Sensual platform

Expressions researched:
"sensual platform"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

This consciousness is the causeless mercy of the Lord, which the devotee can achieve in spite of his being attached to the sensual platform.

BG 2.64, Translation and Purport:

But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.

It is already explained that one may externally control the senses by some artificial process, but unless the senses are engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, there is every chance of a fall. Although the person in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness may apparently be on the sensual plane, because of his being Kṛṣṇa conscious he has no attachment to sensual activities. The Kṛṣṇa conscious person is concerned only with the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and nothing else. Therefore he is transcendental to all attachment and detachment. If Kṛṣṇa wants, the devotee can do anything which is ordinarily undesirable; and if Kṛṣṇa does not want, he shall not do that which he would have ordinarily done for his own satisfaction. Therefore to act or not to act is within his control because he acts only under the direction of Kṛṣṇa. This consciousness is the causeless mercy of the Lord, which the devotee can achieve in spite of his being attached to the sensual platform.

SB Canto 6

As long as one is situated in duality, on the sensual platform, gross or subtle, realization of the original Personality of Godhead is impossible.

SB 6.4.26, Purport:

Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: (CC Madhya 17.136) as long as one is situated in duality, on the sensual platform, gross or subtle, realization of the original Personality of Godhead is impossible. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ: but when one engages his senses in the service of the Lord—specifically, when one engages the tongue in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and tasting only Kṛṣṇa prasāda with a spirit of service—the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed. This is indicated in this verse by the word śuci-sadmane. Śuci means purified. By the spirit of rendering service with one's senses, one's entire existence becomes śuci-sadma, the platform of uncontaminated purity.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

We want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Purport. "The Kṛṣṇa conscious person is concerned only with the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa and nothing else. Therefore he is transcendental to all attachment or detachment. If Kṛṣṇa wants, the devotee can do anything which is ordinarily undesirable, and if Kṛṣṇa does not want, he will not do anything which he would have ordinarily done for his own satisfaction. Therefore to act or not to act is within his control because he acts only under the dictation of Kṛṣṇa. This consciousness is the causeless mercy of the Lord which the devotee can achieve in spite of his being attached to the sensual platform." 65: "For one who is so situated, the threefold miseries of material life exist no longer. In such a happy state one's intelligence is steady." 66: "One who is not in transcendental consciousness can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, without which there is no possibility of peace, and how can there be any happiness without peace?" 67

Prabhupāda: Everyone in this material world, they are after peace, but they don't want to control the senses. It is not possible. Just like you are diseased, and doctor says that "You take this medicine, you take this diet," but you cannot control. You are taking anything you like, against the instruction of the physician. Then how you can be cured? Similarly, we want cure of the chaotic condition of this material world, we want peace and prosperity, but we are not ready to control the senses. We do not know how to control the senses. We do not know the real yogic principle of controlling the senses. So there is no possibility of peace. Kutaḥ śāntir ayuktasya. The exact word is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no possibility of peace. Artificially, you may try for it. It is not possible.

There are three platforms. The bodily platform or sensual platform, then mental platform, then spiritual platform.

Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969:

It is said that one who is engaged in unalloyed devotional service unto Me, he has already transcended the material modes of nature. Brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. He's on the Brahman platform, that means liberated. To become liberated means to be situated on the Brahman platform. There are three platforms. The bodily platform or sensual platform, then mental platform, then spiritual platform. That spiritual platform is called Brahman platform. So to become liberated means to stand on the Brahman platform. Conditioned soul, we are at the present moment we are on the platform of this bodily concept of life or sensual platform. Those who are a little above, they are on the mental platform, speculating, philosophers. And above this platform there is Brahman platform. So you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Twelfth Chapter or Fourteenth Chapter I think, that one who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's already on the Brahman platform. That means liberated.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting that "Actually they address me as (paṇḍita), but I am not paṇḍita, because I am on the mental platform and the sensual platform, not even intellectual platform."

