supersoul, and the eating bird is the individual soul. So as you desire... That is said, īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna... (BG 18.61). He is sitting with me. He is so friendly that He is giving us guidance always and He is waiting for the time when you shall give up your desires and surrender to the other bird, the observing bird. That is Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā. Paramātmā is so kind that I am taking the body of human being—He is there. I am taking the body of an animal—He is there. I am taking the body of a demigod—He is there. I am taking the body of a demigod—He is there. He is so nice friend, He is always... And giving me advice that "Why you are suffering in this way, creating your desires and suffering? Why you are doing this? Better you stop this. You surrender to Me. Come back to home, back to Godhead." This is... He is always asking. So īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is staying in everyone's heart and He is omnipotent. He understands what I desire.
So God, Kṛṣṇa, indicates the Supersoul who is situated within your heart. You desire something and He immediately orders the material nature that "You give him such and such body." Yantra. The body is yantra, machine. This body is a machine. So yantrārūḍhāni. He is seated in one kind of machine and he goes from one place to another, from one planet to another, from one life to another. This is going on. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61). This business is going on. If we want to stop this business, we have got this opportunity, human form of life. We can understand things if we have got little intelligence. And everything is being explained by Kṛṣṇa. If we take Kṛṣṇa's instruction and mold our life accordingly—that is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement—then our life becomes successful. And after giving up this body, we are no more going to accept any material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). We get a suitable body in which we can go back to home, back to Godhead. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25).
So we have to work here. So we can prepare ourself to being promoted to the higher planetary system or lower animal kingdom. We can become pig; we can become hog; we can become demigod; we can become so on, so on. Whatever we desire, Kṛṣṇa will give us opportunity. But that will not make us happy. If we go back to home, back to Godhead, without the tribulation of repetition of birth and death, that will make us happy. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving opportunity to everyone how to go back to home, back to Godhead, after giving up this body. One has to give up this body. That is certain. But why this body should be wasted for propensities like the animals? It should be fully utilized how to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our propaganda, and we base on these authorities of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is not that we have manufactured it. There is no question of manufacturing. It is authoritative. It is accepted by all the ācāryas. So our request is that you also take this opportunity and be Kṛṣṇa conscious, and next life you go back to home, back to Godhead, and be eternally happy.
Guest (1) (girl): Śrīla Prabhupāda, would you please explain why Kṛṣṇa consciousness hadn't come to the West until now, why it hasn't come earlier?
Prabhupāda: Because you were not born. After your birth we have come here to take you back to home, back to Godhead. Now you take the opportunity; come with us. We were waiting for your birth.
Gurukṛpā: Questions?
Guest (2) (man): How can one strengthen the spiritual will to act plain and live the spiritual life?
Prabhupāda: Spiritual life we are leading here. You can see. We are worshiping the Deity. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We haven't got to go to the factory early in the morning. This is spiritual life. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, eat sumptuously Kṛṣṇa prasādam, and worship the Deity, that is spiritual life.
Man-manā bhava. Just thinking, just be always thinking of Me does not mean that you shall think of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, as your enemy, but as your friend, or lovable object. Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. Bhakta means we should be always ready to render loving service to Kṛṣṇa. That sort of thinking. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī. Just become a worshiper of Kṛṣṇa. And māṁ namaskuru. And offer your obeisances unto Him. By following these four principles, mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, if you follow these four principles, then surely you'll come back to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." This has already been explained in the last verse of ninth chapter.
And Kṛṣṇa Himself, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. "As many villages and towns are there, sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma, that My name will be celebrated in every village, every town." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is not a crippled movement. It is very broad movement, claiming all living entities to come to Kṛṣṇa, back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we should not be bodily conscious. Kṛṣṇa, here says: the body is not I am this body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram. It is a field of activities. Kṣetram. Field of activities. Just like one who is bodily conscious, he undergoes many severe exercises. So body becomes very stout and strong and he's happy. He's happy. Because he thinks: "I am this body."
