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Diseased condition of life

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 1 - 6

Being embarrassed by so many theories and by contradictions of various types of philosophical speculation, they become disgusted or angry and foolishly conclude that there is no supreme cause and that everything is ultimately void. Such people are in a diseased condition of life.
BG 4.10, Purport:

Consequently they consider the Supreme to be impersonal. And because they are too materially absorbed, the conception of retaining the personality after liberation from matter frightens them. When they are informed that spiritual life is also individual and personal, they become afraid of becoming persons again, and so they naturally prefer a kind of merging into the impersonal void. Generally, they compare the living entities to the bubbles of the ocean, which merge into the ocean. That is the highest perfection of spiritual existence attainable without individual personality. This is a kind of fearful stage of life, devoid of perfect knowledge of spiritual existence. Furthermore there are many persons who cannot understand spiritual existence at all. Being embarrassed by so many theories and by contradictions of various types of philosophical speculation, they become disgusted or angry and foolishly conclude that there is no supreme cause and that everything is ultimately void. Such people are in a diseased condition of life. Some people are too materially attached and therefore do not give attention to spiritual life, some of them want to merge into the supreme spiritual cause, and some of them disbelieve in everything, being angry at all sorts of spiritual speculation out of hopelessness. This last class of men take to the shelter of some kind of intoxication, and their affective hallucinations are sometimes accepted as spiritual vision.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

Renunciation or abnegation for ultimate good is certainly a better occupation than enjoyment in the diseased condition of life.
SB 1.2.6, Purport:

In this statement, Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī answers the first question of the sages of Naimiṣāraṇya. The sages asked him to summarize the whole range of revealed scriptures and present the most essential part so that fallen people or the people in general might easily take it up. The Vedas prescribe two different types of occupation for the human being. One is called the pravṛtti-mārga, or the path of sense enjoyment, and the other is called the nivṛtti-mārga, or the path of renunciation. The path of enjoyment is inferior, and the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior. The material existence of the living being is a diseased condition of actual life. Actual life is spiritual existence, or brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) existence, where life is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Material existence is temporary, illusory and full of miseries. There is no happiness at all. There is just the futile attempt to get rid of the miseries, and temporary cessation of misery is falsely called happiness. Therefore, the path of progressive material enjoyment, which is temporary, miserable and illusory, is inferior. But devotional service to the Supreme Lord, which leads one to eternal, blissful and all-cognizant life, is called the superior quality of occupation. This is sometimes polluted when mixed with the inferior quality. For example, adoption of devotional service for material gain is certainly an obstruction to the progressive path of renunciation. Renunciation or abnegation for ultimate good is certainly a better occupation than enjoyment in the diseased condition of life. Such enjoyment only aggravates the symptoms of disease and increases its duration. Therefore devotional service to the Lord must be pure in quality, i.e., without the least desire for material enjoyment.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Antya-lila

If one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life.
CC Antya 11.23, Translation and Purport:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu further inquired from Haridāsa, "Can you ascertain what your disease is?"

Haridāsa Ṭhākura replied, "My disease is that I cannot complete my rounds."

If one cannot complete the fixed number of rounds he is assigned, he should be considered to be in a diseased condition of spiritual life. Śrīla Haridāsa Ṭhākura is called nāmācārya. Of course, we cannot imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but everyone must chant a prescribed number of rounds. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement we have fixed sixteen rounds as the minimum so that the Westerners will not feel burdened. These sixteen rounds must be chanted, and chanted loudly, so that one can hear himself and others.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Teachings of Lord Caitanya

The result is that men who lack knowledge have accepted the perverted material sex life as all in all because they have no information of the actual spiritual form of sex. There is a distinction between sex in the diseased condition of material life and sex in the spiritual existence.
Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 23:

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura specifically deals with original and pure sex psychology (ādi-rasa) devoid of all mundane inebriety. The entire material world turns due to the basic principle of sex life. In modern human civilization, sex is the central point of all activities; indeed, wherever we turn our face we see sex life prominent. Consequently sex life is not unreal; its true reality is experienced in the spiritual world. Material sex is but a perverted reflection of the original; the original is found in the Absolute Truth. This validates the fact that the Absolute Truth is personal, for the Absolute Truth cannot be impersonal and have a sense of pure sex life. The impersonal monist philosophy gives an indirect impetus to abominable mundane sex because it overly stresses the impersonality of the ultimate truth. The result is that men who lack knowledge have accepted the perverted material sex life as all in all because they have no information of the actual spiritual form of sex. There is a distinction between sex in the diseased condition of material life and sex in the spiritual existence. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam gradually elevates the unbiased reader to the highest perfectional stage of transcendence above the three modes of material activities, fruitive actions, speculative philosophy and above worship of functional deities indicated in the Vedas. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the embodiment of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and is therefore situated in a position superior to other Vedic literatures.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