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100-108 -- Bombay, November 9, 1975:

Generally we are identified with this body. Body means the senses. We take prominent the senses. Whole world is going on on the sense perception, sense gratification. So indriyāṇi parāny āhuḥ. The indriyas are very prominent in materialistic way of life. Indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ. Then, above the indriyas, there is the mind. Just like philosopher, psychologist or scientist, who are thoughtful, thinking, they are also on the mental platform. The ordinary men, they are on the bodily platform like animal, sense gratification. And little higher than that—indriyāṇi parāṇy āhuḥ indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ—those who are on the mental platform. But mental platform will not help us. It is said, mano-rathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ. Mano-rathena. If one is on the mental platform, naturally he has no higher information. He'll glide down again to the material platform. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathena asato dhāvato bahiḥ (SB 5.18.12). So simply mental speculation, the whole world, the scientists... They are working on the mental platform. Therefore today they fix up, "This is the conclusion," and tomorrow, another conclusion, another conclusion, because it is mental platform. So above the mental platform, intellectual platform, and above the intellectual platform is the spiritual platform, and that is called Brahman platform. So athāto brahma jijñāsā. One should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. That is success of life.

Therefore Sanātana Gosvāmī is submitting that "Actually they address me as (paṇḍita), but I am not paṇḍita, because I am on the mental platform and the sensual platform, not even intellectual platform." And above that intellectual platform is the spiritual platform. So the śāstra says that one should be inquisitive on the spiritual platform. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Uttamam means spiritual. Tama means material, and jyoti means spiritual. So Vedic instruction is tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ: "Don't remain in the dark, material platform. You just approach a spiritual platform."

General Lectures

Everyone is thinking that "I am this body." This platform is called sensual platform because so long we have bodily conception of life, we think happiness means sense gratification.

Northeastern University Lecture -- Boston, April 30, 1969:

Every one of us in this material world, we are under this bodily concept of life. I am thinking Indian, "I am Indian." You are thinking you are American. Somebody's thinking, "I am Russian." Somebody's thinking, "I am somebody else." So everyone is thinking that "I am this body." This is one standard, or one platform. This platform is called sensual platform because so long we have bodily conception of life, we think happiness means sense gratification. That's all. Happiness means sense gratification because body means senses. So indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ (BG 3.42). Lord Kṛṣṇa says that in the material concept of life, or bodily concept of life, our senses are very prominent. That is going on at the present moment. Not at the present moment; since the creation of this material world. That is the disease, that "I am this body." Śrīmad-Bhāgavata says that yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhiḥ (SB 10.84.13), that "Anyone who has the concept of this bodily understanding, that 'I am this body...' " Ātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātu. Ātma-buddhiḥ means concept of self in this bag of skin and bone. This is a bag. This body is a bag of skin, bone, blood, urine, stool, and so many nice things. You see? But we are thinking that "I am this bag of bone and skin and stool and urine. That is our beauty. That is our everything."

1969 Correspondence

We are working neither on the sensual platform, nor on the mental platform, nor on the intellectual platform. We are working completely on the spiritual platform.

Letter to Vrndavanesvari -- New Vrindaban 25 May, 1969:

We are working neither on the sensual platform, nor on the mental platform, nor on the intellectual platform. We are working completely on the spiritual platform. The concept of European, American, or Indian is based on the bodily platform. So long one is under the impression that he is this body, he cannot make much progress in this movement. Lord Caitanya says that factually all living entities are the servants of Krishna. This servitorship cannot be rendered from the material platform, because Krishna is not matter. He is Sat-Cit-Ananda Vigraha. Anyone trying to serve Krishna from the material platform of body, mind and intelligence cannot appreciate this fact. One has to become free from the contamination of matter, represented in gross and subtle forms as body, mind, intelligence and ego. Until then, one is not a pure devotee. In the Narada Pancaratra it is clearly stated that one has to become free from all material designations. So long as one is under the cover of material designations, he cannot serve Krishna. Therefore, we have to transcend this position by cleansing our hearts from such rubbish concept of life that I am American, I am European, I am Indian, I am this or that. Anyone keeping himself under such impression, but at the same time trying to get into Krishna Consciousness is called neophyte devotee, or prakrta.