This śarīra, this body, is called kṣetra, and the person, or the living entity, who is working on this body, he is called kṣetra-jña. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they have come to this understanding of kṣetra and kṣetra-jña. Ksetre-jña means I, you. I know about my body, about the interest of my body. If somebody wants to kill me, I take protection because it is my body, kṣetra. Just like your land, if somebody comes to encroach upon it, you take care. Similarly, this body is kṣetra, the field of activities, and I or you, the proprietor of the body, is kṣetra-jña, one who knows about the body.
But there is another kṣetra-jña. That is Kṛṣṇa. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: ksetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. Sarva-kṣetreṣu. Kṛṣṇa is also kṣetra-jña, Kṛṣṇa is also sitting . . . as I am sitting within this body, similarly, Kṛṣṇa is also sitting within this body.
- īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
- hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati
- bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni
- yantrārūḍhāni māyayā
- (BG 18.61)
He is directing. Actually, under His instruction we are taking permission. Just like you do business in your business office, establishment, but you have to take permission, license, from the government. It is very easy to understand. Although you are proprietor of the business, you cannot do anything without being permitted by the government. Similarly, although this body is yours—you are the proprietor of this body, you have been given freedom to utilize the body to your best interest—still, you cannot do anything without the permission of Kṛṣṇa.
That is the subject matter to understand spiritual life. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi . . . Kṛṣṇa confirms this in Bhagavad-gītā. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo (BG 15.15): "I am entered in everyone's body." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: "Through Me, one remembers and one forgets." Because our capacity is very limited. We forget very soon. Even we do not know two hours before what we were doing. So that is our nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa helps us from within. Even though we forget, Kṛṣṇa does not forget. That is also there in the Bhagavad-gītā. When Arjuna asked Him, "Kṛṣṇa, You say that You gave instruction on Bhagavad-gītā long, long ago, some forty thousands of millions of years ago, to sun-god. How can I believe it, because we are contemporary?" So Kṛṣṇa answered, "Yes, at that time you were also present, but you have forgotten. I have not forgotten."
That is the distinction between ordinary living being and the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is also nitya. The Supreme Being is also conscious, as we are eternal, nitya, and conscious. That is the statement of the Vedas. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme conscious. He is the supreme living being. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is person. Kṛṣṇa is not imperson. Impersonal feature is one of the partial manifestation of Kṛṣṇa. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇo ahaṁ pratiṣṭhā. Kṛṣṇa is the basis of Brahman. But the original Brahman is Kṛṣṇa, Para-brahman, as Arjuna accepted: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12).
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is India's movement, because it was started from India. It is meant for everyone, because every living entity is sanātana, eternal. It is not that only Indians are eternal. Everyone is eternal. Even the animals, they are also eternal. They have got different body according to their karma. Therefore paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). The paṇḍita does not see the outward dress. As if we talk with you, I do not see what kind of dress you have got—I talk with you as gentleman—similarly, a paṇḍita sees the inner soul. He does not see the outward dress, that "Here is a human being" or "Here is an American," "Here is an Indian," "Here is a brāhmin," or "Here is an elephant" or "dog" or "caṇḍāla" or "tree." No. He sees only the spirit soul, the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as one sees the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he immediately remembers Kṛṣṇa.
So therefore one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even though he sees a tree, immediately he sees Kṛṣṇa. But as soon as he sees the tree, he understands that "This tree is standing here for seven thousands of years according to his karma, but here is a living entity, and this living entity is the part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa." And as soon as he remembers Kṛṣṇa, he sees Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. Therefore a mahā-bhāgavata, advanced devotee, he sees everything, but in everything he sees Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's energy. That is perfection of life. That is brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20) life, realization of Brahman in everything. He understand himself, he understands others. Just like when there is sunrise . . . in the darkness of night I cannot see you properly, neither you can see me properly. Suppose if the streets are dark, we cannot see, even we pass very near. Similarly, in darkness of ignorance, we do not know actually what is our position. But as in the daytime, when there is sunrise, you can see the sun, you can see the world, you can see yourself, you can see your friend, you can see the whole world . . . therefore we have to see Kṛṣṇa. Then this stage will come.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant for this purpose, that one can see in terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "In terms of Kṛṣṇa consciousness" means that every living entity is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7): "All these living entity, they are My part and parcel." In another place He says:
- sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya
- sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ
- tāsāṁ mahad-yonir brahma
- ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā
- (BG 14.4)
So Kṛṣṇa is the ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. Just like the father gives the bīja, yoni . . . the mother is the yoni, and the father is the bīja. Yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni. We get our body by the bīja and yoni. Similarly, this material world is the yoni, mother, and the Kṛṣṇa is the bīja. Ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. So in this way different forms of life are coming—8,400,000 species of life.
So they are all sanātana. All these living entities are sanātana. But on account of their forgetfulness, being diverted, misled by the illusory energy, māyayā apahṛta-jñānam . . . that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā duṣkṛtino narādhamāḥ, māyayā apahṛta-jñānam (BG 7.15). Their jñāna, their knowledge, has been taken away by māyā; therefore they do not understand Kṛṣṇa. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍhā. "Because they are foolish rascal, therefore māyā has taken their knowledge, and therefore," na māṁ prapadyante, "They do not surrender unto Me." Therefore Kṛṣṇa's last instruction is sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66).
So we shall gradually discuss all these points. The preliminary is that at the present moment, although we are trying to be united: United Nation, united society, united religion, united . . . so many things we are trying to be united—Communism, united community . . . but this unity can be possible only when we are actually learned in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
One has to become learned. And the process of learning is not very difficult. It is very easy, especially for the men of this age. That is this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. If you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, is it very difficult for you? God has given you tongue. We are talking so many things, whole day and night. But if we utilize this tongue for chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, what is the loss there? That is the injunction of the śāstras. Kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21). Caitanya Mahāprabhu preached this cult.