Beginning of our Bhagavad-gītā lesson is based on that we are spirit consciousness. We are not this body. And the whole function of the human society is to be enlightened in that spiritual consciousness of life instead of wasting time in sense gratification like the animals, who are concerned with eating, sleeping, fearing and mating. That is the whole . . . that is the background of our this discussion, that we are different from the ordinary animals.
So the common factor of animal life and human life is these four principles of bodily demands, namely that we require to eat and we require to sleep, we require some defensive measures for protecting ourself from the enemies and we require some extent of sense gratification. That is the needs of my body. They are not the needs of myself as I am, spirit soul.
Now, if I want to get rid of this bodily encagement, or the threefold miseries of material existence, then I must put myself under treatment. Just like a diseased man goes to a physician for treatment to get out of to . . . get relief from the sufferings of the disease, similarly, our material existence, consisting of threefold miseries and birth, death, old age and diseases, if we are actually conscious for our happiness, we must make a permanent solution of these miseries. That is the mission of human life.
So for making that mission fulfilled, we have got developed consciousness than the animals. That developed consciousness should not be misused only for the animal propensities of life. That is the whole thing. And therefore, Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in order to reach to that stage of perfection, you should work. Your work should not be stopped. We have already discussed this point, that niyataṁ kuru karma tvaṁ karma jyāyo hy akarmaṇaḥ (BG 3.8).
that "Your prescribed duty should be prosecuted nicely. Go on. Don't stop it, but work for the life of karma-yoga. Karma-yoga. Ordinary work is called karma. Ordinary work is karma. And when it is added with yoga, that means spiritualized work. Yoga. Yoga means spiritual perfection, or linking up with the Supreme.
So karma and karma-yoga, there is gulf of difference. Karma means ordinary work. I work whole day; I get some remuneration and enjoy for my sense gratification. That is called karma, in this life or that life or next life. Somebody, they make charities and other pious acts, so that in their next life they get good parentage, good education, opulence, so that they can also enjoy life. There are others also who make more advanced karma to get himself promoted in other planetary system, just like moon planet or Svargaloka, heavenly planet. There are many planets in which the standard of life is far, far comfortable than here.
So these are not required. To get yourself promoted in higher standard of life, from A-class prisoner . . . from C-class prisoner to become A-class prisoner, that is not required. Bhagavad-gītā does not teach us that you improve your life in the respect that you are now C-class prisoner, you become an A-class prisoner. No. You should not remain a prisoner. You should get yourself (out of) this prison life.
This material life is prison life. Just like in prison house we are under forced to undergo some sort of miseries. We may agree or not agree; oh, we have to undergo. In prison life you cannot deny. The state agents are there. He prescribes some work, you must do it. If you say: "No, I cannot do it. I am not accustomed to do it. No." Then you'll be again more punished.