The example is given: just like from a garden, rose garden, the flavor is carried by the air, and it is transferred to another place. So in this life, whatever mental creation we are doing or creating, that will be carried in the next life, and according to that, nature will give us a body. So if we think of dog, maybe we are transferred to the dog's body. If I think of God, then I shall be transferred to a god's body. So we have scattered our love for so many things in the material world. We have to collect everything and transfer everything for loving God. That is successful life. So if we think of God, then how we become purified, and next we become transferred to the kingdom of God. And if we think of material things, then again we shall be transferred to another material body.
Next life (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 3)
Expressions researched:
"next life"
|"next lives"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
I'll have to accept another body. And there is risk. I do not know whether I shall be able to accept a body, human body. There are 8,400,000 bodies, any body I have to accept as it is given by nature. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi. I am associating in different qualities and prakṛti is recording all, automatically it is being recorded what type of body you'll have next life.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22). Why one is born in high family, rich family, why other is poor family or one is born in lower animals, one is born as demigods? What is that reason, kāraṇa? The reason is kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. He has associated with a particular type of the material qualities therefore he has to accept a particular type of body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Therefore we are instructing our students, "Associate with the good qualities, good qualities."
No. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The living entity is not destroyed or annihilated after the destruction of this body. He changes, another body. That change takes place because we want it. Future. Our future life is also there. Therefore this life is the opportunity. This human form of life is the opportunity that you may accept next life a sac-cid-ānanda body. Just like God has. That is our original body. It is now covered. So we should attempt in such a way. We should utilize our energy in such a way that after giving up this body we get our original sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1) body just like God has got, and then again we enter into the Kingdom of God and be happy eternally there. That is bhāgavata culture. Thank you very much.
Waste this life by sense gratification, because after death everything is void. Now I have got this body. Body means the senses. So enjoy my senses." This is the materialistic way of life. They have no knowledge that there is life after death. We should prepare ourself, what kind of body we shall have next life. Instead of, they are being washed off. Not washed off, carried away by the waves of material nature.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura therefore sings,
- (miche) māyār bośe jāccho bhese' Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi
- (jīv) kṛṣṇa-dās e biśwās korle to' ār duḥkho nāi
Everyone is suffering, māyār bośe. Under the influence of māyā, the illusory energy, they are being carried away by the waves. Waves mean the three modes of material nature.
"Bring money some way or other. Beg, borrow or steal." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā, the very word is used. "If you have no money, then take loan from your friends." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. "Now, I have to pay back. How can I take loan? If I don't pay, then I shall remain debtor, and I will have to pay in my next life." "No, no, don't bother about next life." Bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet: "When your body, when it is finished, it will be burnt into ashes. Then the ashes will be lost. No more you are coming."
So this is going on. Because people have no knowledge about the next life, they are not interested with the spiritual education. That is the difficulty. They are not at all interested. Why people do not come here? They think that "These people will say that there is life after death, and if you do not do nicely, you will have to suffer. All this nonsense we have to hear, utopian."
If that is religion, that is not parā dharma. That is aparā dharma. Aparā dharma. Just like sometimes we take deśa-dharma. Samāja-dharma, gṛha-dharma, and so many things.
So deśa-dharma, nationalism. Now you are in this country, suppose in India, and next life, because you have to change your body, next life it may not be that you have taken birth in India. You might have taken birth in the heavenly planet or in the animal society. Because there is no guarantee. Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptir. Death means change of the body. But what kind of body you are going to accept, that will depend on the superior arrangement. But you can arrange also. Just like if you pass medical examination, there is possibility of your becoming a medical officer to get a service in the government medical service board, but still, it must be selected by the medical board and so on, so on. There are so many condition. Similarly to get the next body, that is not your selection.
There are so many condition. Similarly to get the next body, that is not your selection. That selection depends on superior authority. Karmaṇā daiva netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). That we do not know, that next life. Neither we endeavor what is next life. We have to accept a next life after giving up this body.
Therefore we must be prepared for that purpose. So preparation means In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). If you prepare yourself to go to the higher planetary system, Candraloka, Sūryaloka, Indraloka, Svargaloka, Brahmaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka—there are so many, hundreds. If you want to go there, then you prepare in that way. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. So if you want to go to the Pitrloka, you can go there. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, in the devaloka, you can go there.
So how to make solution of the problems of life, that means is called dharma. Dharma means the regulative principle which is given to the human society by God. I have already explained many times. Just as the law is given by the state for regulative principles of life, similarly dharma is also regulative principle to the human society. And just to make his life successful. What is that successful life? Successful life means a human being has come to this human form of life through the evolutionary process. Now he should make such arrangement that next life he may be free from this repetition of birth and death, at least, or he may go to other planets, higher standard of life.
That body... What kind of body? That will depend on my work. Just like we become diseased. As we infect certain type of disease, we suffer from that disease. This is practical. Nature's law is there. If you infect some disease, you will have to suffer from that disease. Similarly, as we are creating our mentality by different types of activities, our next life will be according to that mentality. This is the law of nature.
But we do not know. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Actually, prakṛti, nature, is pulling us according to our desire, or according to our... The desire is contamination, the mental contamination. And we are creating different types of body. So our real suffering is the transmigration from one body to another. That we do not know. There is no scientist... But it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to accept. And that is explained in other places, in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Ahaṅkāra. But one who is puffed up with false ego, that "I am this," "I am that," "I am big man," "I am small man," but he does not know how prakṛti is working... You may be very big man in this life. That does not mean that you will remain a big man in the next life. You may be bigger or you may be smaller, according, karmaṇā, what you are doing. The same example: Suppose you are prime minister, but if you have contaminated some disease, you must suffer. It is not that nature will excuse you, "Oh, you are prime minister. You have infected this disease, and you will not suffer." No. You have to.
So it is the question of creating the mind, the intelligence. Therefore if you constantly keep yourself, your mind, absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, then you get next time, next life, a body like Kṛṣṇa, which means sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).
So our only request is that it is a great science. Don't neglectfully take it. It is the real problem of life. We say that you live peacefully, happily, but don't risk your life. Don't risk your life. Just like a man is living very nicely, very good post, very good money, but if he is doing something criminal, then what is his next life? He is put into jail. Just like in America, Mr. Nixon. He was president, everything. Now everything is at risk. So we say that you become Nixon, you become prime minister, you become everything. We don't say... You make your profit, like that. But don't risk your life. That is our proposition. If after this life you are prime minister, you are very big man, and next life, if you become a dog, then what is the profit of your life? Śrama eva... That is explained here:
The soul is migrating, transmigrating. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies; and you are transmigrating from one to another, another, another, in this way. They don't care for it. Even if you are Hindu... (break) ...he is informed, that if you are acting like this you are going to be a tree next life, "Oh, it doesn't matter, let me enjoy." You see. They say frankly, "If I become tree what is the harm? I shall forget." The people have become so rubbish that they have lost their self-interest. Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles.
Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, the great politician, he says... He was not a..., he was a religious brāhmaṇa, but he was not for salvation—he was more or less politician—still he says, san-nimitte varaṁ tyāge vināśe niyate sati. San-nimit, if you have got some money, it will be spent up. In your life or your next life, your son's life, it will be spent up. Vināśe niyate sati, that is the nature's way. Suppose you earn crores of rupees. It will not stay after one generation, after two generations. It will not stay, because in this material world, Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, is called cañcalā. She does not remain at one place. We have got experience. Today one man is very rich; next generation is no longer rich. That is also nationwise applicable. Just like we have seen British Empire. While I was in London I was thinking that "These Britishers brought money from all parts of the world, by business or all other means." I saw in front of St. James Park, Lord Clive's statue.
Pādaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām. Every moment there is danger. It is not very peaceful living at the present moment. We are running, we are flying in the sky, we are... We do not say that this should be stopped, neither it can be stopped, but you do everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that even danger takes place, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), you can at least remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. Then your life is successful. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6), Kṛṣṇa says. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi. At the time of death our remembrance to a certain thing gives me next body. If I think like a dog, then I become next life a dog, and if I think like a god, then I, next life I become god. That is the test at the time of death.
If you remain on the platform of brahminical qualification, that is called sattva-guṇa. And less than that śauryaṁ tejo balaṁ yuddhe cāpalāyanam, kṣatriya qualification—that is modes of passion. And others, remaining, they are in the modes of ignorance, do not know what is the value of life, what is next life, what is spiritual realization, why we are suffering. Nothing, no knowledge. That is tamo-guṇa.
They're very much proud of having big, big degrees, but Bhagavad-gītā says, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ. Māyā has taken their knowledge, taken away. They have been stolen, because they have no real knowledge. Real knowledge is how to get freedom from repetition of birth and death. They do not believe in the next life. They think simply... Big, big professors, I have talked, especially in Russia. They think that "So long this body is there, you enjoy sense gratification to the utmost," the Cārvāka theory. This was also cultured long ago in India.
- ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet
- bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya kutaḥ punar āgamano bhavet
"Why you are thinking of next birth? When this body is burnt into ashes, everything is finished." That is Cārvāka theory, atheistic. That is going on still. The Cārvāka class of men are always there.
Simply a sober brain with cool head, one can understand. But these are facts. They're taking risk only. Now, by ordinary common sense knowledge, if I say, "There is no next birth," that is not authoritative. Because authoritative knowledge is... Suppose from Bhagavad-gītā, next life is accepted. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is to teach that soul is eternal, it is migrating from one body to another, so there is next life. That is also authoritative knowledge. But if somebody says that "There is no birth," that is not authoritative. That is a layman's statement.
So a layman can put up his own theory in so many ways. Then what shall be the conclusion? The conclusion should be to take authoritative knowledge from authorities—one who is beyond the four defects of common man; one who does not make any mistake. One who is not illusioned, one who does not cheat, and one whose senses are perfect.
So civilized human being must have religion. But religion does not mean to develop or improve economic condition. Generally people go to church, to temple, to express some awful condition, ārtaḥ jijñāsuḥ. Catur-vidhā bhajante māṁ sukṛtino 'rjuna. What is the next life? Ārto arthārthī jijñāsur jñānī ca bharatarṣabha (BG 7.16). Four classes of men in the beginning take to God consciousness if they are pious, sukṛtinaḥ. Sukṛti means pious. One who does not act sinfully, he is called sukṛti. And one who acts sinfully, he is called duṣkṛtina. So Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that four classes of men, namely ārto arthārthī, if he is pious and if he is distressed, then he goes to church or temple—"My Lord, I am distressed. Please give me some help"—prays to the Lord. And arthārthī, one who is poor, he also goes to pray to God to give him some money. He is in distressed condition. These two classes, and another two classes, jijñāsu, one who is inquisitive to understand what is God, and jñānī... Jñānī means one who understands his constitutional position. He is jñānī. Most people, they do not understand what he is and what is the goal of life. They are called ajñānī, in ignorance.
According to your karma, you will get another body. That What kind of body I shall get? That I do not know. Then what is your education? Suppose you are being educated. You know aim, that "I shall become a lawyer," "I shall become a scientist," "I shall become mathematician." With this purpose you are being educated. But what purpose you are being educated for the next life? Do you know this? No. Then what is your education? You may be very good scientist, but can you manufacture a scientific law that you will never die? No. That is not possible. You will never take birth after death? You will never be diseased? You can manufacture nice medicine for a type of disease, but you cannot stop disease. You cannot stop birth, you cannot stop death, you cannot stop disease, you cannot stop old age.
This is the position now throughout the whole world. People are becoming godless more and more.
So this is very, very precarious condition of life. Therefore Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is essential. It is not a fashion. It is essential, and everyone should take to it very seriously, because we do not know what we are getting the next life. Next life... The other day I was giving example in Berkeley. We were sitting within the room, and next to our window there was a tree standing. That is also living entity. We are also living entity. Just a yard from our room the tree is standing, but he has got so many disadvantage. He cannot move an inch. There is severe cold, there is scorching heat, there is blast, there is wind and sunshine, but he has no power to move. And we are human being. We are in a comfortable room. Why these different changes of condition, although the tree is also living being and I am also living being? Who has made this condition?
So I may get that condition next life. Then what is the value of my education? Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Because at the time of death, the, your mentality, my mentality, will decide what kind of body I am going to get. That is under the laws of nature. You cannot dictate that "Give me this American life or Indian life." No. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By your karma it will be decided whether you will be American, Indian, or snake or tree or bird. Daiva-netreṇa. Just like when you go to the court, the court will decide whether you will be punished or you will be rewarded. You cannot dictate to the court that "Sir, give me this judgment." No. That is not possible.
