Now, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was explained by the Lord because Arjuna represented himself with bodily conception. So one has to get free from the bodily conception of life. That is the preliminary activity for a transcendentalist who wants to get free, who wants to be liberated. And he has to learn first of all that he is not this material body. So this consciousness, or material consciousness, when we are freed from this material consciousness, that is called mukti. Mukti or liberation means to become free from material consciousness. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata also the definition of liberation is said, muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6). Svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti means liberation from the contaminated consciousness of this material world and to become situated in pure consciousness. And the whole instruction, instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, is targeted to awaken that pure consciousness. We'll find in the last stage of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā that Kṛṣṇa is asking Arjuna whether he is now in purified consciousness. Whether he was in purified consciousness. The purified consciousness is to act according to the direction of the Lord. That is purified consciousness. That is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness.
Material consciousness (Lectures)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
one who is absorbed in the thought of bodily conception. Now, the whole Bhagavad-gītā was explained by the Lord because Arjuna represented himself with bodily conception. So one has to get free from the bodily conception of life. That is the preliminary activity for a transcendentalist who wants to get free, who wants to be liberated. And he has to learn first of all that he is not this material body. So this consciousness, or material consciousness, when we are freed from this material consciousness, that is called mukti. Mukti or liberation means to become free from material consciousness.
Svajanam means kinsmen. So kinsmen does not mean, in higher sense, only my brother or my sister or my father or my uncle. No. Svajanam means all living entities. Because one who hasn't got Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with ordinary consciousness, material consciousness, he cannot think in terms of svajanam. "My kinsmen, all living entities," he cannot think.
When you understand that you are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, when I understand that "I am eternally related with Kṛṣṇa. He's Supreme, I am servant," and when I engage myself in His service, that is the purification of desires. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, everyone is acting on different material consciousness.
Niṣkiñcana means a great personality who has become completely freed from all material consciousness. He is called mahīyasām. He is also great, the great soul. So unless one takes shelter of the lotus feet or the dust of the lotus feet of a great personality who has no material affection, nobody can understand what is God.
So Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that buddhi-yukto jahāti. If you work from the transcendental plane, or spiritual platform, then you get rid of all the results of good work and bad work. Don't be attached by, either by good work or bad work. That is the technique. A transcendentalist who wants to work from spiritual platform, he has no botheration, "Whether I am doing good or bad?" He has only to see, "Whether I am doing, acting on the platform of spiritual consciousness or material consciousness?" That's all.
So if anyone is advancing by meditation or bhakti-yoga or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to give evidence that he is now being proportionately detached from this material engagement. That is the test. This is not for only the meditators. It is for you also. How far you are advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness you test yourself—how far you have become detached from material consciousness. That's all.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa(reading): "The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities which are in actuality carried out by nature (BG 3.27)."
Purport: "Two persons, one in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the other in material consciousness working on the same level, may appear to be working on the same platform, but there is a wide gulf of difference in their respective positions. The person in material consciousness is convinced by false ego that he is the doer of everything. With him there is no consideration that the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature or that material nature is under the supervision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. The person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He does not know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Hṛṣīkeśa or the master of all senses. But due to his long misuse of his senses he is factually bewildered by the false ego and that is the cause of his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa."
Twenty-eight: "One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results (BG 3.28)."
Purport: "The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in material association. He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and that his position should not be in the material creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of the Supreme who is eternal bliss and knowledge and he realizes that somehow or other he is now entrapped in the material conception of life. In his pure state of existence, he is meant to dovetail his activities in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He therefore engages himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses which are all circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord, consequently he is not disturbed by any kind of material reaction which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord. According to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features—namely Brahman, Paramātmā, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called tattva-vit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme."
Prabhupāda: There is a verse in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam (SB 1.2.11). Tattva-vit. Tattva means truth and vit means one who knows. So a person who knows all these things he's called tattva-vit.
Prabhupāda: And therefore Kṛṣṇa says, mad-bhaktaḥ pūjyābhyādhika. "Anyone who worships My devotee, he worships more than what he can do for Me." That means He appreciates the worship of His devotee than to Himself. So actually, devotees are so kind. Kṛṣṇa says, "Those who are absorbed too much in material consciousness, don't disturb them." But devotees take the risks, even at the cost of life. Therefore devotee is so dear to Kṛṣṇa.