Kṛṣṇa doesn't make your body. You desire. Kṛṣṇa orders māyā, the prakṛti, material nature: "You give him such kind of body." Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Prakṛti's not working. Prakṛti has given me this body not out of her own accord. Kṛṣṇa has ordered: "Give this person, this living entity, such a body." Maybe it is Brahmā's body. Maybe it is ant's body. Maybe it is demigod's body. Maybe it is the body of the worm in the stool. Different kinds. Eight million, four hundred thousand species of body. These bodies, we are getting according to our desire. Because except Kṛṣṇa consciousness desire, all desires are subjected to the material conditions.
And as soon as we get Kṛṣṇa consciousness desire, we get immediately free from this transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you become simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then no more botheration of changing this body. You get your spiritual body, go back to home, back to Godhead. Thank you very much. (end)
Just like there are some persons who are devotees and some persons who are demons. So if anyone wants to become a demons, Kṛṣṇa is within. He'll give him intelligence in such a way that he becomes a first-class demon. What is the duty of the first-class demon? That he'll never understand Kṛṣṇa. (laughter) That is first-class demon. And if you want to hear Kṛṣṇa, then he will give you such instruction as you will be relieved from this miserable condition of material life and go back to home, back to Godhead. He's ready. But He does not speak generally, to the nondevotee. If you become a devotee, pure devotee, without any motive, then Kṛṣṇa is sitting within your heart. He says: teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10). "Persons who are twenty-four hours engaged in My service with love and faith," buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam: "I give him such intelligence by which he can come back to home, back to Godhead." He'll give you. Because He knows. But if you don't like to take His instruction, then He gives instruction to the material nature to get you all right.
So Kṛṣṇa can understand your purpose. We cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can immediately understand how much serious and sincere you are for understanding Kṛṣṇa or approaching Him or going back to home, back to Godhead. That Kṛṣṇa can understand. As soon as He understands that "Here is a soul, he's very serious," He takes care of you, especially. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Kṛṣṇa, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is equal to everyone. Samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu. Na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ. Nobody is dearer, or, dveṣa, or subject, object of jealousy. Kṛṣṇa is not envious, neither specially inclined to everyone. Actually, God's position is neutrality. Everyone, He likes for everyone. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati (BG 5.29). That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. He is friend of everyone.
So everyone's heart, He is sitting. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. But He takes special care of the devotee, guides him, gives him intelligence. What kind of intelligence? Yena mām upayānti te. Just to give him the clue how one can go back to home, back to Godhead. Kṛṣṇa does not give intelligence how one can gain some material prosperity. That is entrusted to the māyā—daivī māyā or Durgādevī.
He's self-sufficient. He's not hungry. He is supplying necessities, food, to every living entity. Still He's hankering for a little flower, little fruit, from this living entity. "Please give Me." So this is the position. Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham aśnāmi: "If you kindly give me even little flower, a little fruit, little water, with faith and love, I will eat." Kṛṣṇa is so kind. And He's simply trying to turn the face of the living entity towards Him. Therefore He is always with us. So this is another—Kṛṣṇa has come here in this temple to accept your offerings. So that you may again go back to home, back to Godhead.
That is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He's so kind. In whatever way possible, He's trying to get us back to home, back to Godhead. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. He's coming Himself as Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. He's coming Himself as the devotee, Lord Caitanya. He came, Kṛṣṇa, personally, and asked everyone, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You just, why you are suffering here? You give up all these engagements." Because here whatever you do will simply create entanglement and suffer, that's all. You cannot be free to do anything. That is not possible. So Kṛṣṇa therefore says that, "Don't bother by manufacturing your ways of thinking."
Therefore, give up doggish mentality. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Train up your mind, God, godly mentality. Then you'll be transferred next life, back to home, back to Godhead. That is required. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the people for being promoted to the highest standard of life. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. We are giving chance to the people not to become next life cats and dogs and vultures. But associate of Kṛṣṇa. To become a cowherd boy, to play with Kṛṣṇa, or gopī, to dance with Kṛṣṇa. This much facilities we are going to giving.
