False identification (Conv and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"false identification" |"falsely identified" |"falsely identifying" |"identifications are false" |"false understanding, identifying"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "false* identif*"@5

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

After negativating my identity with this false identification, when I come to the right point, then I understand that I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's.

Interview -- March 9, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: At the present moment, I am conscious of this body, of this country, of this society, of the family. But when I perfectly understand that I am not any of these things, then my consciousness also changes because at the present moment my consciousness is absorbed with all these things. So as soon as I understand that I am not all these, then my consciousness must change, not that my consciousness will stop. If I am in misunderstanding, if I come to the right understanding, that does not mean my understanding is stopped. Rather, my understanding becomes purified. That means if I am not this, then I am this. That we do not know, what is that. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So when we are freed from this illusory consciousness and if we are situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we get attachment. Because we are attached to all these things, attached to this body, attached to this society, attached to the country, so many things in relationship with the body. Now, after negativating my identity with this false identification, when I come to the right point, then I understand that I am Kṛṣṇa's. I am Kṛṣṇa's. Then your attachment for Kṛṣṇa increases because you transfer the attachment.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Designation means falsely identifying that I am this body.

Room Conversation with Dr. Weir of the Mensa Society -- September 5, 1971, London:

Dr. Weir: Swamiji you'll be glad to know your soceity like ours is worldwide and not based upon color, creed, or designations

Prabhupāda: Yes, designation means falsely identifying that I am this body. Now the soul is in this body. Next time the soul is in another body. So according to the body we are having designations. As soon as we get American body, I think myself American. Next life, if I get a body of a dog, then I think myself dog, designate. According to the body I create my designations. But one has to become free from all designations. That is called liberated stage. This is own constitutional position. That position is eternal servant of God. That is the real position of every living entity. But because at the present moment the living entity is in contact with matter, so according to the material modes of the body, he's identifying himself with this body. That is called material designation. "I am American." "I am Englishman." "I am Hindu." "I am Muslim." "I am this." "I am that." These are all designations. So real perfection of life is without designations.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

When one is in knowledge, he understands that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." The "I am" is there. But "I am" is now falsely identified with this body.

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: I have got attachment for so many things. That is natural. Anything I possess, I have got attachment. But that does not mean I am that thing. But here the mistake is that because we have got attachment for the body, I am identifying myself as the body. That is ignorance, illusion.

Young man: Yes, but one is egocentric... My egoism is very close to my body.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone says "I am." But the mistake is: he is thinking "I am this body." That... When one is in knowledge, he understands that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul." The "I am" is there. But "I am" is now falsely identified with this body. That has to be cured. Then spiritual knowledge begins.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. And then false identification, ahaṅkāra, then soul. And the soul is so fine.

Morning Walk -- March 26, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: ...mana, buddhi, ahaṅkāra. And then false identification, ahaṅkāra, then soul. And the soul is so fine. I have given the definition. How they can see, "There is soul"? Dr. Kapoor: But in the ātmā, you see.... You have given a very beautiful description. The smaller the part—as they call it, potency—more powerful it becomes. So you see, they think that the bigger thing is more powerful, but here science has also proved that greater the potency, the smaller the dose, smaller the size. So similarly, as you describe that what is soul? It's fractional, fractional, fractional, fractional.

Any little pinch of nature's law, if you break, you'll suffer. You cannot escape. But still they're thinking, "We're independent." That is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, by false prestige, by false identification. He is (indistinct) and he's thinking so many nonsense.

Morning Walk -- April 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Any little pinch of nature's law, if you break, you'll suffer. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape. But still they're thinking, "We're independent." That is ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, by false prestige, by false identification. He is (indistinct) and he's thinking so many nonsense. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Everything will be explained in Bhagavad-gītā.

This is the real yoga system, that because we are on the false understanding, identifying with the body, so the bodily function should be controlled, and concentration or focus should be placed: "What is that living condition?"

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Mike Barron: So there are a lot of these people who do that, false knowledge?

Prabhupāda: That is.... That you have to consider, that it is a fact. And the yoga system is meant.... This is the real yoga system, that because we are on the false understanding, identifying with the body, so the bodily function should be controlled, and concentration or focus should be placed: "What is that living condition?" That is yoga or meditation, to find out what is the real.... Analyze this body and find out where is the living pulse. And that is real yoga system, to control the senses. The senses are working. Now we are getting knowledge through the senses. How to get this knowledge of the living force? That, a mechanical arrangement, that is called yoga system.

