Etad yo vetti. So if you study, if you meditate on our body so, "I am this body. I am this finger." No. The answer will come: "No, I am not this body. I am . . . it is my body. It is my finger. It is my head." This is simple thing. And here it is confirmed by the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. And we can experiment it, that how it is that I am identifying myself with this body?
Therefore śāstra says: yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke. This body is a, a product of the three dhātus, according to Āyur-vedic system: kapha-pitta-vāyu. So anyone who is accepting this body made of three elements, kapha-pitta-vāyu, he is no better than go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. An animal.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Go-kharaḥ. Go means cow, and kharaḥ means ass. So people are identifying with this body, but śāstra says such persons are no better than the cows and the asses. Now just try to understand what is this civilization. Just try to understand. It is this . . . it is a combination of cows and asses. Because everyone is identifying, "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am China." "Let us fight." "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." This is going on.
The simple knowledge is lacking. The simple knowledge that, "I am not this body. I am . . ." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. The Vedic language. So 'ham. So 'ham means I am the same spirit soul as the Supersoul, as Kṛṣṇa. I am qualitatively one. As Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, similarly I am also sac-cid-ānanda, part and parcel. The difference is that I am very minute.
As we have several times explained, the minute particle of gold is also gold. That is not different. Minute, a drop of the sea water is also the same, qualitatively, the same chemicals. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are not subjected to the material condition. But we have put ourself in this material condition. That is called māyā. We wanted to enjoy separately, diffe . . . separated from Kṛṣṇa, and therefore we are put into a condition which is illusion.
That I have already explained several times. At night, we forget all this body. Although in daytime I identify myself that, "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmin," at night, when I sleep, I forget whether I am American, Indian or brāhmin and kṣatriya. This is our daily experience. I am in different atmosphere.