I am eternal. The only difference is that, because we are infinitesimal living spark, therefore we forget. Just like I can remember roughly about my childhood days, but I cannot remember the day-to-day activities in my childhood. That is . . . that defect is there due to my infinitesimal position.
In the Bhagavad-gītā this fact was very nicely discussed between Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa said that, "This philosophy was spoken by Me to the sun-god millions of years ago," Arjuna inquired, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, how can I believe that You spoke some millions of years ago this philosophy to the sun-god?" What was the answer? The answer is, Kṛṣṇa said: "Yes, millions and millions of times I also appeared, and you also appeared. The difference is that you do not remember; I remember."
That is the difference between God and ordinary living entity. Otherwise, qualitatively, God and the living entity the same. So only difference is that He is great, infinite. Therefore we cannot calculate His infinite qualities. But I, being infinitesimal, my qualities, my capacities, my energy, they are very infinitesimal. Therefore I forget. And because I forget, therefore I cannot remember what was my body in my last birth. Because I cannot remember. Death means forget. Just like at night you forget everything, sleeping. Similarly, when this body is finished, we forget about this body. We are interested in the next body.
So this forgetfulness is the opposite number of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . we are trying to revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness means we are trying to get out of this conditional life of forgetfulness. That is our perfection of life. We are trying to achieve that perfectional state of life. That is called struggle for existence, and somehow or other defeated. So our last point of perfection, where we can survive eternally, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This . . . this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is started in your country. It is not a new, manufactured thing, concocted thing. It is very old, because the Bhagavad-gītā is there. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means Bhagavad-gītā. Even from historical calculation, the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken at least five thousand years ago. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is, even from historical calculation, at least five thousand years old.
So modern history of the world cannot give any chronological data of historical event more than three thousand years, but this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is still older—from prehistoric days. It is not new. Eternal. As I am eternal, God is eternal, this consciousness is also eternal. But because we have forgotten due to the covering of the illusory energy, we have to revive it. That is our business. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said:
- nitya-siddha-kṛṣṇa-bhakti 'sādhya' kabhu naya
- śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya
- (CC Madhya 22.107)
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is dormant in every person, otherwise why you are taking so much interest? You are all American boys and girls. I don't think in this meeting there is any Indian. Somebody may say that, "Kṛṣṇa is Indian, Kṛṣṇa is Hindu. It is Hindu God." No. Kṛṣṇa is for everyone. If Kṛṣṇa would not have been for everyone, how could you, especially, take up this movement so serious? Kṛṣṇa also said that He does not belong to any particular sect. He said that all living entities in different types of forms, 8,400,000's of forms, and Kṛṣṇa claims that He is the seed-giving father of all of them.