So because we have got intimate relation with the Lord and we are all qualitatively one... The sanātana-dhama and the sanātana Supreme Personality and the sanātana living entities, they are on the same qualitatively plane. Therefore the whole target of Bhagavad-gītā is to revive our sanātana occupation or sanātana..., that is called sanātana-dharma, or eternal occupation of the living entity. We are now temporarily engaged in different activities and all these activities being purified. When we give up all these temporary activities, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), and when we take up the activities as desired by the Supreme Lord, that is called our pure life. (break) Therefore, sanātana-dharma, as mentioned above, that the Supreme Lord is sanātana, and the transcendental abode, which is beyond the spiritual sky, that is also sanātana.
Revive (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
So Arjuna was a devotee in relationship with the Lord as a friend. The Lord can become a friend. Of course, this friendship and the conception of friendship which we have got in the mundane world, there is a gulf of difference. This is transcendental friendship which... Not that everyone will have the relationship with the Lord. Everyone has got a particular relationship with the Lord and that particular relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. At the present status of our life we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but also we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many millions and billions of living beings, each and every living being has got a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called svarūpa. Svarūpa. And by the process of devotional service one can revive that svarūpa of oneself. And that stage is called svarūpa-siddhi, perfection of one's constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship.
Devotee: "Arjuna was a devotee in relationship with the Lord as a friend. This friendship is different from friendship in the mundane world. This kind of friendship is transcendental. Everyone has some relationship with the Lord. Unfortunately, in our present status, we have forgotten that eternal tie. Yet each of the millions upon millions of living beings has his particular relationship. By the process of service one can revive one's original status with the Lord. Now Arjuna..."
Prabhupāda: This relationship is already established, because I am eternal, God is eternal, therefore my relationship with God is also eternal. That relationship is there. Now, due to my covering of this material body or influence of material energy, I have forgotten. This is my position. In the conditioned state, in this material condition of life, our position is that I..., we have forgotten our relationship with God. But therefore you are trying to establish so many relationships with this material world. I am trying to find some relationship with particular type of society, particular type of community, particular type of nation, particular type of family or individuals. So many ways, I am searching where is my relationship, because I have lost my relationship with God. Therefore I have to reestablish, I have to revive my old relationship with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
That we have now forgotten. So it is not the question of desire. It is there. You don't desire to become one's son, you are already one's son. You simply do not know. Similarly, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa is there, every one of us, but I have forgotten; I do not know. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness practice will revive your relationship in what way..., in which way you are related with Kṛṣṇa. It is not that you have to desire. No. It is already there. You have to desire only how to revive it, that's all. That isKṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not an artificial thing. Just like we are establishing some relationship with somebody or you are my father or you are my wife, you are my husband. No. It is already there. Simply we have to find out. That will be revealed when you are perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati, you are freed from all material contamination, and you are perfectly situated in devotional service; it will be at once revealed: "Oh, you are related to Kṛṣṇa."
Acyuta-gotra. Gotra, perhaps you do not know. Gotra is the family tradition. According to Vedic civilization, everybody has got gotra. Gotra means of the same family, of ṛṣis, gotra, from the ṛṣis. So we have to become acyuta-gotra, again belonging to the family of Kṛṣṇa. Now we are fallen. Therefore we have forgotten that we belong to the family of Kṛṣṇa. When we revive our consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that "I belong to the Kṛṣṇa's family..." Kṛṣṇa is not alone, eko bahu śyāma. He wants to enjoy.
So we are family members of Kṛṣṇa, not void. That is another rascaldom. Why Kṛṣṇa should be alone? He is so powerful, He is so opulent, have you got any experience that a powerful person, opulent person is alone? Where is that example? Any rich man, any powerful man, any king, any lord, oh, he has got so many associates. So how Kṛṣṇa can be alone? Kṛṣṇa is never alone.
The plan is already known to everyone how the management of the cosmic manifestation is going on. The cosmic manifestation is there. This material world. It is, although temporary, it has got a purpose. The purpose is to give chance to the living entities who are rotting in this material world to revive his Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or original consciousness, and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the plan. This material cosmic manifestation is there, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature is, it is sometimes manifested and sometimes it is dissolved, annihilated. Everything material, that is the way. Just like our body. It is created at a certain date, and it will be annihilated at a certain date. Similarly, this gigantic body... That is also body of the Supreme Lord, virāt body. Virāt means gigantic. Kṛṣṇa will show His virāt-rūpa to Arjuna.
If we cannot keep on religious principles, then... We have to do something. Then we have to enhance our irreligious principle. So this family tradition, according to Vedic civilization, was very strictly observed so that the family may be kept in order in religious principles. Why? Now, because the human life is meant for reviving his eternal position, sanātana. This word is used here. Kula-dharmāḥ sanātanāḥ. The real purpose of life, especially human life, is meant for reviving our sanātana-dharma, sanātana occupation, eternal occupation. By observing the rules and regulations of varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas..., that is called kula-dharma. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. Each one of them must strictly observe the rules and regulations of that particular āśrama. Why it should be observed so strictly? Because by observing the regulative principle of each stages of life, one will be able to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So at the present moment, there is no such family life, no consideration of religion, no consideration of irreligious life. Everything, just like animals. Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. If not animals, they are all śūdras, nobody brāhmaṇa, nobody kṣatriya, nobody vaiśya. So it is a chaotic condition of the human society. Therefore it cannot be revived to the original position of systematic institutional position. It is not possible. Everything is lost. Therefore by the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's grace, one thing:
In human society, viṣṇur ārādhyate, the Lord is worshiped. But ne te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuḥ. At the present moment, these rascals, they do not know. Andhā yathāndair upanīyamānāḥ. And the so-called leaders, they are blind, themselves, and they are trying to lead other blind men. This is the social position. Therefore there is no more hope of reviving the Vedic culture. But by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, ceto darpanaṁ mārjanam... The Vedic culture means to cleanse the heart and make him perfect. Brahma-bhūtaḥ, perfectly spiritualized. That is Vedic culture. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To know the Supreme Lord. That is Vedic culture. Now everything is topsy-turvied. Therefore, by the grace of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He has simply recommended: harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Only chant. Then the result will be: ceto-darpana-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12).
