Body, you must have to accept. As you have changed, as you accepted so many bodies, even in this life, then you have to accept another body. Now there are 8,400,000's of bodies. That you see. There are aquatic bodies, there are tree's bodies, plant's bodies, insect body, bird's body, beast's body—so many bodies. Eight million, four hun ... So Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptir. He does not say what kind of body you'll get; He says dehāntaram. You'll get another body. So how that body, you'll have to make? That is in your hand in this life. You can prepare your next body in this body, just like you can prepare your future life in your youthhood by education, by culture. Then you can get a very nice post, very nice position, honored in the society. But if you spoil your life in childhood and youthhood, then you have no position in future life. Similarly, if you want to get next body, very nice, valuable body, so you prepare for that.
Beast (Other Lectures)
Lectures
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
We living entities, if we simply try to serve Him and make Him happy, as the gopīs did, then it is very congenial atmosphere as it was in Vṛndāvana. Everyone is serving Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is trying to please Kṛṣṇa. The birds, the beasts, the trees, the land, the water, the cowherd boys, the gopīs, Kṛṣṇa's father, mother, elderly people—everyone—the central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. So we can have Vṛndāvana anywhere and everywhere. Vṛndāvana is not that limited. It is not material.
So he had to take the life of a deer next life. Just see. Such a great devotee, but because he was a little attached... Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). So we should be very careful that even in Vṛndāvana, if we miss the point, if we are attached to something, then we have to accept another life, either as beast or tree. Of course, the chance will be given to become a tree and beast in Vṛndāvana. That is also profitable, because next life, he's going back to home, back to Godhead. But why should we waste another life in this way? So Kṛṣṇa-nāma rūpe-avatāra. So we should respect chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with very care, carefulness, cautious so that we may not commit any offense. Then your business is successful. Nāmnad balād yasya hi pāpa-buddhiḥ. If somebody thinks that "I am living in Vṛndāvana. I am chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So if I do something sinful, what it will do...?" Eka nāma, kṛṣṇa-nāme yata pāpa kare, pāpi haya tata pāpa karite nāraya (?). "So what sinful I am doing? A little sinful..." Yes, little sinful will be excused. But if it is done not willingly, but if you commit sinful activities willingly, daily, then you'll be punished. That is laws of nature. Even if you are bhakta. You'll be given chance, but you'll have to be punished. So therefore we must be very careful. We are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means dealing with Kṛṣṇa directly. Therefore we must be very careful, cautious, respectful. Then it is nice, it is success.
When we are free from designation, sarvopādhi-virnirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam, when we are purified, then we can unite in the service of the Lord, Kṛṣṇa. That is real unity. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam... (CC Madhya 19.170). That is Vaikuṇṭha platform. Just like in Vaikuṇṭha, the Vaikuṇṭheśvara, Nārāyaṇa, or Kṛṣṇa, He's the central point of service. Just like in Vṛndāvana... The Vṛndāvana... The animals, the birds, the beasts, the water, the trees, the flowers, the cowherds boy—everyone—center is Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but they loved Kṛṣṇa with their heart and soul. That is Vṛndāvana.
Just like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement: it is welfare activities for all the people of the world. It is not a sectarian movement, not only for the human being, but also for the animals, birds, beasts, trees, everyone. This discussion was made by Haridāsa Ṭhākura with Lord Caitanya. In that statement, Haridāsa Ṭhākura affirmed it that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, the trees, the birds, the beasts—everyone—will be benefited. This is the statement of Namācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. So when we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly, it is beneficial for everyone. This statement was put forward in Melbourne in the court. The, the court inquired that "Why do you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra loudly in the street?" The reply we gave that "Just to benefit all the people." Actually, it is the fact. Of course, now there is no prosecution by the state. We are chanting very freely on the streets. That is the benefit. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, it benefits everyone, not only human beings. My Guru Mahārāja used to say if somebody complained that "We go and chant, but nobody attends our meeting," so Guru Mahārāja would reply that "Why? The four walls will hear you. That is sufficient. Don't be disappointed. Go on chanting. If there are four walls, they will hear. That's all." So chanting is so effective that it benefits even the animals, beasts, birds, insects, everyone. Go on. This is the best welfare activity. In the human society there are welfare activities for some society or nation or community or human being. But this welfare activity is beneficial not only to the human society but to the birds, beasts, tree, animal, everyone. This is the best, supermost welfare activity in the world, spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So here, Rūpa Gosvāmī says auspicity means that which spreads for everyone, in all parts of the world. That is auspicity. Not partial. In politics or sociology or humanitarian activities, there is partiality for a certain section of human being, or certain section of living beings. But this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, awakening Kṛṣṇa consc..., dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is meant for all living entities. Even birds, beasts, insects, they can also awaken. This is the recommendation of Haridāsa Ṭhākura, that if we chant loudly, the trees will hear, the birds will hear, the insect will hear, and they will be liberated. That is the statement of Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Therefore chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and awakening of dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the auspicious activities, welfare activities, for every living entity all over the world.
So from that standard of happiness nobody falls down. But other spiritual happiness derived from impersonal Brahman effulgence or localized Paramātmā connection... Because that is not complete connection, complete relationship with the Supreme Brahman. Partial. Sac-cid-ānanda. Because unless we approach the Personality of Godhead there is no question of ānanda. You can achieve partially sat portion, you can achieve partially cit portion, sac-cit, but unless you come to the platform ānanda—the real ānanda is with Kṛṣṇa in the Goloka Vṛndāvana—so there is chance of falling down. One who does not endeavor to approach this platform of ānandamaya, ānandamaya 'bhyāsāt, where everything is simply ānanda... Even the birds and beasts and the flowers and the water, they are also enjoying that blissfulness. So that is required.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Real business is athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human life, nature, gives us the opportunity to inquire about the Absolute Truth. We have got the intelligence. The cats and dogs, they have no intelligence to inquire about the Absolute Truth. The trees, the plants, the aquatics, the animals, the beasts, the uncivilized man—so many, 8,400,000 forms and species of life. Out of that, the civilized men, the Aryans... Ārya. Ārya means the person who has got godly qualification. This is the meaning of Āryan. Āryan, advanced. Āryan does not mean godless society. They are non-Āryans. Real Āryan means... Because we are part and parcel of God, naturally we have got, in minute quantity, the qualities of God. That is natural. But on account of our material association, those qualifications are covered now by upādhi, by various designations. This is our material disease.
So one has to learn. In the flower you can see. In the tree you can see. In the taste you can see. In the water you can see. In the sound you can see. That is all stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "I am the taste of the water." Water is so popular, so tasteful, to every living entity. Man, beast, birds—anyone—water requires. Why? There is a nice taste, quench our thirst. And Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: "That taste in water, I am." So if you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, if you know from the śāstras that "This taste is Kṛṣṇa," then at once you become Kṛṣṇa conscious while drinking water. "I am sound in the sky." So, as soon as there is some sound, "Oh, here is Kṛṣṇa." In this way, you study Kṛṣṇa. You'll see. In the taste of water you'll find Kṛṣṇa. In the sound vibration you'll find Kṛṣṇa. If there is somebody very powerful, you'll find him, Kṛṣṇa. This description are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Out of that, aquatics, water animals or water-living entities, are 900,000. The botanist or the physiologist, how many they have seen or how many they have experimented or how many we have seen? But from the śāstra, from the Vedic scriptures, we find that there are 900,000's of species of life in the water, and 2,000,000 species of life in the botanical department. Similarly, there are birds, there are beasts, there are four-legged animals, and at last, the human beings. The human life is considered to be the developed form of all species of life. Darwin's theory also, some idea, gives some idea. I think he might have taken this idea from Vedic literature. But the gradual evolution is recommended, is, I mean to say, mentioned in the Vedic literature that from aquatics to plant life, then worms' life, then birds' life, then animal life... There are thirty-three hundred thousands of animal life. So at last this human form of life. And the human form of life, there are many species, some of them civilized, some of them not civilized. Some of them have no religion. But we can know from the history of human civilization that any civilized nation, it doesn't matter whether he's Christian, whether he's Muhammadan, or a Hindu, or Buddhist—there is some type of religion.