Similarly, here it is indicated that religion... What religion? Religion should be to disentangle you from this material miserable condition-dharmasya hy āpavargyasya na arthāyopakalpate. Not that you go to church or temple and ask for some material benefit. No. That is not the... Na arthasya dharmaikāntasya. Arthasya. We are earning money by some occupation. That's all.
"This imperishable yoga system, bhakti-yoga..." It is imperishable, avyayam. This very word is very significant. Bhakti-yoga is imperishable. Other yoga systems may be perishable, but bhakti-yoga is not perishable. Whatever you execute in this life, bhakti-yoga, that becomes your permanent asset, so that in the next life you can begin from the point where you ended in this life. If you can finish in this life, cent percent, that is very nice. If not,... Suppose you have finished fifty percent. Still it is permanent asset. It will never be lost. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says avyayam, inexhaustible. Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).
So here we find that the Absolute Truth is realized as Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the ultimate, the last word in the understanding of the Absolute Truth. Unless you come to the point of Bhagavān, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa... Bhagavān means original Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa.
And similarly by acting impious activities we become very ugly, we become fool, we are born in a very low family or animal family and we become very poor. These are the results of different activities.
Now why... One may say, "If I get next life in a very rich family and becomes very rich man and becomes very learned man, very beautiful man, why shall I not take this opportunity?" But intelligent man says that "Even if I get such opportunities, the material miseries are there." It is not that because a child is born of a very rich family, he hasn't got to go into the womb of his mother and suffer the consequence. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). The distress of birth, death, disease and old age equally there, either you become born in a very high family or either you born in a very low family, either you're born in India or you are born in America. This suffering, the four kinds of sufferings are everywhere.
This is not Darwin's theory. I am the soul. I am changing, I am selecting my body, in this life. Not that by nature there is a, I mean to say, gradual evolution. Not evolution, it is already there. This living entity simply enters a particular type of body. Actually, it enters, because... Suppose I am doing something, my next life has to become a dog, that is my punishment. Then I'll have to enter into the womb of a dog mother, and she will give me the body of dog. Then I come out and enjoy like dog. This is the law. This is the law. Not that my body is turning.
So you can become dog; you can become god also. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). So you create your body at the present moment. You have got the facility, the human form of body. Now you can make your choice, whether you are going to be dog or whether you are going to be god. Both. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām.
Similarly, when you enter the spiritual world, then you have a body like God. And if you don't want, if you want to enjoy unrestricted sense, then you take the body of a hog. So nature is open to everyone. You can select your own. Not that you are forced. You can have your... Therefore it is said, kovida, one must be intelligent to select "What is my next life? How I can get out of?" That is the whole instruction of the Vedas, how we can get out of these clutches of karma-bandhana, the knot of karma, one after another.
So the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, personally says that janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). Simply one who understands what is God, or Kṛṣṇa, simply... Not that "Here is a God." No, he must... Tattvataḥ, he must know what is God. Just like the rascal is advertising: "No book. I am God. You accept me." Then how can I accept you God without book? But the people are so rascal, they're accepting,"Yes," and going after him.
This is the change of body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. Daiva-netreṇa, by superior examination it is settled up that "This man or this beast is dying..." Of course, for lower than animals, they have got natural process of evolution. But when you come to the human form of body, you have got responsibility. Now you can make your next life better than this or lower than this.
Just like one man is given the chance of become some minister or magistrate. If he does very nice, he is promoted; otherwise degraded. Similarly, this human form of life is meant for understanding God. That is the only business. If we don't understand what is God, what is Kṛṣṇa and our relationship with Him, then we are missing the point. Then we become entangled, entangled. This entanglement is karma-granthi-nibandhanam, by our karma. By different kind of karma, we are becoming entangled.
We shall be free from material contamination. Our spiritual life will be revived and the result will be that in our next life, next life, after leaving this body, we shall have our full spiritual life eternally.
Spirit is described... We have already discussed on this point that the spirit is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body.
Karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ. Manīṣiṇaḥ means the thoughtful. "They give up the reaction of, of work, being situated in the platform of consciousness. And the result will be that janma-bandha-vinirmuktāḥ, this bondage of birth and death and disease and old age, he becomes free from that." Then the next life? Padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam. Anāmayam. Anāmayam means where there is no death, no, I mean to say, old age, no birth, no disease. That is possible. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha. The Sanskrit word is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha means anxiety, anxiety. Here, due to our material contamination, we are always full of kuṇṭha, anxiety. Even a bird, when he's eating, he's seeing like this; this way, this way, this way, "Somebody's coming, or kill me. Oh." Full of anxiety. We are also anxiety, anxious. The politician is anxious. So long we are in contamination of this material body, we must be anxious. We must be anxious.
Not only once, but it is going on continually, one after another. As I am accumulating material desires in this life... Just like I have got this body according to my desires in the last life, similarly, whatever we are desiring in this life, that will be fulfilled in the next life. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. As we desire, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if you want a tiger's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a demigod's body, Kṛṣṇa will give you. If you want a body like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa will give you. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ (BG 9.25). Whatever you want, especially in this human form of life, whatever you desire, Kṛṣṇa will give you chance. It may be very unpalatable, but this is a fact. We have heard from authorities.
If you remain in ignorance and passion, you cannot see, you cannot know. You can go on with your so-called rascaldom talks about God, but it is not possible. You cannot understand God, or Absolute Truth, by eating meat, drinking and having illicit sex and gambling. No, that is not possible. Then you'll have to remain in the darkness for good, and next life you'll again become cats and dogs, that's all. Because you are given the opportunity to come to the light, but if you neglect it, if you think that natural life, animal life, to become naked and do all nonsense, then "All right. You, next life you become a tree, naked. Stand up naked for ten thousands of years." You want to be naked? That's all right. Nobody will protest. So many trees are standing naked. So many animals are loitering in the street naked. Nobody protests. But in human society, if you become naked, then you'll be punished by law. But they are thinking they are advancing by becoming naked. This is the knowledge: ignorance.
So why should we waste our time in that way? That is intelligence. But they do not know that "This time I am very nice American. I have got my skyscraper building and motorcar and very good bank balance. I am very happy." They don't care. But he does not know that next life he may become a cats or dog. That he does not know. There is risk. This science is not taught in any university. They are so fools and rascals. It is a great science, transmigration of the soul, immortality of the soul, how to elevate the soul to the highest perfection; these things are... They do not know, the rascals, they do not know. Neither do they teach. Mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān. A so unfortunate time it is.
Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfect of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion.
"Now you enjoy." Those who have no discrimination of eating—all abominable things one can eat—he's given the chance of eating everything up to stool in the form of a hog. The facility's given. One who is shameless... Now this civilization has spread in the Western countries—they want to remain naked. There are so many nudie clubs. So next life they'll be given chance to become tree, to stand naked for thousands of years. This is laws of nature. They do not know how they're getting chance, different types of body for different types of enjoyments, material enjoyment. Sometimes he's put as a poor man; sometimes he's put as a rich man. Sometimes as demigod, sometimes as cat, sometimes as dog. In this way, it is going on. But they are..., there is no knowledge. The modern civilization, they do not take care of this Vedic information, neither they have got any sufficient knowledge how these 8,400,000 species of life are becoming possible. They have no science.
Then you again come to human form of body. Then again, if you are intelligent enough, you can utilize. But in Vṛndāvana the karmāṇi nirdahati... Suppose for your sinful, criminal acts you become hogs and dog; next life you are elevated. That is karmāṇi nirdahati. The karma, the cycle of fruitive activities is reduced. But you have to accept. You have to accept. But nirdahati. But why should we waste our time accepting another body of dogs and hog? That we should be very much careful. Although it is nirdahati, it is reduced, why should we accept even that reduced punishment? That should be our principle. But we do not know. We commit ignorance. Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī has described: sinful activities are done due to ignorance, ajñāna. Just like a child touches the fire. Everyone knows if you touch fire, it will burn, but the child, out of ignorance, touches.
Other work just like in this life those who are working for sense gratification, they are creating another body.
So it is not fruitless. If you work piously, then you create next life. Life is continuous. We are simply transmigrating from one body to another. So by our work we are creating the next body. So if you be engaged in devotional service, then you do not create another material body. Karma means by working you create another future. But naiṣkarmya means you work, but don't create another future. Everyone has future, but devotional service means end of all future. That does not mean zero. The śūnyavādīs, the voidists, they also want to make it zero, but it is actually not zero. Zero of these material activities. Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna: (BG 4.9) "One who has understood about Kṛṣṇa, he, after giving up this body, he does not get another birth."
Birth means material body. There is no birth of the soul. The soul transmigrates from one body to another. That is called birth.
That day is coming. It already has come to some extent. They are taking this as freedom. This freedom is not very good. This freedom means that as soon as you become so free that to have sex life on the street like cats and dogs and hogs, you will get your next life. Nature will give you very good chance, that "All right, you have got this human form of life to understand God, but you have misused it. Now you want to become hog? Please become hog." How you can check it? Is there any science to check? Because after this death, all this science and philosophy is finished after this body is finished. Then you are under the control of nature. What will you do? The nature will force you to enter the womb of a hog or a dog. How you can check it?
No, although I have got my wife, I am implicated with others' wives; I have got husband, I am implicated with others' husbands. No tapasya. They are not prepared for any kind of tapasya. They want cats' and dogs' lives. Therefore their next life is waiting, cats and dogs.
So this is the position. Nara-nārāyaṇa, They underwent severe penances just like Dhruva Mahārāja. But in this age it is not possible. But at least observe these short penances, little penances, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and make your life successful. What is the difficulty? But we are not still prepared. And still we do not take it very seriously, because our past life is so sinful that even coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are being disturbed. Our sinful activities are so strong that even coming to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness we are falling down, again falling down. So be careful, be cautious, and execute your duty as Kṛṣṇa conscious people.
In Kaṁsa's time... Just like in Russia, you cannot chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. What to speak of chanting in the street, you cannot chant even in private. That is their law. So that law is coming gradually everywhere, godless. In China, I've heard, anyone teaching about God, next life, he'll be shot. Is it not? Somebody said me. Anyone teaching "Next life and God," he'll be shot down. So your country is still very nice because you are not shooting Kṛṣṇa conscious people, but there is possibility. Demons are increasing. Demons are increasing. But don't be afraid. Kṛṣṇa is there. Just like Kṛṣṇa's mother and father were so much, I mean to say, harassed by Kaṁsa. But at the end, Kaṁsa was killed by Kṛṣṇa.
So that small particle, atomic spiritual energy, takes shelter by superior control. When a man dies... I am speaking of man. Every living entity is dying. So the spirit soul is taken to the court of judgment of Yamarāja. And according to his work, he is given a body, next life. How? By superior arrangement. That is stated in the Śrīmad... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). Just like your... Ordinarily, suppose you are working somewhere. So your service record is there. Now, at the end of the year, or at the end of some period, the service record is checked, and you are given promotion or increase, increment. So many things are judged. Similarly, all our activities what we are doing now, that is being recorded. There is record. And after death, you are taken to the court of Yamarāja, the days of judgment, and the decision is made by the higher authority what kind of body I or you shall get. This is the way.
He could counteract that curse. He was so powerful, but he accepted: "All right. I am cursed. I shall give up my life within seven days." That means he took it as an opportunity that "I am going to death within seven days. That is certain. And I must prepare myself fully so that my next life I can approach Kṛṣṇa." So this is a good opportunity, that "I have got seven days' time." We haven't got seven seconds' time. We do not know. Nobody has served me notice. We find by practical experience that we are walking on the street—all of a sudden there is some accident, and we die. There is possibility. So the important point is that Mahārāja Parīkṣit was fortunate enough to get seven days' time before his death. But we do not know how much time is there for our death. So how much serious we shall be. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says that "If you want to make spiritual advancement, then you should always think that "Death is next moment. Death is next moment."
You have given more importance to the material activities."
Just like in the Vedas there are ritualistic ceremony of performing great sacrifices. What is the meaning of that sacrifice? That means you get a very opulent position in your next life or in this life. So people are attached to such thing. Veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. People are very much attracted by these ritualistic ceremonies. Not only the followers of the Vedas; in every religion, if you perform some ritualistic ceremony, oh, they are very much attracted. And if you simply say, "Let us chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," they will not be very much attracted. So veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ. So we should not be like that. Our business is how to glorify the Supreme Lord, how to glorify Kṛṣṇa. Then all success is there. That will be instructed by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva.
