And when we understand, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10), so that is the real understanding, to understand the lawmaker. Not to be struck with wonder with the activities of the law. The Vaiṣṇavas, they are concerned with the background lawmaker. And if you know the lawmaker, then automatically you know the laws, how they are acting. Kasmin tu bhagavo vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati, the Vedic literatures says. So when we understand Kṛṣṇa in perfection we can understand how His energy and different energies are working it will be revealed to us. And because all energies are working under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, because it is in touch with Kṛṣṇa, therefore nothing is inferior or material. Everything is spiritual. And higher platform therefore one can understand, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma.
Everything is spiritual (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Karmaṇi yaḥ akarma. Akarma means which does not have... I have already explained. So if you work the same thing sva-karmaṇā, never mind, you are doing the śūdra's business or brāhmaṇa's business. It doesn't matter. Whether you are acting for Kṛṣṇa? That is wanted. If you are acting for Kṛṣṇa, then you are not becoming entangled by the resultant action, pious or impious. It is above. Pious and impious, they are consideration of this material platform. In the spiritual platform there is no such thing, absolute. Whatever you are doing, it is all-good, all-spiritual. That is called absolute. In the Absolute there is no such distinction, "This is pious, this is impious." Everything is spiritual.
When your activities—actually in higher sense there is no matter. There is no matter, everything is spiritual because Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, and the matter is one of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is also spirit. But because it is being misused, not for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa, therefore it is matter. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to spiritualize, respiritualize the whole thing. Whole social position, political position, anything. It is very nice movement. People should try to understand it. And if it will actually spiritualize the whole world—of course that is not possible, but the ideal is like that. But at least if individually one tries this respiritualization method, his life become perfect.
Now Kṛṣṇa says that "These material energies are inferior," aparā. Just like in everything within our experience, we have got inferior quality and superior quality. Of course, Kṛṣṇa being absolute, everything is spiritual in the higher sense. But when we analyze scrutinizingly, we can understand that "This is this, this is that." So Kṛṣṇa is analyzing Himself, that "All these material energies, eight kinds of material energies, they are inferior quality. Apareyam itas tu. Apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtim. There is another prakṛti, another energy. Because parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport). Kṛṣṇa has got multi, various energies. So these eight elements, material elements in manifestation of His inferior energy. And the superior energy, Kṛṣṇa says, apareyam itas tu anyāṁ prakṛtiṁ viddhi me parām. Parām means superior energy. And that superior energy is jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). They are living entities, just like we are living entities.
So these two energies, material energy and the spiritual energy—one is superior and one is inferior—they are working within this world, mixture. And the spiritual world means there is no material energy, simply spiritual energy. There is no material energy; everything is spiritual energy. There is no material body, there is no... This bhūmi... The land in the spiritual world is not land like this land.
This Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra should be chanted twenty-four hours. Kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. But (if) it becomes difficult or hackneyed, then you can remember Kṛṣṇa otherwise. While drinking water, while seeing the sunshine, while seeing the moonshine, while chanting Vedic mantras, or even hearing some sound in the khe. Sound is produced by the ether. So many sounds we are hearing. If you simply remember this śloka of Bhāgavata, that śabda, any sound... Hare Kṛṣṇa sound is transcendental. That's all right. But if you don't like Hare Kṛṣṇa sound, you take any sound, any sound is also... That is coming from the original sound. Simply it is covered by māyā. What is the difference between spiritual and material? Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. But when it is covered by māyā, it is material. That's all. And what is māyā? Forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. The same water, the same water, it is spiritual. Because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Kṛṣṇa has already said, bhūmir āpaḥ. Āpaḥ. Here also, apsu. So āpaḥ, jala, or water, is Kṛṣṇa's energy. How it can be different from Kṛṣṇa? So we have to deal with water in so many ways. How we can forget Kṛṣṇa?