Nānā joni sadā phire, kadarjya bhakṣaṇa kore, tāra janma adhah-pāte jāya. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura is singing that "Those who have taken this path of fruitive activities, they are forced to accept different forms of life and eat all abominable things, and thus he is lost in this material world." So if we become God conscious, if we become faithful to Kṛṣṇa, or God, then He will give right direction so that you may go again back to home, back to Godhead. And that is our business.
- teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ
- bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
- dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ
- yena mām upayānti te
- (BG 10.10)
Now, according to my whims, according to my different desires I am going deep and deep to the hellish condition of life. I am becoming the worms of the stool beginning from Brahmā. Now, if... When we have got this human form of life, we should understand, "How things are happening? How I am getting different types of body? How I am dictated according to the body and I am not happy? Now what is the reason? Then what I am? I do not want distress. Why distress is forced upon me? I do not want to die. Why death is forced upon me? I do not want to become old. I want to remain perpetually young. Why old age is forced upon me?" There are so many things. In this way, when we become intelligent enough and approach Kṛṣṇa or a Kṛṣṇa's representative, then our life becomes reformed.
But we can get out of this material energy by bhagavad-bhakti. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etān taranti te. By our surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, we can get out of these clutches of external energy and again become under the internal energy. Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivī prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). Now we are under the influence of mahāmāyā. When we put ourselves under the influence of yogamāyā, then we again go back to home, back to Godhead. So this is a great science and Vedic literature profusely has described this science, how to get out of these clutches of external energy. That Kṛṣṇa says in the next verse, ṛṣibhir bahudhā gītam.
Ṛṣibhiḥ, not ordinary persons, rsi, great... Just like Vyāsadeva. Mahārṣi, devarṣi, rājarṣi, ṛṣi. Formerly the brāhmaṇas, they were ṛṣis, and the kṣatriyas also, they were also just like ṛṣis. Therefore they are called rājarṣi. The spiritual science is not understandable by ordinary men. Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the fourth chapter, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ: "This science was understood by the great rajarsis." Just like Mahārāja Yudhisthira, rājarṣi, Lord Rāmacandra, rājarṣi, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, rājarṣi, Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, rājarṣi. There are many. They were rājarṣis. The monarchy was not a cheap thing. The king was as good as a ṛṣi. Therefore they are called rājarṣi. The king used to rule over the citizens on the permission of the great, great sages. Just like Nārada, the Devarsi. He used to visit Mahārāja Yudhisthira. Similarly, other kings.
Kṛṣṇa says, jñeyaṁ yat tat pravakṣyāmi "I shall speak to you what is the object of knowledge, ultimate objective of knowledge." Yaj jñātvā 'mṛtam aśnute. If one can understand Kṛṣṇa he gets eternal life. That is our aim of life. Not to remain within this material world, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), take birth once and again die. This is done by the cats and dogs. Any animal, they do not know anything. They take birth and again die. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to accept. So if in ignorance I take birth and again die, what is this life? Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). That is no knowledge. Spoiling. This human form of life is the boon where you can make a solution simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is knowledge, how to become immortal, how to understand Kṛṣṇa, how to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So therefore in this age, if we want to save ourselves from this onslaught of this age, the proposition is kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. Parīkṣit Mahārāja was informed by Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "My dear King, I have described about the faulty nature of this age." Kaler doṣa-nidhi. Doṣa-nidhi means an ocean of faults. "But there is one good opportunity." Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājann asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. "There is one good quality." What is that? Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51). Simply by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, one can become free from all this contamination and he can go back to home, back to Godhead." This is another advantage of Kali-yuga. In other yuga one has to undergo so much severe austerity, penances. Then one can realize. But in this age the things have been made easy. That is also mercy of Kṛṣṇa because these people are so much, disturbed and fallen, downtrodden, they cannot undergo very severe austerity. Simply chant.
