Prabhupāda: Athavā yogināṁ gṛhe. Yogināṁ gṛhe means that neither rich nor very pious, but actually yogi. His parents, he gets such a parent that who are actually in execution of spiritual life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or yoga, the father mother. So children, they generally imitate, imitate the parents' habits or activities. So fortunately we had the opportunity of getting such a father. So we are imitating our father. In my childhood I imitated my father. He was worshiping Deity of Kṛṣṇa. So I asked him, "My dear father, I shall worship. Give me the Deity of Kṛṣṇa." So he gave me a little Deity of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā and I was imitating. So beginning of life... So these are actually facts. Mahārāja Parīkṣit also, he was playing with Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa dolls. Just like Mirabhai. She was playing with Kṛṣṇa doll and later on she became a very high-grade devotee. So these chances are there.
Athavā yoginām eva kule bhavati dhīmatām (BG 6.42). He's given the chance of being born in such good family. Etaddhi durlabhataram. Now this kind of birth, in a family of devotee and yogi, is very, I mean to say, rare, and it is far better than the other two lives, to have birth in rich family or in pious family. Actually, they are acting. Just like when a boy is born of a father who is a medical man... We have seen it. So naturally he becomes a medical man. Because he sees his father and the inclination inherits. In that way, in the Indian caste system, originally it was a division. But because the son imitated the father, in this way, it has come to be a caste system by birth. So anyway, these chances are given. The purport is that we, everyone, every man should begin spiritual life.
Either any yoga system, any spiritual life is called yoga. Yoga means to link. We are part and parcel of the supreme absolute, Brahman or Bhagavān, whatever you call, Paramātmā, it doesn't matter. But yoga means linking. So the linking, either you link with impersonal formless, the Supreme Brahman, that is also linking. And if you by meditation you link up with the Supersoul within yourself that is also transcendental activity. Or you directly worship as a devotee, Kṛṣṇa. Anything you adopt, that is spiritual life. But to become Kṛṣṇa conscious or a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, that is the ultimate goal. That we have in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
After two stages. Impersonal conception of the Supreme or localized realization of the Supreme. They have again to come to this consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, after many, many births. So therefore it is better if they're intelligent enough, when you get the information that ultimately you have to come to this point, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). Vāsudeva means Kṛṣṇa. Sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. That sort of great soul is very rare. So why not become a rare great soul immediately and just become in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and make your life successful? Thank you very much. Any questions? Yes?
Woman: You say you worship the deity photograph of someone who has gone. But the photograph of a spiritual teacher can be very helpful to teach them to love him because the photograph of a spiritual teacher is not material value, but it symbolizes the truth from which the, he has come.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Those who are spiritually advanced, their photograph and ordinary photograph is different. Just like here is statue of Kṛṣṇa. He's not different from Kṛṣṇa. The original person Kṛṣṇa and this statue of Kṛṣṇa is the same. Similarly, a spiritually perfect person and his photograph is the same. Because it is in the absolute stage. In the absolute stage there is no difference. In the material stage there is difference. Is that clear? In the absolute stage there is no difference. Just like we are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. The Kṛṣṇa is the name of the Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So this name and Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent. Do you realize it? There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa who is in His supreme abode and the name Kṛṣṇa which you are chanting. That is the same. There is no difference. This is absolute conception. Whereas if I am thirsty and if I call the name of water, "Water, water, water," I require the substance water actually. Simply by calling "water" will not do. That is the difference between matter and spirit.
And actually, if we are not getting some spiritual enlightenment by chanting Kṛṣṇa then do you think that we are simply wasting our time? No. We're not wasting our time. We're actually getting spiritual ecstasy because there is no difference. But you take similarly, the name of water or something else, what you want, that will not be fulfilled. This is the absolute and relative conception. In the absolute stage there is no difference, name, quality, form, pastime, entourage, everything the same. If you chant Kṛṣṇa's name it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. If you see Kṛṣṇa's form it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. If you think of Kṛṣṇa's activities it is as good as Kṛṣṇa. This realization is spiritual realization. Therefore a first-class devotee who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he sees everything Kṛṣṇa. Nothing different from Kṛṣṇa. Any other questions?
Govinda dasi: You said that after leaving this body, this body is gone, you'll part with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go to a higher place? (indistinct)
Prabhupāda: No. If you make perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then after leaving this body you go directly to Kṛṣṇa. But if you are not perfect, if you have simply executed a certain percentage only then you'll get the chance of another human body either in this planet or any other planet to execute the balance. That is... According to percentage of advancement, one is given birth in a rich family or in a pious family or in a yogi's family. That depends on the percentage of advancement. But one who has completed his spiritual consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he's at once transferred.
- janma karma ca me divyaṁ
- yo jānāti tattvataḥ
- tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
- naiti mām eti kaunteya
- (BG 4.9)
That is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that one who has understood what is Kṛṣṇa, how Kṛṣṇa takes His birth, how Kṛṣṇa acts, what are His activities, for one who has understood factually the result is, simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa, the result is tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti, he doesn't get any more material birth. Then? Where does he go? Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). "He comes to Me." That means in the supreme abode of Kṛṣṇa. That is the highest perfection. But if the highest perfection is...
Therefore we should be very serious. Why should we wait for another birth either in very pious family or rich family or in other planet? That is also condemned in Bhagavad-gītā. Ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Even if you are elevated to the highest planet of this material world you'll have to come again to prepare yourself. The best thing is that we are now here in this planet and immediately take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and surrender unto Him and become perfect. Why should you wait for another birth or in another planet? Finish. Now, if you are actually serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then finish now. This is the opportunity. Labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). This birth is obtained after many, many evolutionary process. Mānuṣyam artha-dam. This human body can give you the highest perfection. So tūrṇaṁ yateta, be very serious and try for that perfection. Anumṛtyu pated yāvat, until next death comes. But we are not serious. We are not very serious. We are serious about how to make our sense gratification very nicely. That is our seriousness. Human advancement, advancement of civilization means how nicely you can gratify your senses. This is going on. Only to give all sorts of comfort to this body. But actually human civilization means that people should be very serious to have perfection of this human body, spiritual perfection. That is perfect human civilization. That is missing at the present moment.