Anyone who accepts the Supreme Lord, God, and abides by the laws of God, or laws of nature, he's called religionist or an advanced human being. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Either advanced or not advanced, that doesn't matter. It is a kind of dress only. But I am the father." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā (BG 14.4). Just like father is the seed-giving agent into the womb of the mother, and then the child, baby, comes out... Without the combination of father and mother, there is no possibility of generation. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "In all species of life, the living entities, I am the seed-giving father, and this material nature is the mother." Nobody can deny. Because our this body... Just like the child's body is made by the mother. Father gives the opportunity to develop the body, and the mother supplies the ingredients for developing the body, similarly, God impregnates, God impregnates material nature with the living entity, and they come out in different forms: aquatics, birds, beasts, animals, trees, plants, vegetables, so many. And Kṛṣṇa says that "I am the father of all of them."
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
At the present moment, in the shape of human beings, the population is animals, assembly of animals, because they do not know beyond the animal propensities. The animal propensities... The animal is busy all day. The bird or any beast, rising early in the morning, they are busy: "Where there is some food? Where there is some sex? How to defend?" Then, at night, "How to take shelter and sleep?" They have got their own arrangement. In the morning they know that "In that tree there are some fruits. Let us go there." So they fly. Āhāra: eating. As we go to office... In your, this New York City, thousands of people are coming from other islands by the ferry boat, waiting for the bus, going to the office. What is the purpose? The purpose is, "Where is food?" The birds are also going. You have made ferry boat and nice—so many not nice—very nice. It is crowded always. But you have to come. For your bread, you have to go fifty miles, forty miles. But the birds are free to fly from tree to another tree without any bus, without any ferry boat.
Festival Lectures
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to utilize to the best possible means this human form of life. We are coming to this human form of life in the evolutionary process from aquatics to reptiles, to plants and trees, then birds and beasts, then human form of life. Out of that human form of life, there are many uncivilized form of life, just above the monkeys. But those who are civilized... Civilized means those who are following the instruction of the Vedas, varṇāśrama-dharma. The human society (is) divided into four varṇas and four āśramas. The four varṇas are social division, namely the student life, the householder life, the retired life, and renounced life.
So this human form of life is meant for spiritual realization. Please try to understand that this human form of life is a chance to get out of this material entanglement. In other than human life—animal life, trees life, beast life, birds life, aquatic life—there are so many, 8,400,000 species of life. Out of that, this human form of life is a boon wherein you can get out of this material entanglement and, being freed from this material entanglement, you can enter into the spiritual world, the kingdom of God. Yad gatvā na nivartante (BG 15.6). And if you go there, then you haven't got to come back in this material world, which is called duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is the place of miseries as well as temporary. Even if we accept this place, miserable place, you will not be allowed to live here for long. You will have to quit this stage. Therefore it is called aśāśvatam. This is our position. In the Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself says that this is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam. So the human form of life should endeavor how to get out of it.
So if we want to have eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness, then we must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the greatest welfare activities in the human society. We are giving information to every man, without any discrimination of cast, creed, or color, that every human being especially, not only human being, all living entities, including the animals, beasts, birds, trees, aquatics—everyone—they can achieve to the highest perfection of life by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But especially the extra intelligence of the human being can be utilized to realize Kṛṣṇa. If we don't do that, we are missing a great opportunity. So our request to everyone is to understand this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
The example is given that as we change our dresses; similarly, we are changing our dresses from one body to another. We have changed dresses as aquatic animals, as many fishes and aquatic animals as there are in the sea, then we are change bodies as creepers, plants and trees for many, many years. Then we change our bodies in the insect life, reptiles life, then we are change our bodies in three..., thirty hundreds of thousands of beasts, then we have got this human form of life. That is also an evolution through many uncivilized form of human life. Now this civilized form of human life, with higher intelligence and consciousness, it is meant for God realization.
God is father, supreme father of everyone. If we simply study this verse from the Bhagavad-gītā, that the mother nature is the mother of all living entities and God is the supreme father of everyone... We can study these two lines very carefully. On the earth we can see so many living entities are coming out, beginning from the grass, then so many insects, reptiles, big trees, then animals, birds, beasts, then human beings. They are all coming from the earth, and they are living at the expense of earth. The earth is supplying food to everyone. As the mother gives life or maintains the child by the milk of her breast, similarly, the earth mother is maintaining all different types of living entities.
We are simply leading the life of cats and dogs, without any knowledge that we can achieve that perfection of life when there will be no more birth, no more death. We do not understand even that there is possibility of amṛtatvam. But everything is possible. Amṛtatvam. Nobody wants to die. That's a fact. Nobody wants to become old man, nobody wants to become diseased. This is our natural inclination. Why? Because originally, in our spiritual form, there is no birth, no death, no old age, no disease. So after evolutionary process down from the aquatics, birds, beasts, plants, trees, when you come to this form of human form of body after... Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tād jīva-jātiṣu. This is evolutionary process. We come to the human form of body. Then we should know what is the goal of life. The goal of life is amṛtatvam, to become immortal. That you can become immortal simply by becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Kṛṣṇa says. It is a fact. We have to simply understand. Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa in truth, tattvataḥ, then, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), after giving up this body, you don't accept any more material body. And as soon as you don't accept any material body means you become immortal. Because by nature we are immortal.
Just like in the forest in this part of the world there are sometimes forest fire, and government has arrangement to pour water from up. There are so many arrangement. But forest fire there is, a fact. And what is this forest fire? The forest fire... Nobody has got any interest to set fire in the forest, but it takes place automatically. And when the forest fire is there, all the animals within the forest, they become so much disturbed. They cannot escape. They die, especially the snakes. Because snakes are always envious, so they are first off to be burned into that forest fire. They cannot go very swiftly. Others, tigers and other beasts, they go away. But the snake, they crawl. They cannot get out. Mostly they burn. So this example is given to this materialistic life as forest fire because nobody wants any disturbance, but disturbance is created. Actually I am seeing. Since I have come to this part of the world in 1965, so many boys are chased by the government draft board. You see? They belong to the independent nation, and formerly they were independent. And what is this nonsense independence? You see? Simply nonsense. There is no independence. But we are thinking, "I am independent." "Oh, that nation has become independent. I shall become independent." Just like one of my students said he wanted to be anarchist.
Because it is Kali-yuga, the government discriminates between two nationals. National means one who has taken birth in the land. That is called national. That is... You know, everyone. So the trees, they are also born in the land, the aquatics also born in the land. The flies, the reptiles, the snakes, the birds, the beasts, human beings—everyone is born in that land. Suppose your land, America, United States... Why the government should give protection to one class of living entities, rejecting others? This means they have lost their sympathy for others. This is Kali-yuga. Formerly, before Kali-yuga, unnecessarily even an ant would not be killed. Even an ant. There are many instances that a hunter who was taking advantage of killing animals, but when he became a devotee he was not prepared to kill even an ant.
