So because Vyāsadeva knew that "Later on this Vedānta-sūtra will be misinterpreted by so many rascals," therefore he left the comment on the Vedānta-sūtra in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore if we hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his disciplic succession, then we shall enjoy life even after liberation. Rasam ālayam. Ālayam. Ālayam means liberation, means this material life completely finished, spiritual life. In the spiritual life also, you will enjoy Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But for whom it is meant? That is said here, muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ. Those who are very thoughtful and rasika, humorous, transcendentally humorous, they can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and enjoy it. That's all right. Now any question? (break)
Enjoy life (Lectures, SB)
Expressions researched:
"enjoy a life"
|"enjoy a life"
|"enjoy family life"
|"enjoy family life"
|"enjoy life"
|"enjoy material life"
|"enjoy social life"
|"enjoy this life"
|"enjoyable life"
|"enjoyed life"
|"enjoyed material life"
|"enjoying life"
|"enjoys a life"
|"enjoys life"
|"enjoys material life"
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
"There is no life after death, and whatever senses we have got, let us enjoy it." Then bhasmī-bhūtasya dehasya... That it is a new thing. This atheistic philosophy was there long, long ago. They have not discovered anything new. It is already there. In India, the atheistic philosophy was already there. Cārvāka Muni, he used to say, "Enjoy life, senses. Gratify your senses some way or other." "No, I have no sufficient money." Ṛṇam kṛtvā: "Take. Beg, borrow, steal. Bring money." There are three methods of getting money. If one hasn't got money, then beg. Just like we are beginning, professional beggar, sannyāsī. They beg, borrow. And those who are not beggar, they borrow from friend, or steal, by hook and crook. So that is Cārvāka theory. "Bring money some way or other. Beg, borrow or steal." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā, the very word is used. "If you have no money, then take loan from your friends."
What is the glucose water? The water only. But the patient will think, that "I am eating." He does not know, if he eats, he will die. If he eats, he will die. But the doctor, just to bluff him, "All right. You take this glucose water." You see? But he must know that "I am eating something." And he cannot digest more than glucose.
Similarly, in our diseased condition, we actually we cannot enjoy life. The sex impulse is there in the Vaikuṇṭha also. But they are so elevated that, after all, it is enjoyment. If you get better enjoyment, you give up. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). That is the nature. You are enjoying something, but if you get better enjoyment, you give up this inferior enjoyment. So don't think in the Vaikuṇṭha or in Goloka Vṛndāvana there is no sex impulse. There is—in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But not like this abominable way. The impulse is there in a perfect order. So they're enjoying.
This is our movement. Otherwise how these Europeans and Americans... They never heard what is Kṛṣṇa, but why they have left everything? They are young boys, young girls. They could enjoy life in their county very nicely. But the name is so powerful. I started this movement simply by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Still we are going that. So this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is so powerful. You understand or do not understand; if you go on chanting regularly, one day you will come to the platform—you will clearly understand what is the meaning of God. This is Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
So our request is therefore that if you want to be situated on the superior platform of understanding the meaning of religion, then this is the only way at the present moment, in this age. Because other processes are very difficult.
Just like your President. He is most powerful man, but he's working hard, more than asses and hogs, to get the post of presidency. So pariśrama...
So nobody can say that "Without working hard, I shall achieve something." That is not possible. But our tendency is that we do not wish to work; therefore, at the end of the week, we take some, I mean to say, leisure, go out of the city, and try to forget all our hard labor throughout the week. But on Monday, again we have to come back. This is going on. Nobody actually... Because a living entity by nature, being part and parcel of God, he wants also enjoy life without work. That is his tendency. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is enjoying with gopīs, with Rādhārāṇī. But He's not working. He hasn't got to work. We don't hear from Bhāgavatam, any Vedic literature, that Kṛṣṇa has a great factory, and He has to go office at ten o'clock, and then bring money, and then enjoy with Rādhārāṇī. No. (laughter) We don't want that such kind of rascal God. (laughter) We want God who hasn't got to work anything.
What I am eating? Perhaps I am not eating. When I come home, I take a piece of bread and a cup of tea, bas, finished. But he does not think "Why am I working hard? I am not eating more. I am not occupying more place. I cannot enjoy fully sense gra..." Simply an idea: "More money, more money, more money." Therefore he's ass. Ass does not enjoy life, but works very hard. We have got... Several times explained. In India, the washermen keep an ass, and the ass bears ten tons of loads on the backside and goes to the ghāṭa, for washing ghāṭa. And he is let loose there, and a morsel of grass, a little, few pieces of grass. And he's eating there, standing, for again returning with ten tons of load. He is given freedom. He does not think that "Why shall I work so hard? This grass is available everywhere. I can go. Why I am working for this washerman?" But he has no sense. Therefore he is called ass. Similarly, all these karmīs, they are working so hard, but they are eating, say, two pieces of bread and a cup of tea or milk. That's all. Or something else.
Sense gratification is there, is also. Just like the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. That is cin-māyā. Cini means home(?); mithuna means dual, couple, the spiritual couple. Similarly here also, the same spiritual our duties are there, but because it is covered by this material body, it is perverted. So, just like when you are diseased, we cannot enjoy life; that is forbidden. If one is suffering from tuberculosis, and if he wants to enjoy sex life, that means he is bringing death. Similarly, in this material condition of life if we want to aggravate our sense gratification process, then we invite very from..., very quickly death. Death means, spiritual death, to become more and more entangled in material things.
"Then he becomes free from the bondage of birth and death, no more birth and death." Janma-bandhana. This is a, this is a very strong shackle. You see? Janma. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). The modern scientists, modern philosophers, they do not think about these four things, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi, birth, death, disease and old age. They set it, set them aside. "Oh, let them be happy. Let us enjoy this life, hogs and dogs." This is human life. Human life is meant to make a solution of this bondage: life, I mean, birth, death, disease and old age. If the human civilization has not made a solution of these four things, oh, that is not human civilization. Human civilization is meant for making a complete solution of these things.
So here, in the Bhagavad-gītā, just see how the Lord says that karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi. Karma-jam. Karma-jam means whenever you act, there will be some reaction. If you act good things, there will be a good reaction. If you act bad things, there will be bad reaction.
What is that difficulty? We don't eat meat, and instead we get nice other food. So what is the difficulty? If we don't become hogs and enjoy senses like hogs without discrimination of mother, sister and daughter, if we become attached to one wife and enjoy life, what is the difficulty? No, although I have got my wife, I am implicated with others' wives; I have got husband, I am implicated with others' husbands. No tapasya. They are not prepared for any kind of tapasya. They want cats' and dogs' lives. Therefore their next life is waiting, cats and dogs.
So this is the position. Nara-nārāyaṇa, They underwent severe penances just like Dhruva Mahārāja. But in this age it is not possible. But at least observe these short penances, little penances, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and make your life successful.