So everything can be employed. Just like I was explaining to George—just now he came—that actually there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. As Kṛṣṇa is explaining from the very beginning: bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir...prakṛtir me bhinnā aṣṭadhā (BG 7.4). Prakṛti, "My nature." Nature I have already explained. Just like nature of fire. How do you understand the nature? By heat and light. That is the nature. Wherever there is fire... Parvato bhānumān dhumāt.(?) The example is given. Just like long, long, high... I have seen in Naimitad.(?) There is fire. There is smoke. So that smoke means there is fire. That is the symptom. You cannot separate smoke from fire. That is not possible. Smoke is nature. Similarly, nature and the source from which... Just like fire. It is coming, the smoke. You cannot separate. Similarly, if bhūmiḥ āpaḥ analaḥ vāyuḥ kham, this material nature is coming from Kṛṣṇa, how you can separate it from Kṛṣṇa? It is also Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who does not see bhūmi, immediately remembers that "This is Kṛṣṇa's nature," he remembers immediately Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So soon as you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, you become spiritual. Just like as soon as there is fire, immediately you become hot, warm. You touch the iron rod in the fire; it becomes warm, warmer, warmer, then it becomes red-hot. And when it is red-hot, it is no more iron rod; it is fire. You touch everywhere, the same iron rod will burn. Similarly, if you become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is nothing material. Your body's spiritual, your mind is spiritual, your soul is already spiritual—everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So simply we have to bring Kṛṣṇa in every activities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is that for, for that purpose. And there will be no problems. You bring Kṛṣṇa. Yat karoṣi yaj juhoṣi yad dadāsi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tad mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27). Kṛṣṇa says, "Whatever you eat..." Just like we are eating prasādam. Others will see, "They are eating ḍāla-bhāta, and they are calling prasādam." Because he has no Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And one who has got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he eats the same ḍāla-bhāta... It is not ḍāla-bhāta. It is spiritualized, because it is offered to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has eaten it. Kṛṣṇa eats. Don't think that "The things are there. Kṛṣṇa has not eaten." No, Kṛṣṇa has eaten. But Kṛṣṇa's eating and your eating is different.
Now, because Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is complete spirit and He's absolute, therefore His name is also spirit; His name, His form, His quality, His, I mean to say, opulence, His paraphernalia—everything is spiritual. But at the present moment, due to our material bondage or condition, we cannot understand what is spiritual. But this ignorance can be moved by this process, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. How it is? I'll give you example. Just like a man is sleeping. A man is sleeping. How you can awake him? By vibration of sound. "Mr. such-and-such, just get up. Get up! The time is up." Although he is now practically unconscious, he cannot see, he cannot, er, still, that hearing process is so prominent that a sleeping man can be awakened by vibration of sound. Similarly, the spirit soul, although it is now overpowered by this material bondage or material conditions, that spiritual consciousness can be revived by this transcendental vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And for practical example, we are experiencing, and some of you...
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So long you think it is for your satisfaction, that is material. And as soon as you think, as soon as you understand that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and everything should be used for the service of Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritual. That is the distinction between material and spiritual. There is nothing like that spiritually something wonderful. But everything... Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). If everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, where is material? There is nothing material. Everything is spiritual, but we do not know how to use it. Therefore it is material. When you forget Kṛṣṇa, when you forget the proprietorship of Kṛṣṇa upon everything, that is material. Hari-sambandhena. Kṛṣṇa-sambandhe. Nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate. This is the injunction of the Gosvāmīs, that we have to accept everything as Kṛṣṇa. That is the fact.
But these things have to be adjusted. The adjustment is that He has eyes, He has ears, He has legs, He has hands—everything He has got. Because sarvendriya-guṇābhāsam. He's the origin. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that the Absolute Truth is the origin of everything. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So without a thing being existing in the Absolute Truth, how that can be manifested in this relative truth? This world is relative truth. So there is everything, but only one has to understand what is that everything. That everything is spiritual and this is material. When it is said that He's Sarvendriya-vivarjitam, that means He has no material senses. He has got senses. He has got eyes, He has got hands, legs, everything, but they are not material.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So this is the process. That we are serving here Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is also very kind. Because if Kṛṣṇa in His spiritual form, He is present... Of course, there is no difference. For Kṛṣṇa, there is no difference, material and spiritual, because everything is spiritual ultimately. But still, taking it accepted that we cannot see spiritual form at the present moment. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Because our senses are not blunt, we cannot see the spiritual form of Kṛṣṇa at the present moment. Therefore because we cannot see Kṛṣṇa with your present eyes, because we cannot serve Kṛṣṇa with our present hand, therefore Kṛṣṇa appears in a way so that we can see, we can touch. That is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa can appear in any way. He is all-powerful. So when He appears just like a stone statue, that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is stone or statue. Kṛṣṇa is the same Kṛṣṇa, but He appears before me just like stone statue because I cannot touch anything beyond this stone.