Na śaucaṁ nāpi cācāro na satyaṁ teṣu vidyate. This is a verse from the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, where the Lord is describing the symptoms of the demons. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca. Pravṛtti means inclination, inclined. And nivṛtti means disinclined. So there are two things within this material world. Our inclination is to enjoy the senses. This is general. Everyone within this material world, even the animals, birds, beasts, human being or more elevated than human beings, the demigods, kinnaras, or the, many other higher types of living entities... There are different grades of living entities-8,400,000 different bodies. So what is their pravṛtti, inclination? The inclination is attraction of man and woman. This is the central point of attraction. Puṁsāṁ striyaḥ maithuni-bhāvam etad: the whole material world is existing on this point—sex, man and woman. So this is pravṛtti-mārga, and nivṛtti-mārga: just to stop it. This is called nivṛtti-mārga.
So by that process, lower animals and then the chronological order is there... First of all aquatics, jalajāḥ. Jalajāḥ means aquatic. Then sthāvarāḥ, trees, plants. Then flies, then birds, then beasts, then human being. In this way, bahu sambhavante, after many, many millions of years we get this opportunity of human life to realize God. And this civilization is denying, refusing the opportunity to the human society to understand God—such a soul-killing civilization. It is a fact. They are denying "What is God? There is no God.
Just like this child, because it has got a certain type of body, its consciousness is not so developed. But when this body will be grown up, when this girl will be young, then her consciousness also will be different. Not will be, it will develop. Similarly, our consciousness should develop. The perfection, the ultimate goal, the limit of development is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing one after another in different bodies, but Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that is the ultimate development. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). This is the definition how consciousness reaches its perfection. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. That perfection is reached after many, many births. Just like aquatics, plants, trees, reptiles, birds, beasts, then uncivilized human form of body, then civilized form of body, and especially the Vedic style of body. That is considered to be the highest perfectional body.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
There are no more such consciousness that "I am this," "I am that." The only consciousness is that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." That is cleanliness of heart. As soon as we come to this platform, that "I am Kṛṣṇa's." Just like the gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they were thinking, "We are all Kṛṣṇa's." Central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the elderly cowherd men, the boys, the girls, the trees, the river, the birds, the beasts—everyone—they are simply thinking, "I am Kṛṣṇa's." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as we think otherwise—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that is material consciousness. Try to understand the simple fact that as soon as we identify with our designated body, which I am not... I am not this body, so why shall I identify myself with American or Indian? Accidentally I have got this body in America or India or Africa or in hell or heaven.
So our process is natural process. You love God, and if you (are) actually expert in loving God, naturally you love everyone. Just like Kṛṣṇa conscious person, because he loves God, he loves the animals also. He loves birds, beasts, everyone. But so-called humanitarian love means they're loving some human being, but the animals are being killed. Why they do not love the animals? Because imperfect. But the Kṛṣṇa conscious person will never kill an animal or give trouble to animal even. But that is universal love. If you love only your brother or sister, that is not universal love. Universal love means you love everyone. That universal love can be developed by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, not by otherwise.
So this movement is very important movement. It is not of course possible to give you all details within a few minutes, but if you are interested you can kindly contact with us either by correspondence or by reading our literature or by personal contact. Any way, your life will be sublime. We have not such distinction that "This is India," "This is England," "This is France," "This is Africa." We think every living entity, not only human being, even animals, birds, beasts, trees, aquatics, insects, reptiles—all are part and parcel of God. But the lower animals, the aquatics, birds, beasts, trees, plants, insect—they are unable to receive this knowledge. The human being has developed consciousness. He can receive this knowledge of spirit soul. So our only request is that do not take this movement as a religious movement. It is the movement of the soul. It is very scientific, based on authority. And practically we are seeing, we are getting good response all over the world.
The big sun is rising exactly in time, the moon is rising exactly in time, the seasons are changing one after another. So many millions and millions of living entities, they are being maintained. Everyone is getting their food, even the elephant who eats at a time hundred kilogram, he also eats. An ant also eats. The birds also eat, the beast also eats—there is no problem. Only the civilized man, so-called civilized man, he creates problem because duṣkṛtina. He has got merit, but it is being used for sinful activities. Therefore there is problem. Otherwise there is no... If the birds have no problem, the beasts have no problem, the ant has no problem, why the civilized man has got problem? Because they are duṣkṛtina and mūḍha. Rascal and always engaged in sinful activities, duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ. Simple thing.
Now, if you study the lower grade of life, they are having all these things without any plan for economic development. Lower grade, just like animals, say, other lower grade... Lower grade means less than the animal or the aquatics, the plants, the insects, the birds, then come to the beast, then come to the human form of life, civilized. Uncivilized, then civilized. In this way there is a gradation. So this happiness, sense gratification, that is already there. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. The sense gratification is there in different bodies, but the standard may be different. Standard means our calculation; otherwise, the standard is also the same. The sex life between dogs and sex life between human beings, the pleasure is the same. There is no change.
Initiation Lectures
Just like an unconscious man is without any consciousness, but he has got the life—the soul is there—similarly, in the other species of life, although the soul is there, it is not, the soul is not speaking. The outward, the influence of the soul... (aside:) What is this? That means the soul is not manifested there fully. Labdhvā sudurlabham (SB 11.9.29). That is being manifested from aquatic life to plant life, then in insect life, then bird's life, then beast's life, at last human life. Out of human life, there are civilized life, uncivilized life. And out of the civilized life, there are atheists and theists, and those who are actually developed conscious. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The consciousness is developing from the lowest status of living condition, aquatic, then plants, trees, then insects, flying insects, then birds, then four-legged beasts, so many, then two hands, two legs, gorilla. Similarly, human, uncivilized, then civilized, Aryans, then our Vedic knowledge.
So those who are interested may come. There is a Vaikuṇṭha world. Vaikuṇṭha. Vigata kuṇṭha yasmād. Vigata means gone; kuṇṭha means anxiety. Vigata. Here everything is full of anxiety. This is not Vaikuṇṭha. This is kuṇṭha, anxiety. Sada samudvigna-dhiyām. Samudvigna. Samudvigna means full of anxiety. Everyone, even a bird, he is also not peaceful. If he has comes to take some food from the ground, the bird sees this way, that way, that way. Kuṇṭha, always anxiety: "Is not one coming to kill me?" Therefore you will find the birds doing like this, anxiety. No anxietyless, nobody. Either human being, animal, birds, beasts, everyone. Therefore is called kuṇṭha jagat, full of anxiety. But there is another world, where there is no kuṇṭha. Everyone is free. Some of us trying to become free from all kinds of anxieties, but that is not possible here.
So far body is concerned, that is according to your past karma, it is destined. Sukham aindriyakaṁ daityā deha-yogena dehinām. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, that here in this material world we are after sense pleasure—everyone—birds, beasts, animals, aquatics, human beings, even the demigods—anyone who is within this material world, he is concerned with the gratification of the senses in different degree. But the aim is sense gratification. Therefore, we are given by the laws of nature—not, nature is not independent—by the superior order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead... Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramātmā is sitting in everyone's heart: īśvaraḥ sarva-bhutānāṁ hṛd-deśe (BG 18.61). It specifically mentions, "it is within the heart," hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati. So I am also there, and Supersoul is also there. So, the Supersoul's business is to witness: anumantā, upadraṣṭā. That is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gī... The Supersoul is simply observing what I am doing, and he is the supreme witness, upadraṣṭā. And anumantā. As I desire... Not according to my desire, but because I desire I have been given the freedom to desire. But without the sanction of the Supersoul I cannot do anything.