That is the highest perfection of life. If you come back, if you go back to home, back to Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, there you get sac-cid-ānanda body, eternal, blissful body of knowledge. And that is our aim, jñāna-gamyam, jñeyam. That is jñāna-gamyam.
Therefore the bhakti path has to be accepted—bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā—by knowledge in the Vedic literature, by hearing. Śruta-gṛhītayā means I... You... The Vedic literature is also understood by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (SB 3.25.25). Unless you hear from realized soul, it is not possible. Simply by speculation it is useless waste of time. Teṣāṁ kleśala eva śiṣyate. After hearing for many, many years the Vedas from the non-realized soul, simply hearing from this hole of the ear and going out from the other hole—that kind of hearing will not help us.
But we are prone to be covered. But Kṛṣṇa is not prone to be covered. Otherwise, why should we take lessons from Kṛṣṇa? If He's also like one of us, then what is the use of taking knowledge from Him? There is no use. But these rascals, they think that Kṛṣṇa is like us. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Because Kṛṣṇa, by His causeless mercy comes down to teach you how to take you back to home, back to Godhead, rascals think that "Kṛṣṇa is like us." Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ (BG 9.11). Therefore Kṛṣṇa says "All these lessons, instructions, can be assimilated, understood, by My devotee," mad-bhakta etad vijñāya (BG 13.19). "And therefore they are eligible to get back his original consciousness." Mad-bhāvāyopapadyate. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)
So our aim should be how to go back to home, back to Godhead. But we do not know. We are simply acting like cats and dogs, that's all. Jumping like dog, cat, and eating, sleeping, and having sex intercourse and trying to defend my position. These things are done by the animals. These things are done by animals. Then what is your benefit you get, this human form of life? Śāstra says,
- nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
- kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
- tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
- śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam
- (SB 5.5.1)
"This human form of life is not meant for working very hard like cats and dogs. It is meant for tapasya. Tapasya, simple life, and realize yourself. And then you stop the miserable condition of your life. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam.
Kṛṣṇa has repeatedly said, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Simply try to understand Me, Kṛṣṇa. The result will be tyaktvā deham..." That is... After giving up this body we have to accept another body. Kṛṣṇa says, "Simply if you understand Me in truth, then thereafter, no more accepting any material body. You remain in your spiritual body and come to the spiritual world, back to home, back to Godhead."
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is a humble attempt to awaken the whole human society to this spiritual knowledge and act according to the instruction of spiritual life and be happy and be prepared for the next life. The perfection of next life is to become free from the laws of material nature. That is the highest perfection. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramaṁ gataḥ. That can be possible when you go back home back to Godhead. That is not very difficult at the same time. Janma karma ca divyaṁ me jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Very simple thing. You simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Why Kṛṣṇa comes. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). What is dharmasya glāniḥ? What is dharma? Why does He come? Paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8). Who is sādhu, who is duṣkṛta? These things are to be studied.
So if you keep yourself constantly engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you are not in this material world. There is no more fear of what kind of body you will get next. You will get next body go back to home back to Godhead. This is wanted. If you go back to home, back to God, in the same style of body as Kṛṣṇa has got, spiritual body īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1)—then no more birth. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). The devotees who are constantly thinking of Kṛṣṇa, trying to understand Kṛṣṇa and engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, such personality, after giving up this body...
We have to give up this body. Everyone, the cats, dogs, they will also give up body. We shall also give up body. But the difference is, a devotee after giving up this body, he does not get anymore material body.
You have seen the Hindus. They offer oblations to the forefathers. So they will go the Pitṛloka. Yānti bhūtejyā bhūtāni. And those who are ordinary, materialistic persons, they remain in this world. And mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. "And those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they will come to Me." Kṛṣṇa says. So why not become Kṛṣṇa conscious and go directly back to home, back to Godhead? This is our mission. You have to prepare for the next life.