And when we constantly remember Kṛṣṇa, that is spiritualism. The materialists means they are thinking of sense gratification. All these big, big buildings were constructed in your country, Edinburgh. The idea was that "We shall show something opulent that we are very great nation. We have got nice buildings, nice churches, nice roads." Puffed up. Everyone wants to be puffed up before his friends and relatives. So this is materialism. But the same thing done for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, that "We shall construct this temple for Kṛṣṇa's inhabitation. We shall construct this building for providing the devotees of Kṛṣṇa so that they may be able to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without any disturbance..." It appears the same thing, karma and bhakti, but bhakti is always in relation with Kṛṣṇa and karma is always in relation with sense gratification. Therefore, the things, the ingredients is originally spiritual because it is Kṛṣṇa's energy. But ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), when we try to impose our proprietorship, that is materialism. Materialism means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, there is no materialism; everything is spiritual.
The material energy means the earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, ego, and spiritual energy is this living entity. Jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). That is spiritual energy. Just like you mix up two things, and there is chemical action. Similarly, the whole world is going on. Here there is material and spiritual distinction because here there is forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Here, ninety-nine and nine tenths percent have forgotten God; therefore it is material. And as soon as you are Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no more material, everything is spiritual.
- īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvaṁ
- yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat
- tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā
- mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam
- (ISO 1)
It requires only advancement of spiritual knowledge, then you will find that everything is spiritual.
So the material vision means forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Otherwise there is no material, because everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa, either material energy or spiritual energy. They are coming from the same source, so in the higher spiritual understanding, the spiritual platform, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. So don't imitate, but there is possibility. So long we are on the material platform, on the platform of forgetfulness, our business should be how to satisfy the Supreme. How to satisfy,(?) you do whatever you like, not whatever you like, within the institution. Varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ, it must be organized. If your aim is simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, then your life is perfect.
In the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, it is described that the houses, palaces, in that land, spiritual land, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is made of cintāmaṇi, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru.
- cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-
- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam
- lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.29)
So kalpa-taru means whatever you want you can get from that tree. Because everything is spiritual. For example, he can give you... Just like you are a spiritual being, I am also a spiritual being. If I say, "Bring me a glass of water." You'll bring. "Give me some fruit." You'll give me. "Bring this." You'll bring. Because you are spirit soul, you can supply me whatever I want. This is the spiritual idea. Not that I wanted a glass of water, you can supply me a glass of water only. If I want other things, you can supply me also. This is an example, crude example.
The gopīs had no other desire. Simply their desire was how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, all the gopīs. The elderly gopīs, Yaśodā-mātā and her friends, elderly gopas, Nanda Mahārāja, his brother, his friends, and of the same age, the boys and girls of Vṛndāvana who were of the same age—everyone, even the cows, even the flowers even the fruits, even the water in Vṛndāvana... Because everything is spiritual there. Nothing is material. That we should understand, spiritual and material. Material means they have no living symptoms, and spiritual means have all the living symptoms. So here, although a tree is also a living entity, and there also the tree is living entity, but here the living symptoms are absent. Or why the tree? Even a human being. A human being is also a living entity, and they're also devotees, they're also living entities. But here, the real symptoms of life—means Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is absent. And there, the real symptoms of living condition—Kṛṣṇa consciousness—is very, very much. There is no other consciousness except Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is spiritual.
Kṛṣṇa says, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Just like we have got division of my body. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. The head is working nicely because without brain, there is no work. So the working of the head certainly is very important. Similarly, the walking of the leg is also important. So Kṛṣṇa's thinking, taxing the brain or walking there is no such difference. In our body also there is no such difference. But because we are in the materialistic world, dual world, we make distinction: this is superior, inferior. But for Kṛṣṇa there is no such thing, "superior," "inferior." Everything is Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosopher says that when Kṛṣṇa comes, He accepts a material body. But these foolish people, they do not know that Kṛṣṇa has no material body. For Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. Kṛṣṇa has no material body. It is for us to distinguish between matter and spirit. But Kṛṣṇa, being the original source of everything, He is absolutely spirit. That's all. The Supreme Spirit. He has no such distinction.
So actually, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Spiritual means īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1), everything belonging to God. But when we think that "There is no God, I am God," or "It is mine," that is darkness. This consciousness is darkness. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to be situated above this material conception. Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Janasya moho' yam ahaṁ mameti. This conception, that "I am the proprietor, and everything belongs to me," this conception is called illusion. And this illusion increases by mental speculation. Ultimately, that mental speculator remains in darkness, but he thinks that he has become liberated. This is another darkness. Another darkness. That is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ. He Aravindākṣa.