That is struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to become happy and avoid danger. This is the material business. Ātyantika-sukham. Ātyantika-sukham. Ultimate happiness. A man is working and thinking: "Let me work now very hard, and let me have some bank balance so when I shall get old, I shall enjoy life without any working." That is the inner intention of everyone. Nobody wants to work. As soon as he gets some money he wants to retire from work, and to become happy. But that is not possible. You cannot be happy in that way.
Here it is said: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). The real danger is... She is speaking of apunaḥ. Apunaḥ means... A means not, and punar bhava means repetition of birth and death. The real danger is repetition of birth and death. That has to be stopped. And not this so-called danger. This is all... The material world is full of dangers. Padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām (SB 10.14.58).
These, they, people do not know that. They think, especially in this age that: "I am now in comfortable position. I have got enough money. I have got enough estate. I have got enough comforts, enough food. So as soon as the body's finished so I am not going to take birth again. So long I am living, let me enjoy life." This is the modern philosophy, hedonism. But that is not the fact. Kuntī is therefore anxious: apunar bhava-darśanam (SB 1.8.25). Apunar bhava, not to repeat. If you see always Kṛṣṇa, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Your consciousness should be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa thought.
Therefore we give different varieties of engagement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We should not divert our energy. Now when we are selling book, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We are selling book. But if we think that the selling book may be diverted into selling jewelry, that is not very good idea.
There are three material modes of nature. If you keep yourself in touch with the material modes of nature of goodness, then you will be promoted to the higher standard of life. Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). Therefore at least, you may enjoy material life, but you should keep yourself to the standard of brahminical culture. Then there is guarantee that you don't degrade yourself; you get higher status of life in the higher planetary system: Janaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, Satyaloka. Then you will get... But if you keep yourself as it is, then you will remain in this planetary system. This is called bhūr-loka. Bhūr-loka. Oṁ bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ tat-savituḥ. You have gāyatrī-mantra. This is called bhū-loka. Bhuvar-loka. Then, above this, there is bhuvar-loka; then, above this, the heavenly planets. There is system. And if you keep yourself in the association of the modes of ignorance, or foolishness, then you go down. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ (BG 14.18). Jaghanya-guṇa.
That was... Kuntī was regretting that "When we are in distress, You are always with us. Now You have given us kingdom and everything. Now You are going away to Dvārakā. What is this, Kṛṣṇa? Better let us go again to that distressed condition so that You remain with us." Akiñcana-gocara. Kṛṣṇa is akiñcana-gocara. Anyone who wants to enjoy material life, it is not possible to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is very secret.
Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, niṣkiñcanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya. Bhagavad-bhajana, to become devotee, Kṛṣṇa conscious, is meant for niṣkiñcanasya, one who does not possess anything in the material world. That does not mean he should be poverty-stricken. No. He should know it fully that "Nothing belongs to me; everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. I am simply His servant, that's all." This is called akiñcana. If I think that "Keeping Kṛṣṇa in front, let me possess some material things," that is another cheating. That is not... Akiñcana.
God, or Kṛṣṇa, He gives everything, necessities of life, as you like, but if you accept your enjoyable things as you like, then you'll become entangled. But if you accept things to be enjoyed by you, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā (ISO 1), as Kṛṣṇa offers you, then you'll become happy. If you make, just like a diseased patient, if he wants to enjoy life in his own whimsical way, he'll continue his disease. But if he accepts the modes of life according to the directions of the physician, then he becomes free from So there are two methods, pravṛtti and nivṛtti. Pravṛtti means "I have got inclination to eat this or to enjoy this. Why not? I shall do it. I have got my freedom." "But you have no freedom sir, you are simply..." That is māyā. You have no freedom. We get experience, suppose there is very nice palatable food. If I think, let me eat as much as possible, then next day I'll have to starve. Immediately dysentery or indigestion.
The medicine is this Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa's teachings, Kṛṣṇa's name, Kṛṣṇa's glorification. That is the real medicine. But we have no attraction for these things. We are simply trying to counteract the suffering, and we are accepting this counteraction as enjoying. Bhagavad-gītā: haranti smarataś cittam.
So actually, if we want to enjoy life, then we should take the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa. We shall chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That will give us relief from the blazing fire. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam **. This is the only way. Otherwise...
So when Arjuna was too much perturbed by absence of Kṛṣṇa, he was simply remembering the instruction of Kṛṣṇa which he received in the Battle of Kurukṣetra.
Thank you very much. (end)
It is very scientific and very practical. So by going to Kṛṣṇa, you can talk with Kṛṣṇa personally. You can play with Kṛṣṇa personally. You can dance with Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa-loka. Just like we have got a picture, rāsa dancing. Here is picture, Kṛṣṇa's. Everyone can get this opportunity. Therefore Kṛṣṇa comes to show practically how enjoyable life with Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. Kṛṣṇa is simply jolly, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In Vṛndāvana life you will see, everyone is jolly. The birds, trees and the water, the land, the cows, the calves, the inhabitants, the cowherd boys—everyone is happy simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. Simply by loving Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa therefore manifests His līlā that "Why you are rotting in this material world? Come to Me and enjoy life eternally." That is Kṛṣṇa business. He is so kind. Yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). People, when they become debauch to enjoy life in this material world... What is the enjoyment? The last enjoyment is sex life. Is that very good enjoyment?
That is our eternal relationship with God. And there is a place. So the system which makes these two sanātana, God and the living entity, meet again and they go back to enjoy life in the spiritual world, that system is called sanātana-dharma. Therefore sanātana-dharma is not meant for any particular class or particular country or particular nation or community. No. It is meant for the whole human being, especially human being; otherwise, all living entities.
Living entities, they are in this material world in different forms. That is accepted by Kṛṣṇa, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ (BG 14.4). There are as many forms of life amongst the living entities. Tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. The mahad yoniḥ, mahat, this material world, material elements, or the sum total of material elements... Mother Durgā, she is the mother. And God is the father. Just like father and mother gives birth to a child, similarly, we spirit soul, the part and parcel of the supreme father, and the material elements, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4), they're the recipient.
After many, many appearances. And what is this? Mānuṣya, man, human form of body. Artha-dam: and you can achieve a great success in this life. This is the hint given. Therefore for that great success everyone should try his best. And one may think that "Now we are young men, young boys and girls. Let us enjoy life." And that facility is very much easy to obtain in your country. In the school, college or society, the young boys and young girls, they have got ample facility for enjoying material life. Enjoying material life means sex life. So Bhāgavata says, "No. You should immediately try for the ultimate success of your life. Don't spoil your life." If we become absorbed in the thoughts of materialistic way of enjoyment, then naturally we have to take birth again in any other form of body, may be human body or may not be human body. But unless we purify our mind and consciousness, we must have to accept the material body.
