View source for Suppose I am now human being, and I change my dress to become a demigod, or I change my dress to become a dog. It does not mean that I am finished. I have simply changed my dress, according to my karma

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{{terms|"suppose I am now human being, and I change my dress to become a demigod, or I change my dress to become a dog. It does not mean that I am finished. I have simply changed my dress, according to my karma"}}
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{{compiler|Krsnadas}}
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[[Category:According to Karma]]
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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="LectureonBG212HyderabadNovember171972_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="54" link="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972">
<div class="heading">, this body, this material body, has been explained as dress. So if I change my dress... Now, suppose I am now human being, and I change my dress to become a demigod, or I change my dress to become a dog. It does not mean that I am finished. I have simply changed my dress, according to my karma.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Bhakti... If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, then we come to our perfection. At the present moment, we are illusioned. Just like every one of us thinking that "I am this body." Otherwise, why there is so much fighting? Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." This bodily concept of life is māyā, illusion, or ignorance. So the whole process is to drive away the ignorance. Drive away. That is called jñāna. We are in the ajñāna.</p>
:ajñāna-timirāndhasya
:jñānāñjana-śalākayā
:cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
:tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
<p>Every one of us is covered by the darkness of ajñāna. What is that ajñāna? "I am this body." "I am Indian." "I am American." "I am Andhra," "I am Bengali." "I am this, I am that." So there is fighting, due to ajñāna. So first of all we have to drive away this ajñāna. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna that "You are not this body. You are spirit soul." This is the first spiritual instruction by the authority to anyone, that "You are not this body." So by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra... It is the medicine recommended in the śāstra, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam ([[Vanisource:CC Antya 20.12|CC Antya 20.12]]). That dust of ignorance is moved. He can understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. My duty is to serve Kṛṣṇa." In this way, he becomes enlightened gradually.</p>
<p>Question: Lord Kṛṣṇa has claimed in the past He was existing, in present, He exists, in future He will be. In what... (break)... form Kṛṣṇa is not?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Just like you have dressed now, covered yourself with some type of dress. So if you change your dress, does it mean that you are finished?</p>
<p>Indian: But He...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Try to understand: You are now in my presence dressed in a certain type of covering. Now, if you change this covering, does it mean you are finished.</p>
<p>Indian: No.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Similarly, this body, this material body, has been explained as dress. So if I change my dress... Now, suppose I am now human being, and I change my dress to become a demigod, or I change my dress to become a dog. It does not mean that I am finished. I have simply changed my dress, according to my karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti ([[Vanisource:SB 3.31.1|SB 3.31.1]]). By your karma, you'll have a dress. After death, as it is explained in this verse, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ([[Vanisource:BG 2.20 (1972)|BG 2.20]]), the living soul is not destroyed after the destruction of this body. Therefore he remains, and his finer dress, subtle dress, is there—mind, intelligence, and ego. So according to the composition of his mind, he develops another gross dress. This is the process. So you, spirit soul, you are always the same, although you are changing dress. Our problem is that we are perpetually changing dress, but our desire is to have a permanent life. That is spiritual education. You can have a permanent life, permanent dress, permanent knowledge, if you become free from this dress-changing problem. That is called mukti. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to stop this business of dress changing. Yes?</p>
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