For spiritual emancipation we have to act on the platform of consciousness, and because we are now engaged in material engagement, it is not possible for us to at once get rid of this material consciousness, but we have gradually to get out of it. And that is called karma-yoga. Karma-yoga means you have to adopt this process of karma-yoga in such a way that even within your material body you shall be able to act on spiritual platform, consciousness.
Just like Arjuna, when he first refused to work, refused to fight, that "My dear Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for me to fight with my relatives, brothers. I am not going to fight," but from material estimation, this conclusion, this decision of Arjuna, is very good, very good. So materially, from material standing of, standpoint of view, that he is not going to commit nonviolence, violence—he is nonviolent—he's very good man. But from spiritual point of view, it is not so. From spiritual point of view, it is not so. So one has to see. Simply by external features, that one is working and one is not working, that we cannot... What is the standard of work? Under what consciousness he's working. If he's working in material consciousness, then he's being bound up. However good may be that work, he's being bound up.
Similarly Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the original consciousness. As soon as it is clouded by material consciousness. What is that material consciousness? That "It is mine. It is for my sense gratification. That is material consciousness." And if you keep yourself always intact that everything is for Kṛṣṇa, then there is no cloud. The cloud is material. Actually there is no material existence. Just like cloud appears in the sky. It remains temporary for a few day or few hours and again disappears. We do not know where that cloud has gone.
Similarly, material consciousness is the covering of the spirit soul. So as soon as this covering is taken away the bright sunshine is there, the cloud. As soon as the cloud is gone the bright sunshine is there. Then everything is sunshine, light. Similarly, as soon as this consciousness, material consciousness that everything belongs for my satisfaction, sense gratification, that is material. And if you are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that is spiritual.
Lotus flower is in the water, and the leaves are also in the water, but it has no connection with the water. Even a drop of water, if you put on it, it will at once fall down. Lotus flower. It is so made by nature. So here the same example is there, that although we may be in this material world, so because I am staying in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and I'm acting under the direction of Kṛṣṇa, therefore nothing will affect me. Nothing will affect me. Because due to this material affection, contamination, now I am in trouble. I am getting this body one after another just like changing dress. So myself, the pure spirit soul, so I am now in contamination because I am absorbed in the material consciousness. So as soon as I transfer myself into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then I become aloof from this material...
So yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpam. Pāpam means sin. "One who has been completely freed from the reactions of sinful acts," anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām, "of those persons who are simply engaged in activities of piety," te, "those people," dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ, "they can become free from this duality of interest." That means one who becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no distinction between one person to another. He has no distinction, "Oh, this is Indian," "This is American," "This is Chinese," "This is Russian." No. He transcends this. By Kṛṣṇa consciousness we can transcend this material consciousness of different interests. We have no other interest except realization of our self.
There are many instances, and the more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, spiritual life, these necessities of life, necessities of body... Because body is different from the spirit soul. The necessities of the body is material, and the necessities of the soul is spiritual. But unfortunately, although the spirit is there, we are so much absorbed in material consciousness, we do not understand what is spirit soul. We are simply busy in taking care of the body. So this is not very good condition. This is material condition.
So every information is there. If we want actually happiness, then we have to purify the material consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Now, the body and the soul. Now, the body is analyzed. It is composition of twenty-four elements. Now, how to understand the soul as he is? We are now in the position of material consciousness, and we have to develop into spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. What are the stages? That are being described. That means this is the general way of acquiring real knowledge of the soul and the body.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Everyone is envious. If his neighbor, if his brother, if his friend becomes more prosperous than himself, he becomes envious. This is material nature. Similarly, in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, if we become envious, "Oh, my Godbrother, oh, he has become so popular. He is making so much progress. So put some impediments towards his progressive path," this is also material. The Vaikuṇṭha consciousness is that if your neighbor, if your brother is prosperous or progressive, then one should think, "Oh, he's so nice that he has served God so nicely. God is so pleased upon him that he is making so nice progress." That is Vaikuṇṭha consciousness. And material consciousness is that "Oh, he has advanced so much. Oh, let me check him." This is material. That is going on. The whole world, enviousness.
Dharma means religion. That is English translation. But actually dharma means which you cannot change. Religion, the so-called religion, is a sentiment. Today you are Hindu; tomorrow you become Muslim. Or today you are Muslim; tomorrow you become Christian. That kind of conversion, change, is not religion. Because the man remains the same. Simply by his changing the rubber stamp, "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Christian," that does not make any benefit. Therefore our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We don't talk of any religion. The consciousness should be changed. The material consciousness should be changed into spiritual consciousness. That is our propaganda.
