Dr. Patel: Now, brahmaṇo pratiṣṭhāham, brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). How the atmā becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ?
Prabhupāda: Take the words of Kṛṣṇa; you become Brahman.
Dr. Patel: That means he becomes Brahman. He realizes himself as Brahman.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Brahman he is, but the rascal, he is thinking, "I am American," "I am Indian." That is rascaldom. He is Brahman. By origin he is Brahman, but a rascal, due to his rascaldom, he is thinking that "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim," "I am Indian," "I am American." That is rascaldom. Otherwise he's Brahman. So when he gives up this wrong conception of life and accepts that "I am part and parcel of the Supreme Brahman," that is brahma-bhuta (SB 4.30.20). Otherwise he is jīva-bhutaḥ. (aside:) Thank you. Jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5): "These living entities, jīva bhūtaḥ, they are conducting the whole universal affairs." Jīva-bhūtaṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate. Without jīva what is the value? These buildings are constructed because the jīvas have taken the material from the matter and done. So everything is like that. Why these trees are there? The jīvas have taken the shape of this tree, and it looks beautiful. Jīva bhūtaḥ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ . . . Everything is like that. So that is jīva. So that jīva . . . In the material concept of life the tree is thinking, "I am tree," the dog is thinking, "I am dog," I am thinking, "I am Indian," you are thinking something else. So this is jīva-bhūta. And when he understands that ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is brahma-bhūta. Simple thing. Ekatvam. Ekatvam . . .
Dr. Patel: Anupaśyati.
Prabhupāda: Anupaśyati (BG 13.31). That ekatvam, when he actually becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ—we understand that all these living entities, we are part and parcel of God, paṇḍitaḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18)—that is ekatvam, that "We are all servants." But the rascals are thinking, "I am master."
Dr. Patel: Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate.
Prabhupāda: Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu means that every one of us, we are servant of God. That is ekatvam. Ekatvam anupaśyati. Anu means always. Anu means following the authority. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (break) (Hindi) It is not that something matter becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. No. He is Brahman.
Dr. Patel: He realizes that he is Brahman.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all.
Dr. Patel: He was not realizing it then.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Dr. Patel: He was realizing he was body.
Prabhupāda: So long he thinks himself as the body, he is jīva-bhutaḥ.
Dr. Patel: You said very well yesterday.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Jīva-bhūtaḥ. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). They are thinking, "Indian," American," "brāhmaṇa," "śūdra," "man," "dog," "cat," "tree." This is jīva-bhutaḥ. And when he understands that "I am not these things; I am Brahman," that is brahma . . . therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. His teaching is completely on the spiritual platform. Therefore people misunderstand us. Because we are speaking from the spiritual platform everything, they cannot understand. It requires practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8).