View source for We are weak, and the material energy is very strong, so to adopt spiritual life is more or less declare war against the material energy. The material, the illusory energy, she is trying to curb this conditioned soul as far as possible

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{{terms|"we are weak, and the material energy is very strong, so to adopt spiritual life is more or less declare war against the material energy"|"The material . . . the illusory energy, she is trying to curb this conditioned soul as far as possible"}}
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{{compiler|Iluta}}
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[[Category:We Are]]
[[Category:Weak]]
[[Category:Material Energy]]
[[Category:Maya Is Very Strong]]
[[Category:Adopt]]
[[Category:Spiritual Life]]
[[Category:More or Less]]
[[Category:Declaring War Against Maya]]
[[Category:Illusory Energy]]
[[Category:Try To]]
[[Category:Curb]]
[[Category:Conditioned Souls]]
[[Category:As Far as Possible]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966 - 1977]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, 1966]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - Lectures, Bhagavad-gita As It Is]]
[[Category:Prabhupada Speaks - in USA, New York]]

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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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"Anyone who has attempted even one percent sincerely, culture of spiritual realization, he will never fall down. He will never fall down." That sincerity. Because we are weak, and the material energy is very strong, so to adopt spiritual life is more or less declare war against the material energy. The material, the illusory energy, she is trying to curb this conditioned soul as far as possible. Now, when the conditioned soul tries to get out of her clutches by spiritual advancement of knowledge, oh, she becomes more stringent. Yes. She wants to test, "How much this person is sincere?".
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<mp3player>https://vanipedia.s3.amazonaws.com/clip/660919BG-NEW_YORK_clip2.mp3</mp3player>
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[[Vanisource:660918 - Lecture BG 06.40-43 - New York|660918 - Lecture BG 06.40-43 - New York]]:
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:''. . . nāmutra''
:''vināśas tasya vidyate''
:''na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid''
:''durgatiṁ tāta gacchati''
:([[Vanisource:BG 6.40 (1972)|BG 6.40]])
  
Now, this verse we have been discussing last day, that one who falls down . . ." Suppose one has entered for spiritual cultivation of life, some way or other, he is not successful to complete the course. Then what happens to him?" That was the question of Arjuna. This is very nice question that, "Suppose one enters for cultivation of spiritual life. Some way or other . . ." Sometimes we do not follow the rules and . . .

(break) Sometimes we are entrapped by some feminine attraction. These are impediments. So we may not be able to make complete progress.

So Kṛṣṇa says that, "My dear Arjuna," ''na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid durgatim'', "anyone who has attempted even one percent sincerely culture of spiritual realization, he will never fall down." "He will never fall down." That sincerity. Because we are weak, and the material energy is very strong, so to adopt spiritual life is more or less declare war against the material energy.

The material . . . the illusory energy, she is trying to curb this conditioned soul as far as possible. Now, when the conditioned soul tries to get out of her clutches by spiritual advancement of knowledge, oh, she becomes more stringent. Yes. She wants to test, "How much this person is sincere?" So there will be so many allurement offered by the material energy.

Now, there is a story. There are many stories. One of them I am citing. It is very interesting. Viśvāmitra Muni. Viśvāmitra Muni, he was a great king, ''kṣatriya'', but his priest, Vasiṣṭha Muni, he had great spiritual power. So he renounced his kingdom. He wanted to advance. He was kingly, royal order, but still, he wanted to advance in the spiritual order. So he adopted ''yoga'' process, meditation. That time it was possible for adopting this process, ''yoga'' process.

So he was meditating in such a way that the Indra, who was the king of heaven, he thought that, "This man is trying to occupy my post." As there is competition . . . this is also . . . heaven means that is also material world. So this competition—no businessman wants an another businessman go ahead. He wants to cut down. Competition of price, quality. Similarly, that Indra, he thought that, "This man is so strongly meditating, it may be that I may be deposed and he come to my seat." Then he arranged one of his society girls, Menakā, to go there and allure this ''muni''.

So when Menakā approached that ''ṛṣi'', Viśvāmitra Ṛṣi, he was meditating. And simply by the sound of her bangles, she (he) could understand, "There is some woman." And as soon as he saw that is heavenly, celestial beauty, he was captivated. Then there was a result, that a great . . . Śakuntalā. Perhaps some of you may know. There is a book made by Kālidāsa, Śakuntalā. This Śakuntalā is supposed to be the most beautiful girl in the world, and she was born by this combination of Viśvāmitra Muni and Menakā.

So when this girl was born, then Viśvāmitra thought, "Oh, I was advancing in my spiritual culture, and again I have been entrapped." So he was going out. At the same time his wife, Menakā, brought this girl before her, and little child is always attractive. She showed that, "Oh, you have got such a nice girl, such beautiful girl, and you are going away? No, no. You should take care." So there is a picture, very nice. That is a very famous picture, that Menakā is showing Viśvāmitra Muni the girl, and the ''muni'' is like that, "No more show me." Yes. There is a picture. That is . . . then he went away.

So there are chances of failure. There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Viśvāmitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Kṛṣṇa says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb that, "Failure is the pillar of success," especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging.

So Kṛṣṇa says that "Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part." ''Pārtha naiva iha''. ''Iha'' means in this world. ''Na amutra''. ''Amutra'' means next world. ''Vināśas tasya vidyate'': "He will never vanquish." ''Vināśas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt'': "Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture," ''kaścid durgatiṁ tāta gacchati'', "he'll never fall down." Yes.
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