When we do not act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is our diseased condition of life. That is not normal condition. In normal condition we shall be all prepared to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

This is very easy to understand. Just like this finger is the part and parcel of your body. The hand is the part and parcel of your body. The leg is the part and parcel of your body. So we are all part and parcel of the Supreme. So what is our duty? What is the duty of this finger? "Now I wish that you stand like this." The finger is standing like this. It is executing my order. If I say, "Close," finger immediately closed. So this is the duty.

If I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa then what is my duty? My duty is to act what Kṛṣṇa says, that's all. That is my action. Without knowing this, whatever I do, that is perverted action. Just like in diseased condition this finger cannot act according to my order. "Oh, there is some pain. If I want to make it stand like that, oh, I feel pain," because there is diseased condition. Similarly, when we do not act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is our diseased condition of life. That is not normal condition. In normal condition we shall be all prepared to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That we should know. Then our action will be right.

We should not try to derive that false happiness in this diseased condition of material life. This is temporary. That is not happiness.
Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

You are hankering after happiness. Happiness is your prerogative. You must have. That is your life. You cannot stop happiness. But happiness in the diseased condition is not happiness. That we must understand. So we have to cure this diseased condition and then enjoy happiness, then enjoy pleasure that will be unlimited. There will be no end. In the diseased condition... Suppose whatever pleasure we take, it is for fifteen seconds or few minutes or few hours or few days—it will end. But real happiness, what is real happiness, that is unending. Brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). Anantam means unending. So we are meant for unending happiness. So Kṛṣṇa advises here that śaknotīhaiva yaḥ soḍhuṁ prāk śarīra-vimokṣaṇāt. Before quitting this material body, if one practices to tolerate the so-called urges of sense pleasure, then he becomes very happy at the long run. He recommends it. And that is the real purpose of human form of life. That we should not derive. We should not try to derive that false happiness in this diseased condition of material life. This is temporary. That is not happiness. We should understand that out of ignorance we are engaged to derive such kind of happiness, but that is not happiness. Real happiness is in spiritual life.

This human form of life is to get out of this diseased condition of life having a material body. If we don't restrict then where is the treatment? Where is the cure?
Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Pravṛtti. But one has to control that. That is human life. If you put yourself in the waves of natural inclination, that is not human life. You have to restrict. The whole human life is meant for learning restriction. That is human life. That is perfect Vedic civilization. Tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). One has to purify his existence. What is that existence? I am spirit, ever existing, eternal. Now I have contaminated this matter, therefore I am suffering. So I have to purify. Just like you have to get free from the diseased condition. When you get fever you take treatment. Not unrestricted enjoyment. The doctor says, "Don't do this, don't do this, don't do this." Similarly this human form of life is to get out of this diseased condition of life having a material body. If we don't restrict then where is the treatment? Where is the cure? The whole system is restriction. Tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Just to concentrate one's activities in austerities, penances, for transcendental realization. That is human form of life.

But there are different orders of social society: brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa. The whole process is to restrict. But gṛhastha, householder means giving a little license who cannot completely restrict sex life. That's all. Gṛhastha does not mean unrestricted sex life. If you have known this married life like that, that's a wrong conception. You have to control if you want to get out of this diseased condition of life. You cannot get out of disease and unrestrictedly go on enjoying your senses. No. That is not possible. Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4).