Wedding Ceremonies
The duration of Brahmā's life is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā that forty-three hundred thousands of years multiplied by one thousand makes one twelve hours of that Brahmaloka. Just like there is distinction of the duration of life between the microbes and the human being, similarly, there are different grades of different duration of life in different stage of planetary system. So the life is evolving. Now after evolutionary process from the lower animals, from the aquatics to plant life, vegetable life, then microbes, reptiles, birds, beasts, then we come to the human form of life, this civilized form of life. Now here it is just like crossing. Where we should go next life? Whether I shall promote myself to the higher planetary system or into the spiritual sky, Vaikuṇṭhaloka, or I shall go down again in the evolutionary process of lower animals? That is to be decided.
General Lectures
That means different consciousness, different work, and we have got different body. According to Bhagavad-gītā, the soul is transmigrating from one body to another, but the soul is eternal and permanent. And there are evolutionary process also. There are nine million species of life in the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And the trees and plants are two million. Similarly, there are reptiles, birds, then beasts, three million beast life, beastly life. Then at the end, we come to the form of this human being, and there are four hundred thousand species of different kinds of bodies. Just like your body in America and our body in India, there is some difference. Similarly, there are four hundred thousands of human form of life. So this is the process of evolution. And these bodily changes are taking place according to different consciousness. And the highest perfectional consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then our life becomes perfect.
The Lord says that there are eight hundred, er, 8,400,000 species of life, different forms of life, species of life. There are aquatics, there are plants, trees, worms, germs, then birds, beasts, and at last, the human species of life, only 400,000's. So Kṛṣṇa says that "All the species of life—never mind whether he is man or he's a dog, he's a cat—he's a living entity, and I am the seed-giving father of all living entities." Now, how nice, you can understand simply. This verse, if you can understand, then you can have some idea of universal brotherhood. If you want to make universal brotherhood, you must find out the center—the universal father. So these questions and answers are there, and we have got the science of God, the education of science of God, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So these books are meant for human society, and if you take advantage of the knowledge imparted in this book and if you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, you will see how your life becomes improved, how you become full of knowledge, full of bliss, and how you advance in your eternal life.
So similarly boys are attracting girls by so many features, especially by nice motorcar and so many things. So in every society, according to the standard of living, according..., these attractive features are going on. In birds, beasts... And when they are united... Everyone is trying to attract others. A girl is trying to attract another boy, the boy is trying to attract another girl. These attracting features is going on. And as soon as they are actually attracted and joined together, the illusion becomes doubly knotted. Tayor mitha hṛdaya-granthim āhur. Hṛdaya-granthim means everything is within the heart. If I study, "Oh, what is this attraction?" if I understand how it is simply combination of blood, stool and urine and intestine and muscle and skin and hair and nails, then if I study philosophically, so what is there? Have I got any attraction for all these things? No. So it is all false. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), that if we clarify our heart, then we become liberated. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting process is clarifying.
So anyway, Lord Caitanya entrusted to spread this message to the Indians. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). There are many kinds of living entities. There are men, there are animals, there are birds, beasts, trees, aquatics—all of them are living entities. But He is entrusting to the manuṣya. Bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra. "One who has taken his birth as human being, Indian human being, to him I am entrusting this message, that this should be distributed all over the world in villages, in towns, this message." So I am especially speaking to the Indians present here, that you have got a responsibility on behalf of Lord Caitanya. If you believe in our śāstras, in our ācāryas, then those who are present here as Indians, I will request them to take this responsibility of spreading the... (aside:) This is disturbing. ...this message of Lord Caitanya all over the world.
You have served your senses so many lives, life after life, 8,400,000 of species of life. The birds, they are also under senses. The beasts, they are also under senses. The men, human being, and everyone, the demigods, everyone within this material world, they are after senses, serving the senses. But Kṛṣṇa says that "You just surrender unto Me. Just agree to serve Me. Then I take charge of you." That's all. Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. Because by the dictation of the senses we are committing sinful activities life after life; therefore we are in different grades of bodily presentation.
So there is no difficulty. The fact is that we have to learn how to love Kṛṣṇa. So direction is there and method is there, and we are trying to serve you as far as possible. We are sending our boys on the streets and the town to invite you. And if you kindly take up this opportunity, then your life will be successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. Because this human form of life is meant for developing love for God. Because in all other life we have loved, we have loved. We have loved our children, we have loved our wife, we have loved our nest in the bird's life, in the beast's life. There is love. There is no necessity of teaching a bird or beast how to love the children. There is no necessity, because that is natural. To love your home, to love your country, to love your husband, to love your children, to love your wife, and so on, you go on, all this love, more or less they are all in the animal kingdom also. But that sort of love will not give you happiness.
The meaning is that one living force is supplying all the demands of all other living entities. Just like in a family the father is supplying the necessities of the wife, the children, the servant, a small family. Similarly, you expand it: the government or the state or the king is supplying the necessities of all the citizens. But everything is incomplete. Everything is incomplete. You can supply your family, you can supply your society, you can supply your country, but you cannot supply everyone. But there are millions and trillions of living entities. Who is supplying food? Who is supplying hundreds and thousands of ants within the hole in your room? Who is supplying food? When you go to the green lake there are thousands of ducks. Who is taking care of them? But they are living. There are millions of sparrows, birds, beasts, elephants. At one time he eats hundred pounds. Who is supplying food? Not only here, but there are many millions and trillions of planets and universes everywhere. That is God. Nityo nityānām eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. Everyone is dependent on Him, and He is supplying all the necessities, all the necessities. Everything complete. Just like this planet, everything is complete.
There are different types of living entities. The trees, the plants, they cannot move. The other type of living entities, just like the birds, the beasts, the human being, they can move. So sthāvarā and jaṅgama. Jaṅgama means those who can move, and sthāvarā means those who cannot move. The hills, the mountains, they are also amongst the sthāvarās. They are also living entities. There are many hills, they are growing. That means there is life, but in the lowest stage of: stone. So in this way we are making progress. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Reptiles and worms. Rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ means eleven hundred thousands. Then from reptiles, worms, the wings grow-birds. From wings grow... Then it comes to the bird's life. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam: ten hundred thousands of birds. And then paśavaḥ triṁśal-lakṣāṇi, four-legged animals, there are thirty hundred thousand. So nine and twenty, twenty-nine, then eleven, forty, then birds, ten, fifty, beasts, thirty, eighty-eighty hundred thousands. And then... Eight millions—and four hundred thousand species of human life. Human life is not in large quantity.
They are well-qualified. But they have got... When they work, they have to work so hard, they go at six o'clock to the working and comes again at six o'clock, all day, tired. They lost all vitality, all sense. Is that successful life, simply for one morsel of food, working so hard? And unless one works so hard, he cannot eat. We have created a civilization that one must earn thousands of dollars, then he can live like a gentleman. Is that successful life? And for earning that thousands of dollars he has to work so hard, just like animal, beast. No. That is not successful life. Successful life is that, that we should make our bodily necessities of life as far as required, not more than that. I want to eat something. God has given sufficient food. You grow. You live anywhere. You grow foodstuff. You grow grains. You grow fruits. You grow vegetables. Keep cows. Take milk. You can live anywhere. You haven't got to go fifty miles off with a car to attend your office at six o'clock with velocity of hundred miles' speed. Is that successful life, do you think? So where is successful life? We are proposing successful life.
Therefore the activities of this body is not all. And as there are different types of body, as we have come to this body, this status of body, passing through many, many types of abominable body—aquatics, beasts, trees, plants, microbes, reptiles, so many... Repeatedly we have said, 8,400,000's of bodies. So this is an opportunity. This life, this human form of life, is an opportunity to make further progress. It is not that after this human body is finished, then there is no life. This misconception, this misleading philosophy, that after death there is nothing, void, is killing the human civilization. Is killing practically. They do not know "What is my next life?" The next life is there. As there are, you can see so many varieties of planets, so there are lives also, different grades of lives, different standard of life. Take for example the moon planet. What do they know about moon? They are trying to reach there by some mechanical means. That is not possible.
