Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Bodily concept of life means

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

This bodily concept of life means senses. But when you transcend these senses, you come to the mental platform. When you transcend the mental platform, you come to the intellectual platform. When you come to the intellectual platform, when you transcend, then you come to the spiritual platform.
Lecture on BG 2.8 -- London, August 8, 1973:

To accept guru means whatever guru says, you have to accept. Otherwise, don't make guru. Don't make a fashion. You must be ready. That is called prapannam. Tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). You can understand simply by surrendering, not to test guru. "I shall test him, how, how much he knows." Then what is the use of making guru? No. Therefore Arjuna says that: "Besides You, there is nobody else who can actually satisfy me in this perplexed condition." Yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām (BG 2.8). "My senses are being dried up." Because the superficial senses... That are not actually senses. Real sense is within. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanam (CC Madhya 19.170). We have to serve Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa... Kṛṣṇa is real, and we have to come to that position of reality. Then we can serve Kṛṣṇa. Hṛṣīkeṇa. Tat paratvena nirmalam. When our senses are purified. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu paro buddhir (BG 3.42). These are different stages. This bodily concept of life means senses. But when you transcend these senses, you come to the mental platform. When you transcend the mental platform, you come to the intellectual platform. When you come to the intellectual platform, when you transcend, then you come to the spiritual platform. That is spiritual form. There are different grades and steps. In the gross bodily platform we demand pratyakṣa-jñānam. Pratyakṣa means direct perception. There are different stages of knowledge. Pratyakṣa, aparokṣa, pratyakṣa, parokṣa, aparokṣa, adhokṣaja, aprakṛta. These are different stages of knowledge. So knowledge acquired in the bodily platform, direct perception, is not real knowledge. Therefore, we can challenge these scientists, so-called scientists. Their basic principle of knowledge is on the bodily concept of life, pratyakṣa, experimental knowledge. Experimental knowledge means this gross sense perception. That is experimental. Pratyakṣa. Everyone says: "We do not see God." God is not such a subject matter that you can see with this pratyakṣa, direct perception.

Bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life.
Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, December 29, 1972:

Body means the senses. The senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ, manasas tu parā buddhiḥ (BG 3.42). So we have to transcend this bodily concept of life. Bodily concept of life means sense gratification. That's all. The, the bodily... I am, because I'm thinking I am this body, therefore I must satisfy my eyes by seeing something beautiful. I must satisfy my tongue by eating so many things which are even forbidden in the śāstras. But my tongue wants it. I must take it. So bodily concept of life means satisfying these gross material senses. That is bodily concept of life. But gradually, by Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by training ourself, how to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our business will be how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

This bodily concept of life means the senses.
Lecture on SB 1.2.9 -- Hyderabad, April 23, 1974:

So Ṛṣabhadeva says, nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaye (SB 5.5.4). Simply we have got this... This bodily concept of life means the senses. Indriyāṇi parā... The senses are very prominent. So simply for sense gratification we are acting so much sinfully that we are becoming implicated. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti na sādhu manye: (SB 5.5.4) "This is not good." Why? "Now, yata ātmanaḥ, the soul," ayam, ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ, "the ātmā, the soul, has accepted this body on account of this vikarma, on account of this vikarma." Therefore people should be instructed to be expert in sukarma, sukṛti, sukṛti. That sukṛti is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sukṛti. They should be instructed. Sukṛtivān. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtinaḥ arjuna. Unless one is sukṛtivān, he cannot take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore everyone should be instructed to become sukṛtivān, puṇyavān. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Unless one is free from all sinful activities simply by acting piously... Janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 7.28). They can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is Kṛṣṇa worship. Others cannot do.