The māyā's business is to capture. Just like criminal is arrested by the police, similarly, māyā is also engaged for this purpose. Anyone who forgets Kṛṣṇa, anyone who wants to enjoy life, imitate like Kṛṣṇa... Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). He is the enjoyer. But we are imitating. Sometimes we say, "I am Kṛṣṇa, I am God." This is our disease. We want to imitate Kṛṣṇa. We want to become Kṛṣṇa. We want to enjoy like Kṛṣṇa. This is going on. So so long we have got this propensity, we are sinful. This is the substance.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyaḥ: "If you surrender to Me... Because you have rebelled against Me. Rebelling against Me, you have come to this material world to enjoy. So I have given you all chances. I have given you chance to become Brahmā, to become Indra or become Candra, to become Nixon, to become Gandhi, to become Jawaharlal Nehru, to become ant, to become cat, to become dog. I have given you all chances, and you have enjoyed. But you are not satisfied. Now, if you have got sense, just surrender to Me."
Just like the hog, he is enjoying. He is enjoying. What he is enjoying? Enjoying stool. It is very good for him enjoyment. But it is not for enjoyment for you. You'll..., that, "Oh, what a nasty animal it is. It is eating stool." But he is enjoying.
So this is the business of God, thankless task. Everyone wants to enjoy life in a different way, and he has to find out a particular type of body. In the human form of body you cannot eat stool. Your mouth, your hands, your legs are differently made. So for eating stool, you must have a particular type of body, mouth, taste, tongue, everything different. Then you will enjoy stool. A tiger, his body is different because he wants to enjoy fresh blood from another animal. So he has got a different type of body. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, nānā joni sadā phire kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare. We get different types of body and we eat different types of all nasty things. Nasty things. Because we have got a particular type of body.
Then he's fit for transcendental service to the Lord.
After being liberated from these traiguṇya, three material, one has to be situated in nistraiguṇya. Here it is stated, nairguṇya. Nairguṇya, nistraiguṇya. The same meaning. Nairguṇya-sthā ramante, enjoys life. As soon as you come to the platform of nairguṇya, without being infected by the three material qualities, then ramante, everything is pleasure. Ramante yogino 'nante. Therefore those who are yogis, who are bhaktas, bhakti-yogīs, they also enjoy life. It is not that we restrict that "Don't enjoy senses." This is not enjoyment. This is bondage. This is bondage. Suppose I am enjoying either illicit or legal sex life. I am become under bondage. Even it is legal sex life, I get children, so many things, I have got duty to the children. So either goodness or ignorance, this is bondage. This is bondage. Therefore one has to become above the traiguṇya. And that is called nairguṇya. Nairguṇya-sthā ramante. They also enjoy.
To become one with God, it is also sense gratification. When he fails to become the greatest personality, he then desires, "Now let me become one with God." One with God means he thinks that he will be equally expert as the supreme enjoyer. Because God is supreme enjoyer. Bhoktā. So he could not enjoy life separately; now he wants to mix with the body of God. Therefore... That enjoyment is there. The propensity for enjoying is there. He failed to enjoy keeping himself separate, so he wants to mix with God. Just like the politicians. Whenever there is some political movement, they take some part. Their idea is that "If I become somehow or other a little prominent, important, I'll have a minister's post." That's all. It is a fact. They do not care for country's welfare. No. There is no such question. Their only ambition is, "Let me mix with this political party. It's growing... Just like in our country, there are so many parties.
So similarly, instead of trying to satisfy our senses independently, if we join with Kṛṣṇa in His rāsa dance, as cowherd boys, gopīs, we join with Kṛṣṇa, then you get the same pleasure as Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Don't try to enjoy independently. Just like here, in this temple. Every one of us trying to enjoy life in connection with Kṛṣṇa. As soon as we are disconnected with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this kind of foodstuff or this kind of living, simple living, will not satisfy you. You'll be tossed by the waves of material nature.
As others are being... They are also eating; we are also eating. But in our eating, we have got full satisfaction. And they have no satisfaction. They are eating sometimes here, sometimes there, this restaurant, that restaurant, this place... So many advertisements. So as soon as we dovetail our activities with Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's activities, that is perfection. Jñānaṁ yadā apratihatā ahaituky apratihatā. That is real activity. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6).
Purport by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. The materialistic man of the modern age will argue that life, or part of it, is never meant for discussion of theosophical or theological arguments. Life is meant for the maximum duration of existence for eating, drinking, sexual intercourse, making merry and enjoying life. The modern man wants to live forever by the advancement of material science, and there are many foolish theories for prolonging life to the maximum duration. But the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam affirms that life is not meant for so-called economic development or advancement of materialistic science for the hedonistic philosophy of eating, mating, drinking and merrymaking. Life is solely meant for tapasya, for purifying existence so that one may enter into eternal life just after the end of the human form of life.
The Bhāgavatam says that the bellows of the blacksmith breathes very soundly, but that does not mean that the bellows has life. The materialist will argue that life in the tree and life in the man cannot be compared because the tree cannot enjoy life by eating palatable dishes or by enjoying sexual intercourse. In reply to this, the Bhāgavatam asks whether other animals like the dogs and hogs, living in the same village with human beings, do not eat and enjoy sexual life. The specific utterance of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in regard to "other animals" means that persons who are simply engaged in planning a better type of animal life consisting of eating, breathing and mating are also animals in the shape of human beings. A society of such polished animals cannot benefit suffering humanity, for an animal can easily harm another animal but rarely do good.
Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food. He should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared to a hog.
The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. A person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, and so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the material world is maintained by sucking one's own blood. The central point of attraction for material enjoyment is sex life. To enjoy sex life is to suck one's own blood, and there is not much more to be explained in this connection. The camel also sucks its own blood while chewing thorny twigs. The thorns the camel eats cut the tongue of the camel, and so blood begins to flow within the camel's mouth.
Pradyumna: "The human being is endowed with two canine teeth as a concession for such persons who will eat animal food at any cost. It is known to everyone that one man's food is another man's poison. Human beings are expected to accept the remnants of food offered to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord accepts foodstuff from the categories of leaves, flowers, fruits etc.(BG 9.26)
No animal food is offered to the Lord as prescribed by Vedic scriptures. Therefore, a human being is meant to eat a particular type of food, and should not imitate the animals to derive so-called vitamin values. Therefore, a person who has no discrimination in regard to eating is compared with a hog. The camel is a kind of animal that takes pleasure in eating thorns. Similarly, a person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared to the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns. So one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations just to make the best use of a bad bargain. Life in the...
Prabhupāda: Is it not materialistic way of life? He's lying down on thorns. Is it not like that? So many people in old age, they are so distressed, "Now I want to be killed." Because the thorns have disturbed so much that they don't feel any value of life. So the so-called materialistic way of life, tātala saikate vāri-bindu-sama suta-mita-ramaṇi-samāje. Society, friendship, and love, so-called, it is simply full of thorns. That's all. But the camel likes that thorns. Therefore those who do not understand what is the value of materialistic way of life, they are just like camels. Camel is eating thorn and cutting the tongue, and blood is coming out. It is mixed with thorn. He is thinking that it is very nice food.