So the karmīs, they have been described in the Bhagavad-gītā: mūḍha, ass, simply unnecessarily working day and night, whole day and night. You see. Without taking care of the ātmā, without taking care of the religion. Economic development. What is this nonsense? You are losing yourself. You do not know what life you are going to get next life. You don't care for this. "Never mind whatever life I get. This life I have got. Let me work hard and accumulate money." And where the money will be? "Oh, in the bank. My sons and my daughters will enjoy." This is conception. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). Bodily, all bodily conception. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam (SB 5.5.8). This is illusion. This is illusion. Simply working like ass without knowing what is the end of life, what is the destination of life—all asses, all these karmīs. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice. You can understand what is what. Yes. That is knowledge.
Now, he said that tāi satya māni, āpanāra hitāhita kichui nā jāni: "I am so learned that I do not know what is my destination, what is good for me."
This is the position of conditional life. Everyone is thinking that "I am very learned," "I am very rich," "I am very opulent," but if you ask him that "Why you are suffering? Wherefrom you have come? Where you are going next life? What is God? What is your relationship with...," he is silent. He's silent. You ask anybody, any learned professor in the, in the university, these questions, and let him... He will simply answer, "Perhaps," "Maybe," "Like this," "Like that...," no definite answer, because he does not know. This is our conditional life. This is our conditional life, that we do not know our position.
You see? This is modern civilization. "Any way, bring money and satisfy your senses. That's all. Finish business."
So he, he propagated this philosophy, Cārvāka Muni, that ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. In India, according to Vedic civilization, one is very much afraid of taking loan from others because he has conviction, "If I do not pay, then in my next life I'll have to pay many times. So I must liquidate my debt." That's a fact. If you take one cent from somebody else without doing something good to him or without exchanging something, then you are debtor, and you have to pay him with interest and compound interest. That is the law of karma. You cannot take anything. We are debtor to so many things. People have no idea. Devarṣi-bhūtāpta-nṛṇāṁ pitṟṇām (SB 11.5.41). These are stated in the śāstras, that we are indebted, debtor to the demigods. Just like we are getting so much sunlight. We are enjoying: "Oh, today is a very nice day." But do we pay any tax?
Then he is nowhere?" Kṛṣṇa said, "No, no, no, no. It is not like that. His position is not like that. His position is better still, even if he has fallen down."
What is that? Now, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate: (BG 6.41) "If one, anyone, immaturely falls down, then in next life he will have the opportunity to take birth in very rich family or in a family of a, I mean, real brāhmaṇa." Real brāhmaṇa means śuci, always pure. That is real brahminical qualification. Truthful, clean, wise, God consciousness—these are brahminical qualifications. We are giving thread ceremony to our disciples to recognize him that he has got the brahminical qualifications. He has given up this meat-eating, illicit sex life, gambling and intoxication. He is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. He is being purified gradually. He's trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he's always pure. This is the recognition. This thread ceremony is recognition.
Dama means controlling senses. Śama means controlling the mind. Satya, śama, dama, titikṣā, tolerance (BG 18.42) There are so many nice qualification. So if a brāhmaṇa does not discharge his duties, it is said that he becomes a śūdra, or falls down. Sthānād bhraṣṭaḥ patanty adhaḥ. So Nārada Muni says that "Suppose next life a brāhmaṇa falls down. He takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Neither he executes the brahminical duties, nor he could prosecute Kṛṣṇa consciousness to perfection, still," Nārada Muni says, "there is no loss. There is no loss." Yatra kva va nica-yony apy amuṣya abhadra abhūt kim.(?) Now, if the brāhmaṇa, by not executing his prescribed duties, he becomes a śūdra-next life he takes birth in a śūdra family or lower than śūdra family—so Nārada Muni says, "What is the loss there? Because Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so nice that it will not leave the person who has once taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It will revive even in that lower status of life."
Śrīdhara Svāmī says that mukunda-sevī vā jana kadācit kathañcana kujanim gato 'pi saṁsiddhin na vrajet.(?) Even a Mukunda-sevī, by chance... There is chance. Every... Just like Bharata Mahārāja. He began Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but by chance he, at the time of death, he was too much affectionate with a deer cub and he become a deer in the next life. So although it is degraded life, still, he did not forget that "For this reason I have become now deer." So he was very cautious. He was keeping company... Just like here. We have got dogs. They are keeping company with devotees. That is very nice. His dog life also be coming perfect. It may be some pious man. Somehow or other, it has become dog. Now he has... Kṛṣṇa has given them the association of the devotees. He's eating prasādam. He's chan... He's hearing, chanting. He's giving some service to the devotees. So they are not in vain. They are not in vain. No. They, they're acquiring.
I mean to say, influence, still, he does not like to give up this Kṛṣṇa consciousness like others.
This is the specific qualification of a Kṛṣṇa conscious person. Smaran mukundāṅghry-upagūhanaṁ punaḥ. One who has chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa, he cannot give it up. Cannot give it up. He has to come again. This life or next life, Kṛṣṇa will not leave him. Kṛṣṇa... Once surrender sincerely, "Kṛṣṇa, I am Yours," Kṛṣṇa will never leave him. He will protect you. But if he had become little stronger, then there is no question of falling down. Rasagra rasena grhyate vaśi kriyate.(?) Kṛṣṇa vaśi kriyate. Vaśi kriyate means hypnotized. It is so nice that one becomes hypnotized. Otherwise, why the boys are working so hard? They are... (laughter) They're all qualified. They can earn money outside. In your country sufficient money is paid for work, but they are hypnotized here. (laughter)
So Kṛṣṇa is so nice. Yes. He's the all-attractive.
Of course, it appears that Nārada Muni was not of that kind of dāsī-putra. Ordinary dāsī-putra. Because the such dāsī, or the maidservant, they do not come out for common service. They remain within the palace. So the point is that Nārada Muni in his previous life was not very recognized family, neither brāhmaṇa nor nothing of the sort. Still, he became next life the Nārada Muni. And what is the cause? What... The cause is, nirūpito bālaka eva yoginām: "I was appointed a boy servant of the devotees." The importance is that devotee is so important that if anyone renders a little service, then he becomes elevated to the spiritual life. What bālaka... Bālaka means there was a boy. "You, boy, bring me this," or "Do this. Just wash my cloth," or "Just set up my bedding." Like that. This much servant. Or "Wash this dish." So the devotional service is so powerful, by doing this... This will be described later on, that simply by doing this little service to the yoginām, he was so blessed that next life he became Nārada.
This is correlative terms. So we should follow the disciplinary methods sincerely under the guidance of spiritual master. Then it will be very, very easy to go back to home, back to Godhead. Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni, next life became... Nārada means he went back to home, back to Godhead. He was promoted in the Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Then in the next creation, to distribute this bhakti-mārga, he took birth as the son of Brahmājī, and his business was to convert only all others to devotional life. You'll find Nārada Muni's name in connection with Vālmīki, in connection with Prahlāda Mahārāja. Long, long ago. And still, we are also following Nārada Muni's path, Nārada-pañcarātra. Our method is Nārada-pañcarātra.
Will you remain prime minister forever?" He or she cannot answer this question. Or they evade this question. But this is really the question, athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should try to understand "What I am?" but they do not rea... They do not inquire, neither they are interested. So foolish persons, they may be prime minister in this life, next life a dog. They don't care. But this is not life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should inquire and purify himself.
So this purificatory process, here it is very simple. Try to take shelter of mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. Vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam. It is stated by Prahlāda Mahārāja, naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghrim (SB 7.5.32). Urukrama. Urukrama means Kṛṣṇa, whose activities are very, very great. Just like Kṛṣṇa lifts the mountain. It is called urukrama. Urukrama means his power is very, very great. Foolish persons accept a rascal as Bhagavān, but we are not so rascal.
That's all. Therefore they are very poor. Their expansion of knowledge is very, very meager. And it is the business of the saintly persons to be kind upon them, that "This is not the life. You are thinking, making adjustment to live for fifty years or hundred years very comfortably, or even next life..." Karmīs, they also take consideration of the next life, to be promoted in the heavenly planet or other higher planetary system. But still, they are poor. Poor. Because they are lacking in the knowledge of eternal life, full of knowledge and blissfulness. That they do not know. Sac-cid-ānanda life.
So it is the business of the mahātmā to enlighten them to the real platform of life.
Beg, borrow, or promising, "Give me now money, I shall pay you." And when credit is lost, then steal, pickpocket. This is as theory. Similarly, Carvaka Muni, ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet, never mind. "No, I will have to pay." "No, that we shall see later on, never mind." "No, I will be sinful, I will have to pay next life." This is within the blood of every Indian that if I cheat you or if I take some money from you without your benefit, without repayment, then I will have to suffer. Still in India they believe this. There are some incidences that a man, father took some loan from some gentleman and his father died, and his son came to pay the money to the creditor: "Sir, my father took so much money from you. Now my father died without payment. So I have got money, you kindly take it." He says, "Let me see my book whether your father took it." So he said, "All right, consult." So after consulting the books, he said, "I don't find any item that I gave loan to your father."
So the trouble was the man says "I don't find any debit to your father's name. How can I take your money?" And he is insisting, "Yes, my father took money from you, kindly take." This was India. This was India. They knew that "I cannot cheat you." Karmī, in the karma-kāṇḍa, if I cheat you, then I will have to pay you four times this life or next life. That is the law of karma. Therefore, we are collecting money, we should not cheat. Every paisa should be spent for Kṛṣṇa; otherwise we shall be liable to pay. If we use one farthing for our sense gratification, then we will have to pay for it. This is the law of karma. The charity is given, why? Why charity is given to the brāhmaṇa? Nowadays they have manufactured charity to the daridra-nārāyaṇa, poor man, gāñjā smoker, bidi smoker. But in the śāstra, it is not. Śāstra says tasmin deha, those who are devotee, those who are brāhmaṇa, they should be given, he should be given, he should accept. Why?
Material activities, that is not our actual business. Actual business is spiritual activity. Material activity means this body, to keep this body in comfortable position. And the body is changing. Now, today, I am Indian—I am very great Indian leader or very good philanthropist. Now, tomorrow, or the next life, I may not be Indian; I may be Chinese or I may be European. Then my whole business program changed. Again another nationality, another feeling. So in this way... And if I become cats and dogs, then another mentality. This is going on.
So I am forgetting that my identification is spiritual—ahaṁ brahmāsmi—and I am accepting all these unnecessary things, anartha. So anartha... If you want to stop this anartha, if you want to keep yourself in your original position of spiritual identity, then you have to take to bhakti-yoga. This is the conclusion of the śāstra. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Directly, not indirectly.
When Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana, went to Mathurā, they became so mad that they had no other business than cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam, simply crying torrents of rain. That is wanted. That is Vṛndāvana life. Not that seeking after sex in Vṛndāvana. That is... That means such person will have to take birth as monkey next life. Monkey. Because they have taken shelter of Vṛndāvana, and still they're indulging, monkey's business, so they have to... It is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. Tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). In Vṛndāvana the land, transcendental land, that will not go in vain. But these persons who are indulging unnecessary sex life in Vṛndāvana, they'll have to take birth as monkeys in Vṛndāvana, and then next life they'll be liberated. So otherwise, why in Vṛndāvana the monkeys? They are also devotees, but they could not proceed nicely. So animal life means stopping sinful activities, and whatever sinful reaction is there in one life finished. We should be very, very careful.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended, ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā. They had no other business. Vṛndāvana means, those who are in Vṛndāvana... If they actually want to live in Vṛndāvana, their business should be how to satisfy the senses of Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana. Not that "I am living in Vṛndāvana and trying to satisfy my senses." That is not vṛndāvana-vāsī. That kind of living is... There are so many monkeys, dogs and hogs also; they are in Vṛndāvana. Do you mean to say that they are living in Vṛndāvana? No. Anyone who wants to satisfy senses in Vṛndāvana, their next life is dogs, hogs, and monkeys. You must know that. So one should not try to sense gratify in Vṛndāvana. That is a great sin. Simply try to satisfy Kṛṣṇa's senses.
So there is no question of being amalgamated at any time. They remain always individuals. And this is in the material..., either material world or spiritual world, the individuality is there. It never ceases. Nitya-yuktā upāsate. Here, we have got temporary life. Therefore we cannot be nitya-yukta. This life will be finished, and the next life we do not know what kind of life we shall have. It may be human form of life or it may be dog's form of life. You have to change this body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Kṛṣṇa does not say that a man after death becomes a man. No. There is no guarantee. He says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. There will be change of body. And so far the body is concerned, there are 8,400,000 of different bodies. So any one of them you have to accept. There is no guarantee. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ.
So I, as spirit soul, I am individual, existing.
Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). It is not possible. Just like the laws of nature. If you infect some disease, so you'll have to be punished. You'll suffer from that disease. That is punishment. You cannot escape. Similarly, anything you do, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya (BG 13.22). If you live like a cat and dog, that is infection, guṇa, the modes of ignorance. Then your next life you become a dog. You must be punished. This is law of nature.
