I repeatedly say to the American people that, "You have got your this position, richest nation in the world, janma . . ." Practically in America there is no poor man. That I have seen. They do not know what is poor man, because the poorest man gets five thousand rupees per month. The poorest man. So actually there is no poor man. There cannot be. The government arrangement is so nice that nobody is in want of money. He can get money in so many ways. So it is very good, fortunate position to take birth in America. Janma, rich family, rich nation. And aiśvarya. Janma-aiśvarya-śruta, education. Now they are advanced education. By scientific advancement, they are trying to go to the moon planet. Not only that; many machine up to date they have discovered, using . . . there is very big company IBM. Machine, business machine, IBM. International Business Machine. You know everything.
So janma-aiśvarya-śruta, education, and śrī. Most American boys and girls, they are all beautiful. So why this position? This position is due to puṇya, karma. Karma means pāpa-karma, puṇya-karma. This is the way. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). This is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. By karma, the janta, the living entity, jantu, he is getting a particular type of body. In Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated that kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). We are associating with a particular type of modes of nature—goodness, passion and ignorance, or mixed. So on account of this, we are working differently and we are preparing our next life, kāraṇam. This is the kāraṇam.
So those who are karma-kāṇḍīya, they are interested next life in the heavenly planet or higher standard of life. So that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). If you associate with the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system, beyond heavenly planets: Janaloka, Tapoloka, Maharloka, Satyaloka, Siddhaloka, Brahmaloka. So that is possible. But our problem is not to promote ourself to go to the heavenly planet or higher than that, Janaloka, Satyaloka, Maharloka or Brahmaloka. Kṛṣṇa advises, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). He does not encourage that, "You go to the Brahmaloka." No. He never encourages. He says, ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you become promoted to the Brahmaloka, then again you have to come back. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. As soon as your puṇya, the duration of life, is finished, then you have to come back again. This is going on.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are rotating, wandering, in different species of life, different planets, different forms. In this way we are transmigrating from one position to another position. This is going on. So . . . but that is not a very nice business. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). You accept some type of body or some type of place. Suppose one has become American. So how long he will remain American? Say, for fifty years or utmost hundred years. Then again, next chapter. One does not know what is the next life. That will be decided, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). There is no guarantee that the next life again you become American or Indian or brahmin. You may become a cat and dog, because that is not in your hand. That is in the hand of material nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). That will be awarded to you by superior judgment that, "This man has done like this; he should get a body like this." That is not in your hand. That is not in your science.