So there are so many different types of next life. Beginning from Brahmaloka down to the... Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). So why should we try for making a better position within this material world? Why? Why should we waste our time like that? We have seen that to occupy the post of president, Mr. Nixon, how much he had to work in the beginning. I was at that time in America. He was advertising, "America needs now Nixon." So he had to spend millions and millions of dollars, so many cliques and so many intricacies, political... But it is gone, the presidency. Somehow or other. And now he is dragged down. Now he's offered position.
Te 'pi ca atitaranti. They also can go back to home, back to Godhead by learn... (break) It is school. We are teaching others. Unfortunately, they do not take chance of learning this great science. They are so unfortunate. We are canvassing, we are going door to door, we are publishing books, we are flattering them, "Please come here. Take prasādam. Hear something from Bhagavad..." "No." They have no time. They have no time. They are working like cats and dogs. They will agree to go to, transfer this body, from this body to another abominable body, but they'll not try to stop this repetition of birth and death. māyā is so strong.
So Kṛṣṇa has already described bhakti-yoga. Now He is describing about the activities of this material world. Traiguṇya-viṣayā. Activities of the material world means to act in such a way that you become liberated at the end and go back to home, back to Godhead. That is real activities of this material world, not to act as the animals—eating, sleeping, mating. So this material world is now described, compared with a banyan tree which has its root upwards, above. That means this material world is created from the spiritual world. Eko nārāyaṇa āsīt. In the spiritual world there is always Nārāyaṇa. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he says nārāyaṇaḥ avyaktāt paraḥ. The spiritual world has nothing to do with this material world. This material world is created. Just like the banyan tree. It takes its root and it is created. So the seed of the creation is in the spiritual world. Sa īkṣata, sa asṛjata. The creation is coming from the spiritual world. Spiritual world means the kingdom of God, Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa.
The Vedic knowledge means that. We have come to this material world. So just like we have purchased this machine for some enjoyment, similarly, we are fallen down to this material world for some material pleasure. So Kṛṣṇa has given, God has given a literature. If you'll be guided by the literature, that, your propensity to enjoy this material world, will be fulfilled, at the same time you'll again be able to go back home, back to Godhead. So now you discuss this point that why we have come to this material world, what is the purpose. These things are mentioned in the Vedas. Vedas gives you knowledge about your relationship with God. That is the first knowledge. And then, according to that relationship, if you act, then you are rightly directed, and ultimately the goal is to go back home, back to Godhead. So discuss on this point if you have anyone any doubt, any question.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Everyone... Even if we don't surrender to Kṛṣṇa in this life, will everyone surrender to Kṛṣṇa? Will everyone go back to Godhead eventually?
Prabhupāda: Hm? So you have got doubt? Rest assured not everyone will do that. So you have no worries. It is not that everyone will do that. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Unless one is bhāgyavān, very fortunate, he'll not go back to home, back to Godhead. He will rot here. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means we are trying to make people bhāgyavān. If he wants, he can become bhāgyavān. That is our attempt. We are creating so many centers. We are teaching how to become bhāgyavān, fortunate, how to go back to home, how he can be happy. Now, if one is fortunate, they will take this instruction and turn his life. Therefore this is mission. But without becoming bhāgyavān, nobody can go. Fortunate. So we are giving them chance to become fortunate. This is our mission. The most unfortunate is getting the chance of becoming fortunate. Any one of us can consider this, how from unfortunate life they are coming to fortunate.
Everyone is intelligent. That I have already explained. Everyone has got brain and intelligence, but he has to use it properly. That is wanted. That is education. You cannot teach a stone how to manufacture this microphone. That is not possible because he has no intelligence. But even one is dull brained, you can teach him by education how to manufacture this microphone. So intelligence is there, every living entity. Now, to train them how to utilize his intelligence... So one who is fortunate, he becomes trained up in intelligence how to go home, back to home, back to Godhead. And one who is not fortunate, his intelligence is used how to go to hell. That's all. That is duṣkṛtina. To become a member of the hellish condition of life, that also requires intelligence. How to become first-class thief, how to become first-class cheater, first-class drunkard, first-class smuggler—does it not require intelligence? It requires intelligence. But their intelligence is being used for going to hell. Another intelligence is being used to going back to home, back to Godhead. Intelligence is there in both the cases. Now, it is the technique, how to use it. That's all. That requires.