Our life is meant for becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious. Ruci. This ruci is very important thing. Ruci means... Just like we like to eat some favorable food. That is called ruci. Somebody is interested in eating some salty food, somebody's interested some sweet food, spicy food... Just like we have got taste for different types of food, similarly, when we shall increase our taste, propensity for Kṛṣṇa, that is the beginning of our perfection. Before that, we are in the material consciousness. When we increase the taste for Kṛṣṇa, for understanding Kṛṣṇa... This ruci comes when one is actually liberated.
So when I get the opportunity of this human form of life, my first business is how to protect this ātmā, soul. The soul is transmigrating from one body to another. How foolish they have become! We are enjoying this nice body, human body or American body or very beautiful body. But next moment I do not know what body I am going to get. But those who are in the knowledge how transmigration takes place, they can say what kind of body you are going to take next by your activities. We are preparing our body in our present life. Just like we have taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our attempt is to prepare for having a spiritual body. That is the whole attempt. And those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in material consciousness, they'll have also a body, but this material body means full of miseries. Any body you take, either you take the body of king or you take the body of a dog, the body is miserable. It does not mean that when there is disease, only the dog's body suffers, not the king's body. Everyone has to suffer.
Just like for an electrical engineer, there is no such distinction that "This is heater" and "This is cooler." Heat and cool, opposite. But the, for the engineer, electrical engineer, he takes as much importance for the heater, as much for the cooler. So, for Him, there is no such distinction, material or spiritual. It is for us. Because we are now in the dual stage, the world of duality, relativity. This world is relativity. We cannot work so nicely with material consciousness. But Kṛṣṇa has no such thing. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. There is no distinction, material and spiritual.
This world is just like blazing fire. People realize it. And when they do not find any solution, they become frustrated, they become confused, they take to intoxication to forget the blazing condition of life. So actually everyone in this material world is burning in the blazing fire of material consciousness. That's a fact. Somebody is trying to solve by forgetting it through the influence of intoxication or something else artificially. That is not the solution. The real solution is to come to the original consciousness. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nitāi: "Material consciousness is the cause of one's conditional life. Conditions are enforced upon the living entity by the material energy. Although he does not do anything and is transcendental to such activities, the spirit soul is thus affected by conditional life."
Prabhupāda:
- tad asya saṁsṛtir bandhaḥ
- pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam
- bhavaty akartur īśasya
- sākṣiṇo nirvṛtātmanaḥ
- (SB 3.26.7)
So karmasu kriyamāṇeṣu guṇair ātmani manyate. The conditioned soul... We say "conditioned." It was not conditioned, but now it has become conditioned, pāra-tantrya
So we have got the power to be awakened. Sva-tejasā. That power we have got, but we have to awaken it by good association, by sādhu, sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). Sādhu-saṅga is good association. Then we are awakened. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ (Cc. Madhya 23.14-15). If we have little faith that we require awakening of spiritual consciousness, we should not sleep under the spell of this material consciousness... A little faith will help us. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Mahato bhayāt. There is great dangerous position. That we do not know because we are sleeping.
Guest (4): The false wrong(?) is that he is misled by material consciousness execute the things, really.(?) If he is misled by other, by circumstances, this is... He has no fault of his own.
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but innocence is no excuse of law. If you say that "Somebody misled me to go to the left side" in the court, oh, that does not mean that you will be saved from the fine. So you have to become such intelligent person that you may not be misled by others. You have got the intelligence. Why should you be misled? Then what is the meaning of this human form of life?
When one becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, automatically he forgets this nonsense. Just like I have several times given you the example: You have got a glass. If you fill it up with milk, then there is no possibility of its being filled up with ink. But so long it is filled up with ink, there is no possibility of its being filled up with milk. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is milk, and material consciousness is ink. So if you want to black milk, then let us remain.
Haṁsadūta: So that mind is part of the soul. It's just, it's polluted.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is a symptom of... Mind is the active principle. Without mind, how can you act? The mind is there. But at the present moment, becoming covered by the material energy, everything is contaminated. Mind is contaminated, the intelligence is contaminated, the ego is contaminated, I, or self, I am contaminated. Everything is contaminated. When you have got fever, there is pain all over the body. There is temperature all over the body. And when the fever is off, there is no temperature. Similarly, it is the difference of consciousness only. As soon as we take material consciousness, it is to be understood in feverish condition. And as soon as you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we are out of feverish condition.