It is called mahā-mantra. Mahā-mantra. Just like... I do not know in your country whether there's snake chanters. In India still, there are many snake chanters, enchanters, I am sorry. So they chant some mantra, and a man, snake-bitten, can be revived to his consciousness. Anyone Indian present here, they know. Still. Especially I have seen in Punjab, there are many snake enchanters who know the how to chant the mantras. So if it is physically possible that a dead man... Of course, when a man is bitten by a snake he's not dead. He becomes unconscious. He's not dead. But by this chanting of mantra, he comes to his consciousness. Therefore, it is the system in India, if a man is bitten by a snake, he's not burned, or he's not taken as dead body. He's floated in some lifeboat and given to the water. If he gets chance he may come out again to consciousness. So similarly, we are, at the present moment, due to our ignorance, we are sleeping.
He wants, Kṛṣṇa wants that wherever you live, you live peacefully and happily; and therefore He is called suhṛt. He is desiring everyone's happiness. Therefore He comes Himself to advise, to instruct how to live, how to follow His instruction, and He leaves these behind Him, such books as Bhagavad-gītā, and He sends His representative occasionally to revive our consciousness. This business is going on, not only in the human society, even in the animal society. Anywhere, even in demigod society, things are going on like that. Therefore we should know, whatever Bhagavān says, there cannot be any mistake, any illusion, any cheating or any imperfectness. Then it will be very nice. And that is the fact. The word used, bhagavān uvāca, means this instruction is neither mistaken nor illusion nor cheating nor imperfect. Whatever we teach, we speak, we conditioned soul... As I said, that we are very much proud of our eyes, but we cannot see without sunrise... We cannot see without electricity. But that is our defect.
And we are in this material world being contaminated by the material nature. We are suffering because anything material, it has got limited period of existence. Anything you take, it is asat. Asat means "which will not exist," and sat means "which will exist." The Vedic injunction is asato mā sad gama: "You are sat. You revive your eternal life. Don't be entangled in this asat."
So we are transmigrating from one body to another. There is evolution.
So Kṛṣṇa also, although in the material life, Kṛṣṇa is providing all necessities of life. Duly, there is seasonal changes. You get seasonal fruits, flowers, grains, and all necessities. You'll be still given chance, especially to the human being, that you get all supplies, necessities. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān. All necessities, But again you revive your consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the plan. But if you do not revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if you simply enjoy the senses, then there will be restriction of supply. This is the law. That is the restriction of supply. Therefore, there will be no rain. And if there is no rain, what factory will do, you rascal? You can manufacture scissors and knives and buckets of plastic, but you cannot prepare rice and wheat. That is not possible, sir. That will depend on rain. So immediately rains will be restricted. Now you all chew all these kankar (?). What is this kankar? These stone particles?
We can cure that, just like a diseased man lost his appetite, but by treatment he can again awaken his appetite and eat properly. So we, being very small—we may say "a small god"—therefore we fall under the clutches of māyā, illusion, but it can be cured. We can again revive our original position.
That is death. Because the soul is eternal. It will be explained. There is no birth and death. So when this body is annihilated, so the soul remains unconscious for a period, seven months for a human being. Seven months unconscious stage within the womb of the mother. After seven months, the consciousness revives. Just like if you have got an experience under chloroform, unconsciousness. The surgical operation takes place, you do not understand, you do not perceive pains and pleasure, but you remains for a certain hours unconscious. Then, gradually, dream comes. Just, from unconsciousness the dream comes. And from dream, you are awakened. As you go down from awakening stage to dream, dream to unconsciousness, similarly, you come up also, from unconsciousness to dream, from dream to awakening conscious stage.
So death means when this body is lost, gross body, the soul remains in the subtle body—intelligence, mind and ego. That subtle body carries him to another body.
We are appearing, taking birth in the material world. This is called bhava: "You become." And after sometimes you become finished, means death. This is called disease. Bhava-roga. Yes. We have to cure this disease and come to our healthy standard of life. That opportunity is here in this human form of life. If you want to cure this material disease and revive your healthy condition of eternal spiritual life, the opportunity is here. Therefore our only business in this human form of life is to cure this material disease, not to aggravate it. Disease should be cured, not to increase it. But at the present moment we are mad after increasing the disease. We are acting in such a way that we have to accept another body. That means material disease will continue.
So to live irresponsibly like cats and dogs is very risky life. Because so long we shall be engaged in the matter of sense gratification—material life means sense gratification—we shall increase our prolongation of repetition of birth and death.
Why not intelligent? Because they were killers of animals, they lost their intelligence. Keśava dhṛta-buddha-śarīra jaya jagadīśa hare. Those who are animal killers, their brain is dull as stone. They cannot understand any thing. Therefore meat-eating should be stopped. In order to revive the finer tissues of the brain to understand subtle things, one must give up meat-eating. Vinā paśughnāt (SB 10.1.4). It is the statement of the King... What is it?
Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. Māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate (BG 14.26). Unless we come to that platform of bhakti-yoga and become re-related, not related, again revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we, there cannot be equality. That is not possible. There must be distinction, some higher class, some middle class, some lower class. Even in European countries, there are, in America there are, so are in India. So it is not very astonishing. Because the whole world is being conducted, the whole material nature is being conducted by the three guṇas, and anyone associating with a particular type of guṇa, he must suffer or enjoy according to that guṇas. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasa, they, those who are in the tāmasika-guṇa, they go adhaḥ. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And via media, those who are in touch with the rajo-guṇa.
Say, for example, that they say generally, due to heart failure. Now, heart... Medical practitioners they know it that heart is always pumping like this, pumping like this. Now, can you produce heart action by artificial pumping? No. It is not possible. They give respiratory oxygen gas and so many things, but it cannot be revived.
Therefore it is a fact that the soul, soul is different from this body. So long the soul is there, the body acts. And we, with our blunt senses, our gross senses, we cannot see the soul. Therefore we deny it. Because our imperfect senses cannot see this. We cannot see so many things. So many things. Just like we are seeing this place is vacant, the outer space, but there are instruments. If you see with those instruments, you will find they are full of germs. Full of germs.
I am also... As spirit soul, I am also part and parcel of God. And we are thinking independently that "I have no connection with God." This is very horrible condition. The whole world is suffering because this misconception of life, misconception of life, that he has forgotten his eternal relationship with God. So we have to revive it. We have to revive it, this process. The Bhagavad-gītā has prescribed,
- dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma
- buddhi-yogād dhanañjaya
- buddhau śaraṇam anviccha
- kṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetavaḥ
Kṛpaṇāḥ means those who are anxious for enjoying sense gratification, by the fruits of their labor. They are called kṛpaṇa. And those who have sacrificed the whole body, whole intelligence... Sacrifice... You always remember: what we can sacrifice? Just like we take Ganges water from Ganges and offering Ganges, so everything is obtained from God, and now, if we offer the same thing to God, then we become liberated.
That you will find in the Fifteenth Chapter, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15).
What is the purpose of so many scriptures and Vedic literature? Just to give you information that there is Kṛṣṇa and you are eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. You have forgotten. Just revive that relationship and perfect your life. That is the sum and substance of all Vedic literature. Go on.
And that is congenial, and that is my real happiness. We have forgotten that.
We have, by chance, fallen into this material contamination and we have made our relationship with so many material things, so that we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Now, the whole process is to revive our consciousness to Kṛṣṇa. For that purpose, Kṛṣṇa comes Himself or Kṛṣṇa keeps this Bhagavad-gītā for you or Kṛṣṇa sends His confidential devotees to you, to canvass you, "Come to the point and be happy." That is the whole process. So ātma-rati, ātma-rati, self-satisfaction.
You will find at Vṛndāvana, oh, so many great devotees. Just like these Gosvāmīs, about whom we pray daily. Now, about them it is stated, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-śreṇīṁ sadā tuccha-vat. Now, these people were very aristocratic. Maṇḍala-pati. Maṇḍala-pati means leaders of great society. So they gave up. When they joined Lord Caitanya's movement they gave up everything.
Similarly, as the father and the son, the relationship cannot be cut off, similarly, our relationship with the Supreme Lord cannot be cut off. It is not possible. If we want to cut off our relationship with the Supreme Lord, or God, by artificial means, then the result will be that we shall be more and more unhappy.
Therefore the principle business of the human civilization is to establish, reestablish the lost relationship. The world is suffering by this lost relationship, godless civilization. That should not be tolerated. People should be taught, they should revive their God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by all means and then they will be happy. That is the whole principle.
It is a compulsory. Just like laws of the state. It is not that it is meant for the Hindus, or for the Muslims, for the Christian. It is meant for everyone.
Similarly, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, so it is compulsory to revive our consciousness that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. It is not a question of faith. Faith you may accept or do not accept but here it is a question of "must." You must revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise you will suffer.
Then you'll never understand Bhagavad-gītā. If you have to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then you have to understand by the process as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, not by your own mental speculation. This is the process of understanding. Bhakto 'si me sakhā ceti.
Bhakta means... Who is bhakta? Bhakta means one who has revived his eternal relationship with God. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Now in this body I am thinking, "I am American." How long I am American? I am American so long this body is there. That's all. I am thinking, "I am Indian." I am thinking, "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am this or that." Whatever I may think. How long? So long this body is there. And the next life? If you get a dog's body, then you'll think, "I am dog." If you get a cat's body, then you'll think "I am cat." So bhakta means not that superficial relationship. My relationship with the society, family, country, or humanity, they're all superficial because my body is superficial.
Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). "All these living entities are My part and parcels," Kṛṣṇa claims. Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). "In each and every species of life, as many forms as there are, they're all My parts and parcels." Kṛṣṇa (is) explaining like that.
So bhakta means when we revive our relationship, how I am connected with Kṛṣṇa. Then he is bhakta. Then he is bhakta. That relationship is pervertedly reflected in this material world. That relationship. Somebody is related with Kṛṣṇa as master and servant. That is reflected here also. There is master and servant, but both of them are cheating one another. The master is trying to exploit the servant, and the servant is trying to exploit the master. They are also forming unions, how to exact money from the capitalists, and the capitalists trying to exploit this labor from the laborers. So here, that master and servant is there, but both of them are cheaters and cheated. That's all.
You can manufacture some iron tools, that's all, not eatables. But you cannot manufacture nice grains. That is not possible. It is supplied by Kṛṣṇa. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān.
So try to understand in this way Kṛṣṇa consciousness, God consciousness. Then your dormant relationship with God and Kṛṣṇa will be revived. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). Lord Caitanya says, "By revival of Kṛṣṇa consciousness means the dirty things accumulated on our heart will be dissipated, immediately vanished." Then we shall see, "Oh, this is my position. I am Kṛṣṇa's, and Kṛṣṇa is mine."