Prabhupāda: (after chanting:) That's all right.
Pradyumna: So on the purport on page 153, the second paragraph: "The camel is a kind of animal which takes pleasure in eating thorns. Similarly, a person who wants to enjoy family life or the worldly life of so-called enjoyment is compared with the camel. Materialistic life is full of thorns, so one should live only by the prescribed method of Vedic regulations, just to make the best use of a bad bargain."
Prabhupāda: Hm. Just like if you are passing through thorns, you must be very careful. Otherwise the thorns will be stuck up with your garment, and you will be inconvenienced. It is said in the Vedas, kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā. Just like we shave with razor. Razor is very sharp. So if we can carefully handle the razor, we get our cheeks very cleansed, that business is done. But little inattention, immediately cut and there will be blood. Little inattention. That example is given.
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Here... Just like if I give one's father's name, then you know the man particularly. So here, bhagavati. There are many expansions of God. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). But He is particularly mentioned here: vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Vāsudeva. Vāsudeve bhagavati ātma-bhāvaṁ dṛḍhaṁ gataḥ. We are trying to enjoy life by making friends, ātma-bhāvam. Ātma-bhāvam means very intimate. Intimate, near relative, or beloved. So we have to change our consciousness. Instead of trying to make this material world as beloved, you have to make Kṛṣṇa as beloved. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The everything is there. You get everything in return, as here, you are trying to enjoy, but without any inebriety. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja attained this stage. Therefore he could give up all his kingdom, all his family, all his animals and everything, and he simply became Kṛṣṇa conscious. Read the purport?
"How many books you have sold?" You learn, read. Always read, twenty-four hours. As soon as you get time, read. I do that. I do that. Reading, writing, or chanting. But when there is no other way, you sleep little. Not to enjoy sleep, but because it is not possible to continue, all right, sleep one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, five hours. Not more than that. Not that I am sleeping, enjoying life, up to eight o'clock, twelve o'clock.
In Western countries they sleep twelve o'clock. As soon as there was kīrtana, half-naked he used to come in New York. He used to complain, Mr. Chudy, "Oh, it is..." "Mr. Chudy, sir, I cannot do anything. You request them." That was being done in our 26 Avenue. Always police complaint, police used to come. But we did not stop. So things should be learned. We have got so many books, everything is there. Now here is tapasya. Akhila-loka-tāpanam. Akhila-loka. The whole universe became perturbed by the tapasya of Brahmā. Now go on. You finished all reading? Yes.
That is called illusion. That is called jñāna, that "I learn from Bhagavad-gītā that 'I am eternal. There is no birth and there is no death.' Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. Kadācit, at any time. Not that it has begun now. No. Never we are born. Na hanyate hanyamāne... (BG 2.20). So this is the fact. So why I shall be interested in something noneternal?" This is called knowledge. If I am eternal and my position is to enjoy life... Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature, I am part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), and Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). So qualitatively I am also sac-cid-ānanda. So why I am enjoying this temporary life for ten years or twenty years or two hundred years? This is called knowledge. Etaj jñānam. Other jñānam, they are not jñānam. I have said many times. They are arts, śilpa, to live for some time and make some artistic way of living condition and forget my real problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So for this purpose one should approach guru. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta (SB 11.3.21).
Atīndriya. Not these false senses. We want sense enjoyment, but not these covered senses. We are spiritual. We have got spiritual body. That body is now covered with this material garment; therefore it is covered. The senses are covered. With covered senses, you cannot enjoy actually. The senses must be open. That means you can enjoy life when your senses are open, not covered by this material body. That is recommended. One who is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness... It is said, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam means purified. You have to become purified. And sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam. Now we are in, covered, by this material body, means I am covered by so many designations: "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am Hindu," "I am Muslim." These are all coverings, material. So we have to get free, freedom from this covering. You should not think that "I am American" or "Indian" or this or that. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised, jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (Cc. Madhya 20.108-109).
Manda. Manda means very slow. They do not take seriously that... Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the most important movement for the upliftment of the human society, but they do not take it very seriously. Why? Bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānām. They have been taught... The modern civilization is simply teaching people how to enjoy life by sense gratification. Especially in the Western countries, so many things. Even for shaving there is machine. Means they do not want to ply the razor even. Formerly, safety razor, formerly, there was Halogram(?) razor. Now simply you take the machine. Not to move the hand even. You see? This is advancement of civilization. The more you enjoy your senses...
What you have done about these sufferings?" Mūḍha. They think, "Oh, this is all right. It doesn't matter." Besides that, there is very grave sufferings. That is birth, death, old age, and disease. So where is your happiness? But because we are under the spell of māyā, we are thinking, "This position is very nice. Let us enjoy life." This is their enjoyment.
So one has to... Tapanti vividhās tāpāḥ. Vividhāḥ, multi. Vividhāḥ means many. Tapanti vividhās tāpā na etān mad-gata-cetasaḥ. Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they... We cannot say that they are not suffering. They are suffering, but no so acutely. They know. Therefore we have begun this sādhu's symptoms, titikṣavaḥ, tolerant. Everyone is tolerant. One has to tolerate. But a sādhu's toleration and ordinary man's toleration is different. Sādhu's toleration is not so acute because a sādhu knows that he is not this body.
The same thing are being repeated in different way. So what is the use of talking such thing? Better, if you want to talk, talk on Kṛṣṇa, talk on Bhagavad-gītā, talk on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and enjoy life. That is required.
That is recommended here: mad-āśrayāḥ kathā mṛṣṭāḥ śṛṇvanti kathayanti ca. If you simply talk about Kṛṣṇa and hear about Kṛṣṇa, then that stage will come when there will be no more suffering always. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). This is called ānandamaya in the Vedānta-sūtra. A living entity or Kṛṣṇa, they are ānandamaya. Prācurye maya-pratyaya. Simply ānanda. When you are in pleasure, transcendental bliss, there will be no more possibility of this material suffering. That is instructed here:
Sometimes I used to enjoy like this, enjoy like... Everyone is trying to enjoy. But enjoy means we are becoming entangled. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). If you want to enjoy with Kṛṣṇa, that is your natural propensity, and if you en..., want to enjoy life without Kṛṣṇa, that is māyā. That is māyā.
So we are trying to enjoy. Enjoyment is our business. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Ānanda, Kṛṣṇa is ānandamaya, and we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. We are also ānandamaya. But we are seeking ānanda in different atmosphere. Just like any man can become very honest citizen, do business honestly, earn money and live very honorably. But no, somebody has learned how to steal. The government does not say that you becomes thief and go to the prison house. The government does not say. But you have selected to become a thief.
This is the meaning of putra. But if the putra is going himself to the pun-nāmno narakāt, then who will deliver me? That is the position now. Nobody is offering śrāddha ceremony. Nobody believes in that. So anyway, if a man taking the responsibility of maintaining wife and children, why? Because he thinking that "I will enjoy life. I will enjoy good atmosphere." Everyone is trying to that. Any family you go in this evening, they are trying to enjoy life with wife and children and friends. Therefore they are taking the responsibility.