So therefore one who does not know all these laws, he commits so many sinful activities. Vikarma. Karma, vikarma, akarma. Karma means what is prescribed. Guṇa-karma. Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). Karma means, as it is in the śāstra, as you have developed a certain type of modes of nature, your karma is according to that: brāhmaṇa-karma, kṣatriya-karma, vaiśya-karma. So if you follow... That is the duty of the spiritual master and śāstra, to designate when he's brahmacārī, that "You work like this."
In the śāstra it is said that one who is a criminal, he should be killed. Therefore in every country, up to date, a murderer is killed, is hanged. That is good for him. If a murderer is killed in this life, punished by the state, government, then his sinful activities and the resultant action is also finished. He's giving his own life. Otherwise, if he escapes, in next life he'll suffer so many troubles. That is, I think they have described in the previous verse. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyaḥ. In the verse number 37 it is explained by Kṛṣṇa that to kill this person, it is for his good. Because he has done so many criminal activities, so by killing him he'll be saved from serious types of sufferings in the next life. Śreya. Tad-vadhas tasya hi śreyo yad-doṣād yāty adhaḥ pumān. Prāyaścitta, it is called prāyaścitta. Prāyaścitta, in the śāstras prāyaścitta is described. In every religion there is prāyaścitta, atonement. In Christian religion the prāyaścitta is also advised. The sinner has to admit that he has committed sin, then he is excused by Christ or God.
We come here, and Kṛṣṇa also comes here. So what is the difference? The difference is we are forced to come here by the laws of nature according to our karma. We do some activities, sinful or pious, mostly sinful. So we create another life, and we are forced to enter into such body. It may be now I am in the human form of body. Next life, according to my karma, I may be forced to enter into the dog's li..., dog's body. So we are forced. There is no, I mean to say, choice. I cannot say (to) nature that "Do not put me into the dog's body. Kindly put me into the king's body." No. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). This decision will be taken by superior authority. You cannot dictate that "I shall become like that." No, that is not possible. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa.
When there is nice building, nice comfortable life, they do anything sinful without knowing that "I am not going to be escaped by these sinful activities. I will have to suffer for this. As I am enjoying now material comforts due to my some pious activities in the past, similarly, if I commit sinful life, then I'll have to suffer next life." That they do not know.
Therefore it is always dangerous. To enjoy in this material life is dangerous because you are creating next life very, very abominable. That... The only escape is... That will be explained by Kuntīdevī in the next verse, that they were in danger, but they were simply thinking of Kṛṣṇa, "Kṛṣṇa, we have no other shelter." This position should be taken. We are always in danger, and we should always think of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Then we are safe. Otherwise it is very dangerous. Even Kuntī and others, Pāṇḍavas.
Dehāntaram means you have to accept another body. If you do not know what kind of body you are going to get... You can know it. That is stated in the śāstra, that if you have got such and such mentality, you get such and such body. So in a comfortable position, if I keep myself in the dog's mentality, then I am going to get my next life as dog. Then what is the value of this comfortable position? I may be in comfortable position for twenty years, thirty years, fifty years, or utmost, one hundred years. And after that comfortable position, when I give up this body, if, due to my mentality, I become a cat and dog and mouse, then what is the benefit of this comfortable position?
Read Bhagavad-gītā. These things are there. Those who are in the modes of goodness... Goodness means avoiding these four principles of sinful life. Even if you do not become a pure devotee of the Lord, if you follow the principles, the regulative principles, then you remain in goodness. And if you remain in goodness, then your next life is in the higher planetary systems, even not going back to home, back to... You'll get that opportunity. So everything is there. We have to utilize our intelligence. Then... This life is meant for that. But if we waste our life, misuse this opportunity of human life just to live like the cats and dogs, āhāra-nidrā, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then we are spoiling.
This life is meant for that. But if we waste our life, misuse this opportunity of human life just to live like the cats and dogs, āhāra-nidrā, eating, sleeping, mating and defending, then we are spoiling.
But these rascals, they do not know, they do not believe that there is next life. As I have told you many times, that Professor Kotovsky in Russia, he said, "Swamiji, after this body's finished, everything's finished." Just see. He's a big professor. He's saying like that. Our scientists also... They have no knowledge. Still they're passing as scientists, philosophers, and misleading persons. This is our greatest grief. Therefore I am requesting you all: just make a plan to face these rascals and defeat them. They are misleading the whole human society. Now the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should take this turn. They may not think that these boys and girls, so-called Kṛṣṇas, they are sentimentalists, chanting and dancing. That is, of course, the ultimate goal. But they do not understand. They think that we are simply sentimental. We are the greatest scientist. We are the greatest philosopher. We are the greatest humanitarian. They should know that. (aside:) Who is standing there? Hmmm.
'East' and 'West.' Because everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. But there is little difference between East and West. What is that difference? Here even an ordinary man, a cultivator, uneducated villager, he believes in the next birth. He believes. He's afraid of committing sin-'Oh, I'll have to suffer in my next life." And in the Western world, the big, big men like Lord Fenner-Brockway and Professor Kotovsky, they do not know that there is life after death."
Therefore to take birth in India is a privilege. It is a privilege because it is not ordinary thing. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says,
- bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
- janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra
- (CC Adi 9.41)
This para-upakāra, doing welfare activities to others, that is meant for India. But the Indian should first of all make his life perfect. Bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra, janma sārthaka kari (CC Adi 9.41)'.
Who knows what family I belonged to in my last birth? Might have been something else, not this family. We are changing our family because family means this body. I consider, "I belong to this family," because my body is produced from that family. The next life, the body is produced from another family. Then where is our family relationship? This is called māyā. In the material world, there cannot be anything fact. They are all illusion. The so-called family, the so-called friendship, the so-called lover, beloved, so-called paternal affection, sons, they are all simply... Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). This was detected by Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja said to Nṛsiṁhadeva, "My Lord, I am not anxious at all for my welfare because I know that anywhere, if I simply remember Your transcendental pastimes, oh, I..." Śoce... Naivodvije para duratyaya-vaitaraṇyās tvad-vīrya-gāyana-mahāmṛta-magna-cittaḥ.
This is... Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). These are there.
So to become Kṛṣṇa conscious, even if you fail in this life, in one life, there is no loss. There is no loss in this way that you get another chance. But if you are not Kṛṣṇa conscious, there is no certainty whether you are getting next life human form of life or cat's or dog's. There is no... That will be decided according to your karma. Therefore we should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously and try our best to complete it in this life. Not waiting for another life. Although there is chance. The next life, even if we fail... But we should not be indolent: "O, if I fail in this life, I shall have another chance." No. We must decide to finish this Kṛṣṇa consciousness business in this life and immediately go back to home, back to Godhead. That should be our determination.
So Vaiṣṇava vision is different. Vaiṣṇava vision is... He can see what is the position of these māyāśritānām, those who have taken shelter of this māyā, what is their position. Position is miserable. Duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). And they are being carried away by the waves. Today, one kind of body; tomorrow, another body; tomorrow or next life... So in this way the karmīs are being carried away. So therefore, out of such millions of karmīs, one becomes jñānī. Jñānī. Koṭi karmī madhye eka jñānī śreṣṭha.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that "Out of many, many karmīs, one who is jñānī..." Jñānī means one who knows that "I am not this body. I am spirit." But still, there is some mistake. They think that "I am the Supreme Spirit." So 'ham. Māyā is so strong. Even after so much austerities, coming practically on the verge of perfection, they are misled by māyā. This so 'ham. So 'ham means "I am the same." But "I am the same" does not mean "I am the same Supreme."
So, so long we are nonsense, we have to go, struggle for existence. Struggle for existence in this life. Suppose I am struggling, I am thinking, "If I could have possessed the strength of an elephant or a tiger, I would have been successful." Then next life he gets the body of lion, tiger, or elephant. Nature will give. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11). Kṛṣṇa is very kind. Whatever you want, He will give you, up to mukti. The Māyāvādī philosophers... Mukti means to merge into the existence of Brahman. Kṛṣṇa will give you very easily. But He is very strict to give you bhakti. That is His special... Because to the bhaktas, Kṛṣṇa, although the Supreme, He becomes within the grip of the bhaktas. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). Adurlabha. For bhakta He becomes, He becomes controlled by the bhakta. The topmost bhakta is Rādhārāṇī. So although Kṛṣṇa is the īśvaraḥ paramaḥ, the supreme controller, He is controlled by Rādhārāṇī, because She is bhakta. Nobody can excel Her devotion, Her service. In sixty-four ways... These are described in the Bhakti-rasa..., Nectar of Devotion, how Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī excels in Her devotional service, everyone, everyone.
So many souls were ready for killing him, because he killed so many animals. So therefore it is said, ordinarily, nirayān mokṣaḥ. We have to take responsibility for all this, nirayān mokṣaḥ. Why? Hy api varṣāyutāyutaiḥ. Ayuta, ten hundred thousand million.
So this is karma-cakra. We are getting some opportunity and making our next life. In this way it is called karma-cakra. Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho sva-karma-bandhānurūpa-phala-bhājanam ātanoti (Bs. 5.54). Everyone is enjoying the result of his past karma. Who? Now, from, beginning from that King Indra, the heavenly king, very powerful, exalted position. That Indra, and there is an insect which is called indra-gopa. Yas tv indra... Indra-gopam mahā-indra. Beginning from this insect known as indra and up to that Indra, everyone is bound up by his karma-phala. That is called destiny. Everyone is bound up.
This is atonement. If you have committed a murder, then you also be hanged. These are the laws. When the king orders somebody to be hanged on account of his committing murder, the king is not sinful. King is helpful. King is helping that rascal to atone his murdering activities. Otherwise, if he is not hanged, then next life, next time, he will be put into difficulty. Next time he will have to become animal. He will be slaughtered. These laws they do not know. Why these animals are being slaughtered? There is some nature's law. They were murderer or slaughterer in their past life as human being. Now they have assumed, they have accepted a body to be slaughtered by the laws of nature. When an animal is slaughtered in sacrifice, there is mantra. The mantra is that... The animal slaughter in sacrifice is recommended for the animal-eaters, not for all. Those who are... To restrict.
"Oh, here is a millionaire. He started his business with a farthing. Now he's millionaire." He wants that credit. No. Not that kind of tapasya. Because that accumulation of wealth, millions of dollars, will be finished after this body is finished. After death, he cannot take away the millions of dollars with him next life.
But they do not know that there is next life. Next life he may become a dog, and what this millions of dollars will help him? That he does not know. Therefore tapo divyam (SB 5.5.1). Take austerity, penances, for reviving your original consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For that purpose, you undergo austerity. Otherwise, if you simply undergo austerities, penances, hardship, for some material gain, then it is waste of time, defeat, parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ. Because he's a fool, rascal, he does not know what for hardship should be taken. Just like Hiraṇyakaśipu. He also underwent tapasya.
And if you accept hardship for anything material, it may give you temporary so-called happiness, but with the end of your body, everything will be finished. Therefore this tapasvinī, this Gāndhārī... Tapasvinī. She has been described as tapasvinī. She wanted to be a faithful, chaste wife. What is the result? If a woman becomes faithful, chaste wife, then the next life there is chance of her becoming a male. Because according to Vedic literature, to take a birth as woman is low-grade. Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyā ye 'pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ. In the Bhagavad-gītā the... As there are higher grade and lower grade births, so according to Vedic understanding, the women, the body of woman is lower grade birth. Therefore if she's fortunate to have a good husband, devotee, and if she becomes faithful to that husband, then her life is successful. That is called tapasya.
So Gāndhārī did it. Gāndhārī... In India still, marriage does not take by canvassing all of a sudden.
"Oh, who is coming?" But that they do not know, rascals. We get information from Kṛṣṇa, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: (BG 2.13) "Oh, you have to accept another body after finishing this body." But they are not responsible. They are so irresponsible, they do not care for the next life, the result of pious and sinful activities.
So it appears that how much strictly the cow protection was there so that the gāvaḥ, payasodhasvatīr mudā. They were... You'll see Kṛṣṇa. He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king's son, Mahārāja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other.
"There is no life after death." Otherwise they cannot accommodate.
But there is life after death. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. There is life after death, simply change of body. Now, there are so many bodies, 8,400,000's of bodies. I can become next life a fly, according to my karma. Or I can become next life Brahmā. That is also according to karma. But there are varieties of life. So the so-called scientists, they do not know what is life after death, how it happens, how it is going on. This is a great science. That you can understand from the Vedic literature, not from your so-called scientific research. That is not possible.