You can be in relationship with God as father and son. There are so many relationships. As we have got relationship within this material world, this is only perverted reflection of that five relationship with God. But we have forgotten that. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive that consciousness. It is nothing new. To forget God means that is abnormal condition, and to have relationship with God is normal condition. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to be reestablished in our normal condition of life. Go on. "Arjuna is..."
So as soon as we get our original spiritual body and get out of the contamination of this material body, then we shall be as good as Kṛṣṇa. That is the whole process to understand. So we have to...
This Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness we shall revive our original spiritual body. And when we revive our original spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha... (Bs. 5.1). Sat, cit, ānanda. That is the formation of Kṛṣṇa, and that is our formation also. Sat means eternal. Cit means full knowledge. Eternal, full knowledge and ānanda. Ānanda. Ānanda means bliss. Now, we can make distinction from the spiritual body and the material body is this, that as the description of the spiritual body is given, sat-cit-ānanda, eternal, full of knowledge and blissful, so just the opposite number is this material body. It is neither sat, nor cit, nor ānanda. It is not sat. Sat means eternal.
I understand it. So if I take the process, how to get out of this cycle of birth and death, then our human life is successful.
This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. How, we are helping people how to get out of this material body, and revive your own spiritual body and, in that spiritual body, you go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the process. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). But people are so attracted to this material body that they are prepared to become cats and dogs next life, but they are not prepared to go back to home, back to Godhead. This is the problem.
So why this problem? Because the human society is in chaos. A chaotic condition. There must be division of four classes. One class must be brāhmaṇa, intelligent class of men.
So this is the process of ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), to cleanse the material dust from the mirror of our mind. The whole process is to dust out the dirty things which we have accumulated by our material association and therefore to revive our spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. From Bhagavad-gītā we are studying about the process of life by which we can revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is no need of external help for reviving Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness dormant in yourself. It is the quality of the self. So the, we have simply to invoke by this process.
The quality of satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. And if we fall down on the ground, then we keep sometimes the fiery quality. That is passion. Three qualities, goodness and passion. And if we fall down in the ignorance, just like the spark falls down on the water, then it is extinguished, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, finished. But it can be revived. That is explained in the Prema-vivarta,
- kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare
- nikaṭa-stha māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare
- (Prema-vivarta)
As soon as we want to imitate, even in the material world, those who are trying to go up again, back to home, back to Godhead.... There are different processes, karma, jñāna, yoga. Kṛṣṇa is explaining the karma. How to go back again to the original consciousness, that is being described, karma, how to work.
All other business, he will remember, but when he is requested to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, to understand Kṛṣṇa, he doesn't like it. Except Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will take all responsibility and work hard for that purpose. This is called māyā-grasta jīva. So nirāśīḥ, now, to go to our original position, that is called tapasya. Tapasya means to revive our original normal life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is called tapasya. This tapasya is not possible by the cats and dogs or animals. Tapasya is meant for the human being. Therefore the human life is called durlabha-janma. Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy arthadam adhruvam.
That is not the business of kṣatriya. That is the business of a brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa is paṇḍita. But kṣatriya is not supposed to become a paṇḍita. But still, Kṛṣṇa selected him. Kṛṣṇa, "Arjuna I shall speak to you the same old story which I spoke to..." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1). "That is now lost. Therefore I shall revive it again, and I shall speak to you, because you are My bhakta, you are My friend."
So this is the qualification of understanding of Bhagavad-gītā: first of all to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise, it is licking the bottle of honey. Here is honey. "Oh, it is honey," and if you go on licking at the bottle, what taste you will get? It must be opened. Then inside.... rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam. And who can open? The devotee can open. Otherwise lick up, go on, bottle, licking the bottle for many thousands of years. You will never taste what is within.
This realization is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. We are Brahman. We are not matter. But some way or other we have been in contact with the māyā, matter. Therefore, out of ignorance, I am identifying myself with this material body. But actually, we are not matter. That we can understand. If I had been matter, then as soon as my, my dead body is there, oh, no matter can revive the life. Now they have made so much scientific improvement, material scientific improvement.
We have been simply informed in Bhagavad-gītā. That is a superior nature. This is inferior nature. So this inferior nature is my bondage. I am not this inferior nature.
So Kṛṣṇa says, na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ pavitram iha... So as soon as we become, I mean to say, revived to our position, brahma-bhūtaḥ, then our first symptom will be prasannātmā, prasannātmā—we shall be joyful. Prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54). There will be no lamentation and no hankering. But the difficulty is that even if we rise up to the brahma-bhūtaḥ stage and if we do not take to the service of Kṛṣṇa then there is possibility of falling down again. That information we have got. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32). Just like you may rise very high in the sky, but if you have no shelter there, if your aeroplane or sputnik fails, then you again you fall down. Again you fall down.
Just like in our diseased condition, the same hand, the same nose, same ear, are there, but we feel something extraordinary. "Oh, my, there is headache. Oh, my hand is burning, burning. Oh!" But when the disease is cured, then you don't feel that sensation. So senses we have got. That is our spiritual senses. So we have to revive our spiritual senses. We are not senseless. As spirit soul, we have got our original senses, but that senses are now covered by this material contamination. Just like my senses, my hand burns during fever, due to the fever. But when the fever is moved, removed, when I get free from the fever attack, then I feel nice, similarly, we have got our senses; when we are freed from this material contamination, then we have got our proper use of the sense and enjoyment.