So this is ānanda, but because in this material world the ānanda is being converted into distress... But you can get the ānanda when you are with the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa. We are all children of the supreme father.
Kṛṣṇa says that He is the father. He has created for enjoyment, not for distressing the children and Himself. But we children of Kṛṣṇa, we have given up the supreme father. We wanted to enjoy independently; therefore we are suffering. Just like if a big man's, very rich man's son, he gives up his home and he want to live and enjoy life independently, it is not possible. Therefore our duty is to go back to home, back to Godhead, again return to our original father, Kṛṣṇa. That will give us happiness. Kṛṣṇa is full of opulences, and He has got enough money, enough strength, enough beauty, everything enough, unlimitedly. So if we go to our original father, back to home, back to Godhead, then we can also enjoy with Him unlimitedly. That is the philosophy, not that... You cannot enjoy... Father has given you birth. You are separate entity from the father. And if you are suffering, if you say father, "My dear father, I am very much suffering. You make me again one with you," is it very good proposal?
Here in the material world, whatever we have, it is destructible. It will be destroyed. Today one is my son, so tomorrow the son may be destroyed. But if you accept Kṛṣṇa as your son, He will never be destroyed. That is the difference. Here whatever opulence we have got... We may have family, friend, sons, daughters, and so many things we possess. We enjoy life in the varieties of representation. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittair janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). Here we aspire after having good apartment, good house, gṛha, kṣetra, possession, property. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-suta, children; āpta, friend; vitta, riches. We possess here. But this possession is illusion, janasya moho 'yam, because it will not stay. This gṛha... Either the gṛha will be destroyed or—I am the inhabitant—I will be destroyed. There will be separation. Here nothing is permanent. Gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ. Therefore it is illusion. We do not understand it. We take this, permanent, and Kṛṣṇa, not permanent. But that is not the fact.
Sanātanaḥ means eternally we are vibhinnāṁśa.
So our this pāra-tantrya, dependence on material nature, is pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam. Tat-kṛtam. And we wanted this separation. Therefore it is our conditioned life here. That is our selection. Kṛṣṇa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare. When we wanted to enjoy life independently, so-called ind..., because we cannot be independent... We have to become dependent. Either this material nature or the spiritual nature, it is not possible. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13). You have to take āśraya, shelter, of either of the prakṛtis, parā-prakṛti or aparā-prakṛti. Aparā-prakṛti is this material nature, and parā-prakṛti is the spiritual nature. So therefore jīva-śakti is called taṭastha. Taṭastha. Antaraṅga, bahiraṅga, taṭastha. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate (Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport), the Absolute Truth has got multi-potencies.
So we have to rectify this mentality, that "I am independent. I am God. I can do whatever we like." This mentality has to be rectified. For that rectification we are in this material world, and we are undergoing different types of miserable condition of life to become rectified so that we may come to the senses, that "I want to be happy. I want to enjoy life. Why I am put into this unfavorable circumstances? The most unfavorable circumstance is that I do not want to die. Still, I have to die." This is common sense. So in order to... On account of this puruṣa mentality... Just like I have already explained the strī can enjoy happy life along with the husband, not independently, similarly, we, being prakṛti, our business is to remain eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. Then we will be happy. Otherwise we will not be happy. It is not possible.
And there are 8,400,000 types of bodies. In this way our life is going on in this material world.
But our real business is that "Why we are put into the cycle of birth and death, and according to the body we are suffering different types of miserable condition of life?" Actually, we are trying to enjoy life, sukham, but it is a struggle for existence. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. We are having great struggle for existence. Therefore we should study philosophically and scientifically, analyze what is this body and what is beyond the body, soul, and what is the soul's function, where is the soul's place, ultimately what is the end goal of the activities of the soul. This is human life. And all this knowledge can be had from the Vedic literature, and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the essence of Vedic literature. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3).
That is their position. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). And as soon as you are engaged in the service of māyā, that is your adhaḥ patanti. Adhaḥ patanti. As we, all these materialistic person who are within this material, you are serving māyā... Everyone is serving. Nobody is without serving. But they are serving māyā. So you have to transfer your service from māyā to Kṛṣṇa. Then your life will be successful and you will taste different varieties of prasādam perpetually and enjoy life eternally and blissfully.
That is another madness. But the sufferings are there. That is being pointed out by Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). You may be very perfect by arranging your material civilization to enjoy life but, you will not be allowed to live. That we do not see. There is no insurance. I am making very nice arrangement for my future enjoyment, having good bank balance, nice skyscraper building and other things, but where is the guarantee that you shall live and enjoy? That we do not see. Therefore we are madmen. If you are arranging something utopian for happiness, and if you understand that "I shall die tomorrow," then immediately my enthusiasm will decline. "Now, who is going to take so much trouble? I am going to die tomorrow."
So tomorrow not, say hundred years after, you will have to die. You cannot escape this. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam.
So Ṛṣabhadeva's instruction is tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ śuddhyet (SB 5.5.1). Why it is necessary to purify my existence? Śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tu anantam. You are seeking after happiness, but your happiness is being checked. You have made very good arrangement for enjoying life, happiness, but it is being checked. You have to die. You make all nice arrangement, but you have to die. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Aham. Kṛṣṇa says that "Those persons who do not want Me, or persons who do not like to understand God, they will see God, Me." When? "At the time of death," as Hiraṇyakaśipu saw. He challenged always God. His son was devotee, and that was the misunderstanding between the father and the son...(break) This father said that "God is enemy. Viṣṇu is my enemy. You do not take the name of Viṣṇu." And the child, boy, will take. That is the cause of enmity. So at the end he saw Hiraṇyakaśipu Hiraṇyakaṣipu saw Nṛsiṁha-deva.
Now we have got impure existence, this material body. When we get our spiritual body, that is called purified. So Ṛṣabhadeva says sattvaṁ yasmād brahma-saukhyam anantam. As soon as you get your spiritual body, then there is unlimited happiness. We are, after all... In the Vedānta-sūtra it is said that the living entity or God, both of them are for enjoying life, blissful life. Just like when you are diseased, you have got some fever. So, you cannot enjoy life. Similarly in this diseased condition of material existence we, actually, we cannot enjoy life. Therefore, if we purify our existential condition by tapasya, then we come into our spiritual existence and we can enjoy our life eternally. (break) ...therefore, that when we have got this human form of life, we shall not waste it simply for sense gratification like the dogs and hog. We should practice tapasya, restrain, and then we purify our existence and we are situated in a position wherein we can enjoy blissful life forever.
Prabhupāda: Not austerity. Austerity... Path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, preliminary, begins simply by chanting. There is no restriction for chanting. Anyone can come and join in this chanting. But if one is serious to prosecute the Kṛṣṇa consciousness life, then he has to follow strictly these regulative principles. And they are not very difficult, because others are following. They are enjoying life. Eh?