So how these people, during the time of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, were free from all kinds of anxieties and diseases? Nādhayo vyādhayaḥ kleśāḥ. If you are in anxiety, then that will create a disease.
And they're passing on as civilized men. No knowledge. So when one is intelligent, actually, then he considers that "If I am eternal, why should I accept repetition of birth and death?" That is intelligence. But they have given (in) to birth and death—"Never mind." Even university students, they say, "If next life, if I become animal, what is the wrong?" Just see. How much degraded. In Hawaii University, one student said that "Even if I become an animal, what is the wrong there?" Just see how much degraded the human society has become. They are prepared to become animal, cats and dogs, trees, anything.
So when one comes out of this gross ignorance, how to get out of this bhava-sāgara... Just like if you are thrown into the water of sea, you may be very expert swimmer, but you don't like to remain there. You want to come out.
Hindu-brāhmaṇa-kati(?). So these things are going on. Actually, it is restriction. And even when there is bali, the sacrifice is given, the mantra means, the mantra says that "This man is killing you. You'll get next life a human being. But you have the opportunity, option, to kill him." This is the mantra. Now, if somebody's responsible, he'll certainly think that "I am going to be killed by this goat again?" Māṁsa khadati. Mām: "He will eat me." That is māṁsa. So no responsible man will take that responsibility, that "I will kill this animal. Again he'll become a man and he'll kill me. No, no. Stop this business."
So this is the process of restriction. Similarly those who are drunkards, for them is recommended by offering liquor to Caṇḍī, they can drink. Similarly, marriage is also like that. It is restriction. It is not prostitution. It is restriction.
He is devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, although he has the duty to punish the criminals. Just like a magistrate is always punishing the criminals. That is his business, but he is not criminal. He is giving judgment to the criminals. Similarly, Yamarāja is the appointed magistrate, superintendent. After death, one has to go before him and take the judgment of his next life. This is the process.
So Vidura was cursed by Maṇḍūka Muni, Maṇḍūka Muni. He was a great sage, but sometimes in his āśrama, some thieves were caught, so police arrested both the Maṇḍūka Muni and the thieves, and later on Maṇḍūka Muni was chastised to be punished by śūla. There was a system of punishment. I do not whether (it is) still existing. The śūla means one lance, lancer. Lancer, it is called?
Cannot. Baddha. Brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān, we are conditioned. But in the conditioned state also, if we follow the Vedic principles we can be happy. Happy, and this human form of life especially, it is meant for that purpose, that you live happily, save time for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that next life you are no more in this material world. You are transferred to the spiritual world. This is the purpose of human life. But these rascals they do not know. They think that we are advancing civilization , because the cats and dogs they are lying on..., on the floor and sleep, we have got 104-stories building and we lie dow there. This is their advancement. But they do not understand that the sleeping, the enjoyment by sleeping, it is the same to the dog and to the man who is lying on the 104th planet, story. Similarly, sex life to the dog and to the man or to the demigod, the pleasure is the same. There is no difference.
I am infecting a certain type of material qualities, in that way I am creating my next body." That he does not know. This is due to intoxication. He is thinking that "My enjoyment life, in this way forever..." But he does not know that he is creating the mentality, and according to the mentality, hog's mentality, he will become next life a pig, and he will eat... He has to by force. Not by force; he will relish it. Māyā... This is called āvaraṇātmika-śakti, covering influence. The pig is eating stool, but he is very much satisfied: "Such a nice food." He is having intercourse with his daughter or sister or mother, he is enjoying.
So the hellish condition. So we create our hellish condition. Wherefrom the hog comes? The hog comes also... He is also living entity. By process of transmigration of the soul, one is accepting sometimes as a hog, sometimes a dog, sometimes a demigod, sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes tree. That they do not know.
Rich family means there is no question of economic problem. He is full, born with silver spoon. So without any worrying for his livelihood—he has already everything—he can simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. But there is no guidance. He thinks "I have got this money for nothing. Let me enjoy for sense gratification." That is the difficulty. He is in bad association. Otherwise he has got the best opportunity. Just like you. You are Americans. You have no scarcity. You have got this opportunity. So you chant this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement very seriously, and your life will be successful. Because you have no problem. Naturally you have got everything. So take this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and be happy in this life and next life. Thank you very much.
So they will go to the again to the animal kingdom. They'll go again animal kingdom. Rajo-guṇa may have their human birth again, but that is also very difficult. But if you stay in the sattva-guṇa, then your life is successful even if you do not get Kṛṣṇa in this life; you'll get next life if you keep yourself sattva-guṇa. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18), they will gradually be promoted to the higher planetary system or in the spiritual world.
Therefore we are trying to keep ourselves, our students always in the sattva-guṇa. Cleanliness, sattva..., to remain a brāhmaṇa. If you remain a brāhmaṇa then you'll not fall down. You'll not fall down. Otherwise, if you remain in tamo-guṇa, then you are going to be next animal. This is the process of nature. You cannot check. You may be very great scientist, but you cannot check the process of nature. That is not... Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14).
When he takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and develops this cult, then he becomes perfect one day. Then tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), he comes back. Kṛṣṇa gives guarantee, "After giving up this body, he comes to Me." That is perfection. Otherwise now I am in this family. Suppose now I am American or Indian. Is there guarantee that next life I should be able to become American or Indian? No. There's not. Kṛṣṇa does not say that. Kṛṣṇa says, dehāntaram, tathā dehā... You have to change your body. You have to change your body. Tathā dehā... As you are changing constantly our body, this fact. Similarly, if when this body is no more useful, then you're transferred to another body. That's very simple to understand. Suppose you are living in a room, if it is not good then we change another body. But that does not mean "I'm finished." But these foolish people, the so-called scientists, so-called advanced philosopher, they do not understand this simple. And still they are very much proud of their education.
So as in the unconscious stage surgical operation takes place, you have no hand in it, you simply do not know what is happening, similarly, you are creating a condition of next life by your karma. Just like a clerk in a big establishment, he is creating situation by his work whether he will be promoted to a higher official position or he'll be degraded or he'll be (indistinct). He is creating. Similarly, we are creating our next life. This life is a chance for creating next life. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body. But that depends on your work. It is not the, na kaśca(?) (indistinct) karma. This karma is not created by Kṛṣṇa, or God. You create your karma. You like this. Somebody wants to come here and somebody does not want to come. That independence is there. That independence is; otherwise there are millions of people here in Los Angeles. Who is coming here? Nobody. Because they are not interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So this is the position. You create a situation of your own. Just like when the surgical operation, you have got a boil, then you...
Why? What is the cause? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. Kāraṇam. The cause is as he has infected the modes of material nature. The material nature is going on in three modes, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. It is up to you if you associate with tamo-guṇa, then you become next life animal or tree or fish. There are so many degraded condition. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Those who are in the darkness modes of material nature, they go down, adhaḥ. Adho gacchanti, degraded.
So we create that situation, and after death we become unconscious. And the superior agent, prakṛti, he takes you. Just like the air carries the flavor. You do not see how the air is passing and where the air is there, but it is there. You are smelling, "Oh, very good flavor," because the air is carrying. But you do not see. So these rascal scientists they think that because you cannot see, there is no soul.
Therefore the incarnation is already there, Kṛṣṇa is there, Kṛṣṇa's instruction is there, but people are not taking advantage of it. Not taking advantage of it. Everything is there. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to rescue these rascals from this ignorance and give Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Most philanthropic work. They will become dog next life; we are trying to save them, "Don't become dog. Just become god or godly." This is our movement. But they are persistent to become dog. Even they are coming here, again falling. Persistent to become dog. So that is nature's law, what can be done?
So this is the bhū-bhāraḥ. Bhū-bhāraḥ, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is also incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is absolute. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the same. That is absolute. In relative world consciousness is different from the person, but in the absolute world consciousness and the subject matter of consciousness is the same. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's name is the same; Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's form the same. Therefore when you worship Kṛṣṇa's form it is not waste of time; it is worshiping Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent, He can accept your service by presenting Himself in His form.
Therefore, at the present moment we are not in our own body. Our body is changing. Now this American body, and next birth may be Russian body. This is going on. You are fighting against the Russians, Americans, but he may get the Russian body next life. Therefore as American, he fought the whole life with the Russian, and he is going to become a Russian. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). This is the law of nature. This is the law of nature. Then again fights with American as soon as he gets the Russian body. Then he becomes again American. This is going on. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Sometime Russian, sometime American, go on fighting. That's all. So this is called māyā. (laughter) This is māyā. Everyone is doing that. Everyone is doing that. Therefore Lord Caitanya said, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151).
"Oh, she is my great friend," and the children, "They are my soldiers. They will protect me." Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣu ātma-sainyeṣu. He is very safe. "I have got good wife. I have got children. They will save me." Nobody will save you, sir. When death will come, you have to give your own account. If you are going to be next life a dog, not your wife, children, or nation or community or anyone will save you. No. Nobody can save you.
The same example, as I have given many times. When the aeroplane, they are going on, but if one aeroplane is in danger, no other aeroplane can save him. But he's finished. Similarly, every one of us is responsible for my own work. Nobody. Even in material world, suppose you have done something wrong. Now you are condemned. You are criminal; you are condemned to death. Will your wife, will your children, will your family, will your community, will save you? No.
The laws of nature forcing me to become old man. So this can be avoided. And for avoiding this problem, this human form of life is there. But they do not care. They are thinking, "advancing." What advancing? Advancing means this body... Now you have got nice, beautiful American body, but by your work, if you are going to accept next life dog's life, then what is the benefit of your activities? Because there is no guarantee that you will again get the American body. Even if you get the American body again, but there is no guarantee that you will be allowed to live. If you get the American body of a cow, you will be slaughtered, even though you are American. So this is ignorance. Therefore Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja has accepted mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), to follow the footprints of great personality. That is advancement. Otherwise degradation, degradation.
That is not possible. Therefore I am speaking of the Viduras.
So that saintly person accepted to be punished by Yamarāja, but he also cursed him, that "Because in my innocence I committed some sin, you are punishing me in this way, so I also curse you that next life you will have to become a śūdra. Because you have no intelligence of a brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya." So Vidura became a śūdra. Śūdra means he was born by a king, he was begotten by king, but his mother was śūdra, maidservant. That was the system, that when a king is married, the father of the princess also gives so many girls to go with the princess, as maidservant. And sometimes the maidservants also gave birth. So they are called dāsī-putra. Such son could not claim to the throne, but were provided, dāsī-putra. So Vidura's history was like that. He was a dāsī-putra, brother, a step-brother, not exactly step-brother, but brother, of Mahārāja Dhṛtarāṣṭra.
So Bharata Mahārāja saw the little calf is dying. He picked up and kept and it became..., it began to growing. So he had some little affection, just like we have got affection for cubs of dog and others. So one day, that little calf did not return in the evening, and he went to search out on the hill, and accidentally he fell down, and next life he became a deer. Yes.
This is the science. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find. "At the time of death, as you are thinking, you will be carried to such body." This is the example. Just like this Bharata Mahārāja, such an exalted person, he had to become a deer. But because he was spiritually advanced, although he became a deer, he was living with the saintly persons. Where saintly persons were sitting, he was sitting down there. He was eating the flowers and leaves which the saintly persons left after worship. In this way, he had to wait for one life, and the next life, he became a son of a nice brāhmaṇa. So because he was remembering this different birth, he became very grave and silent. He was not talking with anyone.
So in this way we have to understand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then everyone will be happy, not only in this life, next life also. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As you have infected yourself with a particular type of modes of nature, you will get a body. That's all. If you have infected to get the body of a dog, you must be infected. People who are keeping dog, that means he is being infected by the germs of dog. Next life he will become a dog. He is infected. What he will think at the time of death? If he has got a beloved dog, he will think of... Somebody... In your country, they bequeath great, I mean to say, wealth, for the dog. That means at the time of death, at the time of death he is thinking of his beloved dog. So he must be a dog. So all his wealth goes to the dog and he goes to become a dog. This science is unknown to the rascals. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, your position of the mind will create the next body.
Vidhi-mahendrādiś ca kīṭāyate. Kīṭāyate means such great personalities are taken by perfect devotee as ordinary insect. As ordinary insect has no value, similarly, anyone, however great he may be in this material world, if he is not God conscious, he is no better than the insect. Because it has no value. Because he does not know that he is going to become a dog next life. He loved a dog very much, and he bequeathed his all property to the dog, but he is going to become himself a dog. Therefore he's a rascal. What is his intelligence? He got some money. There are many instances in (your) country. They bequeath the whole wealth to the dog. Is it not?