So the duration of age is reduced, and people are not very intelligent. Of course, it is very revolutionary that I am speaking that people are not very intelligent, but actually it is. Why they are not intelligent? Because they do not know what is the destination of life; therefore they are not very intelligent. The Bhāgavata says that destination of life is God realization. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇu. God-realization. In this human form of life we can realize what is God. It is not possible in other form of life. There are 8,400,000 forms of life. You have seen it. There are trees, there are aquatics, there are germs, reptiles, then birds, then beasts, then human beings.
In all species of life, in all forms of life..." There are 8,400,000 forms of life. So Kṛṣṇa claims that "All form of life, not only human being—the beast, the birds, the aquatics, the, I mean to say, reptiles—everywhere, wherever there is life, therefore, their mother is this material nature, and I am the seed-giving father." So Kṛṣṇa claims everyone's father. So He is neither Indian nor Hindu. He is—we accept Him according to Bhagavad-gītā—He is God Himself. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). If we take authorities of Vedic literature, it is stated in all Vedic literature, in Ṛg Veda, in Atharva Veda, in Brahma-saṁhitā, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and what to speak of Bhagavad-gītā... Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself.
You analyze one after another. You will find that you are not this. Then you analyze your mind, whether you are mind, you will find you are not mind also. If you analyze your beyond mind, your intelligence, then you will find that you are not intelligence. Beyond that intelligence, you are sitting. These things are very nicely explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. And when you find out your self, that is self-realization. And as you become self-realized, the symptoms become that you become jolly and free of all anxieties. So long you are not self-realized, you are full of anxieties. That is the nature, material nature. Not only we, human beings, even birds, beasts, they are also full of anxiety. You give some eatables to the pigeons, to the birds, he will eat and look like this: "Oh, somebody may not come, kill me." Yes. This is the nature. Now, you are American people, supposed to be the richest country. Oh, you have also many anxieties. You are (not) free from anxieties.
We are evolving by the evolutionary theory. It is not theory. Of course, Mr. Darwin has called it theory, but in the Padma Purāṇa, Vedic literature... This evolutionary process is very nicely explained in Vedic literature. Aśītiṁs caturaś caiva bhramadbhiḥ jīva-jātiṣu. These Sanskrit words are there in the Padma Purāṇa, that "A living entity is traveling or evolving from lower grades of life to the higher grades of life in 8,400,000 species of life." There are 900,000 species of life in the water. There are 2,000,000 species of life of plants and vegetables. Similarly, microbes, reptiles, there are 1,100,000 species of life. Then birds, 1,000,000 species of life. Then beasts, four-legged beasts, there are 3,000,000 species of life. Then, from beastly life, he comes to the human form life. There also variety, 400,000's of varieties. In this way we come to the point of civilized human form of life. The evolution is coming.
So how you can find with your material eyes? You cannot see it. And because you cannot see it, you are concluding there is no soul. That is the ignorance. There is. There is soul, and this body has developed on the platform of that soul, and that soul is migrating from one body to another. That is called evolution. And that evolutional process is going on, 8,400,000's of species of life, aquatics, birds, beasts, plants, and so many species of life. And we have got now this developed consciousness, human form of life. We should properly utilize it. That is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We simply educating people, "Don't waste your valuable life, the human form of life. If you are missing this chance, you are committing suicide." That is our propaganda. Don't commit suicide. Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So you have got the facility. By God's mercy you have got this facility to chant the holy name of God. If you think that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God's name, actually it is not Indian God's name. Kṛṣṇa never claims that He's Indian or Hindu. Most of you have read Bhagavad-gītā. He claims everyone as His son. Not only human society—the animal society, bird society, the beast society, the plant society, the aquatic society, all. Sarva-yoniṣu. Sarva means all. Yoni, yoni means species of life. Everyone, all living entities, Kṛṣṇa says. Kṛṣṇa must be... If He is God, He must claim that, that "The material nature is their mother and I am their father." So Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. Not that... Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is for the Indian or for the Hindus. No. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. This Kṛṣṇa is for everyone.
The problems of eating, problems of sleeping, problems of defending and problems of mating, or sex life, these problems are there in the animal life or amongst the living entities lower than the human beings. But those problems are solved automatically by laws of nature. The birds, beasts, they are also eating. They have no economic problem. They are also sleeping, and they are having their mates and sex life. And they are also defending in their own way. Human form of life, the most developed consciousness, intelligence, if we are also busy in solving these problems of life, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, then we are not very much advanced than the animals, because they have got these problems and they are trying to solve them. So what advancement we have made, we human beings? We claim to be superior, to possess superior consciousness, and how we are utilizing our consciousness and superior intelligence? Simply just like animals. That requires meditation. That requires meditation, what is actually the problem.
So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy... Because a Vaiṣṇava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status. Because, the reason is that a learned Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita—these are the designations. A brāhmaṇa cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brāhmaṇa, one has to become Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa, generally... Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ, one who knows Brahman, brahma-bhūtaḥ. At the present moment, we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha." There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaiṣṇava.
So how to come to the point of surrendering to the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is taught in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. So I shall... I have given you some introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā, that this Bhagavad-gītā contains subject matter relating to God, to the living entity—īśvara, jīva—and prakṛti, and the time factor, and karma. Now, in the beginning, the six chapters in the Bhagavad-gītā are simply devoted to understand what is the constitutional position of the jīva. The living entities are eternal. That is stated in the Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ... (BG 2.13). (break)... dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura (BG 16.6). Asmin loke, in this world, there are two kinds of living entities, not only in human society but also in animal society, in trees, in plants, in... There are 8,400,000 species of life—aquatic, plants, trees, reptiles, insects, birds, beasts, then human beings, civilized human beings, noncivilized human beings.
Therefore Vyāsadeva explains himself about the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). The human life, atha, now it is the time for inquiring about the Supreme Absolute Truth. Not in other life. "Other" means other than the human life: animal life, beast life, plant life, aquatic life, insect life. There are so many, 8,400,000 of species of life. By evolutionary process, when we come to the human form of life, it is our duty to understand and inquire about Brahma. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That Brahma is explained by the author. That Brahma is that from where everything emanates, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janma, śiti and loi(?). Janma means birth, śiti means stay, and loi(?) means annihilation. So wherefrom everything is coming out, and from whom everything is staying, and after annihilation, where everything is entering—that is Brahma.
His name is therefore Caitya-guru. Caitya-guru means who gives conscience and knowledge from within. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo: (BG 15.15) "In everyone's heart I am sitting." Hṛdi, "within the heart"; sanniviṣṭo, "I am sitting there." Sarvasya. Not only you and me, even animals insects, birds, beasts, Brahma, everyone. Sarvasya. All living entities. So sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ: "from Me"; smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." Forgetfulness also. If you want to forget God, God will give you intelligence that you can forget God forever. He's so kind. Whatever you want, He will give you intelligence, "Do like this."
Higher science is brahma-jijñāsā, to inquire about Brahman. That is higher science. This science, earning money and fulfilling the hungry belly, this science the birds and beast also know how to do it. It does not require much education. There is no scientific education how to enjoy sex life. Everyone knows how to do it. Similarly, there is no need of scientific education, how to eat or how to find out your food. The birds and beast, they are also finding out, and are they also eating. So these are not higher sciences. The higher science is to inquire, athāto brahma jijñāsā, to inquire about God, the Supreme. And that can be done by the human being, not by others. Not the cats and dogs. So if we do not give education of this higher science to the human society, if we keep them dumb about this, or if we make secular state, prohibitive injunction to understand God, then it is an animal society. It is an animal society. So such things happen sometimes.
