Prabhupāda: Yes, senses. Because we have come to the poisonous condition, the senses have become poisonous. Just like if you go to an area where there is infectious disease, you contaminate and suffer from the disease. So it is your duty not to go such a place where there is contamination. It is up to you. You create your own situation of suffering or enjoying. Yes.
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) She said if we have not already achieved perfection, then how can the soul achieve the perfection? It seems that he has to reincarnate slowly in time to achieve the perfection.
Prabhupāda: No, that is no argument. If you are diseased, you can be cured if you take the proper medicine, treatment. That's all. Disease is not hopelessness. Otherwise, why the people go for treatment to a physician? Similarly, out of ignorance you are now in this miserable condition, but if you become treated by bona fide spiritual master, then you'll be cured. Originally every one of us—pure. Now, by material condition we are now contaminated. That. . . But there is process to get out of this material contamination. Then again we become pure. And as soon as we become pure, there is no more birth, death, old age and disease. Finished.
Hanumān: (translating) How do we free ourself from māyā?
Prabhupāda: Just become Kṛṣṇa conscious and māyā will not touch you. Just like you take injection, vaccine, and the infection will not touch you. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā. Find out this verse. Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). Seventh Chapter. Read it.
Nitāi:
- daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī
- mama māyā duratyayā
- mām eva ye prapadyante
- māyām etāṁ taranti te
- (BG 7.14)
(Hṛdayānanda reads Spanish translation)
Prabhupāda: So, any other question? Yes?
Devotee or Guest: I want to ask you . . . (indistinct) . . . how can we possibly know that one has attained Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Prabhupāda: You have to think of Kṛṣṇa. Hmm? What did he say, question?
Hṛdayānanda: He wanted to know what are the symptoms of one who has become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Prabhupāda: Symptoms? He's chanting always Hare Kṛṣṇa. Unless one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, why he'll take the trouble, twenty-four hours, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa"? This is the symptom. The symptom is further explained that as soon as you see one man and you remember Kṛṣṇa, that means he's Kṛṣṇa conscious. So our men, wherever they go, people say "Hare Kṛṣṇa!"—by seeing him only. Therefore the man is Kṛṣṇa conscious. This is the proof. That is the statement of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, "If by seeing one person you remember Kṛṣṇa, that person is Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) Why it seems that when the soul comes into contact with material nature it becomes contaminated?
Prabhupāda: He wants to enjoy this material enjoyment. Just like everyone is going to the restaurant for eating something palatable, but we are not going; and somebody is going to cinema, but we are not going to the cinema. Similarly, there are two kinds of men: one is attracted, one is not attracted. Those who are not attracted, they are called nitya-siddha, eternally liberated. And those who are being attracted, they are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. So you'll find always two classes of men. So one is attracted; one is not attracted. In the spiritual world the number of liberated person—many, many times greater than these conditioned soul. Just like the prison house and outside the prison house. The population outside the prison house, their number is very great, but within the prison house there are small number, criminals. So there are innumerable living entities. Out of them, some of them become attracted to this material enjoyment; others not. So one who does not want to serve Kṛṣṇa and wants to serve his senses, he's put into this material world. And he's given all facilities to enjoy, but he becomes entangled. This is the position.