That, what is called? This butcher. Butcher, he is advising the butcher, jīva vā māra vā: "Either you..." No. He is advising butcher, mā jīva mā māra: "Don't die, don't live." And to a sādhu, saintly person, he is advising, jīva vā māra vā, two things. So what is the purport? The purport is that this prince, he is enjoying material enjoyment, but next life he will have to become a dog. "So better you live with your enjoyment. Cirañ jīva. Because as soon as you die, you are going to be a dog. So better you live. So long you will live it is good for you." And muni-putra, a brahmacārī, his business is fasting and go to collect for Guru Mahārāja, and then whatever he takes, he offers to the guru. Then the guru says that "You can eat," he can eat. It is hardship, but by this hardship he is now prepared to go back to home, Godhead. So he says, "You immediately die so you can go to Vaikuṇṭha immediately." And the cruel butcher, he is advised, mā jīva mā māra: "You don't live and don't die.
So there is no need of endeavoring..." Therefore they do not know, they cannot know, neither they can do. They simply, "Yes, there is life, but let me become in more comfortable situation." Just like in this life, they are trying just to become in comfortable situation of this body, similarly, when they understand that, accepting at least that there is next life, they want to go to the heavenly planet, svarga. But they do not know that that is also not ultimate happiness. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. You read nicely. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Because even if you go to the Brahmaloka, the highest planet, either by good work or by your airplane sputnik... It is not possible to go there by sputnik (laughter), but you can go there by your pious activities. Yānti deva-vratā devān pitṟn yānti pitṛ-vratāḥ. Yānti (BG 9.25), you can go, but you have to adopt a means. But these are for the karmīs, those (who) simply want comfortable life of this body.
That is good brain. And bad brain means to become implicated more and more. They do not know... Because they have got bad brain, they do not know how spirit soul is transmigrating from one body to another, how he is becoming entangled. Today I have got very nice body, American body, but what is the guarantee next life? But they do not believe in the next life because they have no good brain. So in order to understand things as they are, you require good brain, and for good brain, you require milk preparation. In this way, as they've suggested a routine in the śāstra also, and guided by sādhu-guru-śāstra, if we accept, then we shall become very happy in this life and next life also. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Everyone is working very hard. That is called karma-jīvana. Karmīs. Karmīs, jñānīs, yogis and bhaktas. There are four classes of men. Karmīs means those who are working day and night very hard for getting some material benefit so that he can enjoy sense pleasure. These are called karmīs. The karmīs also, not only they want to enjoy in this life... Next life also they want to go to the heavenly planet.
Just like this morning we were talking, that dead body in Egypt and some other places. They keep the body so their body will go to the heavenly planet and he will enjoy. But clearly it is the bodily concept of life. The sane man will see that "The body is lying there. When he has gone to the heavenly planet?" If he accepts that the body is there, then something has gone to the heavenly planet. Then you will have to accept soul. Otherwise, how you can say that he has gone to heaven or some...? No. If you mean "he" means this body, the body is in the coffin, so how it has gone to heaven? Then you have to accept that the living entity who was within the body, he has gone to heaven. That is reasonable.
So the only means is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ (BG 18.66). Because you are habituated to commit sinful life only, so if you want to be saved, then you take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, you have to be punished, in this life or next life. And you do not know what is your next life because you are all ignorant. But there is next life. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). But if you are most sinful, then you are going to become abominable living creatures. Adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). You go down. And if you become pious, then you are promoted. But our program is not to become pious, not to become sinful: to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That will save us.
Therefore they are called abodha-jātaḥ. If after creating so many things for material enjoyment, if you are kicked out... But therefore they do not accept the next birth. Because it is very horrible. Because if they understand that "I have done all these things by sinful activities, these material..., and I'll have to suffer in my next life...," they'll, they'll not do.
But therefore they do not believe next birth or soul. They try to forget it. This kind of forgetfulness means... I have already given several times. The rabbit, when they find some hunter, they close their eyes, yes, as if the hunter has gone away. But that is not the fact. That is his foolishness. Simply by closing the eyes, he's thinking, "Now I am safe." So these materialistic persons, denying the next birth, denying sinful activities, denying God, they're closing their eyes, that "There is no danger. Let us go on doing all this nonsense." But that will not save. That will not save. (break) He's seeing everything.
He's seeing everything. He's seeing everything, not as a policeman but as a friend, that He is recording that "You want to do it? All right, I'll give you this facility. I'll give you facility." Because within the mind you are creating so many ideas for enjoyment, Kṛṣṇa is noting, "Yes, you'll have it. You'll have it. Just wait. Next life, next life, next life." In this way we are going. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are placing our program... Because His name is anumantā. Without His sanction, you cannot have anything. Just like I am moving this hand. It is by His sanction. As soon as He stops His sanction, immediately paralyzed. And still, we are proud, "I have got my hand. I have got my eyes." What is the use of your eyes? Unless God helps you to see, what is the value of your eyes? Practically you see. Unless there is sunshine, what is the value of your eyes? So but still, are so fool, we are thinking, "Can you show me God?" And what power you have got to see. First of all consider.
Because only the devotee can appreciate that "This prasādam is not ordinary foodstuff. It is Kṛṣṇa's remnant of..." Therefore, he understands Kṛṣṇa. That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma-karma ca me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ (BG 4.9). In truth, when he understands, then his life is guaranteed. Why guaranteed? He goes back to home next life. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply can understand what is Kṛṣṇa and what is your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is sufficient to take you back to home, back to Godhead. That is sufficient. It is so nice.
That is the law in the Manu-saṁhitā. I have not manufactured. The murderer is condemned to death just to save him from many following resultant actions of sinful activities. If in this life, he gives his life, "Life for life," then he's safe. In the next life, he takes his birth clean, not suffering any more on account of the sinful activities. This is the statement in Manu-saṁhitā. Another instruction is that if this murderer is killed, then he will be saved from committing again murder.
So the vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām, when a demon is killed then he's saved, the people are saved, and everything is good. But people cannot understand that "Why God is killing the demons and giving protection to the devotees?" God is equal to everyone. Kṛṣṇa says, samo 'haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu na me dveṣyo 'sti na priyaḥ (BG 9.29).
Although it is the śrotavyādiṣu yaḥ paraḥ, it is the supreme subject matter to hear. This is the position. This is the position of the material world. They have lost interest even to hear about the transcendental life, what is this life, what is next life, how we can improve, how, where we are going. Nothing. Simply like cats and dogs they are working hard. Therefore śāstra says, nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1). Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujāṁ ye. Viḍ-bhujām. Viḍ-bhujām means the hogs, the pigs who are eating stool. They are also working very hard for finding out the stool, "Where there is stool? Where there is stool? Where there is stool?"
"My dear King, Rājendra..." Rājendra means "the best of the kings." He's, Śukadeva, er, yes, Parīkṣit Mahārāja, the best of the kings. He has selected, he's preparing. He does not think that "I am now king. And I'll die, I shall again become king." He does not think like that, foolishly. He knows that "I may be king in this life, and the next life, I may be dog." Because he's ātmavit, he knows ātmā, the soul. That is under the control of nature. You cannot say that "This time I am very nice, good-looking French boy and girl. Then next life I shall become also the same." Some poet in India, he sung, ei deśete janma āmāra, ei deśete mari: "I have taken birth in this country." Everyone has got love for his country. That is the modern civilization. Now, the Napoleon, in your country, he loved his country so much. Now where he is, you do not know. You have simply a stone, photograph, statue. You are thinking that "Napoleon, I am worshiping..." You do not worship actually. Worship is here.
It is published. There were enquiries about some prominent men in India, and he has answered, and one of the answer is, "Such-and-such politician, he is now one of the two dogs of a gentleman in Sweden." You see. So this time, in this life I may become very big man, or big politician, big diplomat, big businessman, but next life, after your death, it is your big, your greatness of this material will not help you. That will depend on your work, and nature will offer you a certain type of body, you'll have to accept. Of course you will forget. That is the concession given by nature. Just like we do not remember what we had been in our past life. If I remember that suppose I was a king in my past life, now I have become a dog, then how much suffering it will be. Therefore by nature's law one forgets. And death means this forgetfulness. Death means this forgetfulness.
Suppose I am working as American or European or Australian. This is temporary, because this body is temporary. And I am in bodily concept of life. Therefore my duty, so-called duty, is also temporary. As soon as the body is finished, I begin another chapter of duty. Suppose this life I am human being; next life I may not be human being. This statement was not liked by the newspaper man. (laughing) He was told that next life you can become animal, so he has published in my name, "The swami can become animal." Also the swami can become also animal. The so-called swami, they will become animal. (laughter) So that is not wrong. But we devotees, we are not afraid of becoming animal. Our only ambition is that we become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Or similarly, national, nation, if you can have nice road, nice car, nice skyscraper, and all facilities for material happiness, then we think that we are perfect nation. But the thing is, unless you know ātma-tattva, self-realization, you do not know what is your next life. The next life is there. The next life will depend on your work in this life. You may become very rich nation's son, you may have very good asset, but you are not allowed to stay here. Suppose in America, you have got so many nice cities. But we sometimes come to see your cities and opulence but the fact is that in spite of your development of this national asset, you will not be allowed to stay here. That we forget. And after I leave this place, leave this body, I do not know what is going to happen to me, we are in ignorance. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ (SB 2.1.2), because we are blind.
That is nature's course. You have treated your life like cats and dogs. You did not take advantage of your human life. Now nature will give you, "All right, again you become cats and dogs." Punar mūṣiko bhava. They do not know. They do not know the secret science of nature. You may be a very great leader, prime minister now. Next life you are going to be a dog in Scandinavia. (laughter) You see?
But how can you check it? What is your power? Suppose by nature... There are so many lives. Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). So you have to accept another body. Now, that is not in your hand, how to accept. That is, that will depend on your nature, karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa, and nature will give you the suitable body. So if you waste your time in this human form of life like cats and dogs, then you are going to get... Otherwise, wherefrom the cats and dogs are coming? They are coming... Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22).
So Śukadeva Gosvāmī is giving instruction to Mahārāja Parīkṣit what is to be done at the point of death. We have already discussed this point, that we must know the responsibility of our next life. Just like a child is given education for the next life, to become youthful, to get into higher education, admission. Then a youth is given higher education for better life in future. That is natural. Every one is expecting future prospect. Similarly, we, every one of us, we are changing our body exactly the same way as the child is changing his body to boyhood, the boy is changing his body to youthhood, the youth is changing his body to old body. Similarly, after old age, there is next stage is death.
Prakṛti, nature, will give you chance, "All right, you want this?" Mind... You are creating... Mind is the creating force.
So if you create a certain type of body, next life you get a body. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6). So similarly, if we are going to create another body by thinking and feeling and willing in this life, why not get a body like Kṛṣṇa? That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Think of Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa's advice. Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). Kṛṣṇa wants that you come back home, but you have to get the body. How you can get the body? Man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ. You simply think of Kṛṣṇa. Don't think of the hog or hoglike animals. You think of Kṛṣṇa. You have to think something.
There are 8,400,000 species of life, and we may think of in a varied way. That is the technique of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. At the time of, if we keep our Kṛṣṇa consciousness intact, that is our perfection of life. Otherwise we do not know what is my next life. The example is given just like air is passing. Air is very subtle matter. If it is passing on the rose flower, the flavor is carried in other place also, rose scent. And if the air is passing on the stool, the scent or the bad smell of the stool is carried to the other place. Similarly, if you make your consciousness rosy, then your next life is rose flavor. (laughs) And if you make your consciousness stool, then your next life is condemned. Yes. Yes.
And if I am God mentality, then I'll create another body like God.
This is the process. So, everyone has got full liberty how, what kind of body he's going to get next. So if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that consciousness, subtle body, then you are sure to get next life, if not in Vaikuṇṭha, at least you get a high standard life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭaḥ means fallen, fallen. Suppose we are executing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some of our students are going away. So that is called bhraṣṭa, fallen. They could not continue. So one who could not continue by his ill luck, he is also not loser because he is... That slight Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help him to get another human form of body. That is guaranteed. Ordinary men, they do not know what kind of body they are going to get. They're in darkness.
You can desire. You are full at liberty. But desire means you have to accept different types of bodies.
It is... You cannot make any permanent settlement. That is not possible. And That is also your fault. Because... Suppose you are posted now in a high post, Mr. Nixon, but you cannot keep the standard. You'll commit some sins. Next life, you'll have to become something else. This is going on. Kabhu svarge kabhu naya. Therefore the karmīs, they are all non-intelligence. Their intelligence is not... The only intelligent person is he who has completely surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and engaged in his service. He's the only intelligent. And all are rascals. That's all. This is our conclusion. Anyone, let come. We shall prove it. Let anyone come, either the karmīs, jñānīs, yogis, anyone. We shall prove that "You are rascal #1." This is our challenge. If he's a sane man, he'll understand that he's a rascal. Otherwise, he will fight, unnecessarily.