It is not a good life, and the whole material world is false identification with myself.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: Right? I mean that this life is an evil prison.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, now you have understood. This is not a desirable life, to live in the jail, conditioned.

Interviewer: Well in other words, in a sense that is to reject or at least to repudiate this life, this world.

Prabhupāda: Not repudiate, to understand.

Interviewer: That it is not a good life.

Prabhupāda: It is not a good life, and the whole material world is false identification with myself.

Interviewer: Well is it important to try to improve this life so that it won't be a prison?

Prabhupāda: Yes, improve, improve, to understand that I am not a person of the jail. I am a person of freedom. Long living in the jail one who identifies that "Without jail I cannot live."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

You are falsely identifying with this body. You do not know. Therefore you have no brain or intelligence.

Room Conversation -- February 17, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People will not very much appreciate being told they have no brains.

Prabhupāda: Actually it is that. "No intelligence" you can say.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No intelligence. That'll be...

Ādi-keśava: But we can say that... Their accusation is that one loses identity. They say we are brainwashing, lose our identity.

Prabhupāda: Then you do not know what is your identity.

Ādi-keśava: So they don't know that identity.

Prabhupāda: You are falsely identifying with this body. You do not know. Therefore you have no brain or intelligence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would you have us identify with? How would you have us identify?

Prabhupāda: Identify that the thing which has gone out of this body, that is your identity.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that?

Prabhupāda: That is that soul.

1968 Correspondence

Consciousness is pure spiritual, but when the consciousness desires to enjoy matter, it becomes cloudy and dusty, or contaminated. This consciousness is false, but one suffers the consequences on account of false identification.

Letter to Cidananda -- Montreal 12 July, 1968:

Your statement "By association with Krishna this consciousness will be purified" is right. Consciousness is not related with matter. Just like the air is always pure, but when there is a mixture of dust in the air, it appears to be a cloud. The cloud and air are different substances. Similarly consciousness is pure spiritual, but when the consciousness desires to enjoy matter, it becomes cloudy and dusty, or contaminated. And then at that time, thinking, feeling, and willing everything becomes polluted. The same example as I have given several times that the proprietor of a car and the car are different identities, but when the proprietor thinks that this car is for his enjoyment, he becomes absorbed in such thought, and as soon as there is some loss or accident to the car, he thinks that he is hurt. This consciousness is false, but one suffers the consequences on account of false identification. Consciousness is not like mist, but when it is materially contaminated, it looks like that. Another example, that water from the sky falling down on the ground looks muddy, but water is not muddy, it is clear. When the water is again filtered, and muddy things are precipitated, the water comes to its original lustre, crystal clear. So our Krishna Consciousness movement is that we have to clear our consciousness by the transcendental addition of Krishna chemical. Then everything will be nice and clear, and we shall be able to see our identification without any designation.

We hope to bring everyone to such spiritual platform so that everyone will forget his material false identification and come to the real platform of becoming eternally the servant of Krishna.

Letter to Jayananda -- Montreal 12 July, 1968:

Yes, I have received Sriman Vinode Patel's letter, and I have replied the same also promptly. He appears to be a great help to your temple, and please try to keep him nicely. This is the sequence of Krishna Consciousness. He is a foreigner and belonging to a different country and culture, but Krishna Consciousness is so nice that one forgets his material designations and one tries to associate with similar Krishna consciousness persons. This is a Sanskrit word, is called Swajati Snigdha Saya. That means melted on the pure spiritual platform. We hope to bring everyone to such spiritual platform so that everyone will forget his material false identification and come to the real platform of becoming eternally the servant of Krishna.

1970 Correspondence

Transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. That is our real identification. All other identifications are false or temporary.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 24 November, 1970:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter that you say "I am now prepared to give up all self-created designations and work only as your servant." That is the real position; transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna. That is our real identification. All other identifications are false or temporary. Lord Caitanya said that "I am the servant of the servant of the servant 100 times removed" and similarly we should think ourselves as the servant of the servant of the servant and this attitude will lead to success in Krishna Consciousness (CC Madhya 13.80).