So Kṛṣṇa and His pastimes, His name, quality, paraphernalia, entourage, everything is spiritual. That is accepted by great scholars like Śaṅkarācārya. He says: nārāyaṇa parā. "Nārāyaṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is beyond this material world." There are many examples. In your Bible also, those who are Christians, God said, "Let there be creation." So there was creation. Now this world, this word is not vibration of this material world. In the material world, if I say, "Let there be some mango," so no. That is not possible. But in the spiritual vibration, that is possible. That is possible. So the study is that God said, "Let there be creation." So there was creation. Now this word existed before the creation, because "Let there be creation" means when God is speaking there was no creation.
So Kṛṣṇa's or God's position is always transcendental. Therefore those who are impersonalists, they are not attracted with the variegatedness of this material life. They want to make it void, because they have no information of the spiritual variegatedness. But this Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he became attracted with the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are not variegatedness of this material world. It completely spiritual. And to discuss about Kṛṣṇa, to hear about Kṛṣṇa, to chant about Kṛṣṇa, to glorify about Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. So if you are engaged twenty-four hours in this business you are not in this material world. You are in the spiritual world.
I am not this body. But Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa is both body and soul together. Kṛṣṇa is everything. Kṛṣṇa has no such difference as material and spiritual. For Kṛṣṇa, everything is spiritual. Because material and spiritual, they are two energies only, but they are energy of Kṛṣṇa. So for Kṛṣṇa, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. He can convert the material into spiritual and the spiritual into material because He is the original source of these two energies. He is the original source. The same example: just like an expert electrician, he can convert the heater into cooler and the cooler into heater, although they are two opposites. Because he knows how to utilize the electrical energy. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa says that "These material elements, they are also My energy. And the spiritual energy, the jīva-bhūtas, they are also My energy." And the whole cosmic manifestation is combination of this material and spiritual energy. Therefore ... But Kṛṣṇa is Absolute.
Just like you have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness out of your independence. There are many other American boys and girls—they are not taking to it. It is not obligatory. But the door is open for everyone. One who is intelligent, he is taking to it. That is due to independence. And some of our boys are also falling back. After remaining few years, again he falls back, again into hodgepodge. You see, due to this misuse of independence. So because God has given us little independence, therefore there must be two departments: material and spiritual. Otherwise, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. Material is called māyā because those who are in poor fund of knowledge, they cannot see Kṛṣṇa's spiritual energy.
There are very, very beautiful women's dolls in the tailor's showroom, and nobody cares for it. Well, everyone knows this is false. Therefore Śaṅkarācārya said that "Why you are being attracted by this woman? It is simply lump of matter. It is a simply lump of matter." Everyone, it is in our experience that a lump of matter is standing, sometimes photograph of a nice woman, or the doll of a nice woman. Everyone knows that this is false. Nobody is attracted. So therefore there, there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual. The body is also spiritual. He is and everything... There is no distinction between body and soul. Everything is one. That we cannot experience now, but we have to get information from the authorized book. Therefore they are far far better. There is no question of comparison. Pramada uttamādyubhiḥ. Pramada. Woman's name is pramada, pramada because as soon as one woman comes before a man, he becomes agitated. Therefore woman's name is pramada. Pramada. Pramada means agitates. Kāminī. Agitates. So there the pramada uttamādyubiḥ.
So the stone is also another energy of Kṛṣṇa, another energy of Kṛṣṇa. And Śrī Kṛṣṇa is all-powerful. He can utilize His energy in anyway. He can utilize His energy in any way. Just like an electrician—he knows how to utilize electricity for the refrigerator and the heater, although the heating process is just opposite of the cooling process. We see opposite. Similarly, material nature and spiritual nature, just opposite, but the same way: the electricity utilize for heating and electricity utilized for cooling. The energy is the same, but it is the manipulation of the engineer which can turn heat into cold and cold into heat. So therefore, for Kṛṣṇa there is no material nature. Everything is spiritual nature. Even Kṛṣṇa appears as material form, as stone, as matter, still, one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he can derive Kṛṣṇa's favor from any form. Otherwise the devotees are recommended to worship the Deity in the temple.
