Not real life

Expressions researched:
"not real life"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You have to go above that. That systematic division of the society is also sense gratification. That is not real life. That is also sense gratification. But it is systematized.

Lecture on BG 4.26 -- Bombay, April 15, 1974: My position is servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is my constitutional position. So Kṛṣṇa means to serve Kṛṣṇa's desire, what Kṛṣṇa says. As Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekam [Bg. 18.66]. He is demanding. But if we do not do that, that means we are not willing to serve Kṛṣṇa. Then.... My position is serve, to serve. Then I have to serve in my designation. "I am the master of this family, I am the belong to this society, to this nation, to this, that." so many. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam [SB 5.5.8]. Illusory master you have to serve, because you have to serve. So these indriyas, unless they are purified by becoming without any designation... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a sannyāsī, I am a kṣatriya, I am not a brahmacārī." Because these are designation. Varṇāśrama-dharma, four varṇas and four āśramas. Of course, now we do not know even this designation. We are simply animals at the present moment. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam. But human society means to divide the whole human society into these eight divisions, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha. Then it is systematic. But you have to go above that. That systematic division of the society is also sense gratification. That is not real life. That is also sense gratification. But it is systematized.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

They think that in the spiritual world there is no more such relationship as master, friend, or father and son, or beloved and the lover. There is no such thing. But here in the śāstra we see that that is real life. This is not real life. It is shadow.

Lecture on SB 3.25.38 -- Bombay, December 7, 1974: The fact is that Kṛṣṇa is permanent, but Kṛṣṇa's material energy is not permanent. Therefore it is said, śānta-rūpe, "My dear mother," na karhicin mat-parāḥ. Mat-parāḥ. Mat means Bhagavān. Bhagavān is speaking, mat-parāḥ. Whenever... As in the Bhagavad-gītā also there are many words, mat-parāḥ, or plural number, mat-parāḥ, the same thing. So here also, Kapiladeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, says, mat-parāḥ—means "My devotees. My devotees who have taken Me as his son, friend, lover, master..." There are so many rasas: śānta-rasa, dāsya-rasa, sākhya-rasa, vātsalya-rasa, mādhurya-rasa, in so many. Those rasas, or mellows, are represented here in the material world in a temporary way. Here we have got the same rasa: I love my son. I love my friend. I love my husband. There is love, but this is all temporary. But if you transfer this love to Kṛṣṇa either as your master or the Supreme or as friend or as your son or as your lover or husband, it will never be destroyed. That is permanent settlement. This is to be understood. But the Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand. They think that in the spiritual world there is no more such relationship as master, friend, or father and son, or beloved and the lover. There is no such thing. But here in the śāstra we see that that is real life. This is not real life. It is shadow. In the Bhagavad-gītā in the Fifteenth Chapter it has been described as shadow.

"I don't like this" means this is not real life. The real life is different.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968: That is materialistic life. As soon as we get this body, there is birth, there is death, there is old age and there is disease. Therefore if you want real happiness then you have to get free from all these four—miserable life. That is spiritual life. You have to become free from birth, you have to become free from death, you have to become free from old age, and you have to become free from disease. That is real life. "I don't like this" means this is not real life. The real life is different. So if that real life you want, then you have to follow the process. That is being discussed here.

The material existence means it is ocean of ignorance and nescience, and one has to cross over it. Then he gets the real life. This is not real life.

Lecture on SB 6.2.11 -- Allahabad, January 16, 1971, null: Really, originally, the, I mean to say regulator of religious principle is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Kṛṣṇa is sometimes addressed as dharma-setu. Setu means bridge. We have to cross over. The whole plan is that we have to cross over the ocean of nescience in which we are now fallen. The material existence means it is ocean of ignorance and nescience, and one has to cross over it. Then he gets the real life. This is not real life.

So long we are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our opposite number of life, not real life.

Lecture on SB 7.5.23-24 -- Vrndavana, March 31, 1976, null: So as soon as you engage yourself in pure devotional service without any material desire, without any material designation, immediately you are liberated. Svarūpena avasthiti. That is real situation of our constitutional position. So long we are not engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, that is our opposite number of life, not real life. Real life is when you are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, always engaged. That is life. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. So to be fixed up in that spiritual life we should always engage ourself, śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam of whom? Viṣṇu. Of Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Even not of any other demigods, what to speak of ordinary beings. We are engaged in śravaṇaṁ kīrtana from the morning. We take a newspaper and we read what the politician says, what so many nonsense things. We waste our time. Śrama eva hi kevalam [SB 1.2.8]. We should increase our taste for hearing and chanting about Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa.

We are living this material existence, this is not real life. Real life is to become mahā-bhāgavata.

Lecture on SB 7.9.4 -- Mayapur, February 11, 1976, null: Every living entity originally nitya-siddha, but somehow or other, just like Jaya-Vijaya, fell down in this material world, and he was delivered also, both of them were delivered. So although you have fallen in this material world, and suffering the pangs of material existence, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi [Bg. 13.9], on account of accepting this material body, still, Kṛṣṇa personally comes, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. This is glāniḥ, discrepancies. We are living this material existence, this is not real life. Real life is to become mahā-bhāgavata.

Philosophy Discussions

"No, this is not real life. The real life is Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: Does the condition of being entrapped, enhance the understanding of liberation?

Prabhupāda: Yes, unless one understands that he is entrapped, there is no question of liberation. If he's in ignorance that this is the real life... Just like ordinary man, they think this is real life but we are giving education, "No, this is not real life. The real life is Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Śyāmasundara: Does someone who has been in prison and then he becomes free, does he appreciate his freedom more than someone who has always been free?

Prabhupāda: So, that's very easy to understand. You can apply the same thing in your life. That is not very difficult. Everyone can understand.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Not real life, but the proteins that life is made of...

Room Conversation with Dr. Christian Hauser, Psychiatrist -- September 10, 1973, Stockholm:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is. Because he cannot produce life. Actually, he cannot, but he's lecturing on this basis.

Dr. Hauser: But he has produced four stages of life.

Prabhupāda: Ehh?

Dr. Hauser: Not real life, but the proteins that life is made of...

Prabhupāda: But we are concerned with the real life. We are consider, concerned with the real life. If you can produce one real life, a small ant, not human being, then I shall think that you are successful in your program. But that you cannot do. Why do you talk nonsense? Therefore you are cheating. Why should he say: "That I cannot say," if he's not confident. That means cheating. Everyone is doing that. He's not confident about his theory, and he's speaking long, long speech. And people are fools. They are hearing. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ [SB 7.5.31]. One blind man is leading many blind man. What is the benefit? The leader has no eyes, and he's leading many blind men. What is the use?

That is not real life. That is another thing.

Morning Walk -- December 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: Well, they just fall short of their philosophy, the philosophy they hold as ideal.

Prabhupāda: So, these are all no argument. No sane man will accept this argu...

Karandhara: Most western people are so frustrated, they accept these philosophies wholeheartedly.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is frustration. That is not real life. That is another thing.

Karandhara: But like you say in Bhagavad-gītā, they are so angry with all types of speculation that they become frustrated and disgusted.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Frustration is not life. Frustration is frustration, disappointment. That is not life.

Karandhara: They say that frustration is the only reality.