Then what is the advantage of becoming sura and asura? If you become a sura, then you become fit for entering into the kingdom of God, back to home, back to Godhead. But if you remain asura, then you have to remain in this material world, which is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15), full of miseries and temporary. So we don't say anyone asura and sura, but, we understand from the śāstra anyone who takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he may be, he becomes a sura. Even if he is born in asura family, it doesn't matter. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. His father was a asura, but still, he became the first-class sura. Similarly, everyone can become first-class sura. They have to be trained. The asuras, they... Therefore it is said that pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ (BG 16.7). Asuras, the fault is, asuras, they do not know how to live a very happy and clean life. They do not know. Ācāra. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ. They have not cleanliness and good behavior.
So in this material world they have come... All of us, beginning from Brahmā down to the insignificant ant, we have come here for material enjoyment. And in this material world, according to different desires and karma, they are getting different types of bodies. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). Karmaṇā, by our work, and by the supervision of the supreme power we are getting different types of body. So there are two kinds of living entities. One kind of living entities, they are trying to go back to home, back to Godhead. They are called devatās. And the asuras, they are not aware of the spiritual world; neither they are endeavoring to go back to home, back to Godhead. So Kṛṣṇa has described about the devotees in so many ways. Now He is discriminating who are the demons. So for the asuras there is no knowledge what is the aim of life.
The purport is that if somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even he is born in the family of muci, then he becomes śuci. And if a person born in the brāhmaṇa family or kṣatriya family but he does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes a muci. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ (BG 9.32). Pāpa-yoni means muci, less than the śūdras. If he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim, they are also eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. So even a muci or a pāpa-yoni born in the low grade family, if he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he becomes a devatā. This is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Śukadeva Gosvāmī,
- kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā
- ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ
- ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ
- śudhyanti tasmai prabhaviṣṇave namaḥ
- (SB 2.4.18)
So it doesn't matter where we are born. If we take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he becomes a śuddha, śuci, purified, and he is eligible to go back to home, to back to Godhead. So to take the shelter of a pure devotee means he knows what is pravṛtti and what is nivṛtti. All our Vedic literature is meant for nivṛtti. Pravṛttir eṣā bhūtānāṁ nivṛttis tu mahā-phalā. These, all living creatures, who are struggling for existence in this material world, that is their pravṛtti, to enjoy this material world. But when one becomes inclined to nivṛtti, he becomes devatā. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement which was inaugurated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu is for nivṛtti-mārga. Nivṛtti-mārga means "No more material enjoyment. Let me make progress towards Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Therefore this devotional service or bhakti-yoga, it is called nivṛtti-mārga.
So therefore the basic principle of self-interest is lost. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive their consciousness that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. You are part and parcel of God. Why you should suffer? So cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and simply by cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness you will go back home, back to Godhead, and then you'll be happy." Kṛṣṇa confirms this. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, mām upetya: (BG 8.15) "If somebody comes to Me," mām upetya, "then he does not come back again in this material world, who is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15)." This place is place for suffering. Because they do not know self-interest, the place of suffering they are accepting place of enjoyment. But actually it is place of suffering.
We are busy in solving our temporary problems. Sometimes we want warm; sometimes we want coolness. This is not actually our self-interest. Our self-interest is to understand that "I am son of God. My father is complete in everything. So why shall I suffer?" Does a rich man's son suffer? No. But a rich man's son, if he goes out of home and voluntarily accepts suffering, loitering in the street... Just like we see amongst the hippies. Unnecessarily they have accepted suffering. Similarly, unnecessarily we have accepted sufferings of this material world. If our real consciousness, means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is awakened, then we become aware of our position, constitutional position. Then we are saved from this repetition of birth and death and go back home, back to Godhead.
