View source for We cannot remember what was, what I was in my past life. Neither I know what I am going to be in the next life. But there is. I was in the past, I am in the present, and I shall remain in the future. That is my position

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{{terms|"we cannot remember what was, what I was in my past life. Neither I know what I am going to be in the next life. But there is. I was in the past, I am in the present, and I shall remain in the future. That is my position"}}
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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="LectureonBG45MontrealJune101968_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="140" link="Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968">
<div class="heading">Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are on the same level. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni. "My dear Arjuna, I have many many appearance and disappearance in the past. Similarly, you had also many appearance and disappearances in the past. But the difference is, tāny ahaṁ veda. My appearance and disappearances, I remember everything, past, present, future, everything. Na tvaṁ vettha parantapa, but you do not." Now, we cannot remember what was, what I was in my past life. Neither I know what I am going to be in the next life. But there is. I was in the past, I am in the present, and I shall remain in the future. That is my position.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968|Lecture on BG 4.5 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Now Kṛṣṇa is explaining to Arjuna the difference between a living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is very distinct here that both you and Me had many, many, many other appearances and disappearances. "Birth and death," that is ordinary word. Actually, the word is "appearance and disappearance." Just like the sun. The sun sets and sun rise. This is our calculation. The sun is there always, twenty-four hours, but to our limited understanding, because we cannot see... Now just, this is sun-setting time. After setting of the sun the people on this part of the world, they will not see the sun. That does not mean that sun is not there. Sun is there, but this part of the world cannot see it, and that we say sunset.</p>
<p>Similarly, if this is possible for a material object... sun is nothing but a material object, lump of material matter, very powerful, predominantly fiery. That's all. Everything in the material world, they're made of five elements: ether, air, and fire, water, and earth. So in somewhere the earth is predominant, somewhere the air is predominant, somewhere the fire is predominant. So there are innumerable planets, and the sun is one of them. So this is also material object. If it is possible for the material object to disappear and appear within our limited senses, what to speak of God and His devotees. So God does not mean that because He is not visible to our imperfect senses, therefore God has no existence. This is foolishness. God is existent. But one who has got eyes to see...</p>
<p>What is that eye? Just like a small child. If I say to the small child, so "Sun is there in the sky, and the child will say, "Show me where is the sun." And if somebody says, "Yes, come on, I shall show you sun. Come on the roof. I have got a torch-light." As it is not possible to show the sun at night, although the child is insisting, similarly, the so-called scientists who are claiming that there is no God, they're just like the child. You have to understand. Just like a man who is advanced in knowledge, he knows that sun is there. Although I cannot see at night, but sun is there. He's convinced. Similarly, those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they can see God in every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38).</p>
<p>And what is that scientific knowledge? That is very simple. Prema. If you have love of God, then you are qualified to see God every moment. Premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (Bs. 5.38). When one's eyes are smeared with the ointment of love of Godhead, by that clear eyes... Just like sometimes we use ointment to the eye to see very clearly, similarly, these eyes, these material eyes, are incompetent to see God. These ears incompetent to hear the holy name of God. This tongue is incompetent to chant the holy name of God. Similarly, all the senses, they are, being material. So constitutionally, they cannot see God, they cannot hear of God, they cannot chant of the holy name of God. But it is possible. The śāstra gives you indication.</p>
<p>Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). If you are in service attitude, then beginning from your tongue... Jihvā, jihvā means tongue. Jihvādau, beginning with tongue. The God realization begins with your tongue and ear. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and hear the transcendental name, and gradually you shall realize.</p>
<p>Just like an experienced man knows that there is sun in the sky although it is invisible. Similarly, the actual word, here it is stated, bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni tava cārjuna. So God or the living entities, they're appearing and disappearing. Just try to understand the same example, sun. Sun is always existing, but it is appearing and disappearing. Similarly, we also appear and disappear.</p>
<p>Actually, we are eternal. Both God and the living entities they are qualitatively one, eternal. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). Sat means eternity, and cit means full of knowledge, and ānanda means full of joy. These are the qualifications of God and living entity. Therefore we are hankering after pleasure. All people are working hard, day and night, for pleasure. Because by constitution, he is pleasureful, joyful. As soon as there is little hindrance to the process of his joyfulness he becomes sorry. This is my nature. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1). But God and the living entity, both being sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ... Vigraha means form, individuality. So God has form, and you have got also form, I have got also form, everyone has got form. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). He is the supreme individual personality, and we are subordinate personalities. That is the difference. Otherwise, in quality, God, you and me, are all the same. That Kṛṣṇa says.</p>
<p>So far appearance and disappearance is concerned, Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa are on the same level. Bahūni me vyatītāni janmāni. "My dear Arjuna, I have many many appearance and disappearance in the past. Similarly, you had also many appearance and disappearances in the past. But the difference is, tāny ahaṁ veda. My appearance and disappearances, I remember everything, past, present, future, everything. Na tvaṁ vettha parantapa, but you do not." Now, we cannot remember what was, what I was in my past life. Neither I know what I am going to be in the next life. But there is. I was in the past, I am in the present, and I shall remain in the future. That is my position.</p>
<p>In the Second Chapter, it is said by Kṛṣṇa, "My dear Arjuna, both you and Me and all these kings and soldiers who are assembled here, do not think that they did not exist in the past, or they will cease to exist in the future. They existed in the past as individuals, and they are existing at present as individuals, and they will exist in the future also as individuals." This is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Second Chapter. The difference between God and living entity is this, that God knows past, present, future, and I or you do not know past, present and future. That is the difference.</p>
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