Daivī-sampada means those who are devatās, their first business is how to rectify this diseased condition of life, repetition of birth and death.
Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976:

So we are put into this cycle of birth and death. If we don't correct it... Correct means we shall be less attached to the material enjoyment. So long we are attached to material enjoyment, we have to transmigrate from one type of body to another. So daivī-sampada means those who are devatās, their first business is how to rectify this diseased condition of life, repetition of birth and death. Everything is there. Sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna. This requires jñāna, knowledge. Unless I know what is my position, why I am dying, what is death... This requires jñāna. Jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). That means you have to become a brāhmaṇa. Then you will have complete knowledge. Abhayaṁ sattva-saṁśuddhir jñāna, yoga, jñāna-yoga. Vyavasthitiḥ, dānam. Those who are kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, they should give in charity. That is also one of the sattva-saṁśuddhiḥ. Damaś ca. To control over the mind and the senses. Yajñaś ca: perform the yajña, hari-saṅkīrtana in this age. Yajñaś ca svādhyāyaḥ. Must read Vedic literature. Tapa ārjavam. Tapasya, austerity, ārjavam, very frank and no duplicity, ārjavam. Dānam ahiṁsā, not unnecessarily, not to become envious.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Pravṛtti-mārga is a diseased condition. Diseased condition means you have to remain.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

Pradyumna: "The path of enjoyment is inferior, but the path of sacrifice for the supreme cause is superior. The material existence of the living being is a diseased condition of actual life."

Prabhupāda: This pravṛtti-mārga is a diseased condition. Diseased condition means you have to remain. Just like if you are suffering from fever, doctor has prescribed you that "Don't take any solid food." But if you take, you'll increase your fever. That's all. If you have come here for sex life, if you increase your sex life, then you'll be bound up by the material laws. Again accept... If you want to increase your sex life, nature will give you facilities: "All right, you become a hog. You can have sex life without any discrimination." The hog has no discrimination, mother, sister. So nature will give you that facilities. "You want sex life? All right, you get. Un..., without any hindrance, take it."

Therefore the sādhana-bhajana means to come to the point of nil. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **. These Gosvāmīs, they conquered over nidrā, āhāra. Nidrā means sleeping, āhāra means eating, and vihāra means sex. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. You have to conquer. The more you conquer over these things, the more you are advanced. Because you have to make it nil altogether. Then you are eligible to go back to home, back to Godhead. Therefore we train our students: "No illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no meat-eating"—the nivṛtti-mārga.

Our characteristic is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life.
Lecture on SB 3.25.18 -- Bombay, November 18, 1974:

So this godless society, the rascal society, who is, which has forgotten that we have to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. When the society forgets Kṛṣṇa and stops Kṛṣṇa's service, that is called dharmasya glāniḥ. Real dharma means the characteristic. Dharma does not mean some rules and regulations. So just like sugar. Sugar, the characteristic of sugar is to become sweet. The characteristic of chili means to become hot. If sugar becomes hot and chili becomes sweet, then nobody cares for it. Similarly, our characteristic is to serve Kṛṣṇa. And when we serve anything other than Kṛṣṇa, that is our diseased condition of life. Just like this hand is meant for picking up something eatable and put it into the mouth. If it is unable to do it, then it is diseased. If the fingers and hands cannot pick up nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, then it is diseased condition. Similarly, when we are unable to serve Kṛṣṇa, or we do not serve Kṛṣṇa, we serve... Serving we are. That is a fact. We cannot become master. Nobody... Can anyone say that he is master? He's not serving anyone? Everyone is serving. That's a fact. Either you are serving your family or society or country or office or so many service.

Ṛṣabhadeva says that tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1), "My dear boys, in order to get out of this diseased condition of life, kindly accept austerity."
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

But Ṛṣabhadeva says that tapo divyaṁ putrakā (SB 5.5.1), "My dear boys, in order to get out of this diseased condition of life, kindly accept austerity." Just like when a man is diseased, the doctor says that "You cannot accept this. You cannot eat like this. You cannot go like this." So many "don'ts." Similarly, tapasya means "Don't. You do not do this." Because as living entity with animal propensities, the animal cannot accept "don'ts." If a tiger is requested, "My dear Mr. Tiger, don't eat meat," (laughter) he cannot accept it because it is animal. But if a human being is trained up in these "do's" and "don'ts," he can accept. That is human life. And when, in spite of his difficulty, he has..., he accepts something by the order of the śāstra, by the order of the guru, that is called tapasya. Just like we are instructing our students, "My dear boys, do not have illicit sex life; do not eat meat, fish, eggs; do not indulge in intoxication, up to drinking tea and smoking; and do not indulge in gambling." Of course, it is very difficult, especially in the Western countries. Not now, some, about thirty years ago, in this city of London, one of my Godbrothers came to preach, and he met Lord Zetland. So Lord Zetland asked this Swamiji whether he can be turned into a brāhmaṇa. The Swamiji replied, "Yes, you can become a brāhmaṇa." "How?" "Now, you have to give up these four things: no illicit sex life, no meat-eating, fish-eating, no gambling, no intoxication." He said, "It is impossible." He replied, "Impossible." So actually, in the Western countries, these things are ordinary things, so they do not take it as any bad thing or any sinful, but according to Vedic śāstra, these four principles are the basic principles or the four pillars of sinful life. Striya-sūnā-pāna-dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38).

