View source for Krsna is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also. So goodness is not qualification for spiritual advancement

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{{terms|"Krsna is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also. So goodness is not qualification for spiritual advancement"}}
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[[Category:Krsna's Advice]]
[[Category:Krsna and Arjuna]]
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[[Category:goodness]]
[[Category:passion]]
[[Category:ignorance]]
[[Category:After All]]
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[[Category:Activities Of...]]
[[Category:Within This Material World]]
[[Category:You Have To]]
[[Category:come]]
[[Category:above]]
[[Category:transcend]]
[[Category:position]]
[[Category:qualification]]
[[Category:Spiritual Advancement]]
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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG24045LosAngelesDecember131968_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="103" link="Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968">
<div class="heading">Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also. So goodness is not qualification for spiritual advancement, but it is helping. If a man is very good man, then it is helping to spiritual life. But that is not the cause.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968|Lecture on BG 2.40-45 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1968]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Devotee: "Samādhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment nor for those who are bewildered by such temporary things. They are more or less condemned by the process of material energy." Verse 45: "The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna ([[Vanisource:BG 2.45 (1972)|BG 2.45]]). The exact verse is like that. The whole material world is working under three modes of material nature. The modes of goodness, modes of passion, and modes of ignorance. Those who are acting in the modes of goodness, they are being elevated to higher standard of life. Those who are acting in the modes of passion, they'll remain in the same position as they are now, and those acting in the modes of ignorance, darkness, without any knowledge, they are being degraded in lower grades of life. This is material world. But Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that either goodness or passion or ignorance, after all, they are activities of this material world. You have to come above, transcend this position of goodness also. So goodness is not qualification for spiritual advancement, but it is helping. If a man is very good man, then it is helping to spiritual life. But that is not the cause. Here the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this chanting, is directly offering spiritual life. Even one is not in goodness, even one is in the darkest part of the quality of ignorance, still, he can be immediately elevated to the spiritual platform, which is recommended by Kṛṣṇa, that you have come to the platform above the modes of goodness. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is directly offering the spiritual platform which is above the mode of goodness. The quality of goodness will (be) automatically there. Any person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, his quality of goodness, namely, he does not indulge in illicit sex life, he does not smoke even or take tea or coffee even, he does not eat any forbidden foodstuff, neither he takes part in unnecessary gambling. So good character is immediately there. That is the test. How one is spiritually advanced will be tested how he has acquired all the good qualities. Not that a yogi talking with a cigarette in hand. There is a picture. (laughs) In our Back to Godhead somebody was talking with our representative. He cannot give up smoking even for a moment, chain smoker, and claiming, "I am God, I am spiritually advanced," (laughs) and so many nonsense thing. You see. He's being kicked up by material energy in so many ways, and still he's claiming, "Oh, everyone is God, I am God." God is so cheap thing, you see. And they are satisfied. "I am God." That's all. So this bluffing, these cheating things are going on. And because we are unable to cheat and bluff, nobody cooperates with us. They want to be cheated and bluffed. That is the business. Yes. Go on.</p>
<p>Devotee: "Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: To establish yourself. "Yourself" means you are part and parcel of the Supreme. So just like my hand. Some way or other, if my hand becomes paralyzed, it is not working. And as soon as it is established with this body, then it will work. The nerves and veins will at once work. Similarly, established in self. Because I am part and parcel of the Supreme Self, so my establishment with the Supreme Self means I will be active for Kṛṣṇa. This is the simple philosophy. As soon as I am active in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means I am established in the self. The same example. This finger, when it is diseased... Just like I am moving my finger very nicely. Because it is established with the whole body. But when it is detached or someway or other diseased, "Oh, I am feeling pain. I am not well." That is the diseased condition. So any person, any living entity, who is not engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities, he's detached. So one has to (be) reestablished. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. That is also explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Muktir hitvā anyathā rūpaṁ sva-rūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ. Mukti means liberation. What is the liberation? Liberation means, Bhāgavata explains, hitvā anyathā rūpam. Anyathā rūpam means a different identification. When one gives up the different identification and is established in his own real identity, that is called mukti. Now our identification is that "I am matter; therefore I am this body; therefore I belong to this country; therefore I am American; therefore I am this, I am that, I am that." You see? This is our diseased condition. So mukti means one has to be released from this wrong identification. And after giving up wrong identification, what is my real identification? Oh, I am, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, I am the part and parcel of the Supreme. That's it. So if anyone is reestablished in his original constitutional position as part and parcel of the Supreme and engages his energy in that way, he is liberated. This is the definition of liberation. So it is also advised here?</p>
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