So that they do not find. They do not... They have no eyes to see. They simply see the superfluous combination, permutation. No. That superintendence is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). The Bhāgavata also says, daiva-netreṇa. Daiva-netreṇa means "under the leadership of the Supreme." As soon as one dies, gives up this body... He does not die; he changes the body. Now, the next body... Here is a duration of changing body. Say for a hundred years the changing is going on. Then, after that, when he changes this body, then there is daiva-netreṇa, the judgement: "What kind of body should be awarded this living entity?" That is called daiva-netreṇa. And when it is decided that "He has done such and such thing; therefore he should be promoted," "He has done such and such thing; he should be degraded," "He has done such and such thing; therefore he should go back to home, back to Godhead"—all these judgements are taken—then he's offered.
Therefore a devotee knows how to do things. He knows not automatically, but he learns from the spiritual master, the representative of God. Then he becomes perfect. Otherwise asura. Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāraḥ (BG 16.7). The asuras, they do not know what is cleanliness, what is proper behavior. That is asuric quality. So we have explained. By asuric quality we remain conditioned with this material world. But daivī qual..., by divine quality, we can become free from this material bondage and go back to home, back to Godhead. So these things are very elaborately explained in this chapter, Sixteenth Chapter. So let us know who is demon and who is divine. Thank you very much. (end)
Everyone is eligible to go back home, back to Godhead. So this movement is to execute this Kṛṣṇa's mission. He wants it. Why He says, māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ? Pāpa-yonayaḥ means suffering. Here in this material world either you are in pāpa-yoni or ucca-yoni, there is suffering. So Kṛṣṇa is... Kiṁ punar brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā bhaktā rājarṣayas tathā (BG 9.33). Even the pāpa-yonis, they can be relieved, what to speak of those who are born in good family, brāhmaṇa, puṇya, rājarṣaya, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Of course, in this age it is very difficult to find out the qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Kali-yuga, everyone is almost śūdra. And still, striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās te 'pi yānti parāṁ gatim. They can be elevated. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement.
Why? What is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa? And simply if you understand Kṛṣṇa... Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). They are not ordinary activities. Janma karma ca me divyam-transcendental. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then we can save from this botheration of repetition of birth and death. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). He does not accept any more this material body. Then where does he go? Mām eti: "He comes to Me, back to home, back to Godhead." So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to introduce this movement in the human society. It is not meant for any particular class of men, a particular country or particular religious system. No. It is meant for everyone. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that it is the duty of the Indians.
But we Vaiṣṇava philosopher, Krishnites, we do not think in that terms. Suppose in next life I become some demigod like Lord Brahmā or the Moon or the Sun. They are all demigods. Or Vāyu, Varuṇa. The Vaiṣṇava says, "No, we don't want this." Because either you become Rockefeller or Ford in this life and next life the king of Moon planet or Sun planet or in any way, up to the Brahmā planet, Brahmaloka, Lord Brahmā, Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna: (BG 8.16) "My dear Arjuna, by your endeavor, even you become promoted to the highest position of this material world, still, you have to die, and again—either come down or remain there—there will be change of body." Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). "So why should you be implicated in these material activities? Try to come to Me, back to home, back to Godhead. Then you'll haven't got to return again in this material world. That is the highest perfection." So this is called brahma-jijñāsā. By inquiring about Brahman one can understand that "Even if I go to the topmost planet of this material world, the four principles of miseries—birth, death, old age and disease—there is."