We do not understand that our materialistic way of life, our this material existence, every one of us, is diseased condition of life. It is not healthy condition of life.
Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Boston, April 28, 1969:

So we do not understand that our materialistic way of life, our this material existence, every one of us, is diseased condition of life. It is not healthy condition of life. That we do not understand. We are thinking, "Oh, I am eating, sleeping and dancing, and then nice, so what is the disease? It is nice." But that your very body is a disease, this very body, because it is subjected to so many tribulations, so many sufferings. So we should try to understand that what is the cause of our suffering. The cause of our suffering is this body. The root cause of our... Either this body is American body, Indian body, cat's body, dog's body or prince body or demigod's body, because the body is material, therefore you have to undergo certain types of tribulations. At least, you'll have to die. You'll have to take birth. You'll have to suffer from diseases. You have to undergo the tribulation of old age. It does not mean that because I have got a princely body, therefore there will be no disease. No. The disease will be there. And the death will be there. And the sufferings of old age. Just like I am old man. I have got sometimes sufferings, backache, this ache... Old man, you see, rheumatic. So these things are to be suffered.

Just like in diseased condition of life there are some restraints. Doctor says that "You are suffering from diabetes. You should not take sugar. You should not take sugar, you should not eat this thing, that thing," so many restriction.
Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

Avidvan adhikārī yasmin tasya bhāvas tattvaṁ tathā, avidyā naśāthavād naṣṭe 'pi tasmin pāpe tat saṁskāraṇa pāpāntarasya punaḥ punaḥ prāroho bhavati. Tat tu nimitta-pramattaḥ śanair labhate nānya iti sadṛṣṭāntam āha. Pathyam eva annam aśnataḥ puruṣān yathā vyādhayo na bādhante tathā niyamādi kārtā kṣemāya tattva-jñānāya samartho bhavati. Very nice. He says just like a person who is following the rules and regulation prescribed by the physician. A man may be diseased. Every one of us is, some way or other, we are diseased. This material body means we are in diseased condition. So he is giving very nice example, that,

nāśnataḥ pathyam evānnaṁ
vyādhayo 'bhibhavanti hi
evaṁ niyamakṛd rājan
śanaiḥ kṣemāyā kalpate
(SB 6.1.12)

Just like in diseased condition of life there are some restraints. Doctor says that "You are suffering from diabetes. You should not take sugar. You should not take sugar, you should not eat this thing, that thing," so many restriction. So Śukadeva Gosvāmī says that niyama-kṛd, if you follow the regulation and rules of life, then śanaiḥ ksemāya kalpate, then very soon that dirty things of the heart can be cured. Just like we prescribe. Not prescribe—it is already there in the śāstras. Our students, those who are initiated specially, we say that "Don't have illicit sex life, don't take part in gambling, don't take foodstuff except vegetables, and don't take intoxicants." Four rules. So if these four rules are followed, gradually, gradually, one becomes free from the dirty things of the heart.

If you want to stop some diseased condition of life, then you have to follow a regulative principle. Just like when you go to a doctor for curing some disease, he gives you some medicine and some direction also, that "You should not eat like this, you not sleep like this, you should do like this."
Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971:

Real prāyaścitta, atonement, is knowledge. Why we are fighting? This knowledge required. Why you are fighting? Why there is miseries? This "why" question, this "why" question is in the Vedas. It is called Kena Upaniṣad, asking "Why?" Unless this question arises in a human mind, "Why?" "Why I am suffering?" that is not human life. This question must arise. "Wherefrom I have come? What is my constitutional position? Where I shall go after death? Why I am put into this miserable condition of life? Why there is birth, death, old age, disease? I do not want all of them." So that, this is called vimarśanam, jñānam, thoughtful, how to solve these questions.