Because your hand is burning, due to some disease, oh, if the physician says, "All right, cut off this hand," oh, that is not treatment. The treatment is that sensation, that burning sensation, should be cured. Hand should live as it is. So we are, we have got all desires, we have got all senses, spiritually. And we have to revive that, and that, Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help us to revive our original status of senses. And that original status of senses, that sense of enjoyment, will be spiritual enjoyment. That will give us real... Sukham atyantikaṁ yat atīndriya-grāhyam (BG 6.21).
Revatīnandana: "Therefore to act to revive this consciousness..."
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is simply want of consciousness. Just like a boy is not educated. He is given education just to give a consciousness, "This is this. This is this." That's all. So therefore the whole movement should be to change the consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes.
Revatīnandana: "Therefore to act to revive this consciousness within the entire human society is the highest welfare work."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
So our whole process is to join the supreme ānandamaya, Kṛṣṇa, in His dance party. That will make us actually happy. Here we are trying to be happy by artificial means. And we are becoming frustrated. But if you actually be situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, simply you revive your original position, joyful, simply joyful. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt. These are the Vedānta. Because our nature is ānandamaya. People are, everyone is trying to find out. In this La Cienega Avenue there are so many restaurants, so many things and so many signboards. Why? They are advertising, "Come on, here is ānanda, here is pleasure." He's advertising, we are also doing like that. "Here is ānanda." So everyone is searching after ānanda pleasure. But there is different standard of pleasure. The same thing. Somebody are trying to find out pleasure from the material point of view, somebody's trying to find pleasure from speculation, philosophy, poetry of art.
Now we have no patron. Forgetting our relationship with the Supreme Lord, we have no patron. We are thinking of this patron, that patron, but real patron is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānām (BG 5.29). He is the real friend of every living entity.
So we have to revive our friendship, or revive our actual relationship, just like Arjuna is doing. Then these questions will be...
- praśānta-manasaṁ hy enaṁ
- yoginaṁ sukham uttamam
- upaiti śānta-rajasaṁ
- brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam
- (BG 6.27)
Now, by attainment of that perfect stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then the upaiti śānta-rajasam. We are agitated due to the passion, modes of passion. Now, by practice of this yoga, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this passionate hankering will be stopped. Passionate hankering..., śānta-rajasaṁ brahma-bhūtam akalmaṣam.
So if you have trained up your consciousness to the yogic principle, then you get a body, similar body. You get good chance, you get good parents, good family where you'll be allowed to practice this system and automatically you'll get chance again to revive your same consciousness in which you left your previous body. That is explained here. By virtue of divine consciousness. Therefore our present duty is how to make the consciousness divine. That should be our business. If you want divine life, if you want spiritual elevation back to Godhead, back to home, that means eternal life, blissful life full of knowledge, then we have to train ourselves in divine consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That you can very easily do by association. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ. If you keep divine association, then your consciousness is made divine. And if you keep hellish association, demonic association, then your consciousness is trained up in that way.
"In his previous birth, in his previous body, whatever he cultured, now he begins to remember." He begins to remember. I may tell you that those who have taken this society, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, very seriously, they are not ordinary persons. They must have had such culture in their previous life. Now they are again trying to revive that thing.
It is said, according to Bhagavad-gītā, tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ labhate paurva-dehikam (BG 6.43). Because that asset is there. Suppose I make my bank balance ten thousand millions, or something big, very big balance. Now, as soon as my body is finished, oh, the bank balance is also finished because the bank balance is not going with me. That remains in the bank to be enjoyed by somebody else. But the spiritual culture... Suppose if you have got ten thousand or... Even ten percent you have done, that goes with you. So there is no loss.
So one who takes to spiritual culture, for them, this place is unfit. Unfit. My Guru Mahārāja used to say that "This place is not fit for any gentleman's living." (chuckles) He was to say like that, "This place is unfit for any gentleman's living." So yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana, kuru-nandana: "O My dear Arjuna, when he gets such chance to revive his old spiritual culture, automatically he tries for it sincerely." Kuru-nandana. Kuru-nandana. Yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ. How? Pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva: "Because he had his practice in his previous life, therefore it appeals to him." Nothing appeals anything more. He has got a taste from the previous life. So it appeals to him. Pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ. Just like somebody is forcing, "Oh, you take this. You take this." Just like one who is sinful, he is also forced to go to the Bowery Street. You see? Similarly, one who is pious in his life and has begun this spiritual..., he is forced to cultivate and make progress because if God is within you... God is within you.
"Oh, Mr. your finger has to be now amputated. Otherwise it will pollute the whole body." So sthānād bhraṣṭāḥ, it is fallen down from the specified place.
So we have fallen down. Being rebelled against the principles of God consciousness, we are all fallen down. So if we want to revive our original position, we must be placed again into that service attitude. That is the perfect cure. Otherwise we shall suffer pain and God will be suffering pain on account of us. Just like if your son is not good, you suffer and the son suffers. Similarly, we are all sons of God. So when we are painful, God is also painful. The best thing is to revive our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be engaged in the service of the Lord. That is natural life and that is possible in the spiritual sky or the Goloka Vṛndāvana. Go on.
So this process of chanting is to invoke your remembrance for Kṛṣṇa. That's all. It is not that we are implementing something artificially in you. No. Kṛṣṇa is already connected with you. You have forgotten, and we are trying to give you the process how you can revive your original consciousness. So mayy āsakta-manāḥ. So when you come to this place, temple, this is the beginning. This the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If you see Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's devotees, if you chant "Kṛṣṇa..." Kṛṣṇa is not different from the name because He's absolute. He is not different. The word "Kṛṣṇa" and the person Kṛṣṇa, or God Kṛṣṇa, is not different, because everything is Kṛṣṇa. The oneness, the philosophy of monism or pantheism, is perfect. When that oneness comes in understanding Kṛṣṇa, that is perfection. If Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Absolute Truth from whom everything is emanating, then everything is Kṛṣṇa.