So as this man is talking about sex, so this world's, material world, is enchanted by sex. That is material world. Striya, puṁsāṁ striya mithuni-bhāvam etad. This whole material world is existing on sex attraction. Not only in the human society, in animal society also, this sex impulse is there. Birds, beasts, animal, human being, even demigods, they are attracted in this material world by sex impulse. The śāstra, or the Vedic literature, there is mention about this, that we are in this material world only for this sex impulse. First of all, we think of sex. A man also thinks. A woman also thinks. And when they are united, that attraction becomes more and more complete.
Two millions of species of life through plants and trees. Sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. Eleven hundred thousand species of life of insects and reptiles. Pakśiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. And one million species of life amongst the birds. Then triṁśal-lakṣāṇi paśavaḥ: and then three million species of life amongst the beasts. In this way, there are four hundred thousand species of human form of life, out of which, the civilized form of life, when our consciousness is developed, that is the opportunity to understand what is God, what I am, what is my relationship with God, what is this material world, how I shall treat. That is needed. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said, athāto brahma jijñāsā. This human, this civilized form of human life is meant for inquiring about Brahman, the Supreme, the Absolute Truth.
We must live here in this material... Unless we are liberated, we must have to live... And according to the circumstances, we get different types of body. So from the aquatics, next promotion is trees, plants, then insects, then birds, then beasts. In this way, after millions, millions of years... You have seen that a tree is standing for thousands of years. If I get a body of a tree, then I'll have to stand in one place for many thousands of years. Therefore when you come by gradual evolution in the different species of life, by nature when you come to this point, to possess a human form of body, it is very, very rare. That is described: durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Durlabham. Duḥ means difficult, and labha means gain. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam. Adhruvam. He said durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam. Although it is also temporary. We shall not live forever with this body.
The Vedānta-sūtra says, "Who is the Absolute Truth?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā. The Vedānta-sūtra means to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This human form of life is meant for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is the duty of the human form of life. It is a very big subject matter. So this human birth, form of life, we have got after so many evolutions: aquatics, then trees, then plants, then insects, then birds, then beasts. Then we come to the platform of this human being, especially civilized human being. And especially born in India. For this reason, Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that Indian people have got a special mission. He said, bhārata-bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Anyone who is fortunate enough to get his birth in Bhārata-varṣa, janma sārthaka kari' kara paropakāra. Paropakāra. Indian, Indians are meant for doing welfare activities to others.
So although they are eating flesh, they have got some distinction. That is material. But according to Vaiṣṇava philosophy, because a Vaiṣṇava sees every living entity, not only human being, not only animals, birds and beasts, anyone, paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ... (BG 5.18). If one is actually learned and advanced, he sees all living entities on the equal status because... The reason is that a learned Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-Vaiṣṇava, brāhmaṇa-paṇḍita, these are the designations. A brāhmaṇa cannot be illiterate or rascal. And after becoming brāhmaṇa, one has to become Vaiṣṇava. Brāhmaṇa, generally, brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. One who knows brahma, brahma-bhūtaḥ... At the present moment we are under the bodily concept of life, every one of us. "I am Indian," "I am American," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am kṣatriya," "I am sannyāsī," "I am brahmacārī," "I am gṛhastha..." There are so many designations. So these designations are pertaining to the body and mind. But when you transcend the bodily and the mental concept of life, then you can become Vaiṣṇava.
Their soul is evolving or transmigrating from one body to another. There is a system. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa viṁśati. From the aquatics. Because the whole world was merged into water, devastation. Therefore the beginning of living entities, (is) the aquatics. From the aquatics, they come to the plants, trees. Then from plants, trees, to insect. From insect to birds. Then bird to beast. From beast to human being. Aśītiṁ caturaś caiva lakṣāṁs tāñ jīva-jātiṣu. They're all mentioned. The evolutionary theory, it is not new thing, as it is stated by Darwin. It is there in the Padma Purāṇa. But it is very perfectly explained there. Darwin has not very perfectly explained. There are so many defects.
That is culture. That is really business of the human being that "I am put into this material condition of life. I am changing from one kind of body to another. Who knows that I am not going to become a tree next life?" But there is another species of life like tree, like birds, like beasts. There is no guarantee. There is no scientific guarantee that "You are not going to be tree, you are again going to become American." No, there is no guarantee. But there is guarantee. Because the so-called scientists cannot make solution of this problem, they do not believe in next life. That is their defect of knowledge, lack of knowledge. They cannot make any solution. He wants to live permanently, but he cannot live by the laws of nature. Why does he not make a solution of this? But we can give the solution. Everyone does not want to become old. But he becomes forced to become old. Why he does not make any solution? But that solution we can give. This is Eastern culture.
Then there are one million varieties of birds. Pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. Then beasts, three million. Three million varieties of animals, beasts, four-legged beasts, and then there are four hundred thousand forms of the human being, out of which the civilized men, they are taken into consideration. All other varieties, they are in the lower grade of life. They cannot understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not possible. It is in the human form of body when the consciousness is developed. In the tree also, there is consciousness. It is now scientifically proved. When you cut tree or take its leaves, it feels, and that is recorded in the machine. This machine was discovered by Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, a great physicist in Calcutta. So everyone has got consciousness, there is no doubt about it. But the developed consciousness is found in the human being. And the topmost development of consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we are appealing to the people in general all over the world that "Now you have got developed consciousness than the lower animals, birds, trees, beasts. Now you develop further so that you can awaken your original consciousness, which is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then your life is successful." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So there are many questions. Here is another question: "Kṛṣṇa, I want to know this material nature and the living entities who are trying to enjoy the resources of this material nature." This whole world, every living entity, even birds and beasts, they are also trying to lord it over the material nature, what to speak of human being. They are trying to overcome the stringent laws of material nature by so many scientific improvements, but still, they are under material nature. That is the conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). This material nature is called māyā, energy. Actually, it is the energy, energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From Vedic literature, we get information: God has got many potencies or energies.
There are 900,000 forms in the water, two millions forms of trees and plants, eleven hundred thousand forms of the insect, and then one million forms of the birds. And then three million forms of the beasts. And then we come to this human form of life. Now it is our choice, whether you are going to be transferred again through the cycle of this transmigration of the soul from the one body to another in the lower species of life, or you want to be transferred to the spiritual sky. And you can transfer yourself to the highest spiritual platform, which is known as Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is your choice. You have been given the chance of this human form of body to make your choice. You are completely under the control of material nature, but the material nature gives you a chance to get this human form of body. Whatever you like, you can do.
The duty of human life is to understand God, Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedānta-sūtra, the first aphorism is athāto brahma jijñāsā. Athaḥ, "therefore." Because we have got this human form of body, so this is the time for inquiring about the Absolute Truth. In the other life, animal life, beast life, tree life, plant life... There are 8,400,000 different forms of life, and through evolutionary process we have passed through 8,000,000 forms of life or a few thousand more forms of life, because human beings, they are of 400,000 forms of life. Just like we have got experience over this planet there are different forms of life, different system of religion, different system of culture, even though all of them are of human form life, similarly, there are other forms of life—aquatics in the water; in the jungle, trees, plants, mountains; and then insects, reptiles, ants; then birds, flies.