Now Śukadeva Gosvāmī says, nāśnataḥ.

nāśnataḥ pathyam evānnaṁ
vyādhayo 'bhibhavanti hi
evaṁ niyamakṛd rājan
śanaiḥ kṣemāya kalpate
(SB 6.1.12)

If you want to stop some diseased condition of life, then you have to follow a regulative principle. Just like when you go to a doctor for curing some disease, he gives you some medicine and some direction also, that "You should not eat like this, you not sleep like this, you should do like this." Some do's and some do not's. That prescription is followed. So here, Śukadeva Gosvāmī gives this example that na aśnataḥ pathyam eva annam. Suppose if you have got indigestion. You cannot digest food very nicely. So you have to eat such things which are easily digestible, or which may not cause acidity, flatulence, air. The doctor prescribes. So if you neglect those principles, then how you can be cured? Similarly, if you want to eradicate your ignorance, how miserable conditions are arising, problems are arising, and you do not try to subside them with real knowledge, how there can be solution of the problems? Try to understand.

General Lectures

Just like you can get relief from diseased condition of life, similarly, the brain is already there; it will become finer, it will become subtler to understand Kṛṣṇa when we are able to give up our all material designations.
Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, April 10, 1971:

Therefore unless one has got very fine brain, he cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Gross brain cannot understand. In order to make our brain and senses very purified and fine, we have to take to devotional service. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). That fine brain and purified senses can be achieved. Just like you can get relief from diseased condition of life, similarly, the brain is already there; it will become finer, it will become subtler to understand Kṛṣṇa when we are able to give up our all material designations. At the present moment I am thinking, feeling, and willing under different designations. I am thinking, "I am this body." I am thinking, "I am Indian." I am thinking, "I am American," "I am Russian," "I am Pakistani." These are upādhis. But if you practice devotional service, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you become free from this contamination of designation. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means completely freed from all dirty things. These are all dirty things. As soon as I think that "I am this, I am that, I am that..." Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā we have understood that the body is simply just like a dress. So suppose I am dressed in orange color robes. If I think, "I am orange color," is that very nice intelligence? Similarly, as soon as I think in terms of my body, in my nationality, in my creed, in my being—they are all designations.

You cannot enjoy it because on account of your fever the tongue is saturated with bile, and you taste sweet things as bitter. Similarly, we have got our senses, that is all right, but we cannot enjoy our senses in the diseased condition of material life.
Lecture -- Bombay, March 18, 1972:

So śāstra says that this human form of life is not meant for this purpose. The human form of life is meant for tapasya: tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattva (SB 5.5.1). Satya means my existence. We have to purify our existence. Just like if you become feverish, you have to purify yourself from the feverish condition, come to the healthy condition, then you can enjoy life. You cannot enjoy life in diseased condition. That is not possible. Suppose you are feverish, you are given a nice foodstuff, rasagullā, but you will taste it bitter. You cannot enjoy it because on account of your fever the tongue is saturated with bile, and you taste sweet things as bitter. Similarly, we have got our senses, that is all right, but we cannot enjoy our senses in the diseased condition of material life. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā says, sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad atīndriyam grāhyam (BG 6.21). If you want happiness, even sense gratification, that is not possible when your senses are covered by these material elements. We have got our senses, that is a fact. We have got our desires, we have got our mind, we have got our other senses, but this is now covered by the material elements. This is called dress. Just like if you are simply dressed, and if you want to enjoy sense gratification, it is not possible. You have to undress yourself, you have to become naked yourself. Similarly, if you want to sense gratify, then you have to purify your this material existence.

Just like we are trying to open hospitals. We think it is very great task. We do not think that how to get out of the diseased condition of life.
Rotary Club Lecture -- Hyderabad, November 29, 1972:

Adānta-gobhiḥ. Our senses are uncontrolled, so our senses are dragging to the darkest region of existence. We do not know that. But we are simply chewing the chewed. We do not try to solve the problem of life; we are simply chewing the chewed. The so-called sociology, politics, or humanitarian work, it is simply chewing the... Just like we are trying to open hospitals. We think it is very great task. But we can... We do not think that how to get out of the diseased condition of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9).