So that janma karma me divyam (BG 4.9). Nothing is Kṛṣṇa's anything material. Everything is spiritual. But by His līlayā, to manifest different līlā, He accept different types of body. But they are all Kṛṣṇa, the same original person. Advaitam acyutam... Acyuta, He does not fall down. Therefore His name is Acyuta. Acyuta means never falls down, never deviates. He is always in His sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Not that because He has appeared for my convenience to accept my service in this form which I am seeing or the atheist is seeing, that it is stone. No. He is not stone. Advaitam acyutam. He doesn't fall. He does not deviate. Otherwise, there are many stories. That, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the Sākṣi-gopāla. Sākṣi-gopāla temple is there in Jagannātha Purī. Just one station before Purī there is Sākṣi-gopāla station. And there is a temple. Sākṣi, sākṣi means the witness. That vigraha, that Deity, was in Vṛndāvana. He came to give evidence for His devotee. Therefore He is known as Sākṣi-gopāla. So devotee talks. Even if you think, "This is stone," or "This is metal," but devotee can talk, and Kṛṣṇa talks with him. There are many instances. That requires advancement of spiritual life.
If you want to be liberated from this entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life and become more and more entangled in the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another... That is entanglement. And to come out of this entanglement is called mukti. That is mukti: no more material body, no more material mind—everything is spiritual. That is called mukti. So Ṛṣabhadeva recommends that if you want mukti, if you want to come out of the entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life, then mahat-sevā: associate with mahātmās. Mahat. Mahat means who are not crippled, who are broad-minded. Mahat-sevā. You have to serve him. In the... One Vaiṣṇava ācārya, he says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā. If you do not agree to serve mahat... That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). This is the injunction. So mahat-sevā, the same thing. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram. Dvāram means the way, the gate, the gateway. Mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to be free from this entanglement...
Life is completely different from the matter. Not completely different; it is the same energy from the Supreme Lord. One is developed, the other is not developed. In this way, as Brahmā has defined, mat-paro ahaṁ dvija-deva-devaḥ. So in this way, within this material world there are varieties of developed consciousness, and in the spiritual world, when we surpass, transcend the material world, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo anya (BG 8.20), when we are promoted to the other energy, other world, then our consciousness... Even when one is, I mean to say, transmitted to the spiritual world... The first is brahmajyoti. Their consciousness is also not developed, even one has gone to the spiritual world where everything is spiritual. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adho anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). That means consciousness is fully developed when he is a devotee, when one adores the lotus feet of the Lord. Yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ. So those who are promoted even to the Brahmajyoti, they are also not fully conscious. Fully conscious means a devotee.
There are living entities on the earth. Within the earth you will see. When you go to the beach, there are so many living entities within the earth. Or here, within the wall, there are so many living entities. Sarva-gaḥ. Everywhere there are living entities. There is living entities in the water, there is living entities on the land, there is living entities on the air, and why not in the fire? Fire is also one of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air and sky. So if there are living entities in the water, on the earth, in the air, in the sky, so what is the objection, not in the fire? This is foolishness. And Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this philosophy formerly to the sun-god." So unless there is sun-god or the king of the sun planet... So if the king is there, the citizens must be there, the kingdom must be there—but they are made of fire. So similarly, in the Vaikuṇṭha world, everything is spiritual. That we have to learn. We cannot make our own conclusion foolishly. That is not possible.
Prabhupāda: What is the difference of your material life and spiritual life?
Nanda-kiśora: One is for Kṛṣṇa, and one is for...
Prabhupāda: That is the difference between material mind and spiritual mind. Because you are thinking that you are this body, this is material conception. Therefore everything is material—mind, intelligence, and identification, everything material. Similarly, if you think, that thinking means mind, that you are Kṛṣṇa's, then everything is spiritual. That we have to practice. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have to keep ourselves always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Īhā yasya harer dāsye. And what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to... Īhā. Īhā means desire. Desire is a function of mind. So īhā means desire. So what is that desire? Īhā yasya harer dāsye. Anyone whose desire is to engage himself in the service of Kṛṣṇa. So whole Kṛṣṇa consciousness activity is purification of the mind, of the intelligence, of the ego, everything, purifying process.