So the living entities are already ananta, unlimited. In another place of Upaniṣad, Kaṭhopaniṣad, we find that nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). These living entities, they are maintained. Their provision for their maintenance is already there, made by God. So there is no question of overpopulation. The question is varṇa-saṅkara. Varṇa-saṅkara, that is the problem. So the human life is meant for systematic organization of spiritual realization. That is human life. There is evolutionary process from low-grade life, from aquatics to trees, plants, from trees, plants to insects, from insects to birds, and then from birds to the beasts, from beasts to human being. So there are 8,400,000's of living entities in different species of life.
Just as the America, two hundred years ago, this land did not belong to the Americans. It was there already. So to whom it belonged? Similarly, everything... This is the statement of the Vedas: īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). If we accept this, if the United Nations makes this resolution, that "From this date, let us dissolve this so-called nationality, accept this whole planet belonging to us, all the human beings, all the animals, all the birds, beasts, trees, as they are on this planet," if we accept this philosophy, there is no question of chaotic condition of the society. Actually, that is the fact. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is stated that whatever there is, property, on the land, on the sky, or on the water, anywhere, everything belongs to God.
Therefore it is necessary to prepare ourself what kind of body we are going to get after death. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "After death, the soul," tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), "gets another body." Now, we can see in our experience, there are so many different types of bodies. There are 900,000 species of bodies in the water. There are two million different types of bodies in the vegetables kingdom, means the trees and plants. There are eleven hundred thousand species of life in the insect kingdom. There are one million types of bodies in the bird kingdom. And there are three million types of bodies in the beast life. And there are 400,000 species of body in the human society. Out of them, the civilized man is considered to be perfectly in bodily situation.
We have to pass through 900,000 forms of aquatic body within the water. Then gradually we come to the form of trees and plants. They are two million varieties. Then we get the bodies of the insect. There are 900,000 forms of body. Then we enter into the species of birds, one million forms of body. Then after bird's body, there are three million different varieties of beast's body. Then after this period, we become human body, but there are 400,000 species of human body. And thus we get this nice human form body with good brain and good consciousness. So it should be utilized properly. By the laws of nature... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). This is the law of nature. Gradually we develop different types of body and different types of consciousness. So when we come finally to God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is the perfection of life.
If you want to be united, then you have to be united on the spiritual platform. And what is that spiritual platform? The spiritual platform is to understand thoroughly that "God is great, and we are subordinate. God is maintaining us. All the property anywhere, that belongs to God, and we can use the father's property as much as I require, not to take more and stock it. No." The birds, beasts, they are very free. If you put here one bag of rice or any foodstuff, the birds will come, but they will eat only a few grains and go away. And if you put here, say, one thousand bags of wheat and you declare that anyone can take it, there will be fight. There will be fight. Everyone will try to take more. Everyone will try to take more. This is human civilization. The birds will peacefully take few grains and go away. But if you invite the human being, their culture is so—"Oh, I have got so much wheat. Let me take more and stock it for tomorrow or day after tomorrow or for my son, for my grandson, for my great-grandson." (laughter) This foolishness is going on on account of lack of spiritual consciousness.
So actually God is neither Hindu God nor Muhammadan God nor Christian God. God is God. His power is omnipotent. It is equally applicable to Hindu, to Muslim, to Christian—anyone—to animal, to human being. Just like God has given this law, "You must die." This is applicable to everyone—Hindu, Muslim, Christian, man, animal, trees, birds, beasts, everyone. It cannot be disobeyed. That is law. That is God's law. You may be very much advanced in knowledge or so-called science, but because God says that in the material life you must die, you cannot avoid this law. That is called dharma. Dharma means the characteristic, that God has given this law that everyone should die; therefore all living beings' characteristic is that he must die. This is called religion. Similarly, God says that "You are My eternal servant. You must obey Me." That is religion. You try to understand the meaning of religion. Religion means the law given by God, and you must accept it. That is religion.
There is a verse, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveśyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29). Kṛṣṇa says God must be equal to everyone. God is one, so He is giving everyone food. The birds, beasts, they are getting food. The elephant he is also getting food. So who is supplying him food? Kṛṣṇa, God is supplying. So in that way He is equal to everyone in ordinary dealing. But especially deals with the devotees. Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. When he was put into danger, then Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva came personally to give him protection. That is the special duty of God. That is not unnatural. If somebody says, "God is partial, that He takes special care of His devotee," no, that is not partiality. Just like a gentleman—in the neighborhood, he loves all children, but when his own child is in danger, he takes special care. That is not unnatural. You cannot blame him that "Why you are taking special care of your own child?" No. That is natural.
So our first business is to take care of the soul. And this is the opportunity, this human form of body. In the human form of body we can understand Bhagavad-gītā, not in the dog's body. That is not possible. So by evolution, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati, from aquatics to trees, plants, then insects, then birds, then beast, then human being, then civilized human being... In this civilized form of human being, if we do not take this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā personally given by the Lord Himself, then we are missing the point. This is the whole Vedic literature's lesson, that human form of life is meant for self-realization: "I am not this body. I am soul. I am spirit soul. My business is different from simply taking care of the body." This is human civilization.
Human life is meant for this purpose. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. If you do not inquire about Brahman, if you simply inquire, "Where is food? Where is sense gratification...?" The whole world is going like that. Anywhere you go, the inquiry is, "Where is sense gratification? Where is sex? Where is safety, and where is eating?" This is the inquiry generally. The cats, dogs, birds, beast—everyone is inquiring like that. In the morning you'll find the birds are chirping, "Now it is morning. Where we have to go to have our necessities of life?" This is the inquiry of this material body. But when you get this human form of body, the inquiry should be different.
So the gardener takes out the unnecessary plants in order to give impetus to the real plant to grow. So Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, following the principle that dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19), that dharma means, religion means, the law enacted by the Lord... This is the law, that "You surrender unto Me." Kṛṣṇa says. Now, if you say that Kṛṣṇa is Indian God or Hindu God, oh, Kṛṣṇa, of course, does not say like that. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: (BG 14.4) "In any form of life, all the living entities..." It doesn't matter, even a human being or in the animal kingdom or lower than human beings, lower than animals, birds, beast, reptiles, aquatics. There are 8,400,000 species of life. Kṛṣṇa claims, sarva-yonisu: "All species of life, they are My sons." Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: "I am their father, supreme father."
Departure Talks
Just like especially in the Western countries you have got newspaper, big, big bunch of newspaper, but not a single line is there about Kṛṣṇa, not a single. So for the devotees this kind of literature is compared with the garbage. Tad vāyasaṁ tīrtham. Just like vāyasam, crows. The crows gather together where? Where everything nuisance thrown away, they gather together. You will find. That is the nature amongst the class of bird. Where all nasty things are thrown away, the crows will gather. The another bird, swans, they will not go there. The swans will gather in a very nice garden with clear water, lotus flower, and birds, and singing. They will gather there. As there are... By nature, there are different classes of animals, even in the birds, beasts. "The birds of the same feather flock together."
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: You do not see the animals, the aquatics, the birds, bees, trees—everything—is existing?
Śyāmasundara: Yes. But ten million years ago, according to my excavations, there were no beasts; there were all aquatics.
Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. That is nonsense. Ten millions of... You cannot give a history of ten millions. It is your imagination. Where is the history of ten millions of years? You are simply imagining, that is your word. But where is historical evidence? You cannot give history more than three thousand years, and you are speaking of ten millions of years. This is all nonsense. How you can go... There is no history in the human civ... There is no history, ten millions of years.
Prabhupāda: Jīva jātiṣu. The Padma Purāṇa says jīva jātiṣu, so different species of life. And they give: from this, this; from this, this; from this, this. Then, just like it is said that from bird's life the beast's life comes. Now the beasts, this category is of three millions types of beasts.
Śyāmasundara: Just like they find evidence of large bird, pterodactyl, which has beastlike properties. It has legs also, and they say from that kind of bird evolved a more beastlike, like you say, beasts.