Bodily concept of life means to give importance to sense enjoyment. That's all.
Lecture on SB 1.2.17 -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

So we require buddhi-yogam. Not buddhi. If we simply use our buddhi, intelligence, then we continue to become duṣkṛtinaḥ. Buddhi's there, but it is utilized in a misdirected way. That is called duṣkṛtinaḥ. Therefore we must engage our buddhi... Because buddhi is the immediate step before we realize self. First our conception is indriyāṇi, these senses. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). We give very much importance to the senses. The bodily concept of life means to give importance to sense enjoyment. That's all. This is bodily concept of life. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ. They are very important. Those who are bodily, in bodily concept of life, they are addicted to sense gratification. Indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). And those who are little advanced more, they are addicted to the mental speculation. The so-called jñānīs, mental speculation. Manasas tu parā buddhiḥ. Then again you come to the platform of intelligence. Intelligence, and when the intelligence is purified, hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi, purified, simply by hearing about Kṛṣṇa, then immediately you are raised to the platform of spiritual life. This is the process.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Bodily concept of life means the senses are dominant.
Room Conversation -- December 10, 1971, New Delhi:
Prabhupāda: Dehātma-buddhi. So long we are under the concept of this body, that "I am this body," his business is sense gratification, because this body means senses. We have got varieties of senses. So the bodily concept of life means the senses are dominant. Therefore, beginning from the animals up to the human being, under the bodily concept of life they're busy simply for sense gratification. Nature is giving chance, "All right." Because everyone who has come to this material world, that is for sense gratification. Those who deny to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, they are sent here, "All right, you satisfy your sense by your labor here." Kṛṣṇa can satisfy His senses without any labor, but we have to satisfy our senses by dint of our labor. Not easy. You cannot become a millionaire so easy, or he cannot be a citizen in the heavenly planet so easy. That is our experience. So if some man from a poor family becomes, wants to become a citizen of America, a rich man, it is not so easy. You have to undergo through so many things to get the citizenship. There are so many, that your country, yes, they have got big immigration department simply to consider this application of different countries for citizenship, or to immigrate. I have seen, in Montreal, people applying for citizenship or immigration, big line, very big line, and a similar immigration department in Canada, there is no problem. So people very much anxious to become citizens in America, because it's a rich country. So as there is restriction here in this place, in this planet, that you cannot enter any other country... If you think their country is very nice, actually, in comparison to other countries, there are so many facilities in America. At least, one can earn money like anything. So people are inclined to become citizen. But that is not easy, even within this planet. So how you will easily enter moon planet and other heavenly planets without being competent? It is not possible.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Bodily concept of life means animal life.
Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (About tennis players) How people are kept into ignorance. Life is so valuable, and they are wasting time in that way. Life is valuable, how life should be utilized, what is the object of life—they do not know anything.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Without knowing that the soul is eternal, everybody would be acting like this.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is... Bodily concept of life means animal life. The animal does not know. Sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13). Go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and kharaḥ means ass. One who is in the, under bodily concept of life, he is no better than animals. So when the animal talks of knowledge, an intelligent man laughs. That is our position. The animals, they are talking of knowledge.

Bodily concept of life means material sense gratification.
Room Conversation -- September 2, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: The prescribed methods are there. We have to adopt it. Without adopting the prescribed method, nobody can advance. But in this age the prescribed method is very simple. Simply to hear the holy name of the Lord.

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma eva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā
(CC Adi 17.21)

So an urge for understanding God, there is, after struggle for material sense gratification. Bodily concept of life means material sense gratification. The Western world is after that, material sense gratification. One who is little advanced, he wants to know more than material sense gratification. That is good sign and those who are simply absorbed in material sense gratification, they are in the lower stage of animal life. So what is the present civilization, Western, what is your opinion? What they are for?

Guest (2): I don't know actually. I'm a doc. I'm trying to find some answer but what difference does it make? Suppose a person thinks of God all his life and dies, and a person who doesn't think of God at all also dies. What is our life after death?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Page Title:Bodily concept of life means
Compiler:Rishab, Serene
Created:17 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=3, Let=0
No. of Quotes:7