Student: (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Student: If austerity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is (indistinct) ?
Prabhupāda: Do you know what is consciousness? What is that?
Student: Yes. (indistinct) an awareness of reality, reality, an awareness...
Prabhupāda: No. What is the general concept? You are conscious of something?
Therefore it is recommended mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimuktes, if you want to become free from all anxieties. First of all this material world means anxiety. We are put... We are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Why we are sent to this material world? Icchā-dveṣa sammutthena, sarge yānti parantapa, because we wanted to enjoy life independent of God, or Kṛṣṇa. This is the disease. We are not independent. If there is no rain and there is no food grain, what your independence will do? No. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14), very practical. That if you want to be happy, either animal or man, bhūtāni, then you produce anna, food grains sumptuously. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ. And there must be sufficient rain for producing sufficient food grains. Yajñād bhavanti parjanyaḥ, and you perform yajña, there will be regular rainfall. Yajñaḥ-karma samudbhavam. Who is following this principle? Yajñaḥ-karma samudbhavam. Kṛṣṇa never says that factories, by factories bhavanti bhūtāni.
Then you have to take shelter of mahājana, mahat-sevā. That is the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, that tad viddhi praṇipātena (BG 4.34). First thing is that this... Mukti means you have to become surrendered either to Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa's representative. Otherwise there is no question of mukti. And if you do not do this, if you think that eat, drink, be merry and enjoy life, that is called yoṣi saṅga, yoṣitāṁ saṅgi-saṅgam. What is that? Tamo-dvāram. That means you are making progress towards darkness, tamo-dvāram, hellish condition of life.
If your identity is mistaken, then whatever you are doing, that is your defeat. Yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ. Everyone has got different types of mentality. So karmātmakam means... That is general mentality, that "I shall work very nice and I shall get money and I shall enjoy life." This is called karmātmakam. Not only in this life, next life also, they are trying, those who are followers of Vedic ritualistic ceremony, by puṇya-karma. Puṇya-karma means pious activities. Pious activities, that is also activity. So according to our philosophy, we are not impressed even in pious activity. We are not interested in impious activities. We are not interested even in pious activities. This is our position.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung, karma-kāṇḍa jñāna-kāṇḍa, kevala viṣera bhāṇḍa, amṛta baliyā jebā khāya, nānā joni sadā phire, kadarya bhakṣaṇa kare.
Śamo damo satyaṁ anugraha. The brāhmaṇa's business is anugraha, to be just like Prahlāda Mahārāja. Prahlāda Mahārāja is unhappy for others. Śoce tato vimukha-cetasa māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "I am thinking of these rascals. They are making so many gorgeous arrangements, big, big skyscraper, big, big roads, and thousands of motorcars." Māyā-sukhāya. "They will enjoy this life for fifty years, sixty years, thirty years, and making big, big arrangement." Māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: (SB 7.9.43) "I am thinking of these rascals, that they forget the real business, what is the problem of life. They are busy in erecting, constructing big, big skyscrapers." Not only now, formerly also the vimūḍhān, the rascals... Viśeṣa mūḍha. Kṛṣṇa says, mūḍha. Na māṁ prapadyante mūḍha. And Prahlāda Mahārāja stresses more, vimūḍhān, first-class mūḍhas. Yes. Vimūḍhān. So anyone who does not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is busy in other business, he's a vimūḍhān. Don't remain a vimūḍhān. Become intelligent. Kṛṣṇa ye bhaje sei baḍa catur.
So we are put into this prakṛti. Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ buddhi mano. These are material. There is also mana. Mind is subtle matter; it is not spirit. So in this way, separated energy and the jīva, the living entity, although he is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, he wanted to enjoy life separately or independently without Kṛṣṇa, and that is called material world, struggle for existence. Without Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has to come to Kṛṣṇa if he wants to stop his struggle for existence with mind and senses, then he must come to Kṛṣṇa. That is the natural position.
But these rascals are not taught about Kṛṣṇa, but they are already in ignorance and they are kept into ignorance. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). The rascals, they do not know that his real self-interest is how to approach Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, therefore comes personally just to show His causeless mercy upon them, to exhibit Himself, how He can be friend to everyone.
That will be the change, not that the taste will change. The taste, the same. The dog's pot and man's pot and demigod's pot, within the material world, the taste is the same, and ultimately, you have to die. That's all. That you cannot stop. Nobody wants to die. He wants to enjoy life perpetually. Now the scientists are trying to live more years. So what is the use of living more years? The śāstra says, taravaḥ kiṁ na jīvanti (SB 2.3.18) . The trees they live for five thousand years or more than that. So do they not live long years? So sane man will think that "What is the use of living for five hundred or five thousand years, standing in one place?"
So this is not advancement. The advancement is that, as Kṛṣṇa says, that to solve the problem of birth, death, old age, and disease. That is advancement. So Kṛṣṇa says, therefore, that ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna. Even if you go...
His philosophy was that so long you... Now that philosophy is being followed at the present moment, that "You don't care for sinful activities, there is no life, and after finishing this body, everything is finished; enjoy life as you like." This is going on. That is Carvaka's philosophy. Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet. He said that "You enjoy life by eating as much as quantity as you can provide ghee." Because Indian philosophy means if you can eat... Just like in Western countries, if you can eat meat you think that "I am very much fortunate." Similarly, in India still, in villages also, they think that "If we can eat more ghee then we are very fortunate." (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. So "Beg, borrow, steal, eat ghee." Eat ghee, because so long you live, you'll live very sumptuously eating ghee and become fatty. That's all. (laughter) So ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet yāvaj jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet. Live very happily.
"From Me, there is remembrance, knowledge," smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca, "and forgetfulness."
So Kṛṣṇa gives us chance. If you want Kṛṣṇa, then He will give you full chance how to have Kṛṣṇa. And if you don't want Kṛṣṇa, then He'll give you full chance how to forget Kṛṣṇa. Two things are going on. If you want to forget... If you want to enjoy life, forgetting Kṛṣṇa, forgetting God, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all facilities so that you can forget Him. And if you want to enjoy life with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa will give you chance how to make your progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is up to you. If you think that without Kṛṣṇa consciousness you'll be happy, do that. Kṛṣṇa does not object to that. Yathecchasi tathā kuru (BG 18.63). Kṛṣṇa, after advising Arjuna, He simply inquired, "Now I have explained to you everything. Whatever you desire you can now do." So immediately Arjuna replied, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73): "Now I shall execute Your order." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And what for they are doing? Yad indriya-prītaye, simply for sense gratification, that's all. So Ṛṣabhadeva says, na sādhu manye: "This is not good." "Why it is not good? I am enjoying life." No, you are not enjoying. Because you have got this material body, there is no question of enjoyment. It is simply suffering. And you are thinking it is enjoyment. That is illusion. That is māyā. You are accepting something which is not.
