We are not this body, but we are placed in this body. Exactly the same as I already explained: that the father gives the seed within the womb of the mother, yathā bījaṁ yathā yoni (SB 6.1.54). Bījaṁ means the semina of the father, and yoni is the mother. So in this way, we are put into this material world and then we develop different types of body according to our desire. This is the understanding of kṣetra and kṣetra-jña.
Kṣetra-jña means one who understands his body. Just like if you meditate upon your body—you study your finger, whether I am this finger—you come to the conclusion that, "I am not this finger—it is my finger." Similarly, if you study your hands, legs and all parts of the body, you will come to the conclusion that you are not this body but the body is belonging to you. It is your body.
So the modern civilization do not know "What I am." They are working under the impression that I am body. If I ask you, "What you are, gentleman?" he'll say: "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Sikh," "I am Christian," like that. But these are the identification of the body. But I am not this body. Kṣetra, kṣetra-jña: body is the field of my activities, different bodies.
Just like dog is engaged in one kind of activity, and the cat is engaged in one kind of activity, or the human being is engaged in another kind of activity, so these differences of activities are due to the difference of body, kṣetra. But when you come to the platform of soul, when you understand that, "I am not this body," then the activity is different. That activity is called spiritual activity. The material activity and spiritual activity.
So material activity and spiritual activity. So long we are under the concept of bodily life, our activities are material. But as soon as you understand that, "I do not belong to the body. I am not this body, but I am spirit soul, ahaṁ brahmāsmi . . ." The exact Vedic language in this connection is called ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." This knowledge is perfect. So long we are under the concept of body that, "I am this body," that is ignorance. In the śāstra it is said:
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv sa abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
So long we are in this bodily concept of life, then as long as we are feeling like that, all our activities are our defeat. Parābhava. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto (SB 5.5.5). Abodha-jātaḥ. The animals or the human beings—everyone, just like this child—abodha-jātaḥ: born ignorant. Similarly, human being, if he remains under the bodily concept of life, then he is ignorant. That is called śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: the Vedic culture says that everyone born is a śūdra. Therefore he has to be given knowledge, exactly like we send our children to schools, colleges. Why? To get knowledge.
Similarly, if we remain satisfied simply with the birth by our father or mother, that is śūdra condition. One has to be raised to the brahminical condition. Janmanā . . . there is a process. The process is janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. Everyone is born śūdra by birth. It is not that by birth one becomes brahmin; otherwise the śāstra would not have stated like this, that janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ: "By birth everyone is śūdra." Saṁskārād dhi bhaved dvijaḥ: but when he has executed the purificatory process, sanctifying process . . .
There are ten kinds of sanctifying process. Even when the father is going to give birth to the child, he has to undergo a ritualistic ceremony, which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra, seed-giving ceremony. That is the Vedic function, garbhādhāna. But in the Kali-yuga all these saṁskāras are not followed strictly. Otherwise, according to śāstra, if these garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not done . . . Garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is especially recommended for the brahmins, the kṣatriyas and the vaiśyas—especially the brahmins.
So now in this age no saṁskāra is adopted; therefore he remains a śūdra, janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ, because the purificatory processes are not practised. Therefore, janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. And in this age, Kali-yuga, the processes are not observed; therefore śāstra says, kalau śūdra-sambhava. In this age, Kali-yuga, it is everyone is śūdra: kalau śūdra-sambhava.
So this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is making everyone a brahmin from the śūdra stage. This is a purificatory process. Just like you see these European and American boys, they are undergoing purificatory process. Purificatory process means to avoid sinful activities. That is purificatory. If you don't act sinfully, then you are pure.
So the basic principles of sinful life are four: striya sūnā pāna dyūta yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā (SB 1.17.38). Catur-vidhā means four kinds of sinful activities are . . . striya means to have illicit sex life. According to Vedic principles, sex life cannot be performed without a married life that is sanctioned by religion. Therefore in human society there is system of marriage.
Not that you keep a woman, you keep a man, like cats and dogs; no human society. May be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh—it doesn't matter—any civilized form of society has got this system of marriage, because without marriage sex life is irreligious. Therefore this is one of the sinful activities: to have illicit sex life.
And sūnā, sūnā means killing of animals. Killing of animals . . . even in Christian religion it is forbidden: "Thou shall not kill." Out of the Ten Commandments the first commandment is, "Thou shall not kill." In the Buddha religion there is also the same thing: ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ. So in other religions, Hindu religion, they are . . . there are sometimes killing of animals in sacrifices. But that is not for eating purpose. The test of Vedic mantra was, I mean to say, verified how the mantras are being chanted. So sometimes the animals were put into the fire, and the animal would come out again with new life. That was the test of Vedic mantras.