So we have to establish, reestablish our forgotten relationship. It is not that you have no relationship with God and we are artificially forcing something, relationship with God, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No. You have your relationship. Simply by hearing, by cultivation of this knowledge, you revive your relationship, that's all. Just like in the matches there is fire. You simply rub it for some time, for a few seconds, oh, the fire will come out. Similarly, your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is there within you. Otherwise, how could you accept the Kṛṣṇa consciousness? "I've imported Kṛṣṇa from India," that is also a mistake. Kṛṣṇa is not for India or America. Just like the sun. This is same sun which I have seen in India, the same sun is in your America. So nobody can claim, "Oh, this is Indian sun and this is American sun." Sun is one. It is our miscalculation that we say, "This is American land, this is American sun, this is American atmosphere." No. Everything in relationship with God. That is jñānam.
So we, being part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, we are also paraṁ pavitra, but due to the material contact of these three modes of nature we have become polluted. The exact, in the same way, as we are part. So how we have fallen down, why you have come to this material world, how we can revive our again Kṛṣṇa consciousness, these are the subject matter of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We appeal to you: try to understand this movement. Enjoy with full heart, and do some welfare activity to the human society.
It may be that the Hindus may be following the same principle in a different way or the Christian may be following the same principle in different way. That is called deśa-kāla-pātra. According to time, atmosphere, and the performer, there may be little difference. But real purpose of dharma is to surrender to God and try to love Him. That is religion. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). Because we are part and parcel of God... We have now forgotten. We have to revive our God consciousness. Then we go back to home, back to Godhead. This is our business.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that everyone should be raised to the platform of God consciousness. Then his human form of life is successful. Otherwise it is the life of cats and dogs.
Artificially, if I say, "You think of Mr. John always," how you'll be possible? Artificially it is not possible. If you have got some love for Mr. John as a friend, as a lover or as somebody, or son or master or something, then you can think of Mr. John always. Otherwise it is not possible. So that thinking, you can revive. There is relationship with you, with Kṛṣṇa. So you have to revive that relationship. It is not artificial. Just like these European, American boys, Kṛṣṇa was unknown to them. They are coming from Christian, Jews. So what they had to do with the Kṛṣṇa? They had nothing to do, but why they are mad after Kṛṣṇa? They are no longer mad after anything. They have given up everything. Simply for preaching in your country, they have come here. They have not come as a businessman to exploit African resources like other Europeans. They have come to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why? Why the responsibility they have taken? Because they have learned to love Kṛṣṇa.
With every living entity there is an eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. But we have forgotten that. That is our position. But if we practice this yoga, as Kṛṣṇa recommends, Mayy āsakta-manāḥ... If we become attached, then our original relationship will be revealed. That is called svarūpa-siddhi. How we are, now I am related with Kṛṣṇa, that will be revealed.
I have got a relationship with Kṛṣṇa eternally. Now it is covered. So practice this yoga means reviving our original relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Spiritual nature... I am actually spiritual nature, but I am now in material nature. So I have to revive my position in the spiritual nature.
Guest (1): When the person, by following his temporary nature, realizes he can't find satisfaction but he has to turn to spiritual nature...
Prabhupāda: Yes. That dissatisfaction is always there. Just like if a animal or a living entity is put into the water, then however expert swimmer he may be, it is struggle. In the water... That... Because that is not his natural position. The same man, if he is taken over the water, one inch over the water, he feels relief immediately. And if he is put into the land, then he's perfectly relieved. So therefore Lord Caitanya offers His prayer to Kṛṣṇa, ayi nanda-tanuja patitaṁ kiṅkaraṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, I am Your eternal servant. Somehow or other, I am now fallen in this ocean of nescience." Kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya: "Kindly pick me up from this ocean of nescience and fix me as one of Your dust of the lotus feet." You see?
"This water is Kṛṣṇa. The taste of the water is Kṛṣṇa. The sound is Kṛṣṇa. This illumination is Kṛṣṇa." In this way you have to practice.
The only thing is that our present stage is forgetfulness. We have forgotten, that's all. So we have to revive. We have to revive our spiritual life, our spiritual consciousness. And the simple process is this śravaṇam. This act, which you are performing, is approved by Lord Caitanya. Sthāne sthitāḥ śruti-gatāṁ tanu-vāṅ-manobhiḥ. When Lord Caitanya was speaking with Rāmānanda Rāya... He is a great friend of Lord Caitanya and great devotee, just like Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. So Rāmānanda Rāya was explaining about gradual development of spiritual life. So he recommended so many things—varṇāśrama-dharma, sannyāsa, and renunciation of work. Lord Caitanya says, "No, it is not so good.
You will find how one becomes, comes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You will find, later verses. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna.
So bewildered by this interaction of these three modes of nature, we have forgotten our eternal relationship with God. And Kṛṣṇa consciousness means that we have to revive. Just like a psychiatrist, they by some lectures revive his consciousness. So we are, more or less, not the person who is going to the psychiatrist, but every one of us more or less mad, bewildered by this material nature. So we have to cure our madness and become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the whole problem. Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam (BG 7.13). Param avyayam. Avyayam means which has no end, which never, I mean to say, annihilates. That is called avyayam, eternal, never can be killed. So we are also avyayam. We have discussed all these points in the very beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, that we are living entities, we have no birth, no death.
So far your material necessities are concerned, oh, there is enough. All right, you are eating? Can your manufacturing process can supply eating from the factories? No. Then why do you bother about the factory? Why you spoil your energy? Just eat. Be satisfied, whatever God has given you, and culture, devote your time for reviving your eternal relationship with God. Plain living and high thinking—that is the best type of civilization. You want sex? Can you manufacture sex in the factory? No. Then? It is supplied by God. So everything, whatever you require, that is supplied by God. You take advantage of it and be God conscious or Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is your business.
