We should understand that we have got a separate business, real business. That is called self-realization that, "I am not this body." This is self-realization. That is being instructed by Kṛṣṇa in the beginning that, "You are not this body." The first understanding, first knowledge, is to understand that, "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. I have got a different business." It is not that this temporary actions or activities like as a dog or as a human being or as a tiger or as a tree or as a fish, there are activities. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca (Hitopadeśa). The same principle of bodily necessities: eating, sleeping, sex life and defense. But in the human form of life, I have got a separate business, self-realization, to get out of this bodily entanglement. And that is called knowledge.
Without this knowledge, anything we are advancing in knowledge, that is foolishness, that's all. Śrama eva hi kevalam (SB 1.2.8). Śrama eva hi kevalam. Śrama eva hi kevalam means simply working uselessly and wasting time. You cannot check the nature's law. Suppose in this life you are very big leader, prime minister, and everything. That's all right, but according to your mentality, you are creating next life. So in this life you remain a prime minister, and in next life you become a dog. Then where is the benefit? There is not . . . therefore these atheist fools, they want to deny next life. That is very horrible for them. That is very horrible to them. If they accept next life . . . they know their life is very sinful. Then what life they are going to get by the laws of nature? When they think of it, they shudder. "Better deny it. Better deny it." Just like a rabbit. Enemy is in his front, and he is going to die, but he thinks, "Let me close my eyes, I am out of danger."
This is atheistic view, that they are trying to forget that there is . . . therefore they deny, "There is no life." Why not? Kṛṣṇa says that "You had a childhood body. You had a baby . . . now you have . . . where is that body? You have left that. You are in different body. Similarly, this body you'll change. You will get another body." And who says? Kṛṣṇa says. The most superior authority, He says. I may not understand, but when He says . . . this is the process of our knowledge.
We accept knowledge from the perfect person. I may be fool, but the knowledge received from the perfect person is perfect. This is our process. We don't try to speculate. That may or may not be successful, but if you accept knowledge from the perfect authority, that knowledge is perfect. Just like we are speculating, "Who is my father?" You can speculate who is your father, but that speculation will not help you. You will never understand who is your father. But you go to your mother, the supreme authority. She'll immediately, "Here is your father." That's all. And you cannot know father in any other way. There is no other way. This is practical. You cannot know your father without the authoritative statement of your mother. Similarly, things which are beyond your perception, avan mānasa-gocara, you cannot think of, you cannot speak of. Sometimes they say: "God cannot be spoken. God cannot be thought of." That is all right. But if God Himself comes before you and says: "Here I am," then where is the difficulty? Where is the difficulty? I am imperfect. I cannot know. That's all right. But if God Himself comes before me . . . so this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to know everything perfectly from the supreme authority, Kṛṣṇa. This is the process. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand subject matter which is beyond our perception, you have to approach such authority who can inform you. Exactly in the same way: to understand who is my father is beyond my perception, beyond my speculation, but if I accept the authoritative statement of my mother, this is perfect knowledge.