And Goddess Kālī is worshiped once in a month, on the dark moon day, at night. And there are mantras. The mantras say that... Within the ear of the animal it is said that, "You are sacrificing your life before the deity; so next life, immediately, you get a human form of life. And when you get a human form of life, you'll have the right to kill this man also." This is the mantra. Now, if you are a sane man, understand that "I am killing this goat at the risk of my life in next birth.
So why I am going to take such responsibility? Better stop it." So, it is for discouraging. If I say directly, "Don't eat meat," he'll protest, "Why shall I not? It is our food. I must eat." Therefore, instead of directly prohibiting, the śāstra says, "Yes, yes, you can eat. But by sacrificing it before Goddess Kālī." That means condition, restriction.
"Save your country. They are becoming hippies. It is not... Future is very gloom. Try to save them." So Vaiṣṇava will always think like that, how people will be happy. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. Vaiṣṇava desire is not exploitation. Vaiṣṇava desire is that "How others will be happy, how they will understand Kṛṣṇa, how they will get happiness in this life and next life." This is Vaiṣṇava. Satisfied, in any condition. Not that "I must have all these things; then I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, I'm going from the temple." (laughter.) No, this is not Vaiṣṇava qualification. You must live with the devotees, even if you are not satisfied. Any condition, you should be satisfied. Because as soon as you leave the company, you become again rogues, again demons.
At least you'll be saved if you keep with the company of the devotees. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. If you give up the company, then you again become rogues and demons.
Everything is false. False means maybe, temporary. You are American. You are feeling that you belong to the rich country, very beautiful body, no scarcity of food. That's all right, but it is also temporary. It is not permanent. And next life you do not know. Even if you have no information what is life after death, but there is. There is life after death. The body is changing. This is the instruction of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The body is changing, but the soul is eternal. We are busy with the bodily affairs of life, but we do not take care of the soul. That is the mistake of the present civilization. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is teaching to the people in general, the philosophers, the religionists, the leaders, that this is not the way of civilization. You try to develop your consciousness to the standard of Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful.
Thank you very much. Any question? (break)
The materialistic way of pious activities like charity, etc., is recommended in the smṛti-śāstras as quoted by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. Money given in charity to a suitable person is guaranteed bank balance in the next life. Such charity is recommended to be given to a brāhmaṇa. If the money is given in charity to a non-brāhmaṇa without brahminical qualification, the money is returned in the next life in the same proportion. If it is given in charity to a half-educated brāhmaṇa, even then the money is returned double. If the money is given in charity to a learned and fully qualified brāhmaṇa, the money is returned a hundred and thousand times, and if the money is given to a veda-pāraga, one who has actually realized the path of the Vedas, it is returned by unlimited multiplication.
Life is solely meant for tapasya, for purifying existence, so that one may enter into eternal life just after the end of the human form of life. The materialists want to prolong life as much as possible because they have no information of the next life.
Therefore they want to get the maximum comforts of life only in this present life, thinking conclusively that there is no life after death. This ignorance about the eternity of the living being and the change of covering in the material world has played havoc in the structure of the modern human society. Consequently there are many problems multiplied by various plans of modernized man. The plans for solving the problems of society have only aggravated the troubles. Even if it is possible to prolong life more than 100 years, advancement of human civilization does not necessarily follow. The Bhāgavatam says that certain trees live for hundreds and thousands of years. At Vṛndāvana there is a tamarind tree.
The materialists want to prolong life as much as possible because they have no information of the next life. They want to get the maximum comforts in this present life because they think conclusively that there is no life after death. This ignorance about the eternity of the living being and the change of covering in the material world has played havoc in the structure of modern human society. Consequently there are many problems, multiplied by various plans of modernized man. The plans for solving the problems of society have only aggravated the troubles. Even if it is possible to prolong life more than one hundred years, advancement of human civilization does not necessarily follow. The Bhāgavatam says that certain trees live for hundreds and thousands of years. At Vṛndāvana there is a tamarind tree (the place is known as Imlitala) which is said to have existed since the time of Lord Kṛṣṇa. In the Calcutta Botanical Garden there is a banyan tree said to be older than five hundred years, and there are many such trees all over the world. Svāmī Śaṅkarācārya lived only thirty-two years, and Lord Caitanya lived forty-eight years.
Those who are meat-eaters, if you give them so many varieties of fruits and sandeśa and rasagullā, he won't like it. He won't like it. If before the hog, you put nice, first-class halavā, "No sir, stool. Give me stool." Therefore hog. All right. One who has no discrimination of foodstuff, he is going to be hog next life. That is the punishment by nature. One who are loitering in the street naked, they are going to have next life trees. "Stand up naked for 10,000 of years. That's all right." But they are enjoying. They're showing beauty by nakedness. But nature will not tolerate. Prakṛteḥ... Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā... (BG 7.14). There is nature. They do not consider how one living entity has got the body of a tree, how one living entity has got the body of a hog, how one living entity has got the body of a demigod, how one has got the body of a Vaiṣṇava.
Satisfy your desire for being naked for ten thousand years." Why two years, three years, or five years, ten years? Remain naked. Human body is meant for covering, not to become naked, but if anyone develops the idea of becoming nudie, naked, "All right, next life you get tree. Stand up." The example is there, Yamala-Arjuna, They wanted to be naked. Nārada gave them opportunity, "All right, you remain naked as trees." So therefore, our business should be to go to the temple as it is prescribed here, pādau nṛṇāṁ tau druma-janma-bhājau. Those who are not moving, they're just like trees, they do not move. So, if we do not move to the places where Viṣṇu's forms are there... Just like in India, we have got many places of pilgrimage. Just like Vṛndāvana. There are... A small city, about fifty thousand utmost population. But there are five thousand temples, big and small. Out of that, about one dozen temples are very, very big, just like fort.
So the king, he invited his ministers, that "What is the meaning of this?" The ministers were very intelligent, so he explained that "Your son has been blessed"ciraṁ jīva " Because your son is so licentious that as soon as he dies he is going to hell. So therefore he has blessed 'You better live forever; otherwise you are going to hell. (laughter) Your life is so sinful that next life is hellish. So better you live forever.' " Then, the next, muni-putra. Muni-putra means... Just like our disciples. They have to undergo austerities: no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, so many no's.
But similarly, muni-putra, he is also execute all these functions, and there is no comfortable life. A muni-putra lives in a cottage. There is no good bedstead, and eating simple fruits and flowers. So from materialistic point of view, this is a miserable condition of life. So he was blessed that "You have sufficiently undergone austerities. Now your next life is in Vaikuṇṭha.
What is the value of this kingdom, of the wealth of this material world? They are temporary. Even if you have got very good kingdom, very nice wife, very nice society, very... How long? And if there is any mistake, next life you can get something else. But so Parīkṣit Mahārāja's life... Because he's born devotee. From the childhood, he's a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Now, when he was cursed, it was blessings for him and for all others because he was cursed, there was necessity of the recitation of this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And after hearing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam... Śrī-viṣṇoḥ śravaṇe parīkṣit. Parīkṣit Mahārāja simply by hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he got salvation. So this superficial awkward position that he lost his life, lost his kingdom, he had to leave his wife and children and everything, don't take in that "By Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he became bereft of all assets. No.
Similarly, this is, this signboard is like that. "If sex is there after death then that is not death. That is life." (laughter) You see? So actually, you have got sex after death. Because you'll get into another body. Now you are having sex as human being in very nice apartment or on the street, on the beach, as you like. In the next life also, as cats and dogs, you will have sex life. The sex life is not denied, because the life is there. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. This maithuna, maithuna means sex life. Eating, sleeping, and sex life, and defending. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. So this is now inquiry. Now, if this inquiry is taken scientifically, "Is there sex after death?" it is not joking, if it is taken seriously, so people should be informed that "Yes, there is sex after death. Why there is no sex? Because there is life after death. You get another body. Maybe a god's body, demigod's body, or dog's body, you'll get another body, according to your own work.
No. That you cannot do. Undergoing that process, someday he will come to his senses that "Meat-eating and killing of animal is not good." Because there are so many mantras. If you understand mantras, the mantra, when a goat is sacrificed before Goddess Kālī, before the goat being cut by his throat, the priest says that "Because you are sacrificing your life before Goddess Kālī, next life you are going to have human form of body for your, this sacrifice." Otherwise you have to undergo the process. That is gradual evolutionary process. But because you are forced somehow or other in the presence of mother material energy, she will give you the facility to promote immediately to the human form of life. And as human being, you will have every right to kill this man who is killing you. That is meaning of māṁsa. Mām means me, sa means he. "He will also eat me." So I will have to take the form of a goat next life. And he will take the form of a human being and he will get the chance of killing me.
The rascal professors, they say..., he is saying that "After death everything is finished." After death everything finished—why? Why there are so many varieties of life? After death there is life. But you do not know what is that life. That is your ignorance. Here is a chance, Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you get next life very good life. If you complete, you go to Vaikuṇṭha and get life like this. If you don't complete, if you are so unfortunate that you cannot complete one life, that is unfortunate. Why you... So then you get chance to get your birth as a human being in very rich family, in very pious family. That chance is again given so that you can revive your, again, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
So what is your gain? And this man who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, rejecting all so-called occupational duties and religious principles, he gains. There is no inauspicity because he had fallen. Why? Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ sañjāyate (BG 6.41). At least it is guaranteed that you get next life a human form of life and in a very well-to-do condition, either in rich family or in the family of a very high class brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava. So therefore he is not losing anything. And the other man who is sticking to his own occupational duty and does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is losing everything because after this body nobody knows where he is going. Either going to be a cat or dog or tree or where, he does not know.
So it is so nice thing. Here is the opportunity. We get the opportunity, Lakṣmī. How Kṛṣṇa is served. Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānam (Bs. 5.29).
Even if you fall down. But there is a chance of becoming immediately being transferred. But even there is no chance, even there is not fully completed, even it is failure, still it is said "It is auspicious," because the next life guaranteed a human form of life. And for the ordinary karmī, what is next life? There is no information. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). He can become a tree, he can become cat, he can become a demigod. Not more than a demigod. That's all. And what is the demigod? They get some opportunity in the higher planetary system and again fall down. Kṣīṇe puṇye punar martya-lokaṁ viśanti. After the bank balance, the puṇya, pious activity, resultant action of pious activities is finished, again come down. Ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokan punar āvartino 'rjuna: "Even if you go to the Brahmaloka where Brahmā lives, whose calculation of one day we cannot calculate; even if you go there, then they will come back." Mad-dhāma gatvā punar janma na vidyate. "But if you come to Me, then there is no more coming down here." This is the opportunity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
When Kṛṣṇa comes, or Kṛṣṇa's energy, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation comes, that is not by force. Just like we. We are forced to come. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We have to accept a certain type of body by force, not ātma-māyayā. Suppose I have got this human form of body. I cannot demand that "Next life I will have like this." No. That is not possible. Next life you will get according to your karma. Just like you are being educated. You cannot say that "Make me the high-court judge." That is not possible. If you are qualified, then you become. Similarly, karmaṇā... You have to qualify yourself. So there are 8,400,000's of different forms of life. So by your karma, next life you can become a devatā, a demigod. Even if you like, you can become Indra, Candra. Or you can become cats and dogs. That depends... Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). So this will depend on my karma.
Sva-karma, one's own activities, we are creating. We are creating our next body in this life. As we have got this life as the resultant action of my past karma, similarly, I am creating another body, after death, on account of my present karma. This is going on.
So we should work in such a way that we may not get another body next life. That is wanted. That is wanted. And how it can be done? It can be done very easily. What is that? Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. Simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa. This is the simple method.
The modern civilization is like that. Everyone is engaged in hard labor simply for satisfaction of the senses. So they have become mad. Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vi... And they are acting without any consideration of the effect. They do not consider whether it is sinful or not. They do not believe in the next life. They do not discriminate what is sinful, what is pious—nothing. Exactly like animals.
So śāstra says, "This is not good." Here also, Devahūti says that bhūmann asad-indriya-tarṣaṇāt. Asad-indriya-tarṣ... Actually, these senses are not real senses. It is covered. Just like my, this body, covered with this shirt, or this cloth. It is not my real body. Although you see the shirt has got a hand, that hand is not real hand. The real hand is within the shirt. Similarly, our real body is within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Dehe. Dehinaḥ. Dehinaḥ means the real body, or the spiritual body of the soul, is within this body. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe.