So Kṛṣṇa has no discrimination, but it is up to us to know how to take from Kṛṣṇa. Just like the example is given here that saṁsevayā surataror iva. Surataror iva. Surataroḥ means the desire tree. It is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā, desire tree. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). That is kalpa-vṛkṣa. Kalpa-vṛkṣa means... You have no experience. We have no experience. Kalpa-vṛkṣa, there is in the higher planetary system and especially in the Vaikuṇṭha world. There are, trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa, because everything is spiritual; nothing is dead. Here you can take some fruits or flower from a particular tree, but there, if you like, you ask kachori and samosa from a tree—you get. But we have no idea what is surataroḥ, what is kalpa-vṛkṣa. Whatever you desire, you'll get it. Surabhīh, surabhīr abhipāl... The cows are surabhī. Here you have got limitation. You can milk morning and evening to a certain extent, but there the cows are surabhī. Surabhī means you can milk as many times as you like, and as much milk as you want, you can take it. But these things are there. But we have no information. We are struggling here.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Actually in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness there is nothing material. I have several times explained. Material activities means activities without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is material activity. Just like we are speaking through this microphone. We do not reject it as material. We take it as spiritual. Because it is being used in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ. Yathā arhati, as it deserves. Because this microphone is made of material elements, earth, water, fire, air... But this, if we remember that these material energies, earth, water, air, fire, sky, even mind, intelligence, ego... Prakṛti me, prakṛti me bhinnā aṣṭadhā. They're also energies of Kṛṣṇa. They're not separate from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore if Kṛṣṇa is spirit, then these so-called material elements, they are also spirit. But it is used as material because we do not remember the relationship of these material elements with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the conclusion is when we are forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, then it is material. Otherwise, there is nothing as material. Everything is spiritual. Because brāhmaṇaḥ śakti.
In the morning, as soon as you see within your window the sunshine, immediately you remember sun and you are confident sun is there. Without sun, how there can be sunshine? Similarly, whatever we see, if we immediately see Kṛṣṇa, with reference to that particular thing... Because that particular thing is the manifestation of the energy of Kṛṣṇa. So those who have understood Kṛṣṇa along with His energies, he sees the energy, because energy is not different from the energetic, he sees immediately Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, he does not see anything except Kṛṣṇa. So therefore, for him, there is no material world. There is no material world. To a perfect devotee, there is no material world. Everything is spiritual. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. He sees everything Brahman.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Kṛṣṇa is the ocean of all pleasure, reservoir of all pleasure. There are different types of pleasure. Just like pleasure like master and the servant. The master is also pleased by the service of the servant, and the servant is pleased by rendering service to the master. This is taste. Husband and wife: Husband is pleased having a wife, wife is pleased having... These are the different tastes: between master and servant, between friend and friend, between father and son, mother and son, between the lover and the beloved. These are different tastes. So this taste is required, transcendental mellow. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand this taste. They think everything is one. And in the material world also, we accept, "Variety is the mother of enjoyment." Without varieties, although everything is spiritual... In Vṛndāvana everything is spiritual. Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi. Just like this place, Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's place of pastimes, and the Vṛndāvana-dhāma, the place of pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa, they are one and the same. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, yebā jāne cintāmaṇi, tā 'ra haya vraja-bhūmi vāsa. These are the theses given by great ācāryas.
And each and every Vaikuṇṭha planet, there are living entities, not that they are vacant. But all of them are ānanda. They are all made of sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), eternity and bliss and full of knowledge. The land is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; the inhabitants are also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge; and the presiding Deity expansion of Kṛṣṇa, Nārāyaṇa, He is also eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. This is called absolute. Here in the material world we have got difference. I am spirit soul, but there is difference between me and my body; there is difference between me and this material world. But there, everything is spiritual. Therefore there is no difference. The impersonalists, they cannot understand. Because everything is spiritual, they think that there is no variegatedness. But from this description of Caitanya-caritāmṛta and other scriptures like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā, we can understand that the spiritual sky is exactly like this, but that is spiritual and this is material.
Sri Brahma-samhita Lectures
Everything is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality, eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows—everything is spiritual, expansion from Him. Everything... The... We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency. And this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literatures say, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are now combination of two energies, marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world, everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37).
The Lord, every (indistinct) is not material. That is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha (Bs. 5.1). Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. His form is eternity, blissful, and full of knowledge. So all His paraphernalia in the Goloka Vṛndāvana, that is His expansion of that quality—eternity, blissfulness and knowledge. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. His gopīs, His consorts, His father, His mother, His friends, His trees, His flowers, His calves and cows—everything is spiritual expansion from Him. Everything... We are also expansion from Him. We are marginal potency, and this is spiritual potency. So everything is expansion. Therefore the Vedic literature says, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma: "Everything is Brahman." We are not (?) combination of two energies: marginal energy and the external energy. But in the spiritual world everything is only spiritual energy. So we are constitutionally spiritual energy. Somehow or other, we have been entangled with this material energy. So if we try in this human form of life, we can get out of this material energy and again go back to the spiritual energy. That is the opportunity. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ (Bs. 5.37).
