The process which teaches us to go back to sanatana land, sanatana existence, that is called sanatana-dharma. Try to understand

Expressions researched:
"the process which teaches us to go back to sanātana land, sanātana existence, that is called sanātana-dharma. Try to understand"

General Lectures

We know sanātana-dharma. We have heard it only. But sanātana-dharma is not limited to a certain class of men or certain class of society or certain kind of country. No. Sanātana-dharma is meant for all living entities, because the living entity is sanātana, and God is sanātana, and the place where we can exist eternally, that place is called sanātana. And the process which teaches us to go back to sanātana land, sanātana existence, that is called sanātana-dharma. Try to understand, most of our Hindus, they call the sanātana-dharmī, but sanātana-dharma is not limited for any particular type of society.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 26, 1973:

So where is your national? Your national home is back to home, back to Godhead. That is your national, real, actual home. That is called sanātana. That I was explaining. There is another place, material . . . spiritual world. That is also called sanātana. And the jīva, the living entity, is also mentioned as sanātana. And Kṛṣṇa is also mentioned as sanātana. When these three sanātanas come together, that is called sanātana life, and any process that takes us to that sanātana position, that is called sanātana-dharma. That is called sanātana-dharma.

We know sanātana-dharma. We have heard it only. But sanātana-dharma is not limited to a certain class of men or certain class of society or certain kind of country. No. Sanātana-dharma is meant for all living entities, because living entity is sanātana, and God is sanātana, and the place where we can exist eternally, that place is called sanātana. And the process which teaches us to go back to sanātana land, sanātana existence, that is called sanātana-dharma. Try to understand. Most of our Hindus, they call the sanātana-dharmī, but sanātana-dharma is not limited for any particular type of society. It is meant for the whole human being, living entity. Living entity, sanātana. So when you accept this, when you understand what is sanātana, and we employ ourself in that process, that is called execution of sanātana-dharma.

So we are spreading this sanātana-dharma, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, throughout the whole world—not on the superficial platform of this bodily concept of life. We are teaching everyone that "You are not this body." Actually we are not, but it is because we are, at the present moment, we are educated as first-class rascals and fools, we are thinking that, "I am this body." This is the defect of the modern civilization. But actually what Kṛṣṇa is trying to instruct Arjuna . . . Arjuna means everyone. He's not simply talking with Arjuna. Arjuna is simply via media. (break) (duplicate) He's talking to the whole human society, intelligent class of men, that "We existed, we are existing now, and we shall exist also in the future." This is called sanātana, eternity.

So na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ (BG 2.12): "In the future we also shall exist." Now we should consider what is the problem now: I was present in the past, I am now present in the present, and I shall exist in the future. Then what is my problem? The problem is why I am changing this position of eternity. I am sanātana. I am eternal. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. That is the real existence, that I am Brahman. Brahman means eternal. But Kṛṣṇa is Para-brahman. Param means the supreme, the chief. Therefore there are two terms in the Vedic language: ātmā, paramātmā; brahman, parabrahman; īśvara, parameśvara. There are two terms. We are not parameśvara, not paramātmā, not parabrahman. We are ātmā, īśvara . . . we can say: "I am īśvara." What does it mean, īśvara? Īśvara means controller. So, although we are servant, at the same time we are controller.

That we can experience. I am now working in office. I am servant of the establishment, but I'm given some power to control over certain departments. So simultaneously, I am servant and controller. As controller, I can be called īśvara, īśvara, god, as controller. But I am not controller Supreme Controller. That I cannot say. Nobody can say that, "I am the Supreme Controller." That you cannot say. You can control, say, a dozen of men. Another can control a hundred men. Another can control a thousand, or millions. But nobody can say that, "I am the controller of the whole universe." That is not possible. That controller is Kṛṣṇa.

Therefore in the śāstra it is said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Bs. 5.1): "The Supreme Controller is Kṛṣṇa."