Just like you infect some disease, nature's law is that you must suffer from that disease. Nobody has got to do anything. The law is so... Nature's law is like that. If you take more food than you can digest... (aside:) (child crying) Where is that child? Then immediately there will be dysentery. This is nature's law. If you take more than you can digest, then immediately there will be indigestion, means you cannot assimilate so much food. That is nature's law. If you touch fire, either you touch or your innocent child touch, the fire will burn it. Fire will not consider that "Here is a child. Let me excuse." No, it will burn. This is nature's law. Similarly, the thoughts which you are maintaining during your lifetime, if that thought becomes prominent—naturally it becomes—at the time of death, then you are going to get a similar body. If you are thinking like a demon, then you get the demon's body next life. And if you are thinking like a devotee, then you get your next life back to home, back to Godhead. This is nature's law.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa advises, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65), mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayam. Asaṁśayam, without any doubt. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, which is known as Kṛṣṇaloka, Vaikuṇṭhaloka... Vaikuṇṭhaloka means... Kuṇṭha means this anxiety, and vaikuṇṭha... Vigata-kuṇṭha. Vigata means without. There is no more any anxiety. That is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, spiritual world. Material world is kuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha means anxiety, full of anxiety, and Vaikuṇṭha means there is no anxiety. Everything is freedom. Sac-cid-ānanda. Vaikuṇṭha life means sac-cid-ānanda. Kṛṣṇa's body is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Not only Kṛṣṇa's body, anyone who lives in the spiritual world, his body is spiritual body, and spiritual body means sac, cit, ānanda. Sat means eternal. Spiritual body never annihilates. The material body annihilates. Every one of us, we have got now material body. It will annihilate. But in the spiritual world, when you have got spiritual body, it does not annihilate. Eternal. Eternal life. And cit means knowledge. So in this material body we have no knowledge. Even if we have got..., now imperfect knowledge, limited knowledge. But in the spiritual life you have got full knowledge. That is spiritual life. And ānanda.
So everyone, every human being, should be intelligent that "This is my position, so what is the use of living like a demon? Here is Kṛṣṇa. He says that 'You just become My devotee. You just think of Me.' " Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. "Always think of Me," man-manāḥ, and mad-bhaktaḥ, "My devotee," mad-yājī, "worship Me," māṁ namaskuru, "offer obeisances unto Me. If you follow this principle, then," mām evaiṣyasi, "you come to Me." So why not sacrifice one life for Kṛṣṇa consciousness? So far the bodily enjoyment, especially sex enjoyment, we had in dog's life, cat's life, in beast life. So if by restricting this kind of sex life, little organized, if I can get back to home, back to Godhead and solve all the problems of life, is it not the decision of the intelligent man?
You cannot avoid these laws of material nature. This is called māyā. Actually we are busy with something which is not permanent, a temporary arrangement by the laws of nature. Therefore those who are too much full of anxiety for all these things, they are called demons. Cintām aparimeyāṁ ca. Your cintām will not act. You may think for the safety or satisfaction, but that does not mean we should neglect our duty. But as far as possible, we should be detached. It is not that because all these are temporary arrangement, we should be unfaithful to our family members, to our children, to our wife. As duty, we should take care, but we should not be simply absorbed in such thoughts. Our other business is how to become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead. That is our real business. This is temporary business because we have got some bodily relation, so as duty...
Otherwise it is hopeless. it is not hopeless. Nothing is hopeless. It will take very, very long time. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the statement, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate: (BG 7.19) "After many, many births, when one is actually wise..." Wise means in the sattva-guṇa platform. "Then he surrenders to Kṛṣṇa." Then the beginning of spiritual life is there, and he may finish this course of spiritual understanding even in this life, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa.
Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kau... (BG 4.9). Everything is there, described. So try to understand Bhagavad-gītā very nicely, and even in this life you can finish your job of spiritual self-realization and may go back to home back to Godhead. Thank you very much.
In this way, we are wandering throughout the whole universe. But if want to stop it, if we want to become again originally situated in our constitutional position, then we must understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We must try to understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Then our life will be successful. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Go back to home, go back to Godhead. This is very simple philosophy. And everything is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. If we are fortunate enough, we should study Bhagavad-gītā as it is. And then we become successful in the mission of our life.
| Page Title: | Back to Godhead (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Mayapur |
| Created: | 04 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=186, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 186 |