Festival Lectures
Now make your selection. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. If you want to remain here, in the middle planetary system, you can do so. And if you want to go to the lower planetary system, that you can do. And if you want to go to God, Kṛṣṇa, that also you can do. It is up to your option. Therefore, what is the difference between this material world, maybe in the higher planetary system or in the lower planetary system, and what is the spiritual world? The spiritual world means there is no material consumption. Everything is spirit, as I told you. The trees, the flowers, the fruits, the water, the animals—everything is spiritual. So there is no annihilation. It is eternal. So if you want to go to that spiritual world, then you can have this opportunity now in this human form of life, and if you want to remain in this material world, you can do so.
So that is summarized: goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya (Bs. 5.43). The topmost planet is called Goloka or Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇaloka. Go means cows. Kṛṣṇa is very much fond of cows. Therefore, that planet is called also Goloka, the planet full of cows. We have recited Brahma-saṁhitā today, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣā-vṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). Kṛṣṇa is engaged in tending cows. He's very much fond of cows. Surabhi, they are not ordinary cows. In the spiritual world, everything is spiritual. So there is a planet, goloka-nāmni. So, that is the highest planet. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni. That is the personal abode. Goloka-nāmni nija-dhāmni tale ca tasya: (Bs. 5.43) under that planet, there are other planetary systems. They are called Devīdhāma, Maheśadhāma, Haridhāma.
So the opportunity has come by the endeavor of our Mr. Punja. He's to be known as Vāsudeva dāsa henceforward. His wife, Bhagavati, and his mother . So my request is, I of course I am traveling all over the world. It may not be possible for me to see you very frequently. But I expect to come again and again. But I entrust the matter to you all. I'll send help also as far as possible. Now you have to take care of your own business, this temple, and always remember that according to your capacity you can serve the Lord. It is not that one who is worshiping the Deity, decorating the Deity, offering arotik, he's in better position than the person who is cleansing the temple. Both of them equal. In the spiritual world there is no such distinction. Absolute. As here there is distinction between higher grade and lower grade service, in the spiritual world there is no such thing. Everything is spiritual service. So that you realize one after another.
Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Lord, has many multifarious energies. Whatever we are seeing, it is all manifestation of His energy. So we are praying both to the energy. We are praying to the material energy also—material energy also, perverted reflection of the spiritual energy. Actually, there is no material energy. Everything is spiritual. But when the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance... Just like when the sky is covered by cloud it becomes dark. Similarly, spiritual energy, when it is covered by material energy... The cloud has no separate existence. It is also creation of the sunshine. Similarly, the material energy has also no separate existence. It is also creation of Kṛṣṇa, but it appears and disappears. The spiritual energy remains. So when we dovetail ourself with the spiritual energy, then we become perfect. That is our perfection. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dovetailing ourself with the spiritual energy and thus become perfect. And this human form of life is meant for that purpose.
General Lectures
Devotee: "Is Rāma synonymous, the same as Jesus."
Prabhupāda: Synonymous..., not exactly synonymous, but identical. Synonymous cannot be said, identical.
Woman: Oh, identical.
Prabhupāda: Yes. In the absolute platform everything is identical. In the relative world also. Just like anything you take, it is material. So material identity. Similarly, in the spiritual world everything is spiritual. So in the spiritual world God and God's son or God's friend or God's lover, anyone is the... They're in the same platform, spiritual. Therefore they are identical.
Just like in this material world, everyone's position, he thinks it is very nice. Similarly, in the spiritual, what to speak, they are all equal, but still, one is apprec..., one's aptitude is that "I want to love Kṛṣṇa in this way." Yes. So he's there in that way. There must be variety. If there is rasa-līlā, there must be nice trees, nice field, nice cows, nice Yamunā river. Otherwise how it is, simply if the gopīs and Kṛṣṇas are there, if the other things are not there? The background must be there. So everything is spiritual. Background is also spiritual. That is creation of Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahu-śyāma. Just like a painter paints a picture, he makes a nice background. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa wants to enjoy, so He has created us in different varieties to supply His pleasure potency. You see. Eko bahu-śyāma. This Vedic literature says that alone He has many. Why? Just to enjoy. Why? Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He's by nature joyful, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So ānanda does not mean that one. No. Variety. Variety is the mother of enjoyment. So that variety, they're all spiritual. Just like the same example: you paint a picture with the same brush and color, but as soon as you make it variety, variegated, it becomes very enjoyable. So we don't say that the varieties created by God is false. No. It is real.