Then you accept another duration of life. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate. This human life is meant for getting rid of this business, taking birth and dying, taking birth and dying. This is meant. This is... This opportunity's given, but if you do not use it properly, you use it as cats and dogs and hogs, then the..., by nature's law, you will get the body next life cats and dogs and hogs. You eat even stool. Because you had no discrimination in eating, the "All right, you can now eat..." the pig's body, hog's body you get, and eat even up to stool. That opportunity is given. And you have sex life with your mother and sister. You see hog's life. They have no sex discrimination. They do not discriminate, "It is..., she is my mother," or "She is my sister." No. So this is hog's life. Therefore śāstra says that "Don't be foolish to lead a life like hogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye (SB 5.5.1).
This is illusion. Nothing belongs to us, but unnecessarily we are claiming, "This is my land," "This is my country," "This is my home," "This is my family," "This is my, my, my..." Mama. This is illusion. And in this way we are attached to this tree, saṁsāra-taroḥ, from one branch to another. Now I am Indian. I may be American next life, or I may be something else. I may be a cat, I may be a dog, or I may be something else. I may be a cat, I may be a dog, or I may be a demigod. That will depend on my work. But after death, you are completely under the grip of this material nature. Your dictation will not be that "Make me like this, make me again Indian," or "Again, again make me the nationalist of this country or that country." No. After death, everything is finished. You are no more nationalist or this proprietor or head or this nothing. But this is going on. So long we are in a position, falsely we are thinking and we are attached and we are suffering. This is the disease.
That is the instruction of śāstra.
Therefore it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭa means he was executing devotional service, but some way or other, being allured by māyā or some other causes, even if he falls down, so that credit is there. Therefore he has to begin next life... He is given chance next life. What is that? Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. He takes birth in two families. What is that? Śucīnām. Śucīnām means brāhmaṇa, śuci. Śuci means brāhmaṇa: always clean and pure. Therefore they are called śuci. And muci. Muci means cobbler, just the end. That is the lowest, and this is the highest, śuci and muci. There is a Bengali poetry: śuci haya muci haya yadi kṛṣṇa tyaje, muci haya śuci haya yadi kṛṣṇa bhaje. If somebody takes to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, even born in the family of cobbler, muci, he becomes śuci. He becomes more than a brāhmaṇa. And muci haya śuci haya.
So this class of men, they are not interested. They will suffer this material existence continually, one after another, one of chapter, one of chapter... Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19), one life. And if he gets one life very opulent, that is, then he doesn't care for what is next life. "Let me drink and enjoy. Eat, drink, and be merry and en..." This is going on all over the world. But śāstra says, "No, no, no, no. It is not good. You are doing mistake. You are doing mistake." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). You have become mad and you are engaged in doing all forbidden things which you should not do. You are doing that. And why you are doing that? Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Why? Yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti. Simply for sense gratification. Simply for sense gratification. I have seen one hotel man in Calcutta. He cut the throat of a chicken, and the chicken, half-cut, it was flapping and jumping.
So we have to cleanse this heart, the ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). They are doing all these things. These are not good things. Asādhu ayam. Na sādhu manye. These, this is not good for human being. Why it is not good? Because according to your karma you'll get another next life, another next body, and you'll have to suffer. Again you have to suffer. You are already suffering. You may be very rich man, but does it mean that you'll not be diseased, because you are rich man? No. This is suffering. You may be very rich man, very, I mean to say, influential man, prime minister... Even Jawaharlal Nehru-last time he became paralyzed. So you cannot avoid these things. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You should not be puffed-up because you have got some bank balance, you are happy. No. Your real unhappiness—these four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi.
Therefore it is said that para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kāruṇikāḥ. Why kāruṇikāḥ? Why you should, one, you want to be merciful? Now, para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. Kṛpāmbudhir yas tam ahaṁ prapadye (CC Madhya 6.254). A Vaiṣṇava's business is para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. A Vaiṣṇava understands that "These people, they are engaged like cats and dogs in sense gratification. They are misguided, and they'll be, next life they'll be punished for this misguidance. Let us do something for them." This is kāruṇikāḥ. Karuṇā. Karuṇā... Out of mercy. There is no question of getting something, money. No. Money we have got sufficient. Just to become merciful upon these fallen, conditioned souls, who are suffering on account of becoming animalistic, without any Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore the preacher, the sādhus... These are the sādhus. Titikṣavaḥ, tolerant. "Never mind. Whatever hindrances and tribulations they are offering to us, never mind. Tolerate." Titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ (SB 3.25.21). Suhṛdaḥ, means the heart is so nice.
They are blind, andha. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). The leaders are also blind.>>> ... <<<and leading="" them.="" also="" blind.="" especially="" age,="" society="" great="" danger.="" they="" care="" what="" next.="" next="" life.="" get="" it,="" information,="" kṛṣṇa:="" tathā="" (="">bg="" 2.13).="" dehāntara-prāptiḥ="" is.="" how="" you="" can="" deny="" it?="" authority="" says.="" got="" experience="" also.="" are="" having="" dehāntara="" childhood,="" childhood="" boyhood,="" from="" boyhood="" youthhood.="" in="" way,="" we="" have="" changed="" many="" bodies,="" called="" similarly,="" after="" death,="" there="" will="" be="" it="" very="" reasonable,="" but="" people="" do="" not="" believe="" it.="" so="" our="" position,="" human="" life="" opportunity="" dehāntara.="" and="" to="" stop="" this="" dehāntara,="" that="" is="" the="" main="" business.=""></and>
You may be very big prime minister or anything, but as soon as māyā will dictate, "Please vacate your post and go away," you become a dog. You have to become. How you can challenge prakṛti? That is not possible. Because karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1), your next body will be offered to you. Therefore the atheist class man (indistinct). That is next life. Because his life is sinful he'll get his next life, he'll be punished. He'll be put into abominable condition of life. He does not like to think like that, but that does not mean that he escapes. There is a Bengali proverb that (Bengali). One body, one person, he thought that "I've done so much sinful activity that Yamarāja will come and capture me and punish me. So what is the way to avoid?" So he thought that "Let me smear over my body stool so he'll not touch me." (laughing)
So that is not possible, sir. You are under the control of māyā, material nature. You try to avoid it somehow or other, but it is not possible. It is not possible.
"The Nārāyaṇa has become many." Why He has become many? To enjoy. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). He has created us. Just like a gentleman accepts a wife, putrārthe kriyate bhāryā, that is the aim, that "If I get one wife, I'll get children." Putra-piṇḍa-prayojanam. This is the spiritual value of begetting children, that "Putra will offer piṇḍa. So in my next life I am in difficulty; by offering piṇḍa, he will save me." This is the purpose of putrotpāda. Pu means pun-nāmno narakāt. Pun-nāmno narakāt. Tra means trāyate, "delivers." Pun-nāmno narakāt trāyate iti putraḥ. This is the meaning of putra. But if the putra is going himself to the pun-nāmno narakāt, then who will deliver me? That is the position now. Nobody is offering śrāddha ceremony. Nobody believes in that. So anyway, if a man taking the responsibility of maintaining wife and children, why? Because he thinking that "I will enjoy life. I will enjoy good atmosphere." Everyone is trying to that.
Māyār bośe, jāccho bhese', Khāccho hābuḍubu bhāi. We are being carried away by the waves of this material nature, and we have submitted to the laws of material nature. And therefore we are subjected to birth, death, old age, and disease. And not only birth—there is no guarantee what kind of birth next life.
So we should not misuse this... Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte mānuṣyam (SB 11.9.29). We should not waste our this valuable life, human form of life. We begin our this evolution. First of all, the world is covered with water. Pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. Now, still, three-fourth of this earthly planet is covered with water. In the beginning, the whole earthly planet was covered with water. Gradually, the water is drying up, and the land is coming. Then we are calculating, "This is Asia. This is America. This is Europe."
Even if you fall down, if you do not be able to execute devotional service fully, still, you will get next change as a human being. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). You will get again chance of this human body. But if you don't take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then there is no guarantee. You can become next life a cat, dog, tree, or anything, according to the infection and quality. But if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious and if you give even little service to Kṛṣṇa, your next life as human being is guaranteed. And that is not ordinary human life, but śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe. Tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi (SB 1.5.17). Nārada Muni said that "If one engages himself in devotional service out of sentiment, it doesn't matter. Still, if he does some service to Kṛṣṇa, then he is gainer. And one who is very practical, does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and take to material activities and thinks that he is very advanced, there is no gain." He is under karma.
So the insects, the reptiles, they are better than the standing herbs and plants, and these insects, the worms, they grow wings at the end of their life. In this way they are elevated to the bird's life. In this life they could not attain the bird's life, but on account of very strong willingness they grow the wings, and next life they become small birds, they fly. So they are better, the small birds, they are better than these insects. Then there are birds, big, big birds, the eagle birds, they can fly very high. In this way, beast life, that is better. In this way, beast life, then human life, uncivilized life, that is better. And then civilized life, that is better. Then civilized life, those who are organized, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they are better. And amongst the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, the brāhmaṇa is the best, because they are on the platform of spiritual realization. This is the evolution. Evolution, we are coming in that evolution. Bahu-sambhavānte.
Now, as human being, I am manufacturing so many purposes of life, but as soon as the body is changed and I get the body of a cat or dog or tree, the whole purpose is changed. Therefore it is purposeless life, anartham. There is no meaning of this purpose. Because everything will be changed with the change of your body. Therefore they do not... They shudder to think of, that "We have got next life." They therefore deny, "No, there is no next life. This life is finished." A foolish life. That is not.
So anartha upa... In order to get out of this anartham, purposeless life, anartha upaśamam... Upaśamam means curbing down or finish it, upaśamam, finishing. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. The... If you want to be free from this purposeless, useless life, then you have to engage yourself in the bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, to the Supreme. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam. Sākṣāt, directly. Yo may have many other means to become free from this useless, purposeless life. There may be karma, jñāna, yoga. But that is indirect. That is not actually factual. Suppose a poor man is trying to get out of this condition, poor condition. He becomes a rich man. So that is also purposeless.
He is simply upadraṣṭā. He is not enjoying. He has no interest to enjoy this material world. But the other bird, the living entity, he is trying to enjoy this material world. And according to his karma, upadraṣṭā... I wanted to do something or I have done something. The resultant action, I will have to enjoy or suffer in the next life. The witness is the Paramātmā, sākṣī, upadraṣṭā anumantā, antaryāmī, sākṣī. We cannot do anything without the knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramātmā feature. He is fulfilling our desires and waiting for the opportunity when the living entity will give up this business of eating the fruit of this body, of the tree, and simply become engaged, again come back to the Supersoul. That opportunity He is looking after. So the Christian philosophers, they do not believe in the Paramātmā feature, and they say that "If I am punished for my past deeds, then who is the witness?" Because in the court, if somebody is charged with criminality, there must be some witnesses.
These are the things. And they are authorized. What we are presenting, that is nothing manufactured by concoction of the brain. No. It is all authorized, all authorized. So if we take advantage of this movement, then we become happy, we become in the perfect knowledge, blissful life, even in this life, and next life you go back to home, back to Godhead.
There are many children. So there are fortunate children who comes here, offers obeisances, dances with kīrtana, and... So these are not in vain. They are taken into account, and he also becomes developed in spiritual consciousness. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt.
Mahato bhayāt. Bhaya, or fearfulness, is of our next life. That is bhaya. Everyone is afraid of dying. Why? There is fearfulness that after this body, after death, nobody knows where he is going. That is bhaya. Everyone should be afraid of that. Suppose you are pushed somewhere. You do not know whether..., where you are going. So that is very dangerous. One must know "Where I am going." But they do not believe in the next life. Due to lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge, they... There is no question of disbelieving. It is quite logical, as Kṛṣṇa says, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). As you are changing body... Everyone is changing.
Nārada Muni's name we hear in connection with Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, and many other devotees. And so everyone has the potency, just like Nārada Muni. So it doesn't matter where you were born. Nārada Muni was born as a maidservant's son, but by good association... Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvidaḥ. By good association, next life he became Nārada.
So the sat-saṅga is very important, association. Therefore we have named this, "Kṛṣṇa conscious society." Anyone can join it. It doesn't matter what he is. And actually, it is... Practically we are doing. We are collecting, recruiting members, from all parts of the world without any distinction. The distinction is there in the material platform. In the spiritual platform there is no such distinction. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. That is the vision of the devotees. They see only the spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa.
| Page Title: | Next life (Lectures, SB cantos 1 - 3) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 27 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=149, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 149 |