We are already Brahman, but we have to realize. And as soon as you realize... Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). As soon as we realize Brahman, immediately we become anxiety-less, prasannātmā.So it is for me. We are always suffering with anxiety. Beginning from President Johnson down to the small ant, or beginning from the greatest living creature, Brahma, down to the ant, everyone is anxious. That is material consciousness. And to become free from anxiety is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
So as soon as you become servant of Kṛṣṇa you get full satisfaction. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ. Sa-nātha-jīvitaḥ means you will understand that "I have a master who is so full, who is so complete, who is so competent, who is so faithful, and who is so nice, there is no injustice." Therefore, those who are mendicants, they are so much confident that "Kṛṣṇa will provide for my subsistence. Kṛṣṇa will..." Abhayam. Therefore they are not fearful. Abhayaṁ sattva-samśuddhiḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find that one has to attain to that stage—no fearfulness. Fearfulness is due to our absorption in the material consciousness.
Maybe the former body was very pleasing, and this body is not very pleasing, degraded. That is possible. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). It is not that you'll always get a body very pleasing. But the illusory energy is so strong, even one gets the body of a pig, he thinks, "It is very nice." This is called prakṣepātmika-śakti. Māyā has got especially two energies: āvaraṇātmika and prakṣepātmika. Generally māyā keeps us covered with illusion, and if one is little enlightened, wants to get out of the clutches of māyā, there is another potency of māyā, who is that prakṣepātmika. Suppose one thinks, "Now I shall become Kṛṣṇa conscious. This ordinary material consciousness is so disturbing. Let me become Kṛṣṇa conscious." So māyā will say, "What you will do with this? Better remain in material consciousness." This is called prakṣepātmika-śakti. Therefore sometimes some man comes in our society; after staying for days, he goes away.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Our present senses, blunt, materially covered, it cannot taste what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime, what is Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia. Senses, they taste. But... Just like in, when one is suffering from liver disease, or jaundice, he cannot taste the sugar candy. The sugar candy is sweet, but a jaundiced patient, if he's given sugar candy, he'll taste it is bitter. Similarly, our senses being covered with material consciousness, we cannot at the present moment taste what is Kṛṣṇa's form, what is Kṛṣṇa's name, what is Kṛṣṇa's quality, what is Kṛṣṇa's pastime, what is Kṛṣṇa's paraphernalia, so many things. It is not possible.
So real purpose of this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu by Rūpa Gosvāmī which we have translated by the name, Nectar of Devotion, the Complete Science, the Complete Science of Bhakti-yoga, this is very important book of understanding how to become purified in devotional service, how to approach Kṛṣṇa, how to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. These things are described very nicely. And Kṛṣṇa, being Supreme, He's Supersoul, we cannot approach with our material consciousness. Therefore the consciousness has to be changed. Then we can approach Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Yes. A devotee can develop all the good qualities of the demigods—immediately. Because ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12). As soon as the heart is cleansed... Because the soul, as he is, he's pure. Asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ. The spirit soul is not contaminated or does not associate with the material modes of nature. It is simply an illusion, misidentification. Just like water and oil does not mix, but it appears that oil is fallen in the water, similarly, although we are in this material world, in the material consciousness, our identity is not actually in material consciousness. It is simply... Just like dreaming. The example is dreaming. Just like in dream I see so many hallucinations. Actually, dream is false. I am separate from the dream. But while dreaming, I think I am actually enjoying or suffering. Similarly, by the association of the modes of material nature, we are thinking like that.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
So, so long we are not enlightened, we are worshiper of this matter, energy. And when we are advanced in knowledge, then we are worshiper of the Supreme. So Kṛṣṇa consciousness means advanced stage of knowledge. It is not in the material platform. Therefore anyone who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness appropriately and thoroughly, he is liberated from material consciousness.
As soon as we are in touch with Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the result will be that we shall lose our material attraction. Those who are falling down from Kṛṣṇa consciousness again to the material attraction, that means they are not serious about advancing in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not ordinary thing. It is very easy. At the same time very, I mean, difficult also. Those who are not attracted by the Kṛṣṇa conscious activities, there is every chance of falling down again in the... Because he has no other alternative. Either he has to serve this way or serve that way. If he is not attracted to serve in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then he has to serve in material consciousness. So those who are not fixed up in Kṛṣṇa, however he may be advanced in spiritual realization, that, there is falldown.
There are two mistakes: to understand God as common man or to accept a common man as God. Both things are mistake. So one has to understand. That understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. God Himself, Kṛṣṇa Himself, is describing about Himself, so there is no difficulty. But unfortunately, we have developed such material consciousness that even God describes Himself, even we see God face to face, because we have no Kṛṣṇa consciousness, therefore we cannot see.