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...
Now, this is Sanskrit word. Some of you do not know what is the meaning of this Hare Kṛṣṇa. This meaning of Hare Kṛṣṇa is... It is just addressing the Supreme Lord and His energy, Harā. Harā is the energy, and Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So we are addressing, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa: "O the energy of the Lord, O the Lord, please accept me." That's all. "Please accept me." We have no other prayer.
I want that. Why you want that? Because you have got the right to have that prerogative. You have got the right. Therefore you want. You are eternal. You are blissful. You are full of knowledge. Simply you are covered by this material entanglement. Therefore you have forgotten yourself. Now, here is the chance. Here is the chance to take advantage and revive my original status of life, original status of life. Here it is clearly said, yaṁ prāpya na nivartante: "If you somehow or other can approach that spiritual atmosphere, then you haven't got to return again in this land of miseries of the atmosphere."
We have already discussed that we are trying to become happy by transferring ourself to the moon planet. Now the present movement is going there. We are thinking that if we can transfer ourself to the moon planet, we shall be happy.
The sparks are very little, small fire particle. Sometimes they fall down from the fire and becomes extinguished. The fiery quality is lost. Similarly, we are all parts and parcels of God, but when, by misusing our intelligence, our independence, we come here in this material world to enjoy, our godly qualities becomes lost. Again if you revive, then you go back to home, back to Godhead.
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to help people how to revive his God consciousness. Again goes back to home, back to Godhead. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). It is clearly said. If simply one tries to understand what is Kṛṣṇa, or God, and if he actually understands, then after giving up this body he is no more going to accept any material body. He goes back to home, back to Godhead. Why don't you try for that? Try to understand Kṛṣṇa.
If one becomes a devotee of the Lord, akiñcana-bhakti, then sarvair guṇaiḥ, all good qualities will come out automatically. Because every living entity is part and parcel of God. God is all-good. Therefore every living entity, potentially, constitutionally, he is also good. As God is good, we are also good. But due to our material association, we have become bad. So if we revive our old position, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then automatically we shall become all-good. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has recommended therefore, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). If you want to see, the to stop this blazing fire of material existence, then you have to spread this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. And the practical effect, you can see, what is already done, how they have become. Our limit, there are limitation, we cannot accept anyone and everyone as disciple.
Therefore the Kṛṣṇa conscious person, he knows that "Everything, whatever I have got, it is not my, under my control. The controller is different. I am feeling... I am simply using it. I am talking. This is my hand. I am working, but if the power of working is immediately withdrawn—it is paralyzed—have you got any power to revive this working power of this hand? No. You have not. One hand will work; another hand will stop. Who stops?" These things are to be thought. How can I deny? There is something. If I don't believe in God, but I must believe some power beyond me which is controlling me every step. Either call it God or anything, nature, but there is a controlling power. You have to admit. How can you deny it? Therefore anyone who denies the existence of God, he is a foolish man. He is not very intelligent man. No intelligent man will deny. So Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Kṛṣṇa is saying here, because He was present on this earth just like a human being with some supernatural power.
"I am seated in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15) "From Me there is remembrance," smṛti, "there is knowledge and there is forgetfulness also." So what is that, God making one person forgetful and another person encouraging? Why? Because I wanted like that. Because I don't want to revive my relationship with the Supreme Lord. Whenever I speak of God, oh, some person becomes: "Oh, what is God? Swamiji, what you are speaking, God?" They don't want God; so God gives him that "Forget Me. Yes, you forget and suffer." And one who wants God... Just like some poor students are trying to reestablish his relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Oh, Kṛṣṇa gives him too: "Yes." So therefore His business is to make you forgetful because you want to forget. And when you are advanced, if you want know... If you want to establish, reestablish your relation, He will encourage you.
And if you forget, you go down to the cats and dogs and ants and germs and so many things, become a worm of the stool. He will give you all facilities. This is called karma-cakra, cycle of work. As you desire, so God gives you facility. Therefore our desire should be revived: "What kind of desire we should at all make?" Therefore this Bhagavad-gītā is there; the scriptures are there. You have forgotten. We have forgotten all these things. Therefore the books and the scriptures are there. That is also another mercy of God.
Just like you consult some book, doing something. Just like we do every day. What is the postal rate? I do not know. This is a parcel I have to send. So at once I consult book. The direction is there, postal guide is there, and I do the right thing. Similarly, when we forget our acti..., what is the destination of life, then we have to consult. This is the direction.
I have got my eternal life, I have got my blissful life, I have got my knowledge, full knowledge, but here I am living in a wretched condition that my life is not eternal, I am not blissful, and I am not in full knowledge. So don't you think that we are already destroyed? We are thinking that "I am very much advancing in civilization," but unless you revive your original life of eternity and full knowledge and bliss, you should know that you are not advancing; you are being defeated by the illusory energy. This is destruction. Destruction of my real life is materialism.
So we are unhappy; so we are frustrated; so we are full of anxieties. This is our position.
So here it is stated that when, by good association, when we associate with persons who are in the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, in knowledge of God, in the science, if we associate, then this dormant intuition will be revived and we shall be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Atrājam ity anena pradhāna-pradhānāt cid-vargāt saṁsāra-vivargāc ca veda, veda.(?) Now, here this ajam, that God is unborn, this indicates that He is different from this material world because in the material world we have no experience that anyone is unborn. Everyone is born. Not only everyone, everything is born. This your New York City is born. You will find some date in the history that the New York City was started four hundred years or five hundred years. So we have got, we are very much fond of history.