So everyone should be careful, that "I have got this material body. This is disease. Why I shall get material body?" That they do not know. From Bhagavad-gītā we understand, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We are not finished after the body is annihilated, no, or destroyed, no. So we are eternal. That is called brahma-jñāna. Unless one has the brahma-jñāna, that "I am not this body," ahaṁ brahmāsmi, aham, "I am brahman, spirit soul," so people will go on doing all irresponsible things.
These are sinful activities. Otherwise why it is forbidden, "Thou shall not"?
So people are neglecting. Any religious system—it doesn't matter—forbids, "Don't commit sinful life, you will suffer." So people have made a civilization that "There is no life, and you can go on irresponsibly, as you like, enjoy life, and never mind if I become a dog. What is the wrong there?" That's all. This kind of civilization must be stopped if we want to remain a human being. And if we don't want, if we want to remain as cats and dogs, that is a different thing. But if you want to remain as human being, you must live regulative principle. And that we are teaching. Our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching regulative life for next spiritual life, back to home, back to Godhead. This is our mission. So regulative life means... Sinful life, if we become sinful, irresponsible, then another material body. That is the advice.
And pravṛtti-mārga means without any knowledge where we are going on, rushing on—we are doing everything, whatever we like—that is called pravṛtti-mārga. People are generally engaged in pravṛtti-mārga. Especially in this age, they do not care what is going to happen next. Therefore they feel relief that "There is no life after death. Let us enjoy this life to the best capacity. Then after death, never mind what will come." First of all, they deny to believe the next life. And even there is next life, and even if I am going to become cats and dogs, they do not mind. This is the experience of the modern age, irresponsible life.
But our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people that "Don't live irresponsibly." Take, for example, that you may say, "There is no life." But if I put the argument, "Suppose there is life..." Now this is also supposition, because nobody, those who are in ignorance, they do not know whether there is life or whether there is no life. So you are arguing, "There is no life," but you do not know whether there is life.
They are taking place. So many people are dying. He does not expect that "I am going to office. I shall be killed." In aeroplane crash... So there is no guarantee. Any moment we can die. But we are not thinking..., because they have made this theory, "There is no life after death. So enjoy. Enjoy life as far as possible." But that is not the fact. After death, we will have to accept another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). But they try to forget it. And the argument they put forward, that "Even I get one body next life, I shall forget this life. So what is the wrong? Let us enjoy." This is called life of ignorance, passion. But this is not the proper life.
So yesterday we discussed the different grades of life: first class, second class, third class, fourth class, fifth class, sixth class. So this kind of life, without any responsibility and carried away by the waves of time, is the tenth-class life.
That is another thing. Similarly, the living entity is part and parcel of God, but someone has become human beings, some has become cats, someone has become tree, some as insects, some as demigods, some as (indistinct), some as the ant—varieties. Because they wanted to become like that, and God has given them the chance, "All right. You want to become like this and enjoy life? All right, you become like this." So this is arrangement that God is there, and He is everyone's father. He is everyone's friend. He is always ready. He's coming personally to canvas. He's so kind. Just hear, immediately.
"You are my enemy; I am your enemy," and we fight like cats and dogs. But as soon as we come to the Viṣṇu understanding, Kṛṣṇa understanding, these cities, these nice cities, this nice civilization, can be maintained very nicely. You be happy. Yajña-śiṣṭāśino santaḥ. You eat nicely, dance nicely, live nicely, and go back to home, back to Godhead. Enjoy this life and next life. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so nice. Everyone should take seriously, try to understand it seriously. It is authorized on the Vedic principles. It is nothing something manufactured, unauthorized. So that is our request. So we are opening centers in different parts of the world to give opportunity to the people to understand his real interest: Viṣṇu, his real interest. That is our mission. So kindly help us and join us.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)
I mean to say, this, subjected to death. Na jāyate na mriyate vā. We are not subjected. This... We are simply changing the dress, this body. But as soul, I am eternal, you are eternal, and on account of our uncontrolled senses, unbridled senses, we are changing different types of body. Suppose I am now human being, I am enjoying life very nicely, but if, next life, I become a dog, street dog, we can see how miserable life it is. Or even I become a very powerful, strong animal, a tiger or a lion, there is still... It is miserable life. Miserable life. So long we shall be in the material world, changing different bodies, it is miserable. Kleśada āsa dehaḥ. Any body, it is kleśada, painful, miserable.
Just like at the present moment we practically experience. Everywhere there is discontentment, there is scarcity. Just like from India we thought that "When I go to America and other western countries, I will see that every man is very rich man and every man has got a very nice apartment and is enjoying life." But actually, when I come here I see that there are many poor men, there are many miserable men here also. Only the proportion is different, but the actual fact is the same, either in India or in America or in Canada or in everywhere. The same thing. Proportion different. Therefore, if we want...
"No, above that there is another thing." That is prema, to love God. That is transcendental.
So Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the topmost, topmost knowledge how to love God and thereby enjoy life. Because we want to love. Unfortunately The other day I was instructing my students that "You just get yourself married." Now, they were confused. Somebody said, "Where to get a nice girl?" Just see. Everyone wants to love, but frustration. The girls will say, "Where is a nice boy?" So the tendency of love is there in everywhere, either in animal or in man, but the lovable object is missing. Missing. That is Kṛṣṇa. If you try to love Kṛṣṇa, then your life will be fulfilled: "Oh, here is lovable object." Premā pum-artho mahān. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu is considered to be most munificent personality. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53).
"My dear friends," kaumāra ācaret prājñā, "now we should become Kṛṣṇa conscious from this childhood. Don't wait for your old age." Generally, people think that "When we shall become old, we shall take care of becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious or God conscious or go to the church or temple. At present, let us play and enjoy life." So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, "No." Kaumāra ācaret prājñā. Prājñā means intelligent. Intelligent means who does not waste time. Time is very valuable. You are American people. You know very well how to utilize time. But time is very valuable is also accepted in Vedic civilization. There is a very nice verse in Cāṇakya śloka. You just see how much time was considered as valuable. By this verse, you will know. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita says Cāṇakya Paṇḍita was a great politician. He was sometimes prime minister of the emperor of India. So he says, āyuṣaḥ kṣaṇa eko 'pi na labhya svarṇa-koṭibhiḥ. He says that "A moment's time of your duration of life, moment..."
Immediately we shall begin. Why? Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma. Mānuṣaṁ janma. He says that this human form of body is very rare. It is obtained after many, many births. So modern civilization, they do not understand what is the value of this human form of life. They think that this body is meant for sense enjoyment like cats and dogs. The cats and dogs, they are also enjoying life in four principles; eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. So human form of life is not meant for spoiling like cats and dogs. Human form of life is meant for something else. And that "something else" is Kṛṣṇa conscious or God consciousness because without human form of life, no other body can understand what is God, what is this world, what I am, wherefrom I have come, where I have to go. These things are meant for human life. So he says that "From very childhood..." Actually this is essential. From childhood, in the schools, in the colleges, this bhāgavata-dharma, or the occupation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, should be introduced. This is necessary, but they do not understand.