Festival Lectures
So my Guru Mahārāja's desire and Caitanya Mahāprabhu's prediction is now being fulfilled. At least, it has begun to be fulfilled. So it is a genuine movement, authorized movement, and India's original culture. So our appeal to the Indian people, that "You should take seriously about this movement and try to cooperate with us." That will be glorification for Indian culture. At the present moment, India is known as very poor, poverty-stricken country. People are under impression that "They are beggars. They have got nothing to give. They simply come here to beg." Actually, our ministers go there and, for some begging purpose: "Give us rice, give us wheat, give us money, give us soldiers." That is their business. But this movement, for the first time, India is giving something to them. It is not a begging propaganda; it is giving propaganda. Because they are hankering after this substance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have enjoyed enough of this material consciousness. The material consciousness means to enjoy sex life and drink and have sufficient money. These three items, they have got sufficient, immense. There are... So far material comforts, oh, there is no conception in India how they are materially comfortable.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Just like the gopīs. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they were thinking, "We are all Kṛṣṇa's." Central point is Kṛṣṇa. That is the beauty of Vṛndāvana. All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, the elderly cowherd men, the boys, the girls, the trees, the river, the birds, the beasts—everyone—they are simply thinking, "I am Kṛṣṇa's." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And as soon as we think otherwise—"I am Indian," "I am American," "I am this," "I am that," that is material consciousness.
Initiation Lectures
So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to take one from the material concept of life, material consciousness, to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then he will be joyful. He will be no more hankering for anything material, neither he'll be sorry for any so-called material loss. And he'll be equal to everyone, universal brotherhood. So they do not know... They simply talk of these high sounds. But here is the process. If you adopt the process, then you come to the platform. It is open for everyone. So this mantra suggests that either you are in the material consciousness or not, apavitraḥ pavitraḥ vā, or in spiritual consciousness. It is not that when you are delivered from the material consciousness and come to the spiritual platform your service stops to Kṛṣṇa. That is not. Our service is eternal. We are serving here Kṛṣṇa, and after leaving this body, when you go directly to Kṛṣṇa, faced with..., the service is there.
Cornerstone Ceremonies
You have got your life. So if you dedicate your life, that is all-perfect. If you cannot dedicate your life, give some money. But if you can..., poor man, you cannot give money, then you give some intelligence. And if you are fool, then give your words. So any way, you can help this movement and do the welfare activities for India and outside India. So that is my request. I welcome you. Of course, today is ekādaśī. We are, mostly we are fasting. Some prasādam will be given. So it is not the question of prasādam; it is the question of the important work we are taking in hand, how to spread a God consciousness movement. Otherwise, you will never be happy. Simply material consciousness, gṛha-kṣetra... Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This material civilization means the sex desire. Woman is hunting after man; man if hunting after woman.
General Lectures
Just like at the end of the land, the sea begins. So there is a marginal land. Just you go on the coast of the Pacific beach, you'll find some land. Sometimes it is covered by water and sometimes it is open land. This is marginal. Similarly, we spirit souls, although we are constitutionally one with God, but sometimes we are covered by māyā and sometimes we are free. Therefore our position is marginal. When we understand our real position, then... The same... Just like the same example. Try to understand. On the beach you'll find a certain portion of land which is sometimes covered by water, and again it is land. Similarly we are sometimes covered by māyā, the inferior energy, and sometimes we are free. So we have to maintain that free state. Just like in open land, there is no more water. If you come little far away from the sea water, then there is no more water; it is all land. Similarly, if you keep yourself from the material consciousness, come to the land of spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you keep your freedom. But if you keep yourself on the marginal position, then sometimes you'll be covered by māyā and sometimes you'll be free. So that is our position.
Guest: You would be, then, for abolishing the caste system.
Prabhupāda: Yes. For a devotee there is no caste, because he's servant of God. He does not belong to any material consciousness. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is transcendental.
We do not know when we have forgotten God, when we have missed our relationship with God. We are eternally related with God. We are still related. Our relationship is not lost. Just like the father and the son, the relationship cannot be lost, but when the son becomes crazy or mad, he thinks that he has no father. That is a conditional... But actually the relationship is not lost. When he comes to the consciousness, "Oh, I am the son of such and such gentleman," the relationship is immediately there. Similarly, our consciousness, this material consciousness, is a condition of craziness. We have forgotten God. We are declaring God is dead. Actually I am dead. I am thinking, "God is dead."