Prabhupāda: Just like we say that kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ pakṣiṇāṁ daśa-lakṣaṇam. From the insect life the bird's life developed. That we see practically. One have becomes flies, butterflies. In the grass, worm becomes a butterfly. That is, there is evidence.
Prabhupāda: The different forms are already there. Just like the form of monkeys also there, the form of man is also there, other animals, other birds, beasts. So he has no clear conception how the evolution is taking place, neither he has any idea about whose evolution. He simply takes account of the body. A body never evolves. It is the soul within the body—he evolves, transmigrates from one body to another. Just we see that a child becomes a boy. The..., if the child is dead, it no more evolves. So it is the soul that is concerned. The soul is within the body, and he desires and evolves. That is Vedic conception and that is life. For example, if a man is within an apartment, the man desires to change the apartment to another apartment, it does not mean that the apartment evolves, but the man desires a change, and he goes to different apartment. That is (indistinct). So Darwin has no such conception. He has described the idea of evolution from the Vedas in his own way.
Śyāmasundara: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I can measure it is about 3000 miles by 3000 miles. And whereas India is 1000 miles. What is the area of India? Maybe 1000 miles by 800 miles, whereas in America 3000 miles by 3000 miles. And the population is one quarter of India's. The land is four times than India, but the population is one quarter of India. So they can produce enough. Actually they are producing enough. And that can be distributed to the portion where the food is a scarcity. And that is arrangement of God. The land and the water given by God is sufficient for the whole population. Not only human beings—all beasts, birds... Sufficient food. But we are, I mean to say, mismanaging the whole thing. Therefore we find that India is poverty-stricken and America is throwing grains in the water. So actually, if we take the perfection made by God, that "This planet belongs to us, we human beings, and it is God's property, so let us live peacefully..." But..., but no. That is māyā. So therefore the whole solution of the problem is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If people will understand that "We are all sons of Kṛṣṇa's. This land belongs to Kṛṣṇa, so let us enjoy our father's property without fighting..." That they will not do. And they will accuse that God has made incomplete. That is māyā. Otherwise from God's side everything is complete.
Prabhupāda: Next step... No. Up to human form of life, by nature one is making progress automatically. One after this, one after this. That evolution. Jalajā nava... Just like from aquatics, you become trees, plants. (aside:) Telephone. Telephone. Somebody go. From trees, you become insect. From insect, you become birds or reptiles. From birds, you become beast. From beast, you become a human being. This is going on by nature's way. Just like a goat. A goat has to live in this body for certain years. Then he becomes something, other animal, and he has to live in that body for some years. Then he becomes another body. This is change . In this way he comes to the human form of life when his consciousness is developed. Now, when... Amongst the human form of life, there are many species of human form of life. So when one comes to..., I may say, in India, when he's born in India, that is the highest perfectional point because there is Vedic knowledge. So he can take advantage of the Vedic knowledge. And by taking advantage of Vedic knowledge, he understands that "I am part and parcel of God. Therefore my real business is to go back to God. Why I am suffering in this material world?" That is perfectional stage.
Prabhupāda: So that is imagination of Augustine. But Jesus Christ does not say such qualitative killing. He says frankly, "Thou shalt not kill." When he says that, he means, "You should not kill." But when there is absolute necessity, just like he says that "One life is food for the another life..." Does he not say it like that?
Hayagrīva: He says, uh... (break) He says..., this is, this is Augustine writing. He said, "Some people try to stretch the prohibition 'Thou shalt not kill' to cover beasts and cattle and make it unlawful to kill any such animal, but then why not include plants and anything rooted in and feeding on the soil? After all, things like this, though devoid of feeling, are said to have life and therefore can die and so be killed by violent treatment."
Prabhupāda: No, that is not Vedic philosophy. Vedic philosophy admits that one living entity is the food for another living entity. That is natural.
Hayagrīva: Aquinas believed that only God and the angels have form that is not material. There is no difference between God's form and His spiritual self.
Prabhupāda: Yes. As in the material world any form-man or beast or anyone—in the outward, external covering is matter, but within the matter there is the soul. The soul has form and God has form. That is real form. And the material form is simply shirting and coating over the spiritual body.
Prabhupāda: Nectar of Devotion. Vāvadūka. This qualification is called vāvadūka. He can understand everyone's language. Just like a human being, if he understands many languages he is called linguist. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's another title is Vāvadūka. That means he understands everyone's language, even the birds, beasts. That is vāvadūka.
Hayagrīva: Pascal believed in the doctrine of original sin. That doctrine holds that at one time man fell from grace by committing some sin or other, and that fall from grace accounts for his present position between the demigods and the beasts. In other words, that original sin accounts for man's engagement, or encagement, in matter.
Prabhupāda: Yes, this is our...
Hayagrīva: What was this original sin?
Prabhupāda: To disobey the order of Kṛṣṇa, or not to serve Kṛṣṇa. Just like some servant, he tries that "Why I am serving this master? Why not become a master." The, sometimes psychologically it comes. A man is working in the office, he is seeing the managing director is sitting and is taking all the money, and sometimes the worker... Just like a capitalist and the worker. Why it is Communist movement? That they are thinking that "We are working, and the capitalist is taking the money." So they revolt, they make strike, and they form a society that "We have the..., we must have this money." That is communism.
Purports to Songs
That is the definition of Kṛṣṇa. Now, then the devotee says that durlabha mānava-janama sat-saṅge taroho e bhava-sindhu re. Now, this body, this human body, is durlabha. Durlabha means very valuable. It is obtained with, after a great struggle of existence. We have to come through so many species of life: aquatics, birds, then trees, then reptiles, then beasts... There are so many, so many. There are eighty-four lakhs, means 8,400,000 species of life, and we had to pass through by gradual evolution. This theory is accepted by Darwin also, evolutionary theory. So this human body is very valuable.
Dekho dekho bhāi, tri-bhuvane nāi. He says, "My dear brothers, you just try and examine that within these three worlds there is nobody like Lord Caitanya or Nityānanda Prabhu." Because, paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare: "Their mercy and qualities are so great that even birds and beasts, they are crying, what to speak of human being?" Actually, when Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through the forest of Jhārigrāma, the tigers, the elephants, the snake, the deer, all joined Him in chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. It is so nice.
Dekho dekho bhāi tri-bhuvane nāi. Then he says, "Just see that there is nobody else so merciful." Paśu pākhī jhure, pāṣāṇa vidare. By His mercy even the birds and beasts, they are also maintained. Actually, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed through the forest known as Jhārikhaṇḍa in central India, He was only accompanied by his personal attendant, and He was alone, and when He was passing through the forest He touched one tiger. He was sleeping, and the tiger answered roaring. The company, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's attendant, he thought, "Now we are gone." But actually, Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked the tiger, "Why you are sleeping? Just stand up. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." And the tiger began to dance.
So all activities of Kṛṣṇa is with His devotees. He is... Therefore, to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Yaśodā-nandana vraja-jana-vallabha, vraja-jana-rañjana. His only business is how to satisfy... As braja-jana's business is how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, similarly, Kṛṣṇa's business is how to satisfy braja-jana. This is reciprocation of love. Yamunā-tīra-vana-cārī. Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is wandering on the banks of Yamunā to please the gopīs, the cowherd boys, the birds, beasts, calves. They are not ordinary birds, beasts, calves or men. They are on the top of self-realization. Kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ (SB 10.12.11). After many, many lives they got that position, to play with Kṛṣṇa.
| Page Title: | Beast (Other Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Mayapur |
| Created: | 08 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=90, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 90 |