To renounce this world is not very big thing because the world also, created by God. So instead of renouncing, if we utilize this God-created material world for God's service, then it is spiritual. Because originally it belongs to God. Originally it is spiritual. Therefore in the higher sense there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual because everything is coming, emanating from the Supreme Spirit. So we have to learn the art how to utilize everything for God. Just like we are. We are also living in the house. Without a house, where can you live? We are also human being. We cannot lie down on the street. We have got some house, some protection. We are also eating, we are also sleeping, and we are also mating, and we are also defending. But it is in a different way.
Philosophy Discussions
Śyāmasundara: He says that these monads are spiritual in nature; therefore they are immortal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That we admit, because Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's will, both of them are spiritual.
Śyāmasundara: So even the particle of matter is eternal?
Prabhupāda: Ultimately everything is spiritual, because the matter is Kṛṣṇa's energy and spirit is also Kṛṣṇa's energy. If Kṛṣṇa is the original cause, therefore the matter can be changed into spirit, spirit can be changed into matter. Just as it is the same electric energy acting as heater and as cooler, but the electrician, he can change the cooler to heater and the heater to cooler, because the original cause is electricity. Similarly, the original cause is Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa can change matter into spirit, spirit into matter. That is in His power. The rascals and fools, when Kṛṣṇa appears in His own body, ātmamāyā, they think it is just like material body, but they do not know that to Kṛṣṇa there is no such distinction of material and spiritual. Even accepting that He had got a material body, there is no hampering—He has changed into spiritual body.
Prabhupāda: That we say. Just like the sun is expressed by the sunshine, by the heat and light. We understand sun through all spreading heat and light. Similarly, we understand God, Kṛṣṇa, by His two energies. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, the material energy and the spiritual energy, two energies. The spiritual energy is described as superior energy, and material energy is described as inferior energy. Superior, inferior, that is in our consideration because we cannot understand. Therefore Kṛṣṇa has said. Otherwise there is only one energy, the superior spiritual energy. When the spiritual energy is covered by ignorance, then it is called material energy. Just like the sky, in the sky naturally it is clear but when there is cloud, we cannot see the sun. So sun is there. When we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, that is material. Otherwise there is nothing material. Everything is spiritual.
Prabhupāda: This is our philosophy, Rūpa Gosvāmī's philosophy. That hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ; everything has relation with Kṛṣṇa and those who are giving it up, "No, no it is matter, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, this is false," Rūpa Gosvāmī says, phalgu-vairāgya, that kind of renunciation is insufficient or, phalgu means false, false renunciation. So our renunciation means renounce things for sense gratification. That's all. (indistinct) we renounce anything for our sense gratification, but we accept everything for Kṛṣṇa's senses. But actually everything is spiritual. Just like if Kṛṣṇa does not accept anything material but they argue that you are offering material flower, material food, how will Kṛṣṇa accept? Therefore in essence it is not material, but because we have been habituated to accept them for our sense gratification, therefore it is material.
Prabhupāda: Dreaming, this is the best example. When one dreams he factually suffers, he is put into some dark place and he is trying to get out, he cannot get out; there is no such dark place, he has not fallen, everything is (indistinct). He is suffering, he is suffering, he is crying, "Save me." So actually there is nothing material. But due to our dreaming that I am separate from Kṛṣṇa, "I'm Mr. American, I'm Mr. Indian, I'm Mr. This, I have got this duty, I have got that duty." All this māyā. You have no other duty than to serve Kṛṣṇa because you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, that's all. When that consciousness comes, then spiritual (indistinct). So you have to change the consciousness, that's all. (indistinct) Everything is spiritual.
Hayagrīva: James, after analyzing all of these religions, different religious experiences, he gives his own conclusions, and he concludes his book in this way. He gives five basic conclusions. The first-one—"That the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance." (break)
Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means it is existing in the spiritual effulgence of the Lord. Just like all the planets they are resting, living within the sunshine, but by geographical position, when it is back side, the sun is not in the front but in the back, then it becomes dark. Similarly, everything is existing in the spiritual effulgence, rays of the Lord, and when you forget, this is called material world. So the material world is in that piece of spiritual world, but forgetfulness of God is material. So when we..., our revival of consciousness, God consciousness, then there is no more material world. For such person who is advanced in spiritual consciousness or God consciousness, there is nothing material; everything is spiritual.
| Page Title: | Everything is spiritual (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Serene |
| Created: | 10 of Mar, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=49, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 49 |