So there are so many things, problems of our life; we are neglecting. And everything is very clearly described in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is being, explained by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. We should take advantage of these lessons in the Bhagavad-gītā. Unfortunately, in the foreign countries, before me, many other swamis went, tried to explain Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is very well known book of knowledge. In America and Europe and other countries there are many translations. But the Bhagavad-gītā, such translation is taken as a mental speculation. They do not take it seriously that this, "This is the statement by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it cannot be commented with my poor knowledge. What I am in comparison to Kṛṣṇa? He is tri-kāla-jña. He knows present, past, future, everything. What do I know? So my interpretation..." Just like "Kurukṣetra means this body," or "The five Pāṇḍavas means the five senses."

Conversations and Morning Walks

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Some philosophers, they are trying to negate this diseased condition only, without any realization of healthy life. So I think Buddha philosophy is called nirvāṇa, negation of this diseased condition of life, pains and pleasure.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is beyond. That beyond is realized, as I explained to you, in different angle of vision. Some, impersonal, without any variety, and some, localized Paramātmā, and some, the Supreme Being. As you are sitting, I am sitting, we are talking, so the Absolute Truth is a person, Supreme Person, Supreme Being, and we approach Him, talk with Him, sit with Him, play with Him. That is Kṛṣṇa realization. First of all, negation of the material varieties, then impersonal realization, then localized realization, then personal realization. Just like a diseased man. First of all cure, then healthy activities. A diseased man has got activities. He also eats, he also sleeps, he also evacuates, but all troublesome. Therefore, being disgusted, he wanted to make everything zero. But if he hears that again sleeping, again eating, again evacuating is healthy life, he thinks it is something like his diseased condition. But healthy life is different from diseased life. So some philosophers, they are trying to negate this diseased condition only, without any realization of healthy life. So I think Buddha philosophy is called nirvāṇa, negation of this diseased condition of life, pains and pleasure. Am I right or wrong?

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

You are wanting sense gratification, but it is being checked up on account of your diseased condition of life. Therefore you purify yourself. Then you enjoy senses perpetually.
Morning Walk -- April 5, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you say sense gratification, senses are there, and senses want satisfaction, but you can know the proper way of satisfaction. That we are teaching. We do not say that "Make your senses blunt." But you enjoy properly. That is stated, tapo divyaṁ yena śuddhyet sattva hy asmad brahma-saukhyam anantam (SB 5.5.1). You are wanting sense gratification, but it is being checked up on account of your diseased condition of life. Therefore you purify yourself. Then you enjoy senses perpetually. This is the injunction. We are not stopping sense gratification. But you are trying to gratify senses in your diseased condition. Just like if you are feverish, you cannot enjoy to eat a rasagullā. It will be not tasteful. So cure yourself and enjoy rasagullā. That is our program.

Rāmeśvara: We are sometimes accused of being very puffed up because we are, they, we, we think that we can have a direct relationship with God, that God will speak to us. So we are accused of being very puffed up for thinking that we can have a direct relationship with God.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is natural for the fools because they cannot think of it, that one can talk with God. But God says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: (BG 4.9) "After giving up this body, the devotees come to Me." Then where, what you will do there? He'll talk or not talk?

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

One may try to get out of diseased condition. This attempt does not mean that one should be killed so that one may get out of miserable condition of diseased life.
Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

In the material world the same reflection of beauty and bodily features at once stimulate sex passion. Therefore, the enjoyment of opposite sex in the Vaikuntha world has no action of sex life whereas in the material world the perverted reflection of beauty has resultant action of sex life which is the cause of dragging material existence. So the description of the Vaikuntha life is nirguna, and the description of worldly life is sahaguna. Our devotional activities are executed by transferring epithet; our senses are there, they are acting pervertedly and putting us into difficulty. The Impersonalist philosopher wants to stop this difficult reactions of the senses but they don't know how to place the senses in healthy life. For example: one may try to get out of diseased condition. This attempt does not mean that one should be killed so that one may get out of miserable condition of diseased life. The real method is to remove diseased condition and be placed in healthy life. Krishna Consciousness means to get out of the material qualities and be reinstated in the spiritual nirguna activities. When one can understand nirguna he can understand nirakara, also. This akar or form of material existence is temporary. When we get out of this temporary changes of different forms as we are transmigrating from one form to another and be placed in our real spiritual form, or purified our existence, that is called nirakara.

Page Title:Diseased condition of life
Compiler:Matea
Created:14 of Aug, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=1, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=13, Con=2, Let=1
No. of Quotes:20