As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, or Vyāsadeva says in the Purāṇas, in the Vedānta-sūtra, they are meant for... As Caitanya Mahāprabhu says: anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli' gelā, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karila (CC Madhya 20.117). What for these Vedas and Purāṇas are meant? Because we have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. We have forgotten Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, so many Vedic literatures are there. So many.
So this life is meant for utilizing this body... Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). Sattva. Sattva, our sattva, or existence, is not now pure. It is, because it is not pure, therefore we have to migrate, transmigrate from one body to another according to our desire, according to our karma. Nature is giving you... Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā (BG 18.61).
"Oh, why these books? Now I can manufacture own knowledge." And other rascals, they are accepting: "Yes, it is right."
So this is called Kali-yuga. People are so degraded, less than animal, less than animal. Therefore to revive them, the Vedānta-sūtra says, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now you inquire about the Absolute Truth." Hetumadbhir viniścitaṁ. Now, hetumadbhiḥ. Hetumadbhiḥ means "with reason." Reason. What is that reason? Now, if I want to inquire about the Absolute Truth, so how I shall understand? Now... There are three ways, namely pratyakṣa, pratyakṣa, aitihya, and śruti, śruti-pramāṇa. Śruti-pramāṇa, pratyakṣa-pramāṇa, direct perception...
Now, Brahman, the Absolute Truth, how we can understand the Absolute Truth? Absolute Truth means the Supreme.
Therefore his instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). That is His instruction.
But we do not want that. We want to forget and entangle ourselves in these material activities. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, by the agency of his māyā, illusory energy, helps us in forgetting. But if we want to revive our original consciousness, then also Kṛṣṇa helps you. Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
They do not know it that material condition cannot be changed. Take, for example, the pig. His body is meant for eating stool. So you cannot induce him to eat halavā. They cannot. He'll not accept it. Because the body is made like that. But in the human form, if we change our consciousness, then we become, we can revive our original status. Original status means eternal life of blissfulness and knowledge. That is the original life. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). So that Supersoul is always helping us as friend. Therefore here it is said, avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu. Avibhaktaṁ ca bhūteṣu vibhaktam iva ca sthitam. The Supersoul appears like an individual soul. He is staying as friend. So He has been divided. Vibhaktam iva, "as if divided." It is not divided.
God has food for everyone. If one is suffering, that is his own fault. Just like in the hospital, you'll go. You'll find so many patients are starving. Does it mean the patients are starving for want of food? No. He must starve; otherwise he will not be cured. That is destiny, called.
So these are not our business to see. Our own business is how to revive our original consciousness. That is our only business. (break) (end)
If you are able to acquire that nature, sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), then how is, how it is possible? That is mad-bhakta, mad-bhakta etad vijñāya (BG 13.19). These three things. What is this body, who is the owner of this body, what is knowledge, what is the object of knowledge. If we understand these three things, then we can get, revive our original position. We are also sac-cid-ānanda, but at the present moment our vigrahaḥ, our body is different. This is, subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. This we have to conquer; this is the problem. I don't want to die, why death is enforced upon me? That these rascals they have no brain. That I don't want to die. How I can escape death? Just like we are trying to escape disease. We don't want to be diseased. As soon as we become diseased, we go to a doctor, we take medical help. "Sir, cure my disease, cure my disease." Then why don't you go to a doctor who can give you relief from death? But they have no brain. The educational system is so rascaldom that there is no brain.
That is the whole Vedic civilization.
Therefore it is said, tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. If you are intelligent, then you should try, you should engage your life, how to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We have to purify our existence so that we can revive our original position of eternal life, blissful life, full of knowledge. That is our requirement.
So modern civilization, they have no such information. Everyone is trying to improve his condition according to the quality. But that is not improvement. Real improvement is how to get out of this cycle of birth and death. That is real improvement. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam. Thank you very much. So I will have to go with Mr. Ganatra. You can have your ārati. (end)
Just like father and son. They are intimately related. It may be the son has gone out of home for many years, but as soon as he meets his father, again the same love between father and son revives. It does not mean because the son was out of home for many, many years, there is no need of awakening the love of father and son. Similarly, in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta it is said, nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-bhakti. The love between Kṛṣṇa and ourself... It doesn't matter where we are. All living entities, especially the human being, especially the civilized human being, those who have got sense, they can revive Kṛṣṇa consciousness very easily by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So that is our request, that you are very intelligent boys, American boys. Try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Try to revive your relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Then you will be happy; otherwise not. Thank you very much. (end)
So therefore the basic principle of self-interest is lost. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to revive their consciousness that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul. You are part and parcel of God. Why you should suffer? So cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and simply by cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness you will go back home, back to Godhead, and then you'll be happy." Kṛṣṇa confirms this. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ, mām upetya: (BG 8.15) "If somebody comes to Me," mām upetya, "then he does not come back again in this material world, who is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15)." This place is place for suffering. Because they do not know self-interest, the place of suffering they are accepting place of enjoyment.
Then what...? After all, you have to die. Extend little more or little less, you cannot avoid death.
So this birth, death, old age, disease, this is due to this unclean, infected, material body. That we are not concerned, that how to stop this infected material body, how to revive our original spiritual body. That spiritual body is within, but we have no information. Therefore it is said, alpa-buddhayaḥ. The real life is within. We don't take care. Who is taking care of the spiritual... Where is the university? Where is the college where is this training is given that "We are spirit soul. This body is temporary, and the spirit soul business is this so that spirit soul may be purified, no more he accepts this material body"? Where is that education? Therefore alpa-buddhayaḥ: less intelligent. They are simply busy with these bodily necessities of life. There is no education of the real living force. That education you will get—this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore it is unique.
| Page Title: | Revive (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Feb, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=74, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 74 |