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They believe that "If I act sinfully, then I'll have to suffer next life, & because I did not do properly, therefore I am suffering in this life." Still they believe. But the so-called educated people, they try to set aside this. They say, - Superstition

Expressions researched:
"They believe that "If I act sinfully, then I'll have to suffer next life, and because I did not do properly, therefore I am suffering in this life." Still they believe. But the so-called educated people, they are trying to set aside this. They say "Superstition"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

The fortunate, those who are so fortunate, they are now opposing me. The Western people, they are now opposing this movement, so they are not fortunate. So everywhere there are fortunate and unfortunate. But mostly in this age they are unfortunate. Either in the Western countries or in this country, they are unfortunate mostly. They cannot understand. In India, at least those who are not very educated, mass of people, they believe transmigration of the soul. They very easily believe it, because culture is based on that, pūrva-janma paro janma. They believe that "If I act sinfully, then I'll have to suffer next life, and because I did not do properly, therefore I am suffering in this life." Still they believe. But the so-called educated people, they are trying to set aside this. They say "Superstition." And the leaders say that "India, giving more stress on the soul, not on the body, India's position is so degraded." This is the leaders' opinion. Big, big leaders, they think. Therefore the so-called leaders or learned scholars, they write notes on Bhagavad-gītā, but they never give any idea of spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: Yes, because you have got qualification—dhīra. What I say, you hear with patience. And those who are adhīra, they cannot. Sometimes . . . Aiye. (someone enters) You can come this side. (break) Two words is very important. One is, that in the beginning one must be dhīra, not restless. Restlessness is for the animal or a child. He is restless. He cannot understand. An animal—a cat and dog—sometimes they remain very silent before the master, but not always. Their habit is not silent. So this understanding, that "I am not this body," is not possible for, say, a restless person, that "I am not this body." It is specially mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīra. He must not be a restless animal—always busy. Just like monkey. Monkey is always busy. But as soon as the monkey comes, everyone knows he is very busy. He can jump very nicely. And immediately they take a stick, "Get out! Get out! Get out!" Busy fool. Fool, if he remains little silent, so he does less harm. But if he is busy, he is more harmful. So this is the position at the present moment, that people are kept in the animal civilization and they are busy. So they are creating more harm. It is not for the good of the society. They are creating more harm. This dehātma-buddhi is the conception of the animals.yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātukesva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥyat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicijjaneṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ(SB 10.84.13)So this dehātma-buddhi, "I am this body," is very strong at the present. They think dehātma-buddhi, extended, is very good. And that I was speaking, that a person is taking care of his own body or own dress, but they say, "We shall not take care of my body but for others' body also—my son's body, my grandson's body, my relative's body." So that means extending the activities of taking care of the dress. So that I said, that a washerman is taking care of many people's dress, but that does not mean that he is very elevated man. He is nothing but a washerman. But people are interested to take care of the dress. This body is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as dress. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). We are changing the dress. And so long we are interested with dress of the body, not of the body, so the person who has got this body will remain animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13).So people are not prepared even to hear about this distinction, that "I am not this body; you are not this body." The modern civilization has trained up educated people in such a way that the more you think yourself, "I am this body—'I am American,' 'I am Indian,' 'I am brāhmaṇa,' 'I am this, I am that' "—and you feel and act like that and create trouble like that—then you are called civilized. Is it not? Hmm? This is the defect of modern civilization. The more you keep yourself in the darkness of accepting this body as yourself—national feeling, social feeling, family feeling, community feeling—then . . . But we are speaking from a different platform. Our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa begins His teaching from a different platform. He begins from the platform of the soul, dhīras tatra na muhyati. His teaching to Arjuna begins, first of all convincing him that "You are not this body." And He's describing the nature of the soul—na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate (BG 2.20)—in so many ways, adāhyo 'yam aśoṣyo 'yam, so many ways. Find out this verse. Who will find out? Hmm.Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda?Brahmānanda: 2.13. 2.20.Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 2.20.Harikeśa: Shall I read tadā kadācit? Nāyaṁ bhūtvā bhavitā vā na bhūyaḥ?Prabhupāda: Hmm? (break)Harikeśa:acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yamakledyo 'śoṣya eva canityaḥ sarva-gataḥ sthāṇuracalo 'yaṁ sanātanaḥ(BG 2.24)"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the description of the soul. What is the first one?Harikeśa: Acchedyaḥ.Prabhupāda: Aśoṣyaḥ.Harikeśa: Acchedyaḥ—"unbreakable."Prabhupāda: Acchedyaḥ, yes. Acchedyo 'yam. Now, chedya means "which can be cut by . . ." Just like this is wood; it can be cut by the saw. This can be separated. Then? Acchedyo 'yam adāhyo 'yam. Adāhyaḥ. The wood can be burned. So it is denying, that "The soul cannot be cut and it cannot be burned." Then?Harikeśa: Akledyaḥ.Prabhupāda: Akledyaḥ, that the wood, if you put into the water, it will be moist. But it is not . . . Soul never becomes moist. That means the five elements—earth, water, air, fire, ether—all these five elements can be cut, can be moistened, can be burned, can be dried up. But He is giving negative definition, that "Soul cannot be done like that." So therefore it is not fallible, material.Indian man (3): Will you preach to your Gītā . . . (break)Prabhupāda: (Hindi) The people cannot accept . . . (laughs) Therefore I said, dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13).Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're too restless.Jayatīrtha: Adhīra.Prabhupāda: And therefore I say that education has been so wrongly given that they are restless like animals due to the modern civilization. The beginning of spiritual education they cannot accept. What they will make, further progress of spiritual life? Beginning, A-B-C-D, they are so restless, they cannot take. This is the position. Therefore I'm speaking that it is meant for the dhīra, for the rājarṣis. Not for the men who are like animals. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Their bodily conception is so strong that they cannot hear even what is said. They are so dull. Mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyāḥ (SB 1.1.10).Brahmānanda: It seems now that it's the people from the West who want to hear. Why is that?Prabhupāda: Now, because they have now experience of the bodily comforts, and they have seen it that "Simply by bodily comfort we cannot be happy." They have come to this stage.Lokanātha: It's fortune to take birth in the West now. It's fortunate to take birth in America or England? (laughter)Prabhupāda: Not all. (laughter) Not all. The fortunate, those who are so fortunate, they are now opposing me. The Western people, they are now opposing this movement, so they are not fortunate. So everywhere there are fortunate and unfortunate. But mostly in this age they are unfortunate. Either in the Western countries or in this country, they are unfortunate mostly. They cannot understand. In India, at least those who are not very educated, mass of people, they believe transmigration of the soul. They very easily believe it, because culture is based on that, pūrva-janma paro janma. They believe that "If I act sinfully, then I'll have to suffer next life, and because I did not do properly, therefore I am suffering in this life." Still they believe. But the so-called educated people, they are trying to set aside this. They say "Superstition." And the leaders say that "India, giving more stress on the soul, not on the body, India's position is so degraded." This is the leaders' opinion. Big, big leaders, they think. Therefore the so-called leaders or learned scholars, they write notes on Bhagavad-gītā, but they never give any idea of spiritual life. They utilize Bhagavad-gītā for material end. This is going on. Just like our big leader, Gandhi. He was supposed to be very strict follower of Bhagavad-gītā, and he has never instructed about spiritual life.Nārāyaṇa: Satsvarūpa Mahārāja was telling a story on the way back from the Ganges that you had said that Gandhi, he was supposed to be mahātmā, but after he won victory, independence, by his activities, then they said, "Now you can stop meat-eating. You can stop cow slaughter throughout India." He says, "No, no. How can we do this? The Muhammadans, the Muslims, they are eating meat."Prabhupāda: Yes.Nārāyaṇa: So what kind of rājarṣi is this? (break)Prabhupāda: There is heat and light. And as soon as after evening the sun is off, not from the sky but from our sight, there is darkness. So chi . . . This consciousness is the rays, or shining, of the soul. As soon as the soul is off from this body, the shining of the soul or consciousness is completely gone. Have you understood or not?

Page Title:They believe that "If I act sinfully, then I'll have to suffer next life, & because I did not do properly, therefore I am suffering in this life." Still they believe. But the so-called educated people, they try to set aside this. They say, - Superstition
Compiler:Soham
Created:2023-02-03, 22:28:14
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1