So Vedas, it is crying, uttiṣṭha: "Please get up. Please get up." And what is that sleeping? Sleeping means just like when we sleep we forget ourself. Anyone, either common man or very rich man, when he's fast asleep he forgets himself. Sometimes he dreams. Although he is sleeping in very nice apartment, nice bedstead, but he is dreaming that he is thrown into the ocean or into the fire or something like that. Sometimes he is dreaming that he is flying in the sky—so many things dreaming. Everyone, you have got experience. Similarly, our this state of consciousness, material consciousness, is on the sleeping state, in the darkness of sleeping state. We do not know. We do not know what is my identity. We do not know wherefrom we have come in this place, where we have to go. Neither they have any information whether there is life after death.
Devotee (3): Oh. It's the same one that was an eternal body.
Prabhupāda: Yes. As the material body has developed for your material consciousness, similarly, spiritual body will develop for Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Because somehow or other in material contact we have lost our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it has to be revived. It has to be revived; then we shall be happy. That is the particular point we want to stress on this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement-revival of the original consciousness. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has explained this as ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), cleansing the heart. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. If we cleanse our heart, that means if we come to the original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpanaṁ. This blazing fire of material consciousness will immediately extinguish. That is the process. Every one of us trying to be happy, peaceful and blissful also, but unless we revive our original Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is not possible.
When a man is fast asleep, all other senses cannot work, but one sense, which is called ear, it can work. Just like you are sleeping and somebody is coming with a knife to kill you. You cannot see. The man can come and kill you. But if somebody cries, "Mr. such and such, wake up! Somebody is coming to kill you," you can use your ear and be precautious. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is something like that, awakening from the slumbering state of material consciousness. So more you chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—the more you become awakened from the slumbering state of material existence.
Yoginaḥ, those who are yogis... Yogis means those who are trying to reawaken Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He's called yogi. Our present consciousness is material consciousness. The material consciousness, the sex urge is very strong. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). It is said in the śāstra that the gṛhamedhi, those who are attracted by this material world, their center of enjoyment is sex.
Then Kṛṣṇa was smiling, that "Arjuna is my friend, and he is so much overwhelmed with material consciousness of life." Therefore it is said, tam uvāca hṛṣīkeśaḥ prahasann: He was smiling, that "You are My friend. You should not have done like this." Prahasann iva bhārata senayor ubhayor madhye: "Between the two parties of soldiers," viṣīdantam, "he was lamenting."So because Kṛṣṇa was accepted as the teacher, as the master, so He is chastising Arjuna.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Similarly, because you have accepted this material body, then there must be anxiety. Anyone, he may be Mr. Nixon, or he may be Mr. Ayub Khan, or a man in the street, or an ant, or Brahma, or anyone, because he has accepted asad-grahāt, this body, it is not exist; he must be in anxiety. This is knowledge. Therefore you have to learn knowledge from authorities-Prahlāda Mahārāja. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, recommends, that you should give up this, this way of life. Hitvātma-pātaṁ gṛham andha-kūpam. This acceptance of body is just like to fall down in a dark well, blind well. So one should give it up. How give it up? How it can go? Harim āśrayeta: just take shelter of Kṛṣṇa. So that is the meaning. That means Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You give up this material consciousness. Material consciousness means how I shall live, how I shall eat, how I shall sleep, how I shall enjoy my senses, how I shall defend. This is material existence. This is material existence. And spiritual existence means I take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, He is my protector, I am (indistinct). This. (Sanskrit). To have firm faith that I have taken shelter of Kṛṣṇa, He is giving me protection. I have no anxiety. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śyāmasundara: He says that values are relative between a particular man and a particular object that one man's food is another man's poison.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like we have taken, Kṛṣṇa consciousness has value and material consciousness no value. So value also different according to the different persons.
Purports to Songs
We are mixed. Our body is material, but I am spirit soul. So we have to know the techniques how to get out of this material bondage. That is the process of jñāna vairāgya, knowledge and renunciation. The example is given, just like wood, firewood. If you somehow or other, you can ignite fire, then the fire will vanquish the wood. The blazing fire will consume the whole wood. Similarly, you have got the fire of spiritual consciousness. If you can evoke that spiritual consciousness, this material consciousness will be burnt up. It will come out from this material body, but when it comes out, then it will vanquish the material body.
| Page Title: | Material consciousness (Lectures) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Sureshwardas |
| Created: | 18 of Aug, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=54, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 54 |