So actually, the present society is producing tigers or hogs or dogs or camels, like that. In the form of human body. The real human body, the intelligence should be utilized to understand God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Tad api janma.
Why... Somebody may say that "Let me enjoy this life. I shall try for Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness next life, or after enjoying life in my youthhood, then we shall try." So Prahlāda Mahārāja answers, "No, don't remain confident that you shall live long or remain confident that you are getting next life also human form of life." No. Adhruvam. There is no certainty. But if you begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this life and try to achieve the result to some extent, even one percent, two percent, your life, next life is guaranteed a human form of life. It is such a nice thing. Because it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga bhraṣṭo sanjāyate (BG 6.41).
"Oh, here is a nice beggar, sannyāsī, let me give him something." But the sannyāsī's desire is to introduce himself as a beggar so that the householder can take up the advantage that "Here is a sannyāsī. Please come on." Naturally he'll ask something, "Swamiji, what is this? What is this?" So he'll get some opportunity to speak something.
So naturally we are inclined to enjoy this life. So if somebody thinks that "Now I am young man, let me enjoy my senses." At the present moment, youth, the senses are very, I mean to say, in order. So let us enjoy it. And when we get old age, when their senses will not be so expert for enjoyment, then we shall think of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness. That is the general tendency. Or the children they think, "Let us play." So Śaṅkarācārya says, bālasya tāvat kriyāsakta. "Oh, what I am seeing? All the children in the street I see they're all engaged in playing," taruṇas tāvat taruṇī-raktaḥ. "And the young boys and girls, they are after sex." So tarunas tavat taruṇī-raktaḥ, vṛddhas tāvat cinta-magnaḥ.
Puruṣam does not mean man. Puruṣam means one who wants to enjoy. He is called puruṣa. Anyone here in the material world, although one has got the body of a male or although one has got the body of a female, both of them are for enjoyment. Therefore it is used, puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. So either the woman or man, the propensity is how to enjoy life. Therefore it is called. So either puruṣa, the male or female, anyone who has got this body, he must perform Kṛṣṇa consciousness until she becomes... It should go on. If you practice when you are stout and strong... Just like a person begins exercising in young age, and in the old age also he can perform exercise. Practice, anything you practice, that is recommended. Yateta kuśalaḥ ksemāya bhavam āśritaḥ.
Take advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life perfect.
Thank you very much.
(break) ...of decreasing distress. And those who are trying for going to the heavenly planet for enjoying life more and more, increasing happiness, they are also wasting time. And the whole system of dharma is like that, increasing happiness and decreasing distress. So Kṛṣṇa says both these processes, increasing happiness or decreasing distress, this is sarva-dharmān parityajya: (BG 18.66) "Avoid these two ways of life. Simply surrender unto Me." Then shall I go on suffering? Due... "When there is happiness, it is all right. Then I shall go on suffering without any attempt to minimize it?" "Yes. Yes." That is said in the Bhagavad-gītā. Taṁs titikṣasva bhārata: "My dear Arjuna, even if you think there is some distress, still, you should tolerate."
Money is so pleasant and so dear that sometimes we risk our life for getting money. So how we can give up the monetary attraction when we are too much, I mean to say, attracted to this materialistic way of life?" Then again he says, kathaṁ priyāyā anukampitāyāḥ saṅgaṁ rahasyaṁ rucirāṁś ca mantrān. Then he said that "In old age the affection between husband and wife is revived." First of all, in young age, they enjoy life, and in old age they remember, "Oh, how we enjoyed in our young age. How we talked together, how we would walk together." These things, by contemplation, they enjoy. Suhṛtsu tat-sneha-sitaḥ śiśūnāṁ kalākṣarāṇām anurakta-cittaḥ. In this way, children, the children, they talking very nicely, laughing very nicely, and they are thinking, contemplating. In this way, attachment increasing, daily, attachment increasing. This description, of course, very common, but we should know that these are the shackles of māyā.
And we think that they are crazy. So we do not know who is crazy. Therefore we have written a small pamphlet, "Who is Crazy?" Actually, one who has forgotten his real destination of life, he is crazy. He is wasting his life. He is spoiling his life. This is the only opportunity. But due to ignorance, they do not care for it. They think that "Life is going on like this. We are enjoying life." No. We should be very responsible and cautious. Otherwise, Prahlāda Mahārāja says, na budhyate arthaṁ vihatam. Artham. They cannot understand, they are sacrificing their greatest wealth. Greatest wealth. This human form of life is the only opportunity to get out of the cycle of birth and death. If we again put into the cycle of lower animals, oh, it will take millions of years again to come again to this human form of life.
This is intelligence. The karmīs, they are trying to enjoy life by increasing the duration of life. The modern scientists, they are trying that there will be no more death. They think like that foolishly, that by scientific methods, the duration of life will be increased. Everyone is trying that. Nobody wants to become old. If you ask any old man, "What is your age?" he'll decrease it. He'll say... He is eighty years old, he'll say, "I am sixty years" or "sixty-five." That means he wants to live for long duration of life. That is the intention. Nobody wants to die. But still... They cannot do anything. Still, they are trying. One Marwari gentleman, at the age of seventy or eighty years old, he went to somewhere in Germany for undergoing surgical operation of the gland so that he can continue his sex life. Many monkeys are exported from India to Western countries for taking away the sexual glands, they know, hormone or something like, and replace it to man so that in old age they can enjoy sex. Perhaps you know all these things. So this attempt is going on, how to keep young and how to enjoy life.
All nonsense. Yadi... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nārādhito yadi haris tapasā... There is no meaning of tapasya if you cannot see Kṛṣṇa. And if you can see Kṛṣṇa, there is no meaning of tapasya. That is... Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim. Antar-bahir yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim, nāntar-bahir yadi haris tapasā... If you can see Kṛṣṇa always, outside and inside, then you have nothing to do, tapasya. Enjoy life by seeing Kṛṣṇa always. Svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: (CC Madhya 22.42) "I don't want anything. Please allow me to see You continually."
Kāraṇaṁ guṇa saṅgo 'sya sad-asad janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). This is stated. Now we have got this nice human form of body, but if we associate with the low-grade qualities of this material world—means tamo-guṇa—then again we are going to become animal automatically. They do not know it. They are thinking, "I am enjoying life by eating meat and drinking wine and having illicit sex and gambling. It is very joyful life." But he does not know that he is associating with tamo-guṇa, and he is going to be an animal, cats and dogs and monkey. This is a fact.
Therefore we should be very, very careful. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is simply a very scientific movement that will help the human society not to be degraded again, to be elevated.
| Page Title: | Enjoy life (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 25 of Jun, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=75, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 75 |